Journal Review of The Shine

Stevie Cenko
Review of The Shine

http://theshinejournal.com/

“The Shine Journal has been on-line since January 2007. It is a home for some of the best, most exceptional flash fiction, non-fiction, poetry, art, art and photography in the world! Many creatives got their start here-why not you?”

Pamela Tyree Griffin
Editor

The on-line and print journal has been published monthly, but is now switching to an undecided quarterly or bi-annual publication. The Shine Journal archives its past issues on its website.

There is a poetry contest: http://www.theshinejournal.com/poetrycontest.htm

The poetry contest is free to enter and the first place winner will be nominated for the Pushcart Prize and receive $100. The judge will be poet Edward Nudelman. The possibility of becoming nominated for the Pushcart Prize is incentive enough to submit one’s work to this journal.

The Shine Journal prides itself in discovering new talent and publishing established talent. An example of an emerging poet published in the March 2010 issue is:

To Die in Bed
by
Paul Hellweg

To die in bed
is the goal most of us have,
comfortable,
minimal pain,
sedated,
a boring end
to timid lives,
but there is another way,
there are some of us
who would rather die
in an icy avalanche,
or in a grizzly’s
unforgiving embrace,
or maybe like Bierce,
in a revolution
of our own choosing,
or better yet ??
making love
on a mountaintop,
trading verses from Neruda
with a sexy inamorata/o
while clouds
glimmer overhead
like pink orchids,
and the setting sun
takes almost everything,
leaving
only
our
best
poems
behind.

________________________________________

Motivation: Both my parents died in bed, so this poem is a rebellion -- I want something more.

Bio: Paul Hellweg has felt his whole life as if he didn’t belong. Then a few months ago he discovered a whole new world of kindred spirits in the poetry universe, both online and at readings throughout the Los Angeles area. He’s thrilled to have finally found a place where he fits in just fine.


There are links to helpful websites from how to avoid scams and for free writing courses.

Also linked to The Shine Journal is Editor Pamela Tyree Griffin’s alter-ego journal titled joyful!:

http://www.joyfulonline.net/

Joyful’s! statement is: “Since 2008, joyful!has been a place where all types of high quality work with a spiritual, motivational and/or religious point of view are respected. No one religious or spiritual belief is favored over another. joyful! seeks to be a place where all who have wonderful creative gifts to share are welcomed to submit. While not every submission can be accepted, every submission is read/reviewed by me. When possible, I try to send a personal response.”

The third place winner of Joyful’s! most recent poetry contest is:

Archival Copies
by
Ted O. Badger


If I could duplicate today
on a good copy machine,
I would set the counter number
to a full one-thousand at least,
then pray for no paper jam.

For I would like to reproduce
and file for my future access
all those things we have both
said and felt during all of our
closed-door together times.

Then, on those lonely, rainy days,
When you’re far beyond my reach,
I could page through the copies
and relive those cherished hours.

♥♥♥

Ted O. Badger is a native Texan, veteran of World War Two, graduate of Baylor University, published poet, editor and publisher of Lucidity Poetry Journal (now in its 25th year) and founder of the Lucidity Ozark Poetry Retreat that meets annually in Arkansas.
The submission requirements for The Shine Journal are very open:

“POETRY CONTEST INFORMATION
Anything arriving before 6:00AM EST on April 1, 2010 will be deleted. Anything arriving after 6:00 AM EST April 30, 2010 will be deleted.

The Shine Journal Annual Poetry Contest starts April 1, 2010 6:00 AM EST- Free to enter, it runs until April 30, 2010 6:00 AM EST. Prizes-Pushcart Nomination and 100.00 for First Place, 50.00 for Second Place and 25.00 for Third Place.

Here are the rules:

Do NOT use the submissions form. Send your submission via email after reading the remaining rules below.

One poem per person - no exceptions.

No poem over 100 lines will be accepted.

Any type of poem is fine.

No submissions from anyone under the age of 13.

No profanity, gratuitous sex. No racial or gender preference epithets -you know the drill.

Your email subject line should say: Poetry Contest: Title of your poem

The content of your message should have:

Your Legal Name
1. Short Bio
2. Motivation for the work
Put your work next--NO ATTACHMENTS will be accepted. Mail to: shinesubmit@fastmail.us

Anything arriving before 6:00AM EST on April 1, 2010 will be deleted. Anything arriving after 6:00 AM EST April 30, 2010 will be deleted.

I encourage all of my classmates to enter this contest.