In trying to get the word out about my little magazine, I held all kinds of readings.  There was the annual release party at Borderlands, which showcased the new contributions.  I’ve written before about the Open Mics at the World Horror Conventions.  I also hosted a couple of evenings at the Canvas Cafe, which used to stand at 9th Avenue and Lincoln.

Morbid Curiosity #9 was directly shaped by the live events.  Lorelei Shannon told her hilarious “Hellraiser Gopher” story off-the-cuff at the Open Mic in Seattle.  It took me a while to track her down to ask if I could publish it.  Sherilyn Connelly came with one of the other contributors to the Canvas, then rocked “The Bloody Organ” to a full house.  Shauna Rogan read “How Cocaine Saved a Fragile Life” there, too.

Chris West read “Kissing Girls in the Dark” for me, too.  It was such a sweet, self-assured piece — vulnerable, but so very polished — that it was hard for me to believe he was new at writing and performance.

I didn’t hear Katrina James’s “Folie a Deux” until the release party, but it was worth waiting for it.  Even though I was familiar with the text, hearing the ghost story still gave me goose bumps.

I don’t really miss editing the magazine, but I do miss going to the readings.