Fence – Winter/Spring 2006

After creating controversy with the (some say) pornographic cover of their summer issue, Fence is back with a fine selection of fiction, poetry, and art. Everything about the magazine radiates “coolness,” from the idiosyncratic (and slightly creepy) art of John Lurie, to the experimental poetry, and quirky fiction.

After creating controversy with the (some say) pornographic cover of their summer issue, Fence is back with a fine selection of fiction, poetry, and art. Everything about the magazine radiates “coolness,” from the idiosyncratic (and slightly creepy) art of John Lurie, to the experimental poetry, and quirky fiction. Commendably, Fence provides a forum for experimentation and the results are often engaging. There’s particularly wonderful poetry from Corey Mead, Sarah Rosenthal, and Erika Howsare, while Diane Greco’s “Alberto, A Case History,” which won the Summer Literary Seminar contest, is a standout in fiction: “I opened the door to find a boy slumped on the step. A grimy elbow poked through a hole in his sleeve, and a swag of dull yellow hair cascaded to his nose, which was tipped with a café-au-lait stain shaped like Australia. His mother, or someone, had pinned a note to his lapel: Alberto has been taken by the devil.” There is, however, a bit of unevenness in this issue; some of the work seems to go awry with its inventiveness, as the line between innovation and gimmickry is sometimes thin and examinations of contemporary existential quandaries often lose appeal quickly. Still, any issue of Fence is interesting enough to make it worth reading and this one is no exception. The magazine continues its commitment to original, edgy work—not to mention brilliant production design and presentation. And the recommended reading lists in the contributor’s notes, with enough new titles to fill a small library, provides a nice bonus at the end of an electrifying ride. [www.fencemag.com] —Laura van den Berg