The Independent today shared a
post from Letters of Note which highlighted the etiquette expected in 9th
Century China if one got sloshed and acted inappropriately in polite
society. The miscreant would copy the
following and deliver with head suitably bowed:
“Yesterday, having drunk too
much, I was intoxicated as to pass all bounds; but none of the rude and coarse
language I used was uttered in a conscious state. The next morning, after
hearing others speak on the subject, I realised what had happened, whereupon I
was overwhelmed with confusion and ready to sink into the earth with shame.”
Moving on 1160 years and the
seventh issue of lit zine Paper & Ink
is themed around the demon drink and the dreaded hangover. It is difficult to
imagine many of these renegade writers of poetry and prose issuing a formal
apology but they offer far more imagination and insight than the usual “you
shoulda seen us last night…” tales.
Any mag featuring Joseph
Ridgwell and u v ray is worth the investment and Cockney boy Ridgwell’s ‘A Two
Day Old Pony’ short story does not feature anything of the equine kind. Ray’s excerpt
from his soon to be published stylized new novel Black Cradle picks the beneath the scab of the human existence as
only he can. There are plenty of other names within the 40 pages with Vicki
Jarrett’s ‘Schrodinger’s Hangover’ sticking in my mind.
As editor Martin Appleby states
in his introduction, “After reading this issue you will probably feel like you
have been for a night on the booze with Charles Bukowski, but trust me, you
will not regret a single second.”
Martin is correct. All this talk of booze is
making me thirsty so I’m gonna pour myself a beer, you can pick up a copy of
Paper & Ink for £2.50 here.
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