This is to remember our brave men in puce. No. Never mind. It is no such thing. Now, if I were Dave Barry I could write something funny. Or even if I were Sherry Gray. Speaking of which, where is Sherry? She has had 4 items published in BWS. No, make that five, I forgot Jelloerotica. Probably on purpose. Anyway, we've had quite a few authors come, and then go.
Sherry, to name one. William W. Spud. I can't hardly forgive Spud for disappearing. I know he has college, but his contributions that gave Bewildering Stories its initial shape and format were not only bewildering, they were essential. Of course, he did have a tendency to get a bit crazy. Frogz Balonium and the other imaginary members of the Staff. Decmerion Newhampstershire, Esq. and the other figments of Spud's fertile, not say febrile, imagination. All resonate in the hallowed somewhat dusty halls of Bewildering Stories. Then, of course, we had tons of poetry in the beginning. Sadly, for some unknown reason, the wellsprings of poetic thought have dried up, except for a determined few, and you know who you are...
Some have stayed with us. Thomas R., for example. His imagination and story-telling skills have grown tremendously since his first contribution to the premier original purple issue. Eric S. Brown. Although we never planned to be a horror magazine, Eric was the first of the "heavyweights" (as it were) to appear in BWS. He had been published, and even was a professional (assuming your definition of "professional" is one who gets paid for his work...) writer.
We now have writers who appear frequently, whose stories are very close to professional level, and who WILL, I SAY, WILL, be published professionally soon. Mike Tyzuk, Gerald Sheagren, Tom Smith, Norman Rubin, Paul Drew, Thomas R. and others. But time wounds all heels, so with that, I'll trundle my hoop off into the darkness.
Jerry. The Bottle Washer