A^{nother Issue, No Fanfare}

It's been a wicked year so-far. Still in Iraq -- no end in site! The Katrina zone is still a mess despite public posturing that the situation is improving. More bad weather and fires, etc. Gas prices are on the rise again. Yes, not everything is right with the world but, on a brighter note, another issue of The 13th Warrior Review is here to elevate both mind and spirit. And it's not a half-bad issue, either. The poetry by Diane Tucker, P.Q. Perron, Genine Hanns, Simon Perchik and company is first rate, as always. Cindy Rosmus, Peter Banks, the two Garys (Powell and Beck, and MN Kotzin check in with some cracking good stories. David McGrath offers us a narrative essay about an over-the-top character. And then there are the book reviews. More truncated than usual because I really hate writing them (please, please send me some book reviews to spare me this detail). So here you go -- Issue 9 with no parades or apologies. Just read it and enjoy. I'm sure you guys will let me know what you think -- you always do.

best and later,

JCE