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**PRINT: THE2NDHAND’s 31st broadsheet features a short by Portland-by-way-of-Montana writer Aaron Parrett that captures the power and glory of ambivalence after, during, and prior to what the unemployed poet-protagonist comes to clearly see as, if not love, then surely "Tolerance," the story's title. Parrett is the author of The Translunar Narrative in the Western Tradition as well as numerous stories that have been featured in lit mags around the nation. No. 31 also features a piece by Kyle Beachy, author of the newly released novel The Slide, out from Dial Press, and a vanguard discount coupon and special FAQ from the herbal remedies and soap makers at The Left Hand (thelefthand.net).

**WEB: 19 WAYS OF SAYING NO TO ASSFUCKING Greg Gerke
SIDES Heather Palmer
TIKI EXPRESS Pitchfork Battalion (Dills, Ballentine, Holmes)
WING & FLY: AMELIA GRAY WINS FC2 PRIZE | Todd Dills
DIVE AND DISMANTLE Kimberly Soenen
HIDEOUS BOUNTY: BLOOD BROTHERS | Andrew Davis
TRADE IMBALANCE / DUMB SETTLEMENT WITH THE FTC David Gianatasio
GRADING ON THE CURVE Eric Beeny
THE ORIGIN OF MAN Eric Beeny
WALLS Amy Woods Butler

19 WAYS OF SAYING NO TO ASSFUCKING
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Greg Gerke

Gerke lives and writes in Buffalo. His work has appeared in Fourteen Hills, Pedestal Magazine, Pindeldyboz, Elimae and others, as well as here at THE2NDHAND. His flash collection, There's Something Wrong With Sven, is out now.

It smells in here, but I remain staring out the window in hopes of a better life. As soon as we go to Rochester everything will be cleared up.

No -- excuse me. I have a ten o'clock with Dr. Simon on the thirteenth and I don't think we should talk about this until I discuss it with her.

THE LEFT HAND: Soap, Lit

I know she's a female psychiatrist, I'm the one who goes to her--

Yes I know I'm a man discussing my sexual life with a seemingly heterosexual woman.

Yes I absolutely understand you've voiced wishes about doing it in the past -- you're voicing them now -- but if we start up I'm destined to burn calories and shed the little fat left on my person. People already refer to me as "beanpole." I don't want to give them any more ammunition. And forget I said "pole."

My issues with assfucking come in one clumped sum. Is it healthy? Is it pleasurable? Will it improve our communication so we won't breakup?

Yes those are the only questions.

It's a clumped sum because if it's not healthy it's not pleasurable and if it's not pleasurable it can't improve our communication.

I know we both said we wanted to try some new things, but I meant racquetball or going to the opera. You're talking about the beastly, sour regions of your anus. Mine too, if I sign off on you and your purple twelve-inch dildo.

No, come on. I need more time. Give it a couple of weeks. We at least have to go over this longer than the discussion to invade Iraq.

Yes. How did you know? Yes I did it once Shelia and it changed our relationship forever.

Like what? She began to call me Mr. Perspective, that's what, and don't ask me why. Shelia came from Pennsylvania and that's all I'll say.

Plus I can't see your face and I like to see your face because your face reminds me of you and you remind me of order, cleanliness and good living.

No, if I didn't assfuck Shelia we still would have broken up because she liked to whisper Elvis songs in my ear while I tried to sleep and when I lashed out at her for that silliness she threw the TV out the window. Do you know what floor we lived on?

Actually I don't believe you when you say you'll break up with me if we don't assfuck. I know you have more class, otherwise you would have never become my special one, the one I call "girlfriend."

Well I'm not too happy that you are assfucking my brother. It hits me high and it hits me low but still I stand behind my initial decision to not yet assfuck.

My family history is very different from what you think you understand. We were raised sensibly. Please, thank you, yes ma'am. My brother was not the favored brother. That leaves one.

If I can believe your claim that assfucking has been going on in your family for four generations, try this on for size. Nine generations have us Petersons proudly assfucked. It goes back to Joachim who lived on the west coast of Sweden. The rumored Adonis grew goddamned turnips. Assfucked two and sometimes three blond women a week. There are testimonials and letters in Swedish to support everything.

I don't know if you can actually call the state psychiatric hospital to come and pick me up. Maybe you should try the police, but where is the crime? What is the cause? You are the one who brought up assfucking.

DREAMS OF YOUR FATHER

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OUR FRIENDS AT The Left Hand make great soap, salves, balms and other natural hygiene-type stuff, in addition to publishing a zine and running a book swap, a performance series and more from their Tuscaloosa, AL, homebase. When they offered to make something for us, we jumped. We introduce THE2NDHAND soap, an olive oil soap with a quadruple dose of Bergamot, "for the readers we've sullied..." Price is $6, ppd.

**BOOKS BY THE2NDHAND CONTRIBUTORS at Amazon

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