Welcome to Issue 10

Welcome to Issue 10 of Empty Sink Publishing. To paraphrase Dave Chappelle, it’s time for a celebration, ladies. Because it’s our one-year anniversary.

One year and a month, to be exact, but the point is: last November, we started this enterprise, and we’re still here, publishing some of the best art, poetry, and writing from both established and up-and-coming artists and authors around the world. And we’re still moving forward, full steam ahead.

But let’s take a quick moment to look back. We’ve had the opportunity to publish some incredible work this year and wanted to give you an update on some of our favorites from Issue 1.

Since originally appearing in Issue 1, artist Dani Orchard was named one of four female artists who are shaping the future of painting by Huffington Post.
After publishing Rafe Posey’s story, A Newcomer’s Guide to the Dog Villages, author Ben Marcus contacted us and asked to get in touch with Mr. Posey. We, of course, obliged, and while we don’t know the outcome, we were very proud that an esteemed author such as Marcus was interested in a story from our little ol’ ‘zine.
Titus Green continues to write and is back in this issue with a new short story that is perfect for anyone who thinks the world’s addiction to phones and tablets is going to end us all.
Otha “Vakseen” Davis continues making a splash in both the music and art worlds, with countless shows under his belt, continued publication in some of the best indie mags around, and an online store where you can get all sorts of merchandise emblazoned with his best work.
Award-winning poet and professor William Doreski wrote some of our favorite poetry from Issue 1, and he’s back in this issue with more poetry and as a participant in our “Twenty Questions” feature.
And last, but certainly not least, James Hanna’s career is on fire. In the past year, we’ve published four of his stories: three of them in the “Pomeroy” series. He’s published a novel, The Siege, and is preparing to publish all three Pomeroy stories—plus an unpublished fourth—in a book due out this February. We are delighted to be the people who “found” Pomeroy, and wish James the best of success with the new book (which we will, of course, review on its release).

We’re very proud to have played a small part in the success of all our Issue 1 contributors. But the fun didn’t stop there. Throughout the year, we’ve published some astounding art and writing that deserves to be read and recognized by as wide an audience as possible. Fortunately, we have just that opportunity with the Pushcart Awards, which focus on pieces published by small presses in the previous calendar year. For us, the calendar year started with Issue 3 and ends with this one. It was difficult to pick the best from a field of such talented authors and artists, but in the end, we nominated the following contributors for their work:

“A New Cookbook” (Issue 3), a poem by Claire Scott
“The Gates of Sleep” (Issue 3), a poem by Moneta Goldsmith
“Maiden Voyage” (Issue 6), a poem by Richard Fein
“Luminita” (Issue 6), a short story by Ewa Bronowicz
“Voyage Around Lies” (Issue 8), narrative nonfiction by Ìgbékèléolúwa Sàláwù
“Flightless” (Issue 10), a short story by Gena LeBlanc

Congratulations to all of the nominees, and best of luck! We’ll anxiously await announcement of the winners and will report back in a future issue about the results.

Finally, our Editor’s Choice for this issue is the short story, Flightless, by Gena LeBlanc. I was intrigued by the story itself, but Ms. LeBlanc’s way with words is what makes this story so wonderful. She knows how to craft a fine sentence, and we look forward to seeing what she puts out next.

It’s been a wonderful year of publishing this magazine, and Adam and I both look forward to another. We’d like to thank all our contributors and readers for your support, and hope you’ll enjoy this issue, which is jam-packed with interviews, poetry, the new Pomeroy story, and some incredible art.

Keep reading. Keep writing. Keep doing whatever you do, and make it art.

—E. Branden Hart, Executive Editor, 12/7/2014

CONTENTS OF ISSUE 10:

FICTION:

Gena LeBlanc — “Flightless” (Editor’s Choice)

Veronica Fitzhugh — “He: A Collection”

Titus Green — “The Exile”

James Hanna — “Pomeroy and the New World Order”

REALITY:

Rick Bailey — “Beans Squared”

Dana Norris — “Ambivalence”

“Twenty Questions with William Doreski”