Review by Martha Quillen
Literary Magazine – September 1994 – Colorado Central Magazine
Chaos
The Crestone Literary Review
Issue No. 4
Published quarterly by the Chaos Press
P.O. Box 42, Crestone CO 81131
CHAOS PUBLISHES POETRY, short stories, and art work. Although most of its contributors reside hereabouts, the author locales range from New York to California. If you’re interested in joining them, the submission guidelines are published inside the back cover of this attractive magazine.
For those who just want to read, Chaos No. 4 includes several pieces by Allen Ginsberg (yes, that Allen Ginsberg), along with poems by Peggy Godfrey and Christina Nealson (both of whom have also written for Colorado Central), and an impressive short poem, “Fireweed,” by 12-year-old Anne Worden.
“Jack & Blue’s Adventure’s in Tao Land” by Curtis Goodnight is a rollicking short story that makes fun of every aspect of a small mountain town: rednecks, new-agers, old vehicles, the weather. Packed with realistic dialogue and snappy one-liners, Goodnight’s tale reads best out loud, as do many of the poems in Chaos. There’s a touch of oral tradition in many of these works, which include an eclectic mix ranging from humor to sentiment.
Also included in this edition are two poems by 11-year-old Eric Warren, a nice depression-era tale by Richard Johnston, a nature parable, many poems both rhymed and unrhymed, and even a ghost story.
Subscriptions to this quarterly are $20 a year (or $1,000 for a lifetime, yours or Chaos’s), and a single copy is $5. David Nicholas is editor, although works are selected by an editorial board. Contributors are not restricted by age or location, and they’re actively looking for artists and minority writers.
— Martha Quillen
