On Vacation :: Diner Literary Journal

“Diner is going on a hiatus – the “On Vacation” sign is taped to the window. We are feeling the financial burden of printing, mailing and lack of staff. The cost of mailing alone went up over 30% last May. Diner as an independent journal has been a labor of love done by volunteers. The Tips jar doesn’t begin to cover the printer, the postage, the envelopes, and all the other sundry expenses. We have survived for 7 years – 2 issues printing astounding work – by the skin of our teeth. We thank each and every one of you who have submitted your work – and all those who have subscribed at whatever level – you all count. I wish I could hold a party and make my special blackberry pancakes, with a side of home fries, for all of you.

“Nevertheless we are going out with an explosion of outstanding poetry, fiction, essays and art. Of particular notice is award-winning author Adria Bernard ‘s elegy to her teacher and friend Senator Paul Wellstone of Minnesota who died October 22, 2002, in a plane crash. Also of note are our two Blue Plate Specials: James Dempsey with new translations of Chaucer’s court poetry and Martha Carlson-Bradley, with an excerpt from her latest manuscript The Sea Called Fruitfulness, poems inspired by the two Jesuits who first mapped the moon.

“Our last issue proclaimed, ‘Our intention is not only to preserve the light (of discourse in the midst of increasing darkness) that shines today, but to increase the brightness of that light with every issue.’ It is with great sadness that the lights of Diner are flickering off.

“There is a chance that Diner will open again as an online journal or a print journal if we can find a school or sponsor willing to finance what has turned out to be one the best journals in the country. We are proud of every issue we published and whatever happens, we have no regrets. All the effort has been worth it.”

Eve Rifkah & Michael Milligan