History of MONDAY - San Francisco Journal of underground Poetry, Prose ans Art

MONDAY A JOURNAL OF POETRY, PROSE, AND ART

Fall 2000 coming out 2019 Founded 1999 San Francisco, California, USA

INTRODUCTION From the editor

“Monday” — a Journal of Poetry, Prose and Art was first created in 1999 in San Francisco, California. The idea came from weekly Monday poetry reading at the back room of “Covered Wagon Saloon” located in SOMA district. It was originally started by Tom Iveli and David Kelley. Following Tom’s departure, I co-hosted it with lovely poetess Suzanne Day, poet Kenneth MacKillopp aka Kenne The King of Mystical Scotland and Master of The Known Universe and David Kelley, an extraordinary visual artist, photographer and producer of many spoken word and music events that were happening all over the City in the late 90’s. Nicole Zach, a talented painter and artist in her own right, joined us as an art editor as we were tinkering with the idea of starting a literary and art journal together. At the time, we wanted the local artists and writers that were active on San Francisco scene to submit us their work for publication. Many of them came to read and share their work at the “Covered Wagon Saloon” Monday night readings and we felt that we needed to amplify their voices and give them a path to literary posterity and recognition.

The issue that we are presenting to you contains the original poetry, prose and visual art submissions by 45 San Francisco writers and artists that were selected for publication in the Spring and Summer of 2000 for the release in the Fall, 2000. Many of the contributors in this issue came to San Francisco from all over the place as the City was a magnet for writers and artists at the time. Many of us were inspired by the original San Francisco beatniks, some of whom were still active on the scene and rubbed shoulders with younger generation of artists. The punk vibe was also strong among many. Some, perhaps, were and still remained somewhat obscure while others became successful and well known. The goal was not to publish the well known writers and artists of the day, but rather to give voice to those who were perhaps lesser known yet very talented and ambitious. Most of the creative work that you are about to enjoy was never published at the time. All of the writers and artists represented in

this issue were active on the incredible scene of late 1990’s — early 2000’s San Francisco. I firmly believe, that literary-art historians will have to take a look at this publication in order to understand better the time and unique atmosphere of the last breath of the late 90’s literary scene that was happening in the City — before 9/11, before the invasion of various countries in the Middle East, before the culture wars of the 21st century, before total gentrification, before the widespread advent of social networks and all things digital, before…… You fill the blanks.

While we were getting the issue for the release big changes were on the way in San Francisco that affected the art community. I am talking about the 1st dotcom boom and gentrification that eventually turned San Francisco in to what it became today — a place where it is impossible for underground or beginning authors, poets or artists to survive and thrive anymore. Many members of the creative community were being pushed out from the City by the rising rents and gentrification. At the time, I could never find a stable place to live, before being evicted from a shared house in Potrero Hill in the Fall of 2000. While couch surfing, I used the free local phone at the lobby of now defunct New College on Valencia Street to make phone calls (this was before cell phones, remember) to keep in touch with co-editors while trying to find a roommate situation and a job — an impossible task, to be honest. The following year I ended up maxing a credit card cash advance and buying an old motor home that I parked in China Basin bad lands and later near Espree Park in Dog Patch neighborhood where I lived in it for the next few years. Nicole Zach, also, lost her studio space in the Inner Mission due to a predatory landlord and was struggling in residential hotels. Suzanne and Kenne did not have a stable living situation either. We were not an exception. This sad situation was happening all over the City. I remember trying to apply for various grants to realize the publication of “Monday” but rejections kept coming in the mail. Being between rock and the hard place and short of funds to publish this journal we decided to put the project on hold hoping to resume it when things became stable for us. Introduction

Then, the saddest ever thing happened — Suzanne Day tragically passed away. We gradually lost contact with one another yet kept in touch loosely over the years.

What you are about to see is a true gem, a time capsule, a message in the bottle. Honestly, publication of this issue of “Monday” journal is simply a miracle, under any normal circumstances it was not supposed to have happen! Yet all of the submissions and editorial work survived for almost 20 years inside a 1970’s leather suitcase purchased at a thrift store on Valencia street in the Mission district. It survived multiple moves, evictions, couch surfing, several years of homelessness and living in a motor home by San Francisco Bay, out of country trips, various attics, storage spaces, friend’s safekeeping and finally a dusty garage before being opened and tasted like an aged wine in 2017 and then corked back again and left to wait for it’s time for another 2 years. Finally, in May of 2019 the wheels behind the scene started to turn again and remaining co-editors revisited this unfinished project and decided to finally release it. The time is ripe and the time is now!

We are proudly presenting to you the one and only “Monday”— a Journal of Poetry, Prose and Art: Fall, 2000, San Francisco. Suzy, if you are looking at us now please be assured — we didn’t drop the ball. We did it! Through the thick and thin, we never lost the course or let the flame be extinguished. This issue is published in your memory. We love you Suzy…

Vlad Pogorelov, editor-in-chief

Original co-editors: Suzanne Day Kenneth MacKillop Nicole Zach David Kelley