As Gravity matures, I keep feeling this need to be more verbose and...deep on the Editor's Desk.

Right. In the real world, you're looking at the most gut-wrenching issue of Gravity to date, in terms of my job. Welcome to the First Annual Rainy Day Records / Gravity Poetry Contest Awards Issue. Yeah, it's small - eight poets represented - but much concentrated in terms of the poetry. This is the stuff that kicks my ass, that grabs and doesn't let go. First place went to a poet new to Gravity, and the rest to veterans. Something I like about that.

In the mailing that went out to contest entrants, there was one honorable mention who then asked not to be published if she hadn't won any money. She is therefore not published here and is not considered to have been a mention in the contest. Stuff like this doesn't happen very often, but it happens. Please, read submission guidelines before you send work to a magazine, online or in print.

If you like this issue, please thank Perry Thompson, who conceived and funded the contest. (That's Perry on the left.) Let the poets know, too. With Issue 24 we'll be returning to open submissions.

Oh, we've had some delays getting the book ready for the printer, but we're about there. (Karen, it'll still be in time for Christmas...)

JC, 9/29/98