The Teaching Assistant and the Math Professor by Shaindel Beers art by Robinson Accola He knew when he saw on her paperwork that her birthday was Pi Day that she would be his third wife, his fourteenth girlfriend. Twelve years his junior, this meant they were both born in the Year of the Snake. If things went well, they could be married on 09/10/11. If they decided on a lunch break courthouse ceremony, they could be pronounced man and wife at 12:13. She would teach Math 121 while he taught 242. Children, born two years apart, would both be prime numbers at 3 and 5, 5 and 7, 11 and 13, 17 and 19, 41 and 43, 71 and 73, God willing. They would keep their personal and romantic lives discrete. They would love each other for infinity. All content in SmokeLong Quarterly copyright 2003-2012 by its authors.
	Shaindel Beers' poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies. She is currently an instructor of English at Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton, Oregon, in eastern Oregon's high desert and serves as poetry editor of Contrary (www.contrarymagazine.com). She hosts the talk radio poetry show Translated By, which can be found at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/onword. Read the interview. Robinson Accola creates artwork for SmokeLong Quarterly as needed.
	Issue Twenty-Six (September 28, 2009): The Teaching Assistant and the Math Professor by Shaindel Beers «» Ask for This by Myfanwy Collins «» Arrows by Lydia Copeland «» Pregnant With Peanut Butter by Michael Czyzniejewski «» How to Disappear Completely by Nadine Darling «» The Guitarist by Will Donnelly «» Prague by Kathy Fish «» Record Albums by Sherrie Flick «» Cooped by Alyson Foster «» Eye by Foust «» Grendel by Steven Gullion «» First Husband by Tiff Holland «» They Marched Into Fields by Jamie Iredell «» Port of Spain by Beverly A. Jackson «» Nobody Like You by Jeff Landon «» Little Girls by Tara Laskowski «» Office at Night by Pamela Painter «» So Long by Ellen Parker «» Quiet Things by Lauren M. Spencer «» My Girlfriend Leaves the Atmosphere by Angi Becker Stevens «» In Julie's Place by S. A. Tranter «» Blue-Suited Henchman, Kicked Into Shark Tank by Kevin Wilson «» 2 / 8 by Joseph Young «» Interviews: Shaindel Beers «» Myfanwy Collins «» Lydia Copeland «» Michael Czyzniejewski «» Nadine Darling «» Will Donnelly «» Kathy Fish «» Sherrie Flick «» Alyson Foster «» Foust «» Steven Gullion «» Tiff Holland «» Jamie Iredell «» Beverly A. Jackson «» Jeff Landon «» Tara Laskowski «» Pamela Painter «» Ellen Parker «» Lauren M. Spencer «» Angi Becker Stevens «» S. A. Tranter «» Joseph Young «» Cover Art "Birds of Paradise" by Marty D. Ison «» Letter From the Editor