We've made it this far...

We’ve made it to Issue 20! The Toucan may not look the same as it did for the first issue, but the spirit is the same. Even I’m not original! Liz Baudler and Olivia Petrus originally started this little mag in December 2008. Liz braved through the second issue alone and asked me to be a part of the third issue. I suppose the rest is history. We’ve made a number of friends and published a ton of wonderful writers. There was a point where Liz and I never thought there was going to be another issue, and even though it wasn’t the last issue, it was Liz’s.

I’m going to continue to publish The Toucan for as long as there are submissions in the inbox. I’d like to see it go back to print and I’d like to see an anthology sometime in the future. In order to make this possible, PDFs of all of the issues will be made available when I have the time to put them together. They will be for sale on the blog for a few dollars and all profits will go back into The Toucan. All of the work will still be free to view online because the point is to share good writing, not hold it hostage for money. It will just be nicer to read and may have a few extra doodles of mine thrown in for good measure. Of course, I’ll have to get off my butt and do it. I’m hoping you will hold me accountable now so that I can get quality stuff out to you.

            Speaking of quality stuff, this issue isn’t too shabby. We start off with Holler-Ambo, an unconventional romance that ends in the back of an ambulance.  The less-than-faithful relationship between a climber and his rope in A Slip of the Rope just goes to show you can’t trust just anything. There are things that were left unsaid in I Never Told and much shared in While Shaving. Doesn’t it always boil down to relationships? Between stories of lovers, friends, and family you’ll get a glimpse of everything. Enjoy this issue with a hot beverage of choice and a loved one. It will make you grateful to have them.

            I really do hope to publish for many years to come. This has been a wonderful 20 issues, and there’s nothing I’d like more than to see 20 more. Please submit and please share us with your friends. This will ensure a long, happy life for The Toucan. Thank you to all of the submitters and readers. I’ll see you in May.

Humbly,

Editrice Laura