Thanks to everyone who submitted stories, poems, photos, songs, and films. We are poring over every submission and will be responding to contributors soon.

In the meantime, you must all go check out TheRumpus.net, the most fabulous new magazine created in the last five centuries. With the cacophony of media clamoring for attention these days, believe us, we wouldn't add anything to your list of daily stimuli unless it was really, really worth it. The Rumpus is really worth it.

Edited by Stephen Elliott, The Rumpus has fantastic original content, themed blogs (on music, film, etc.), and "Around the Web" -- amazing bits of writing and video that, for some reason, no one else noticed, but everyone should see.

The Rumpus describes itself here:

The Rumpus.net is an online magazine focused on culture with some politics (the subtitle is Books, Music, Art, Media, Film, Politics, Sex, Other -- which kind of says it all).

The original content is primarily reviews of books, movies, and music as well as short interviews and personal essays along with reprints of essays published in literary journals not available online.

The Rumpus is not going to worry about being the first to break the news. We’re focused on culture but not “People-Magazine culture.� We want to introduce readers to things they might not have heard of yet. The Web was supposed to diversify content and so far it hasn’t. If anything, the Internet has amplified the echo chamber so all the big online magazines are focusing on the same stories. Nobody’s paying any attention, for example, to books that have been out for a couple of months and haven’t had some massive debut. We’re not going to worry about reviewing books the minute they’re released, or following the publisher’s lead on what we should or shouldn’t pay attention to. That doesn’t mean we’re not going to do an interview with Malcolm Gladwell, we are, because we like Malcolm Gladwell.

You can count on The Rumpus to update at least ten times every weekday, probably more.

People have been asking us what we mean by the theme for Issue #8, "The Stolen Issue." That's for you to tell us. Send us submissions about stolen kisses, stolen oil, stolen cars, stolen elections, stolen hearts, stolen years, stolen money, stolen girlfriends, stolen office supplies, stolen identity, stolen glory. The deadline is just around the corner (Feb. 15). We want your stories, essays, poems, photos, songs and short films. Note: if your submission bounces back with a message that says "Mailbox full," please let us know at biguglyfiction@aol.com, and we'll clear out the mailboxes. Visit the submissions page for more details. Got questions? info@biguglyreview.com.

Missed the fabulous party at the Deluxe? Here are some photos that will make you feel as if you were there.....

April Sinclair mesmerizes the crowd.


Chris Colin takes advantage of the mood lighting.


Zyzzyva Founding Editor Howard Junker and Managing Editor Kristin Kearns.


Memoirist Suzanne Ginsburg and dance critic/memoirist/novelist Rachel Howard enjoy the night.


Happy listeners Julie and Craig.


Big Ugly contributor and Zyzzva Managing Editor Kristin Kearns, with her boyfriend Matty.


Karen Bjorneby reads about revenge.


Contributors Joe Quirk, April Sinclair and Nina Schuyler relax.


Joe Quirk.


Lovely Big Ugly Review Editorial Assistant Jaynel Attolini.


Sez Giulian plays an opening song for the crowd, blocked by Big Ugly Review editor Elizabeth Bernstein's awkwardly placed head and weirdly clapping hands.


Listeners from Dublit.com, who recorded the show.


Donna Hunter cracks up while listening to April Sinclair.


The audience is happy.

Thanks to all who came out for the Issue #7 Release Party at the Deluxe. The readers were great and the crowd was warm and responsive. Dublit.com came and recorded it, so we'll soon be uploading audio files of many of our stories. Howard Junker, editor of ZYZZYVA magazine, took some photos at the event and has posted them to his blog; you can see them here. We'll add more photos, too, in a day or so.

Please join us at the "Fight or Flight" issue release party on Sunday, September 28 at the Club Deluxe in San Francisco from 6-9 pm. Readings include fiction and nonfiction by:

April Sinclair
Chris Colin
Joe Quirk
Karen Bjorneby
Kristin Kearns
Nina Schuyler
Samantha Schoech

Also: raffle prizes, bizarre poetry made exclusively from Google search queries of users who mistakenly landed at the magazine, and music from Sez Giulian!

The Deluxe serves pizza and has a full bar -- so it's 21+ (and cash only).

Club Deluxe
1511 Haight Street at Ashbury, SF
Sunday, September 28
6-9 pm

Submissions have closed for Issue #7, "Fight or Flight," and we are nestling down with the stacks of stories and CDs and DVDs that have come in from near and far.

In the meantime, take a look at this article in the Utne Reader, in which The Big Ugly Review is determined to be a "great literary journal."

And then check out the NewPages online blog, which calls Kia Simon's film "The Dive" (in this issue) "the most absorbingly gorgeous four minutes you could spend staring at the computer today."

And Howard Junker, editor of the esteemed journal Zyzzyva, writes in his blog that we are "fantastic."

Isn't that nice?

We hope to get back to submitters with responses within six to eight weeks. Thanks for your patience.

Come cheer for Big Ugly Review contributor Andy Raskin as he defends the reputation of BUR in the second monthly Literary Death Match, sponsored by Opium Magazine.

The show on Tuesday, August 21 will feature readers from Instant City, edifice WRECKED and another magazine TBD, vying for the velvet crown, satin sash and shiny medal of honor. The judges: Oscar Villalon (Book Review Editor, SF Chronicle), Danielle Svetcov (Levine Greenburg Literary Agency) and Rob Baedeker (Kasper Hauser).

It's at Harlot, a swanky club with a subtle name, at 46 Minna Street in San Francisco. For details, check out www.literarydeathmatch.com.