FEATURED ARTICLE Kung Fu's Number Two by Christopher Dow When trailers for the movie Kill Bill, Part 1 began appearing, they promised slam-bam martial arts action, with Uma Thurman facing off against Lucy Liu and other villains over a scything of razor-edged blades and equally sharp repartee. They also promised a healthy dose of humor—not just in the snappy dialog but in the film’s pastiche of stylistic trends that low-budget action adventure films have exhibited over the past forty years. But those aspects aren’t what intrigued me—it was one single flashed image among the trailer’s riot of quick cuts that caught my attention. It was the craggy, care-worn face of an older man who has seen the bottom as well as the top but whose eyes retain a sense of pride, power, and, yes, purpose. It was the face of David Carradine. [read article] FEATURED FICTION The Storm by Tracey Nichols “It’s coming,” Mother yelled excitedly. Her sudsy hand threw a yellow plate at the dish holder. It missed, fell and shattered on the kitchen floor with a noisy crash. “Kids, kids, hurry! Put your shoes on, and your sweaters, too, now. Oh, Roy, it’s so close, come see!” She yelped, wiping her hands on a checked towel. Stepping on crunching pieces of plate, she ran to the living room. Most country farms like this one had the living room off the back porch. “It’s a funnel cloud, sure is . . . couldn’t be more than five miles off. What should we do, oh, us, open the windows?”  She cleared her throat and rubbed the palms of her hands together. “Let’s see, which ones, the southwest ones? I mean, doesn’t the wind blow southwest to northeast, or is it the other way around?” she blurted and stammered as her sharp eyes darted from room to room. She did this during bouts of high-strung nervousness, which came often. Her tone had a more emphatic edge to it this time, though. [read story]

FEATURED BOOK The Wellspring: An Inquiry into the Nature of Chi Christopher Dow If the mysterious force known as chi is real, why is there little evidence for its existence? The Wellspring draws together, for the first time, two lines of scientific research that identify the physiological structures that produce and channel chi and that point to the nature of this mysterious power. [read more] FEATURED POEM For the Whale by Kathryn Stewart McDonald [read] POPULAR PLAY SERVICE Play Publishers and Agency Popular Play Service specializes in national and regional award-winning plays that have broad appeal to community and professional theatre audiences. Our plays are sure hits that will fill your house and delight your audiences! We Make a Dramatic Difference! [find out more]