October 18th 2009 Issue - 'SOMETIMES WE EXIST'
3:23 PM | Author: Glen Binger
Half the time we exist. Half the time we only feel like we do. 50 to 1 just released the latest issue - Sometimes We Exist. Look at all the 1st lines in this issue! I love it! Some very good writers are included in this issue. I am more than excited to announce the list. Authors include: Morgan Moore, Troy Morash, Anne Whitehouse, Rebecca Jane Taylor, M.E. Ray, Amanda Borenstadt, and Jack Shakely. Don't be nervous while reading these, as they may intimidate you. Enjoy it. Please visit the contributor websites. And, of course, relax... Sometimes We Exist.




-Glen
Where The Wild Things Weren't by Jack Shakely
3:19 PM | Author: Glen Binger
Where The Wild Things Weren't by Jack Shakely

I volunteered to lobby to save wolves, but this government department looked like a hard sell. The glass door read "Wildlife Control Agency." Peering inside, I saw an elk head on the wall and a stuffed cougar
"Bullet control," I thought, stuffed the brochures back in my knapsack, and turned.




Jack Shakely is the Gold medal winner- 2009 IPPY Book of the Year Award in historical/military fiction. www.theconfederatewarbonnet.com.
1st line by Amanda Borenstadt
3:16 PM | Author: Glen Binger
1st line by Amanda Borenstadt

Letty felt, just as you do now, that she had forgotten something.




Amanda Borenstadt lives and writes in California with her husband and twin girls. You may visit her here: http://afortnightofmustard.blogspot.com.
1st line by M.E. Ray
3:13 PM | Author: Glen Binger
1st line by M.E. Ray

I liked Jack, and I hadn't wanted to kill him.




M.E. Ray has been a landscaper, a lifeguard, and an intel analyst. He's been a corporate manager, a kinesiologist, and an honors hall director. From here on in, he'll teach history and write. http://gatetree.com.
1st line by Rebecca Jane Taylor
3:03 PM | Author: Glen Binger
1st line by Rebecca Jane Taylor

Your bedroom is full of empty darkness, grey blue, hollow possibility, a night sky expanding to make room for more stars and more nothingness, the quiet inside of an egg.




Rebecca Jane Taylor is currently an MFA student at Emerson College, Boston. She's also lived and written in Grand Rapids, MI, Santa Cruz, CA, and Adelaide, AU. Her eyes, hair, and cat are all brown. Her favorite color is red. Her toothbrush is blue. Not blue like sad. Just blue. Like the color. She can be reached at rebeccajanetaylor@gmail.com.
The Dedication by Anne Whitehouse
3:01 PM | Author: Glen Binger
The Dedication by Anne Whitehouse

Music floats in her, an air in the spaces of her head. Under
her white face, she is a pool of swampwater, flowing away so
slowly she does not appear to be moving. The tannin of silver
trees has dyed her dark. There is a wind in the high trees.




Anne Whitehouse is the author of BLESSINGS AND CURSES, forthcoming this fall from Poetic Matrix.
1st line by Troy Morash
3:00 PM | Author: Glen Binger
1st line by Troy Morash

Long ago, before anyone had any idea how tasty human flesh can be, there was a man, wandering in the wilderness, dizzy with hunger.




Troy Morash lives in Romania but hails from Canada.
Don't Come Crying to Me by Morgan Moore
2:44 PM | Author: Glen Binger
Don't Come Crying to Me by Morgan Moore

I heard you’d died and stood up so I could squeeze in enough air to sob. My left hand on the red velvet couch and my right hand splayed out on the glass coffee table tethered me to the stable world as the rest of my body cried itself out.




Morgan Moore bounced around quite a bit prior to settling down to write in San Francisco. Some of his prior occupations include; snowboard instructor, US Army soldier, and cab driver. He finds the relative safety of writing quite gratifying.
October 12th 2009 Issue - 'LEARNING TO SMILE'
11:11 AM | Author: Glen Binger
Flash fiction has grown in popularity. We all know this. But what we don't know is how hard it is actually writing something so short and so well-written. That being said, I like to think 50 to 1 helps that idea develop. This issue, 'LEARNING TO SMILE,' has flat out awesome work by writers who understand the difficulty of writing flash fiction in the realm of Twitter and Facebook. Good work, contributors! Authors include: Frank Gillougley, Nathalie Boisard-Beudin, Michael Robison, Stacey Dye, Linda Manning, CS DeWildt, and Barry Basden. So, as usual, read their work and visit their websites. We're here for you, the reader. The least you could do is enjoy yourself! And, maybe, even spread the word about 50 to 1. Submissions have been slow lately and I would like to change that! Keep them coming! Now go enjoy LEARNING TO SMILE! Thanks for visiting, come again soon.




- Glen
Names of the Dead by Barry Basden
11:07 AM | Author: Glen Binger
Names of the Dead by Barry Basden

Exhausted after three days of defending the city, the soldier crouched behind a brick wall to write down the names of the dead. There were so many. The wall caved in when a shell struck nearby and he was buried in the rubble without a chance to write his own.




Barry Basden writes mostly short pieces these days. Some have been published in various online and print venues. Some have not. He edits Camroc Press Review at www.camrocpressreview.com.
1st line by CS DeWildt
11:02 AM | Author: Glen Binger
1st line by CS DeWildt

When his brother drowned it wasn’t some kind of Ordinary People bullshit; he was happy.




CS DeWildt lives and writes in Tucson AZ, far away from the water. myspace.com/csdewildt.
Last Chance by Linda Manning
11:00 AM | Author: Glen Binger
Last Chance by Linda Manning

Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer the economy of mouth-to-mouth. Forget the winding conversations about trends, philosophies, Taoism. Break the cup of Sorrow over the back of simple Truth. Show me intrepid character. Fill me with the breath of life, lest they find us someday a mere crackup of pottery.




Linda Manning is a keeper of animals, flowers, children, and secrets. Formally educated in the hard sciences, she fosters a lifelong awe of the natural world. Her works have appeared in Words of Wisdom, Postcard Shorts and Burst.
The Land of Lincoln by Stacey Dye
10:56 AM | Author: Glen Binger
The Land of Lincoln by Stacey Dye

When I saw the words "South Dakota Marble" in the pamphlet, I was drawn to it instantly. The color and shape were so unique for a tombstone. And you, being such an admirer of Honest Abe, made me hope the stone came from somewhere under his purview.




Stacey Dye has written everything from poetry to radio and television ad copy. It wasn’t until three years ago that she truly began to pursue the art of poetry. Her primary focus is the human condition. She has been featured in Camroc Press Review, Seven Beats a Second/Here and Now and Mused, BellaOnline's Literary Journal. She also has pieces upcoming in Dew on the Kudzu and Cafe Del Soul.
1st line by Michael Robison
10:54 AM | Author: Glen Binger
1st line by Michael Robison

The coffee pot was his, at least Janet couldn't get joint custody of that.




Michael Robison studies politics and Chinese at New York University. More of his writing can be found at professorcharisma.wordpress.com.
Slight by Nathalie Boisard-Beudin
10:52 AM | Author: Glen Binger
Slight by Nathalie Boisard-Beudin

His lips pursed - the faux-virginal outfit apparently not meeting with his approval - his survey of my attire a clear censure. Tired of the comedy, I hung the buffoon high and short - with my garter - to the rafters, and walked out of the church a free woman.




Nathalie Boisard-Beudin is French yet living in Rome, Italy, working by day as in-house lawyer for the European Space Agency and by night scribbling furiously, with results being published in several anthologies, magazines and various on-line publications. Details can be found at http://wordofthedayfreshfresh.blogspot.com/ or http://spacedlaw.blogspot.com/.
Attachment by Frank Gillougley
10:44 AM | Author: Glen Binger
Attachment by Frank Gillougley

Looking down at the dull coins in that deep wooden drawer, envy became a part of him. Too late in the night, those coins flew, scattered from a passing wedding-car window. Letting go of his mother’s hand he ran to fill his pockets, but his fingers stubbed the ground penniless.




Frank Gillougley lives in Glasgow, Scotland. Ever since he was a child, he has always wanted to be a cowboy.
October 4th 2009 Issue - 'ONLY HUMAN'
11:44 AM | Author: Glen Binger
Guess what time it is again, ladies and gents. That's right, it's time for this week's issue of 50 to 1. This issue, appropriately dubbed 'ONLY HUMAN,' is full of excellent work including: Jeanine DeHoney, Christopher Jacobsmeyer, Robert Laughlin, Neal Kemet, D.S. Apfelbaum, Amanda Davis, and P.D. Piliere. Remember to comment on their work and visit their websites. Even check out some of their other work if they have it posted! Remember to check out the updated guidelines if you plan on submitting. Also, try out the new archives; it is a tad bit easier to navigate through to older issues. Thanks for reading! Enjoy yourself - you're at 50 to 1!




-Glen
1st line by P.D. Piliere
11:43 AM | Author: Glen Binger
1st line by P.D. Piliere

Her mouth tasted like my Mother's: whisky and Parliaments.




P.D. Piliere is a writer living on Island. He is currently working on a Ph.D in psychology.
Nightlight by Amanda Davis
11:41 AM | Author: Glen Binger
Nightlight by Amanda Davis

She leaves the light on in the hallway now, an ugly yellow security blanket to coat her walls and ease her to sleep. She knows the city streets are no more dangerous now than before, but she felt safer when she had someone else around to turn out the lights.




Amanda Davis always leaves the hallway light on. She blogs at http://davisac1.livejournal.com.
Notable Deaths by D.S. Apfelbaum
11:39 AM | Author: Glen Binger
Notable Deaths by D.S. Apfelbaum

Melba Melbury chewed tobacco everyday and never missed the spittoon. She’s survived by her sister’s husband’s third cousins who didn’t know her well but will always remember her fondness for a ferret named Spike and fervid contempt for the poor. Ms. Melbury, who died suddenly this past Tuesday, was 106.




D.S. Apfelbaum earned a B.A. in English in 2008 at Long Island University's C.W. Post campus, where she expects to graduate again in May 2010 with a degree in Library and Information Science. She blogs at generationarc.blogspot.com.
Troy by Neal Kemet
11:38 AM | Author: Glen Binger
Troy by Neal Kemet

She saw “Thus Spake Zarathustra” on my little table. She said I am still naïve, reading stuff meant only for undergraduates. I reminded her that she was still reading about the Trojan War, and fables like that. “You know what? This is the only justified war in history,” She yelled.




Neal Kemet received Ph.D. in philosophy for The University of Calgary and taught philosophy in Missouri.
Poor Decision by Robert Laughlin
11:36 AM | Author: Glen Binger
Poor Decision by Robert Laughlin

The CEO wondered if it was smart to have given Wenburg notice just before the big meeting. He found out when Wenburg introduced him to the clients and shareholders: "Our next speaker is a rat whose karma was to lead an unvirtuous life and be reincarnated in a lower form."




Robert Laughlin lives in Chico, California. Mr. Laughlin is the creator and administrator of the Micro Award, an international competition for previously published flash fiction. His short story, "In the Evening Made," was voted a Notable Story of the Year by the judging panel of the storySouth Million Writers Award, and his novel, Vow of Silence, has been released by Trytium.
Moving Day by Christopher Jacobsmeyer
11:33 AM | Author: Glen Binger
Moving Day by Christopher Jacobsmeyer

My daughter plunged down the stairs, and I was powerless to stop her. She lay there, non-moving, non-responsive. She would have cracked her skull on the cold, hard floor if my sister had not moved the plastic crate just minutes before. Her eyelids flutter open, and we sigh in relief.




Christopher Jacobsmeyer is a self-styled fantasy author dabbling in the realms of sci-fi and horror. His tolerant wife and headstrong daughters humor him as long as it suits their needs. If that weren't enough, a trio of cats keeps him in check with their whispered designs of conquest at night.
Rites of Passage by Jeanine DeHoney
11:29 AM | Author: Glen Binger
Rites of Passage by Jeanine DeHoney

“Do me a favor, when it’s time, really time for me to go, take me to the Southeast corner of Central Park, spread my old quilt on the grass for me and walk away so that I can look at the sky and have my final conversation with the clouds."




Jeanine DeHoney is a freelance writer and a former day care teacher who has had her wrriting published in Essence, Upscale, Radiance, Today’s Black Woman(fiction), Mommy Too, Bahiyah Woman’s Magazine, Skipping Stones, Empowerment 4Women (fiction), Quality Woman’s Fiction, Mused-Bella Online, Mothering.com., The Write Place At The Write Time, Writing For Dollars, Wow, and upcoming in Kraze Magazine. She has also had one of her essay’s published in the Chicken Soup book series, “Chicken Soup for The African American Woman’s Soul.”