Making an Issue of It
You will rejoice to hear that no disaster has accompanied the commencement of an enterprise which you have regarded with such evil forebodings. —Shelley
A themed issue—even one as dark as Frankenstein— surely shouldn’t inspire evil forebodings in the editors—should it? And yet in August, when we wrapped the reading period for Frankenstein, we found ourselves rejoicing in the fact that no disaster has accompanied the commencement of our enterprise.
Well, maybe a few hitches. But no disasters.
At the beginning of the reading period, we began seeing submissions that explored the territory of Mary Shelley’s personal life and didn’t really delve into the stated theme of Frankenstein at all. Fast-forward to the midway point of the reading period: we were drowning in work that dealt with Mary Shelley’s personal life, instead of the actual theme of Frankenstein. For Frankenstein, we didn’t anticipate as much focus on the woman instead of her work.
Once we realized that it wasn’t just a few submissions here and there that were exploring the topic, it forced us to make a very hard editorial choice about what message we wanted this issue, our second, to convey to the reader—and why we, as editors, had chosen to theme the issue around Mary Shelley’s novel. The worst part of our conundrum was this: the submissions that related to Mary Shelley’s personal life were, as a whole, really fantastic work. Each piece showed a level of commitment on the author’s part to both meticulous research and a deeply held love for the author herself. If the theme had been the woman instead of her work, we’d have been overjoyed to take many of the pieces we had to turn away.
But.
There’s always a but, isn’t there?
We felt that to accept more work dealing with Mary’s life instead of her work would have been undermining the intent of this issue, and so it was with deep regret that we had to pass on many, many fine pieces. This situation sparked a really important editorial conversation, which, though difficult in the thick of the reading period, is one we’re grateful to have had.
The flurry of submissions exploring Mary Shelley’s personal life indicated a double standard in the literary canon that frankly, made us uncomfortable—it spotlighted one stark fact that we judiciously want to avoid at NonBinary Review (which coincidentally, ties into why we chose this name for our journal.)
The fact of the matter is that as editors who are also women and writers ourselves, it makes us uncomfortable to think that the specifics of our personal lives might, even in posterity, be accorded more weight than the work we put out into the world. To perpetuate the idea that men create “Serious Work” and their personal lives can be kept separate and distinct from the body of work they create, but that a female author will forever have her body of work and personal lives linked as though they were one in the same—that is an idea that we felt we would be doing a disservice not only to the issue, but to Mary Shelley herself, were we to perpetuate.
So we didn’t.
And because we didn’t, we hope that you will appreciate why we made the choices that we did, and really enjoy the work that reflects and riffs off of Mary’s ideas. In this issue, you’ll meet Doctor Frankensteins galore, from a physician’s assistant who grows twisted from the emptiness of internet dating, to concrete poems that “stitch” together the psychic wounds and prose-poems about galvanism—we live in a world where the science-fiction of Mary’s Doctor Frankenstein is dangerously close to becoming a reality. The stories, poems and art that we’ve collected into this issue reflect back the fears and arrogances of that world, where the creation of life from inert flesh is close enough to almost grab hold of. The spark of life that makes these words come to life is, we think, the thing that has made Mary Shelley the literary icon that she is, as well as why her work has proved its mettle over time and endured well into the 21st Century.
He was soon borne away by the waves and lost in darkness and distance. —Shelley
Allie Marini

A Son of Prometheus (cover)
MANDEM is the art name for Maize Arendsee, an art instructor and Studio Art MFA student at Florida State University, and her life-partner, Moco Steinman-Arendsee. MANDEM’s artwork is described as an exercise in categorical violations, simulation, and narrative. With an academic background in classical mythology, gender studies, and critical theory, MANDEM works across media and materials (painting, assemblage/collage, film, sculpture, and book-making), intentionally destabilizing genre in terms of content and media. MANDEM’s artwork has been widely exhibited in art galleries and museums, and it has been featured in over 100 publications.

Meeting the Doctor
Daniel’s book One Way to Ask combines poems with illustrations by 60 different artists. Daniel has placed work in Poet’s Market, Writer’s Digest, carte blanche, Cardinal Sins, and McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. “Meeting the Doctor” was published in Tales of the Undead Series: SUFFER ETERNAL, Vol. III.

How Do You Welcome Your Wanderer?
Jenni is the editor-in-chief of The Found Poetry Review. Her poetry has been in over two dozen literary journals. Her current project, Erasing Infinite, creates erasure poetry from Infinite Jest one page at a time.

The Doctor Considers the Monster
Margaret is the author of Stationed Near the Gateway, and Letters from Room 27 of the Grand Midway Hotel. Her poetry has appeared other journals and anthologies. She edits Hyacinth Girl Press.

I Was a Teenage Frankenstein
Greg lives with his wife and dog in Bellingham, Washington, where he tries, unsuccessfully to stay dry. He writes everything from children’s books to essays about his cooking debacles.

First, Last, and Always
Jeremy is a writer and librarian who has presented and published scholarly articles on the Grateful Dead. He currently resides in Texas with his wife, their pets, and an unreasonable amount of vinyl records.

The Word in the Storm
Russ is a theatre critic and aspiring author living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with his wife and two daughters. His work has appeared in Sein und Werden, Pulp Metal and Hypertext Magazine among other places.

Victorious
Carina wrote travel articles and books about the Southwest. Her short fiction and poetry can be found at the Journal of Mythic Arts, NonBinary Review and other journals and anthologies.

The Perfect Man
Emma’s work has been published in Conclave: A Journal of Character, The Citron Review, and Brave of the Page: Oregon Writers on Craft and the Creative Life.

Mary’s Frankenstein
Kat’s poetry has appeared in CV2, The Fiddlehead, Freefall, Grain, Literary Review of Canada, Queen’s Quarterly, Room, and South Dakota Review. She holds an MA in Creative Writing from the University of New Brunswick.

Frankenstein: The Final Cut, or, The Modified Prosthesis
Gregg has published science fiction, fantasy and horror, and is happily occupied exploring weird and wonderful worlds in his imagination.

Wandering Spirits: Traveling Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
S. J.’s fiction and poetry have appeared in Mungbeing magazine, New Myths, Yankee Pot Roast, and the anthologies Cabinet Of Curiosities, Zombies: Shambling Through The Ages, and The New Gothic.

one side of the victor’s shoulder
Sarah is the supporting Editor to Cæsura magazine—poetry, prose, the written word makes her tick. She firmly believes that life is a test of language.

My Name’s Not Frankenstein
Doug is a playwright, visual artist, and the author of four poetry chapbooks. Doug’s artistic blog, The Rabbit Hole can be accessed at his web page, dougdelia.com.

Mooncakes
Jilly wrote the libretto for Light & Power: A Tesla/Edison Story, a chamber opera composed by Isaac Schankler. You can find more of her feminist science fiction-y work at: www.transmography.net

Cento: Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
Barbara is the author of The Circus of Forgetting, The Verge of Thirst, and I Might Be Mistaken. She teaches at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota.

The Creature’s Commencement Speech: Bard Prison Initiative
Laura is a lawyer, YA novelist, and full-time Christian feminist nerd. Greek epic poetry, Sherlock Holmes, and musical theater are a few of her favorite things.

A Patchwork Dragon
Madeline has short fiction in Mirror Dance Fantasy Magazine, Iron Bound, Yesteryear Fiction and more. Her novel, UNTAMED, was released as part of Prizm Books’ YA fantasy/mainstream line.

Dear Maria
Ruth has work in Redheaded Stepchild, The Bellingham Review, Yemassee, and Sou’wester, among others, and her chapbook Dear Turquoise is available from Dancing Girl Press. She serves as Managing Editor for Cider Press Review.

Industrial Taxidermy
S. E., a PhD in Children’s Literature and Pirates from Illinois State University, writes about the indoctrination of children through metaphor and other mechanisms of language.

Workshop of Filthy Creation
Deborah is a Toronto-area poet published in Silver Birch Press’ Half New Year and Noir Erasure anthologies, Silver Apples Magazine, Motif, Vallum and Existere.

You Bind Us, Joanna
Charlie calls North Alabama home, and currently lives in Athens, Alabama. Always an avid reader, he has recently turned to writing, concentrating on short stories and flash fiction.

Consumption
Jennifer writes horror and dark fantasy. She earned Honorary Mention in Hugo House’s Quattro Spec Fiction contest for her short story “Earthbound” and in iScriptapalooza for her spec script Supernatural: Green-eyed Monster.

Frankenstein’s Progress
Soren recreates himself on a daily basis from the materials at his disposal, continuing to do so in upbeat manner until one day he will sumptuously throw his drained materials aside and resume stillness without asking why.

Scrap Book
Elizabeth’s poetry has been featured in over a dozen journals and collections, most recently The Mom Egg Review, The Luminary, and Rose Red Review. Her poem, “Dorothy Tells it with a Sigh,” appears in NonBinary Review.

The Tall Man by the Bar
Lennart is a short-fiction writer, poet, historian, and photographer. His work has appeared internationally since 1965. Len and his wife, Lin, live in northern Illinois.

From Dr. F’s Burned Papers
Stephen’s multi-media work can be found by placing his name in any search engine. His latest release is entitled “Our Spirit Life,”, a meditation on family heritage, love, and the evanescence of time.

Mr. F
Jennifer is an MFA student in Fiction at The New School. Her work has appeared in Tin House, Sundog Lit, New School Writing, and Underwater New York. She lives in Queens, New York.

The Monster at the Top of the World
Geoff is a quiet and humble hard working freelance writer and artist that resides in a fortified compound in Savannah, Georgia. His first graphic novel, The Mick, is available from Red Handed Studios.

Mentor to a Monster
Nick writes about weird crime, bizarre history, pop culture, and humorous classroom experiences on his blog, RamblingBeachCat.com. He is a television, novel, and comic book reviewer for AdventuresinPoorTaste.com.

Mary’s Reaction to her Lover Adding 5,000 Words to Her Draft of Frankenstein
Kelly is the author of Rivers I Don’t Live By, winner of the 2013 Concrete Wolf Chapbook Award. Her poems are in Another Chicago Magazine, Watershed Review, I-70 Review and Bluestem.

The Walton Doctrine
Julie is the straight man in the comedy duo that is her marriage. Her flash, “System Restore”, can be found in Timeless Tales Magazine, and she has an upcoming short story in Black Denim Lit.

Meeting the Doctor
Christian has been an animator for The Simpsons, King of the Hill, The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat and Lilo & Stitch. He co-created and directed Disney’s Fillmore! for which he was nominated for an Annie Award.

My Nickname Was Frankenstein
Judith has fiction and poetry in It Is Written: An Anthology of Poetry Inspired by Hip-Hop, Steam Ticket, Jet Fuel, Foothill: A Journal of Poetry, as well as other publications.

Dead-meat Dogsbody
Joseph has work in Silver Blade, Fiction Vortex and Edgar Allan Poet Journal 2#, and his debut horror novel The Darkest Touch was published in April 2014 by Dark Hall Press (www.darkhallpress.com).

Dear Creature
Lucas is a white, Autistic, trans, queer poet from the Twin Cities. In his spare time Lucas dabbles in acting, Holmesian Autistic discourse, and takes life fabulously one day at a time.

Mr. & Mrs.
Luke is an illustrator and writer. Despite regular forays into children’s books and fairy tales, his true love is anything macabre, melancholy or dark in nature and essence.

The human mind will always be superior to machines because machines are only tools of human minds.
Dev is a Prose Fellow at the University of Notre Dame’s MFA program. His work has appeared in Oxford American Magazine, A Clean, Well-Lighted Place, and mikrokosmos.

The Monsters Receive Their Briefing on Millenium Park
Donna poetry collection, A House of Many Windows, is available from Sundress Publications. Her work has appeared in Rhino, Linebreak, Cider Press Review, Stirring, Sweet, wicked alice, and Weave.

21st Century Prometheus
Jaclyn has work in Collision Literary Magazine, Write Bloody Publishing, The Feminist Wire and Zaum Literary Magazine. She was awarded the 2013 and 2014 Academy of American Poets Prize at Bradley University.

Re-animated
Sheri is the author of The Feast of Erasure. Her visual work has appeared in Blood Orange Review. Currently, she is working on her first documentary film, Tracking Fire.

We Frankenstein
Joe artwork or short fiction is in Morpheus Tales, Wordland 2, Nat.Brut, Haunted Waters Press From the Depths, Goblin Mire by David A. Riley, and in the Journal of the British Fantasy Society. He loves his job.

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