07 April 2007

Another shot of rye

Or gin, perhaps. John D.'s most famous creation, the inimitable Travis McGee, liked gin. Plymouth gin, when he could get it. And though Trav liked to drink, his adventures wouldn't qualify as "Gin-Soaked Fiction." You have to travel to Modern Drunkard magazine for that. The latest on-line version had a slew of short stories, all thoroughly hard-boiled, and a mix of articles and regular features. Click on the submissions link and you get delightful bits like: "The story should be imbued with drinking. If alcohol hasn't reared its lovely head by the second page, you're on the wrong track. Putting a drink in the hand of your protagonist does not a drinking story make. If you can replace the booze with coffee and the plot isn't affected, you're trying to pull a fast one." I like an outfit that knows what it wants. MD lists Frank Kelly Rich on the masthead as editor and publisher. I've only just heard of Mr. Rich today, but I'm ready to join him in the Drunkard's chant "Say it Loud, Say It Plowed."
Refill that shot for John D. and pull up to http://www.moderndrunkardmagazine.com/index.html.

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