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STUPID Issue: October 2007

Editor's Note

There are all kinds of stupid…

“MacArthur Park” lyrics stupid
Loud talker in the cube next to you stupid
Chrysler PT Cruiser stupid
Tyra Banks stupid
Too tired to think stupid...

Allow us to illustrate and example of the latter.

We are often asked how we come up with the themes for our issues. As much as we’d like to pretend that we contemplate and scrutinize a multitude of possibilities, truth is we just start tossing around the ideas until they stick. Usually the tossing comes at the end of a long editorial meeting when we are weary and whippy—so things stick pretty quickly. After deciding on STUFF, SOUND, AND SPORTY for 2007 we thought we’d go ahead and finish out the year with a final “S” theme…which led us to the STUPID issue you now read.

We were tipsy. We weren’t quite sure what to expect. We took a risk. And sometimes stupid ideas pay off—we think we have a really fun issue to share with you. Where else but 52nd City will you find topics as diverse as Gary Coleman, wigs, and washing machines? Love mustard? We got you covered like a dog on opening day. And if you fancy feet—well we have them feeling and falling.

We’re offering you high quality writing AND stupidity at a bargain price. How do we do it? In large part with the help of our advertisers. We welcome new print advertisers, Jazz at the Bistro, The St. Louis Actors’ Studio and The Eleven, along with our latest web advertiser, Circa Properties. These new folks and our long-time advertisers, The Royale, Mad Art Gallery, The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts, Firecracker Press, and Joe Edwards help make this little engine chug along.

Eric Woods of Firecracker Press prints our covers and did the splendid cover artwork for the print issue of STUPID. Caroline Huth, art directed from near and afar. We hope you appreciate them as much as we do. And we would be nowhere without our contributors and subscribers.

As always, we encourage you to check out both the print and online edition. The content is unique each issue—you won’t find one within the other. You can also buy issues, back issues, subscriptions, and 52nd City stuff from our Café Press Store. (A smart, not stupid, idea!)

This issue marks the end of our second year and we are looking forward to some great topics in 2008—and incidentally these were more carefully contemplated. When the winter blues have you down, we’ll be provide you with FOREIGN EXCHANGE (January)—featuring writers from far away and writing about foreign places. When you start thinking about bikini season, SEXY (April) will hit the streets. When co-workers start leaving boxes zucchini and cherry tomatoes on lunchroom tables, we’ll bring you the FOOD issue (July). And finally, as Halloween and winter approach, CRUEL & UNUSUAL (October) will make a fourth quarter appearance.

But for now, we bring you the kind of STUPID we hope you enjoy.

Andrea , Thomas, and Stefene 

Online Edition

POETRY & PROSE

Traffic Lights | John Ginsburg

The Timing Chain | Angela Hamilton

Stupid | Michael McCarthy

My Love Letter to KISS | Jim Ousley

PHOTO

This month's feature photo is by Laura Filatreau who leads a double life as an admin at a radio station by day and a photographer at all other times. She has shown her work at The St. Louis Artist's Guild, The Commonspace, and Subterranean Books.  

Print Edition   

COVER PRINTED BY
Firecracker Press

ART DIRECTION BY
Caroline Huth

CONTRIBUTORS
Michael R. Allen, Andrea Avery, Aaron Belz, Jack Biggs, Andrea Day, Piedmont Chris Johnson, Chris King, Jim Klenn, Nina Lägel*, K. Curtis Lyle, Sarah Raischel, April Seager, Mike Steinberg, Kerry Zimmerman

CORRECTIONS/OMISSIONS

Nina Lägel's bio was omitted from the print edition. She recently relocated from Munich to Cologne, where she works in public relations. She does ballet best in jeans.