It was the description of the bathroom in The Magic Toyshop that made Jude first want to write - to really learn how to immerse readers in a story, to make them smell the damp, feel the threadbare towels, watch a long red hair snagged in a crack in the sink rise and float as the sink fills with water.
She would say that whilst she doesn't objectively believe it to be the best Angela Carter tale, it remains her favourite - possibly her favourite book written by anyone - because of how it transformed her as a reader and as a writer. She will never write like Angela Carter: that is not her goal, even. That sumptuous pomp, rich and seductive, just isn't Jude's voice.
But that layered sensory detail that allows the reader to become immersed in whatever world she creates, will always be what Jude strives for. Jack read The Magic Toyshop for the first time recently and she too was transported by the strange world of puppets and sexual awakenings.
So, if you want to make us fall in love with a story, bring the magic. Bring your whole voice. Bring the sweat and the dirty fingernails. Throw in a couple of sexy wolves if you want, or trapeze artists with wings.
Issue Two doesn't have a theme, but it does have a mood - it’s sumptuous purple velvet that's worn at the edges and has a couple of dubious stains. It’s a once-grand ballroom with climbers creeping through the cracks and a shattered chandelier on the floor … and a tinplate toy monkey, with moth-eaten fur, whizzing round on a unicycle clashing together a pair of symbols.*
*This a deliberate homophone slip ... although accidental ones are the absolute bane of Jude’s life.
What's Happening at NFNF?
We were so thrilled with Issue One ... you may have spotted the subtle signs of Jude's overexcitement (our Buddy the Elf newsletter, for example, even though Jude’s Christmas ick is well documented).
Issue Two will be with you in early/mid-December. Lord knows what a giddy kipper Jude will be by then.
We've got thirteen stories for Issue Two. We’re so happy to bring you Karen Arnold, Frances Gapper, Judy Darley, Jupiter Jones, Simon John Collinson, Mathew Gostelow, Weibo Grobler, Cole Beauchamp, Philipa Bowe & Karen Walker (a collaboration), William P Adams, Christine Hartman, Terry Holland and JP Relph. Each of their stories features its own original artwork from the superlatively talented Anne Anthony and we'll also have an interview with Anne.
This little duckling is a tiny teaser for Anne's cover art 'Dinnertime' - he's just one little corner of the piece. So the question is: is it his dinnertime, or is he about to be dinner?
A little side note - we need to switch to a different platform to host our website because this one doesn't align with our values. We're trying to do this as quickly and smoothly as possible. When we initially move, our new site might not look as pretty as this one. We will focus on making our contributors work look polished, and buff up the rest as we go. We really hope everyone will bear with us if there are any hiccups.
And Finally...we'd like you to get involved
Our submission call for 'Issue Three' (oh, but so much MORE than just 'Issue Three') Resistance Isn't Futile - The Art of the Possible is OPEN. You can read more about our plans on the main NFNF website. If, as Angela Carter said, stories are a kind of magic then let's cast a few spells and see if we can't make the world a tiny bit less ... you know, pants.
We are looking for flash fiction, short stories and artwork this time. Most excitingly, we plan to publish an anthology of up to seventy-five Resistance Isn’t Futile written submissions.
We want any money raised from the anthology to go to charity. Part of our aim in creating this site within our website is community action so were better to start than by asking you ... which charity? We are looking for grassroots charities making a real difference with an ecological or community focus - or, ideally, someone who supports vulnerable people and has a focus on climate change.
The second thing we'd love is a selection of previously published resistance writing to show people what we're talking about. We've had a few submissions already, and not everyone understands what we are after, so the first part of our toolkit is going to be the examples. Stories about climate justice and inequality, ecology, protest, community change. Remember we'd really love to see stories that contain some degree of hope or lightness of touch amongst the dark. They can be your own previously published resistance stories or favourites that you've read. Just as long as we can link to a literary magazine website.
Share your suggestions by email (capndave@neitherfishnorfoul) or on our socials. Find us on Twitter (@CapndaveNFNF ), Instagram (@capndavenfnf), Facebook (Neither Fish Nor Foul) and Threads (@capndavenfnf) and let's chat charities and stories of resistance.