Wanna write or draw for the PERP?

Berkshire writers and artists will be at the head of the line for page space, but we’ll consider content from anywhere if it’s amusing or interestingly provocative. If a talented satirist in Wyoming learns about The PERP from his or her aunt in Savoy, he or she will have a fair shot at getting stuff included.

Address the issues simmering inside you. Step on toes if need be. Ideally, if you make somebody mad, they'll respond with vivid counter-arguments of their own. Remember when you choose a topic, though, that many months may pass between issues and that essays linked to current news events can go stale quickly.

The goal is maximum creative freedom for contributors but not a free-for-all. We want good humor and original thought, not meanness. We'll also not be going the X-rated route. (Sorry, gang; I'll return to my underground comix roots another time.) This being my baby, I will be the judge of when such lines have been crossed.

Nobody was paid for work that appeared in last year's debut issue and I can't promise that that won't be the case again. But with some new subsidy being provided through a grant from the Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire, I'm hoping to begin moving toward at least token payments for the work that's in issue #2, with better than token payments being my long-range goal, assuming that the PERP has a long-term future. But given present uncertainties, the best reason to be involved with the PERP right now is because it's fun to do so.

Nuts & Bolts

Written contributions should be submitted in digital form (MS Word files or email will be fine). Editing will be for style, not the policing of agendas.

Got a cartoon you think might be right for the PERP? Email it to me as a 72dpi JPEG or GIF; if I decide to include it as part of a future issue I'll ask you to re-send it as a high-resolution, print-quality file. Never send me original artwork unless you've arranged with me in advance to do so.