**PRINT: No. 34.2: Part dictionary of the outrageous, part chronicle of the manic twists and turns of American life, Atlanta writer Jamie Iredell's BOOK OF FREAKS (due fall 2010 from Future Tense) is A+ material, the best of its bits spawning raucous laughter and righteous anger read after read after. Check out several of the "freaks" in this issue, part of our mini-broadsheets series, along with Nashville-based Gabe Durham's similarly structured selections from "Fun Camp," a work in progress, on the back side. Durham is Keyhole Magazine's new editor.

**PRINT: COLD WAS THE GROUND, by Chicago's Scott Stealey, is No. 34 in our broadsheet series. Gina, protagonist, a rather lonely condo dweller/office manager, strikes up a fleeting friendship with one Porgo, an Eastern European construction worker who is burying on her property what Gina takes for a time capsule. But the metaphorical fix is in -- Porgo, an ESL student, may be leading Gina in directions she can’t exactly get her head all the way around. Enjoy. Chicago writer Stealey is editor of the Please Don’t online mag.

**WEB: DEATH IN YELLOWSTONE: CHAPTERS 4-6 "WILD PARSNIP" by Dave Snyder
DEATH IN YELLOWSTONE: CHAPTERS 2 & 3 Jill Summers
DEATH IN YELLOWSTONE: CHAPTER 1 Chris Bower
WERT'S DEATH Michael Peck
FORBIDDEN FRUIT Steven Schutzman
MY ALIBI Kevin O'Cuinn
SKI AERIALS aka Peer
WING & FLY: AN EXPERIMENT IN MIND CONTROL w/ MKULTRA and...Doug Milam | Todd Dills
HIDEOUS BOUNTY: ONE WITH WOLF | Andrew Davis

DEATH IN YELLOWSTONE, CHAPTERS 4-6
'DON'T EAT WILD PARSNIPS!': DEATH FROM POISONOUS PLANTS; NOXIOUS FUMES AND A DEATH FROM POISONOUS GAS; and FREAK FATALITIES: DEATH FROM LIGHTNING
WILD PARSNIP
---
Dave Snyder

Part 3 in THE2NDHAND's feature of work from the mid-2010 installment of Chicago's Ray's Reading Series, held at Ray's Tap on the city's northwest side, was penned by poet and gardener Dave Snyder, whose work have appeared in numerous litmags and other venues, from the Colorado Review to the Huffington Post.

A little while afterwards he complained of pain in his abdomen,
and, scarcely uttering a word, fell prostrate on the ground
and urinated with great violence to the height of a man.
Presently he was a terrible sight to see,

scarcely uttering a word, he fell prostrate on the ground
seized with convulsions, with the loss of all his sense.
He was a terrible sight to see.
His mouth was shut most tightly

being seized with convulsions, and the loss of all his sense,
so that it could not be opened by any means.
His mouth was shut most tightly;
he grated his teeth; he twisted his eyes about strangely

so that they could not be opened by any means
and blood flowed from his ears.
He grated his teeth; he twisted his eyes about strangely;
he frequently hiccuped;

and blood flowed from his ears.
At times he seemed to be about to vomit;
he frequently hiccuped
but he could force nothing from his mouth.

At times he seemed to be about to vomit.
He tossed his limbs about marvelously and twisted them
but he could force nothing from his mouth.
Frequently his head was drawn backward,

he tossed his limbs about marvelously and twisted them
and his whole back was curved in the form of a bow.
Frequently his head was drawn backward
so that a small child could have crept beneath him,

his whole back curved in the form of a bow,
without touching him,
so that a small child could have crept beneath him.
He could not be aroused by no pinching, by no talking, or by no other means,

without touching him.
Until his strength failed and he grew pale,
he could not be aroused by no pinching, by no talking, or by no other means
and when a hand was placed on his breast he breathed his last.

Strength failed and he grew pale.
From the mouth of the corpse even to the hour of his burial
a hand was placed on his breast,
green froth flowed very abundantly,

from the mouth of the corpse even to the hour of his burial
although it was wiped away frequently by his grieving father,
green froth flowed very abundantly
nevertheless new froth soon took its place

although it was wiped away frequently by his grieving father.
Presently he was a terrible sight to see,
nevertheless new froth soon took its place.
A little while afterwards he complained of pain in his abdomen.

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