Letters to the Zone

I Think We Still Haven't Fixed that Classifieds Form (or Updated the Classifieds)

Date: Wed, 24 Apr 1996 09:34:51 -0700
Subject: Classifieds Submission
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I tried to submit my URL using the classifieds form, but it came back
with server error 404. Maybe this shouldn't be surprising given the
last update says May 20, '95.

Whatever. Here's my URL: http://c3f.com
It's a book titled: Most Fucked-Up Person Alive Tells All --
Add it to the classifieds if possible, or just "check it out."

Thanks.

Howard Cohen
citiznk@cts.com

You're Soaking in It

Date: Tue, 23 Apr 1996 23:38:45 EST
From: MUGWUMP
To: xian@netcom.com
Message-ID: <009A14F6.79FBDAA0.90@MIKE.LRC.EDU>
Subject: enterzone

how can i get a copy of enterzone?

Letter as Interview

To: Jessica_Bailey@otter.monterey.edu (Jessica Bailey)
Subject: Re: enterzone
Cc: xian@netcom.com

At 05:05 PM 4/23/96 -0700, you wrote:
>Hi,
>My name is Jessica and I am a student at the new university of California
>State University Monterey Bay. My ProSeminar class is trying to create our
>literary journal. As a part of this project we have been assigned a research
>project and my topic is history of literary journals. Can you help me by
>giving me a few brief (or longer if you have time) answers to my questions?
>Thank you very much.
>
>When was your journal first created?

Fall, 1994.

>
>Why was it created?

To publish cheaply and internationally and to bring new writers and artists
to the public. For more on this, see Enterzone's statement of purpose
(http://ezone.org:1080/ez/sop.html).

>
>Who is your audience?
>

People who like to read and who like art.

>Who did you initially target?
>

People on the Web.

>How did you create criteria for accepting works?
>

By a consensus of the editorial board.

>Did you get off to a rocky start or was your journal in high demand?
>

Publishing on the Web only, we don't have the same concerns about supply and demand that print publications do. Nonetheless, our readership grew quickly to its current level.

>How has your format changed from the original format?
>

Very slightly. It's been streamlined a little.

>Has your audience changed because of changes in format?
>

I doubt it.

>Has putting your journal on line increased demand and circulation?
>
N/A (only online)

>Thanks so much for reading this far. My address is
>jessica_bailey@otter.monterey.edu. I appreciate your help.
>Jessica

I hope this helps.

     --xian

--
xian =%7o pobox.com/~xian
Enterzone ezone.org/ez
SYXdotcom syx.com

     4 out of 5 dentists surveyed recommend Enterzone
          for their patients who read zines

Between the Man On the Very Short Line from Mars and the Forceps
Ratdog's Immortal Soul, A Live Pink Rock 'n' Roll Flower Ride
The 6 Jaw Bone, 3 Cage Stone, 6 Gred Stories, 2 Marst Poems
One More Solution to Drop the Welcome Back Actions
You and One of the Puritans in the Safety Age
The Nylons Committee (actual size)
Little Tiny Golden Comix
Spring in Review
Stimulants Me

One Day One of These Things Will Work

Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 17:18:04 -0700
From: Martin Auer <100571.2073@compuserve.com>

Storyweb - a proposal to the literary community on the WWW.

Surfing the WWW, I have come upon a number of collective literary
projects inspired by the possibilities of hypertext. For instance a
hypertext novel written by whoever happens to pass by and contribute a
bit. Or collective poems - add a line, if you like - or the longest
sentence on earth. Most of these experiments I found rather
disappointing, because they were just games, or tried to adapt old forms -
like the novel - to the new media. But a novel is a novel, and part of
what makes a novel is that it is written by a single person.
The project I propose is something much simpler, but much more
appropriate for the WWW. I would like to call it Storyweb, and I think
the name reveals the whole idea. A web of stories - stories in the
broadest sense - around the whole world. Or is it really so simple?
It should work like this:
It begins with a single text I have placed on my homepage. You can find
it at this URL:
http ://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Poetry_Machine/6billion.htm. If
you pass by and read it, and it appeals to you in some way, I invite you
to react to it. You are invited to create a text that in some way relates
to my text. That is the only requirement your text has to meet: to relate
in some way to my text. It can be a contradiction or an affirmation, an
example or something my text has reminded you of. But anyway it should be
a thought that has been triggered by reading my text. It could be a
direct answer - although this would make it more difficult for others to
relate to your text. For this of course is the essence of the whole
project: that others are invited to relate to your text in the same way
as you did to mine. And so on. And so on. Your text can be a poem or a
short story or a haiku or some other form. (Why of course, it could also
be artwork of some sort) Only it should not be too long. If you
contribute a novel, readers might loose the feeling of moving in a web of
texts by a community of writers. Your text can be any language you like.
But if possible, you should provide an English translation. And if it's
in English, you might provide a translation into some other language.
When you have created your text, you will place it on your homepage and
send me an e-mail to inform me of the fact. Or if you don't have your own
homepage you will send the text to me by e-mail and I will place it on my
homepage. I will then create a link to your text using the title you
propose. And then the process can begin anew with your text. You will
create links to the texts that relate to your text, and you will place
contributions of homepageless authors on your homepage. After a while,
there will be many stories to read, many threads to follow, many texts to
relate to. Of course you are invited to contribute at different stages of
the growing web.
So who says this won't be just some sort of glorified newsgroup? Well,
this depends entirely on you. Just contribute something worth while. And
if you really think the next person who wants to link their story to
yours just wrote absolute crap - well no one can make you link your story
to theirs. It will be your responsibility not to accept crap, but not to
censor controversial material either. Contributors should bear in mind
that this is not a discussion group. Each text, although relating to the
previous one, should be a work of art in its own right and something
worth while to be kept on the web for more than just a couple of months.

So, if you are interested in Storyweb, check out the Storyweb homepage:

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Poetry_Machine/story hom.htm

Martin Auer, April 3,1996
e-mail: 100571.2073@compuserve.com
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Poetry_Machine/author.htm

What Are We, Headhunters?

From: meredith@travelchannel.com
Subject: HELP!!!!!!!!
X-URL: http://ezone.org:1080/ez/authors/xian.html

My name is Meredith and I work for the Online department of The Travel
Channel. The reason I am contacting you is because I just simply don't
know who else to ask. We are developing a place on our site for students
to publish their travel experiences. We are going to have a few people
in California at the end of the month and I was wondering if there is
someone or some group on campus that I should see about attracting
writers to submit their work. I would appreciate any direction that you
can give, and I will explain in more detail if you are interested. I
hope to hear from you. I realize that you probably have a very heavy
schedule just by the looks of your desktop, I can completely understand
how you feel. Thanks for your time.

Meredith Gould
Online Writer/Editor
meredith@travelchannel.com

Not Another One...

Date: Sat, 30 Mar 1996 11:40:56 -0800
From: G0nz0 <gonzo@sunray.com>
Organization: Gonzo Used Books and Magazines
Subject: E-zine/zine

I'm making a page of links to e-zines. If I can add yours, please send
the address with a description you'd like me to use in a reply.
I need the address again cause I tend to forget who's name goes with
which zine.
Our page is at <http://www.sunray.com/gonzo>

Thanks
Neil