First Call Magazine

Vol. 12, No. 2 – September 21, 2009

Cover Photo: Catcher, by Aude Broos
A PDF of this issue is available here.

Monotonix by Steve Waye
Shell-shocked by Daniel Felsenthal
Penn: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry by Madhav Nandipati
Poetry: Dancing on Ice by Shivani Srivastav
Comic: Wet by Dan Markowitz
The Cathedral or the Bazaar by Sydney Scott
Poetry: What I’m Thinking While You Sleep by Katherine Thackray
Photospotlight: Colette by Aude Broos
Poetry: Sales Tax by Daniel Torrington
Coffee with Roosevelt by Anonymous
Visual Poetry: Gotta Catch Em All by Lucy McGuigan

Columnists: Steve Waye, Sydney Scott. Prose: Daniel Felsenthal, Madhav Nandipati. Poetry: Shivani Srivastav, Katherine Thackray, Daniel Torrington. Photography: Aude Broos. Art: Dan Markowitz, Lucy McGuigan, Natalie Gravier, Max Heinritz.

Into the wild
By Steve Waye

The cover of Israeli three-piece Monotonix’s upcoming album, “Where Were You When It Happened?” features the band’s three hirsute showmen exploding from an unzipped fly. The image, like their growling, riffage-packed guitar sound and their bombastic live show, is none too subtle. They’ve created some significant internet buzz over the past two years by touring the states with an act that’s equally parts bar band and traveling bar fight. (more…)

A short story
By Daniel Felsenthal

July 12, 2006: She didn’t say a word the entire time. Her hands were leathery and old, with giant, deep blue veins stretching her ancient skin to the point where it looked like it might rip. Her finger still was adorned with a stunning, diamond-encrusted engagement ring that she refused to take off when she was admitted to the hospital. Her hair, unsurprisingly, was a sad tone of gray, and was thin to the point at which her scalp shone through like sun through a tree canopy. (more…)

The uncanny similarities between Penn and Hogwarts
By Madhav Nandipati

Growing up, I knew that college would be a magical world. It would be a place where I could try something new, step out of my comfort zone, and explore a different universe. But I never knew how magical college would actually be until I stepped onto Penn’s campus as a freshman. (more…)

By Shivani Srivastav

Bright headlights burn into my sight
dancing in my weary eyes,
I stumble forward and then see (more…)

By Dan Markowitz

Wikipedia changes editing rules
By Sydney Scott

In 2000, Jimmy Wales pitched to Larry Sanger the idea of an open encyclopedia to which anyone could contribute. After a few stumbles, Wikipedia was born. The rest, as they say, was history. (more…)

By Katherine Thackray

It’s 2 AM and I am wide awake.
I want to walk to Philly Diner, eat chocolate chip pancakes,
and wear my pajama pants with your t-shirt.
Mostly I want to do this because I’m 19
and I can.
You roll over. (more…)

By Aude Broos

By Daniel Torrington

Abraham Lincoln gazes ahead, toward the future and all that it holds,
his bow tie the golden color of his beard, his nose.
Passed through millions of hands, rubbed smooth by fingers
more concerned with sales tax
than the sixteenth president of the United States. (more…)