Smoking With Mary Miller Art by Dave Clapper "The slashes are what got me."? Love that. How funny are you in real life? How important is humor to your own writing—and flash slash writing in general? Those who know me well, think I'm pretty funny. I think it came from having three siblings. All of us are funny, or desperately try to be. Our specialty is the one-liner. You won't ever hear any of us tell an actual joke. I can't even recall a single joke I've ever heard. I don't find things that are supposed to be funny very funny. In writing, I guess some appreciate humor and some don't. I do. You have such a terrific skill with dialogue. What's your secret? Any tips? Thanks. I just try to write like I speak. I say things out loud or in my head to see if they sound right. I started out writing poetry, and in poetry the way words sound is very important. So that's my advice: say it out loud "I don't know what I'm doing here."? Ha. Great ending. How about you? Do you know what you're doing here? Thanks. No, I never know what I'm doing. Ask anyone who's ever been unfortunate enough to work with me. How are things post-hurricane in Mississippi? You work in a children's shelter there, yes? Tough these days? And graduate school! How do you do it all? Things in Mississippi are getting back to normal. My town sustained a lot of damage because we had a Cat 1 hurricane in central MS. It's sad. I refuse to go to the coast because I don't want it to be real. I only work part-time and go to school part-time, so I don't actually do all that much. Don't let me fool you. A new year approaches (yikes!). So, what’s the best that 2005 had to offer in literature, web sites, music, movies, television, DVD, and the like? Also, any predictions for 2006? And we’d love to hear your New Year’s resolution. I have really bad taste in music. Lately I've been buying teen pop stuff. It's awful and I thoroughly enjoy it. Mary Gaitskill had a new book out this year, Veronica, which I haven't even finished yet, but she's my idol. It's wonderful so far. I don't want to read it too fast. I don't watch a lot of TV or movies anymore because they make me feel unproductive. Oh, Fionna Apple's new CD is great. I don't make predictions and I've given up resolutions. Read A Blind Dog Named Killer and a Colony of Bees.
	Issue Eleven (December 15, 2005): Forks in the Road by Eve Abrams «» Retirement Home by Greg Ames «» A Drop of Dew by Edgar Omar Avilés, translated by Toshiya Kamei «» No One Left to Care About the Fat Man by Rusty Barnes «» The Mother's Guide to Flight Patterns by Theresa Boyar «» It's All True by Nadine Darling «» What She Gave to the Sea by Katrina Denza «» It by Patry Francis «» Cemetery Day by Laurie Frankel «» Cityscape by Judd Hampton «» The Black Squirrels of Ottawa by Niranjana Iyer «» Diagnosis by Beverly A. Jackson «» Green Monster by Erica Plouffe Lazure «» Sophie, Now by Mary McCluskey «» A Blind Dog Named Killer and a Colony of Bees by Mary Miller «» The Sky Is a Well by Claudia Smith «» You Only Get One Chance to Be El Latigo by Elizabeth Smith «» Flights by Jim Tomlinson «» Song of Giants by Girija Tropp «» Ice by Joseph Young «» Interviews: Eve Abrams «» Greg Ames «» Rusty Barnes «» Theresa Boyar «» Myfanwy Collins «» Nadine Darling «» Katrina Denza «» Patry Francis «» Laurie Frankel «» Judd Hampton «» Marty D. Ison «» Niranjana Iyer «» Beverly A. Jackson «» Toshiya Kamei «» Erica Plouffe Lazure «» Mary McCluskey «» Mary Miller «» Claudia Smith «» Elizabeth Smith «» Jim Tomlinson «» Girija Tropp «» Joseph Young «» Cover Art "Detail of The Death of Susan" by Marty D. Ison «» Letter From the Editor