Site News

I switched your editor from YACS to FCKeditor. FCKeditor is a wysiwyg editor, meaning like word. You can actually bold, ital, and line break and it'll hold formating. You'll see.

If you have problems due to the fact that it's a javascript and you've disabled that, it's in your preferences, and you can put it back to the 'yacs' editor.

Everyone please join me in offering a belated birthday wish!

She's 23 today! Can you believe it? Most of the time she doesn't seem a day over 12. This is why we all love her so much.

If you get a chance say Hippy Barf Deer two hearse!

 

Snow MonkeyAsk me! Ask me here! Ask me on the board. Ask ask ask!

If you're embarassed ask me privately. BUT if you don't ask, i can't answer. And what i need are questions for the FAQ. ANd I need to work on the help for the site.

That's going to be the key as we go forward!

There has been a noteable increase in the site traffic the last few days, now that I fixed the major bug that didn't allow sections to be editted. There should be some really cool upgrades coming up in the next week or so. The comment bug that Laurie has been dealing with should be fixed, and there should be a third option for editor.

To fix line breaks, the best way is to use 'line breaks' rather than hitting return. What that means is "Shift Return" that gives you the 'tight' lines. rather than the paragraphs.

By cutting and pasting into FCKEditor you should find that that holds the linebreaks rather than changing them to paragraphs (the wider line spacing that no one likes) 

You can switch between editors using the little drop down at the bottom of the text entry form. Right now it says "TinyMC Editor"

The messenger system is not currently functional, actually due to the fact that it's quite different than what we've been using elsewhere.

The good news is, this will offer fields so you may share you messenger info for AIM, Yahoo and MSN -- that should really be helpful. Also, messages here will be delivered to regular email, which may or may not be preferred, we'll have to see how that pans out, I'm just not sure yet.

Hopefully in the next couple of days i'll get the bugs worked out.

 THANK YOU
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Let me start first with the most important thing of all, the thank you:

After many talks with Tracey about her, the biggest thank you this week goes to Laurie Blum. If you have never had the pleasure of chatting with Laurie, you should go out of your way to make a point to do so. Not only is she a fantastic writer, she is also one of the kindest, smartest, funniest people you will ever meet, As nice as all that is, that is not why Leanne, Tracey and I begged her to be a member of the Monkey Staff, Laurie is the most competent, professional, detail oriented passionate people on the planet. Neither Tracey or I can believe how instantly once Laurie started administrating the magazine, suddenly everything started to fall together.

Leanne Hanson said it best I think, “Laurie is the clarity of focus that brings our cloud gazing down to earth. She is the right hand, left hand, both feet and very sexy brain of Shakespeare's Monkey Revue -- tolerant and understanding, Laurie is the glue that binds these flighty pages into the best monkey magazine in primate history.”

So as you look at the magazine, please remember that it doesn’t happen without Laurie, and maybe offer her a thank you.


ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Submissions Deadlines for the Conflict issue is June 2
Simian Award #4 deadline is May 9th.
Advertising Deadline for the Family issue is coming up this week. If you have an ad you’d like to place, please let me know before February 27th.
Future Themes will be announced on site Monday.


Please join me as I welcome our new members Sgueho and Tsarnelson. I am thrilled to see the community continue to grow and become more active and diverse. It’s a great pleasure to have both of you join the site.

I am always glad when people realize that this isn’t a site purely for the great and polished poets, it is for everyone. There is no one who can read that is unqualified to have an opinion about a posted work on our site. We cherish your thoughts, and need your support. If you don’t know how, why or what something is, just ask. You aren’t stupid. No one is going to tease or belittle. The opposite is true, we are honored that you care enough to join the conversation.

At times the site can be slow, and there are certainly some bugs. I would like to offer special thank you to member RWS for his patience with the comment bug in IE 6, we are working on getting that one fixed as quickly as possible. If you know of a bug, email me with as much detail as you can, including your browser, operating system, and the URL of the page you found the bug on.

It is a constant struggle to balance usability and features, and I think at times the site is quite overwhelming. That is the drawback to being able to do just about anything you can wish for with your personal spaces. I realize many of you do not have, or do not use your personal spaces, which is perfectly fine. However if it’s because you’re confused or overwhelmed please feel free to contact us at editorial@shakespearesmonkeys.com or Stephan@shakespearesmonkeys.com and I’ll make sure you get the help you need to get started, whether that’s the initial section set up, or explanations of how things work.

I would like everyone to know that Leanne has come up with a fantastic idea that I will be implementing starting today. I am going to be creating a site directory for links to all of our contributors, along with their bio-blurbs. We feel that our biggest mission with both the site and the magazine is to promote great writing and great writers, and this seems like an important step toward that goal.

In keeping with those goals, I want to also announce several new initiatives that give every member a chance to spread the words and enjoy the words of Shakespeare’s Monkeys. If you have any questions about any of these items I invite you to contact me at Stephan@shakespearesmonkeys.com or the editors at editorial@shakespearesmonkeys.com

First, I’m starting a new Monthly Magazine Give-away. Every month we’ll choose a member whose comments best embody the spirit of camaraderie and support Shakespeare’s Monkeys is trying to create, and they will receive a free copy of the magazine. If they’ve already bought the magazine, they will choose anyone they’d like and we’ll send them a copy.

Next, we are inviting letters regarding the magazine which can be sent to letters@shakespearesmonkeys.com These letters can be up to 1000 words, about any piece in the magazine, the theme of the magazine, or thoughts about the Revue in general.

I’d also like to invite every member to suggest a teacher, professor or influence in their writing life that they feel would appreciate Shakespeare’s Monkey Revue, and email me up to 250 words whey they should get a copy of the magazine. The most inspiring will receive a year subscription.

Because we firmly believe in the importance of educating our youth to love and appreciate literature, Shakespeare’s Monkeys now offers an educational discount for any professor or teacher that would like to use the Revue in the classroom. If you know any teachers that might be interested, please pass along the following link: http://www.shakespearesmonkeys...cation-discount

Finally, last announcement, I just wanted to let all members know that I’m doing some housecleaning, and members who haven’t logged in in more than a year are at risk of being deleted. Other than logging in, no action is required, that will let me know that you’re still active and participating in the community.

Ok, now for my PERSONAL recommendations on what to check out this week:

Shanon McEwan’s poem “The Constant Need to Pee” is awesome. It moved me so deeply I can’t even tell you. And, it has the additional fun of being an announcement of her impending joy. Congratulations Shannon! The world needs more of your Monkey Business!
http://www.shakespearesmonkeys...ant-need-to-pee

Another Important Shannon, the raw and beautiful Shannon V has some hilarious comments, as does the deliciously goofy Jasmine in the thread regarding overrated writers. The thread is serious, and their points are great, as our Alcuin’s, Derma’s, Leanne’s and Ryan’s. It’s a great little thread you don’t want to miss. http://www.shakespearesmonkeys...mporary-writers

Which brings me to Ryan’s very educational and helpful post regarding poetic techniques. Check it out, you’ll be glad you did: http://www.shakespearesmonkeys...cle-7485-tropes

This is somewhat of an aside, but someone on the site that I really don’t want to be overlookd by supposedly serious writers is Jen Ragan. Jen is a children’s writer and her work is magnificently sweet, funny, gross and children LOVE it. So many people disrespect how difficult it is to be a children’s writer, don’t make that mistake. Check out what she is doing and realize how difficult it is. She is an absolute genius and a member that constantly reminds me how important it is what we’re trying to do.
http://www.shakespearesmonkeys...al-space-of-jen

Finally, La-Shout’s poem “The Word on the Water” is very good. I’d like to point it out for two reasons, first because it’s a really good poem, but second because I thought the discussion it led to and her graciousness was wonderful. I think you’ll really enjoy:
http://www.shakespearesmonkeys...rd-on-the-water

Ok, Enough for now. In a little bit you’ll receive the announcement on the winner of the contest!

Hope to see you soon! Keep on monkeying with the words folks, it’s important.

Fondly,
Stephan