There's nothing like the feeling of proofing a magazine, pronouncing it true, and then saying goodbye to it for a week or so as it goes to the printer, knowing the next time you see your progeny it will have been cloned into thousands of identical magazines, nestled in boxes, and waiting to be distributed to the most important people in the process -- the readers. This is what Jasper design editor Heyward Sims and I did today. I learned a long time ago not to cut corners on time. Give the printer more time than they need to put your magazine together -- there's nothing like the stomach churning angst of just barely getting your magazine to the printer on time -- or getting it there late -- and worrying whether it'll be ready when you promised it would be. I'm proud to say that, since our crew started Jasper almost a year ago (we're working on our 6th book now), we have never had to sweat the release of an issue. We don't work that way.
So, we're happy to announce that our newest issue will be coming your way on May 15th. We're celebrating the release, as we do all our releases, with a few hundred of our closest friends -- that means you guys, if you'll be so kind as to join us, at Hay Hill Garden Market.. Hay Hill is located on Bluff Road about a mile past the stadium and on the right, as you're going out of town. We're especially excited that music for the evening will be provided by our friends Buck Stanley and the Can't Kids. Avery Bateman, who you may remember from Passing Strange at Trustus Theatre, will be stopping by to share a couple of tunes. And Kendal Turner and her gang of seriously talented spoken word poets may be so kind as to share a few words with us if we're lucky.
The Jasper EconoBar will be on hand with wine, and in the interest of sustainability, we'll be offering special edition Jasper cups for sale -- Buy a cup and fill it up with all the beer you please throughout the evening.
And hey, we're having our first ever book signing, too.
So please join us on the 15th -- it's a Tuesday night and the weather should be lovely -- stroll around the garden, visit with your friends, listen to some fine local music -- and check out Jasper #005. We worked hard on it and, hey, we'll admit it, we fell a little in love with it in the process. We hope you'll feel the same.
Book signing at 6 -- music at 7 -- big fun all night long.
