In our fall issue we are falling and failing a little, but picking ourselves back up and transcending through simple understandings and little joys. Thank you to all the contributors for another wonderful issue, and thank you to everyone who reads the magazine. You are all appreciated more than you know!  Star 82 Review 13.3 online here . Star 82 Review print copies at LULU here . I'm still reading for winter issue 13.4; guidelines, as usual, are here . 

A friend of mine is interested in how AI/Large Language Models work. For our amusement, he asked it about Star 82 Review . It was not good at details, but it proved remarkably astute at generalities after he cautioned it not to make things up.  For contributors: I think it will prove helpful regarding subjects, tone, and the types of humor I publish; I felt it captured the essence of the magazine. However, at the end when it suggests authors, I would add E.B. White and Grace Paley. Below is an unedited transcript. > After looking at the work that has been published within the period of your training data, please characterize they types of fiction that they publish. Based on my training data, which includes a snapshot of the literary landscape up to 2021, I can provide some general insights about the types of fiction published in Star 82 Review. Keep in mind that my characterization is limited to the data I've been trained on and may not reflect the magazine's current or evol...

So much buzz these days about Artificial Intelligence in general and the various chatbots in particular like ChatGPT, Bard by Google, and Microsoft's Bing. A computer-savvy friend has been exploring ChatGPT in particular to see what it does and does not know, what it suggests, what it hallucinates, and how it might be of help in various situations. Recently, he asked me to forward him a submission (anonymously) to Star 82 Review, one I had not yet read, and asked ChatGPT if it "thought" I would accept it. I read the story and considered it first, then read ChatGPT's analysis. I've redacted and changed any identifying features to protect the privacy of the submitter. Here's what it said. * Based on the provided excerpt, it's difficult to make a definitive judgment on whether "[This Story]" would be accepted for publication in Star 82 Review. However, I can offer some observations and considerations to help you assess its potential. Strengths: Atm...

The latest issue of Star 82 Review , 10.4, is now available online and in print. A thoughtful collection of poetry, art, collage poetry, flash fiction, and creative nonfiction. Huge thanks to all the contributors, online readers, and print-version subscribers. It's just me here, and I can't do it without you! Star 82 Review 10.4 online is here . Star 82 Review 10.4 print copies at Lulu here . (If you would like to receive quarterly notifications that also feature early-bird discounts, please sign up at the pop-up window on the magazine's website.) Contributors Jeffrey Armbruster Leslie Benigni Kay Bradner Ranney Campbell Martha Christina Kathryn Ganfield Paul Hostovsky James Croal Jackson Phebe Jewell jade rose king Frances Klein Jerry Krajnak Jennifer Lai Daniel Lehan Kristina Nobleman M Patrick Riggin Daryl Scroggins Ian C Smith Richard Weaver

We chase our tails. Over and over we ask, "Why wasn't this piece accepted?" And when the answer comes that it's "subjective," we may look at our shoes in despair. What does that mean? For *82 , it usually means, believe it or not, the subject. I read many stories about dates in cafes, restaurant conversations, break-up stories, bad relatives, and dying relatives. Most are heartfelt, but don't tell me anything new. They need to both translate an experience and transform it, show something the reader probably hasn't thought of, and something unique to the person who wrote it, yet universal enough for other readers. Tricky, but it can be done. Mostly, I look for a new setting, some fresh dialogue or strong voice, some imaginative comparisons or metaphors, or at least some variation on the themes. And for *82 , a positive direction that encourages compassion and empathy.

Okay, so that's not a riddle. The characters in a flash story don't have much time to interact, but interact they must if we are to care about them. Flash fictions don't explain things to us, they suggest; they offer up some little gifts for us to arrange in our minds and explore. Usually, they comment on the human condition, or nature,  a philosophical, political, or personal issue. Often, the story will start one place and end at another delightfully surprising, connected, yet creative place. Ultimately, the reader must make what I call "little leaps of inference" at the end. The concluding sentence leaves open some possibilities, ironies, and/or a particular emotion. Open is the key word. As a reader, I want to feel awe, and that the ending wasn't obvious. As a reader, I want something that lingers: a story I might keep thinking about, turning it over and over, perhaps even finding new meanings in it. The ending is a door that leads outward. A joke ha...