Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 17, 2004CONTACT: Nisi ShawlPHONE: 206-720-1008EMAIL: nisis@aolcomTeen Writers Produce Top-Notch StoriesFeaturing five science fiction and fantasy stories written by high school students, the premier issue of BEYOND magazine is now online at . Nisi Shawl, African American writer and critic, put together this exciting, innovative electronic magazine in conjunction with the Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas "Black to the Future" Black Science Fiction Festival. One story comes from an African American contributor and another concerns an African American protagonist. Part of the ReadOn! project, BEYOND magazine received funding support from The Safeco Corporation.Shawl describes the magazine's contents in glowing terms: "There's Seth Paradox's Brunch on the Plains of Talanshalah, a witty and lusciously detailed meditation on the rights and wrongs of a magical sword's owner; Dirt, by Elliott Bangs, a devastatingly simple piece with a stunning structure and amazing technical control; The True Story of How Halley's Comet Came to Be, by Lyra Delaunay, a beautifully straightforward tale about straightforwardness and beauty--or the lack thereof; William Martin's The Garden of the Angels, a tour of an eerily perfect post-apocalyptic Eden; and Depths of the Mirror, by Rachel Landau, a haunting evocation of desire gratified. BEYOND editor Nisi Shawl's stories have been published in Asimov's SF; Strange Horizons; Mojo: Conjure Stories; and the groundbreaking Dark Matter anthology series, which focuses on speculative fiction by people of African descent. With her friend Cindy Ward, she teaches "Writing the Other: Bridging Cultural Differences for Successful Fiction," a class based on her thought-provoking essay "Transracial Writing for the Sincere." A scholar and critic of speculative fiction as well as a board member for the Clarion West Writers Workshop, she likes to relax by pretending she lives in other people's houses.The Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas is a 501 (C) (3) non-profit organization that advocates and promotes greater awareness of African-Americans in the arts, humanities, sciences and public affairs. We offer a glimpse into the lives and accomplishments of African-Americans contributing to the vibrancy of contemporary American thought and culture.