Jobby Job

The other morning, I woke up and while I was lying there, trying to make sense of the fact that it was dark outside (damn you, Spring Forward!), I thought, It should be an easy work week. Then I thought, Girlfriend. You’ve been doing this job for nine years now. None of it is hard.

But some parts are more fun than others. Like when the whole issue comes together, which is where I am now, with a box of new SP08.

Online, you can read and discuss (if you’re so inclined), a feature on vaccines by Sari Weston. Sari has a scientific background and she looks at the studies done on vaccinations—she’s neither pro-vax or anti-vax. It’s a great one.

Also online, Ann Whitfield Powers writes smartly about being an older mother and the weird prejudices that go with that, and Tracy Mayor has a lovely essay about the bus ride she takes with her son, who’s increasingly less and less of a little boy. There’s also an interesting debate on whether rewarding kids is a good parenting practice. I tend to agree with both sides, in this case, Kathy Gillen and Renée Hill.

In print, there are also fabulous reads. Jody Mace wrote an essay called “Inappropriate for Children” and the line about the boy touching a picture’s private parts makes me giggle every time. The inimitable Jenn Mattern wrote an open letter to surly teenage boys. And do you know Katherine L. Hester? She contributed a stellar short story that’s a play on the Rumplestiltskins tale. Oh, and there’s a lot more. Here. Look at the table of contents.

I’m reading submissions now. And let me just put this out there: I’m sorry it takes so long. I can’t do much about it because we editors all have to agree on things and we take the content and the balance of tones in the issue with the seriousness of, I don't know, brain surgery or shotgun cleaning, but I am sorry.

All right. Back to reading.