spring 2008

The it's so
spring it's almost
summer issue

About the cover and the year: If you
look real close, you will see an (inverted)
power triangle of James Joyce
(portrait, upper left), a couple of Friday

night session players (center), and a

standard issue publicity shot of the
Doors (upper right). All of that and the fact that we chanced upon a great Cork City session might be a happy accident. As the venerable Cowboy Jack Clement once said, “I guess things happen that way.” Only when Cowboy Jack said it he was a little sad, and we aren’t, this issue marking a year and several hundred submissions into shaking like a mountain. We thank all the writers and visual artists who have contributed to shaking thus far. We think of you as so many reasons to be cheerful, you see, kind of like spring, baseball and a brand new R. Meltzer challenge.

In this issue we chat with Minneapolis singer/songwriter Matt Jennings in the “Shaking the Muse,” section, give you lots of new fiction and poetry, including our first R. Meltzer challenge winners, Julia Klatt and Alex Stolis, and three new songs for your inspiration. 

In case that’s not enough, we’ve recently added the Summer 2007 and Fall 2007 issues to the “Shook” page. Just be sure not to let your boss catch you shaking on company time. We don't need the man coming after us, if you know what I mean. We leave you now with news you can use from Mason Jennings, the accomplished brother of this issue's featured musician, Matt Jennings: "Keep your boots pointed west and to the left of the police."
We will try.

Your editors,
Nice&Smooth