Swans, December 16, 2002

["Gilles d'Aymery" <aymery@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Here is the e-mail sent to Swans' distribution list when a new edition is
published. Two weeks ago, Louis posted it to the list. Here is the
latest one. If any one takes issue with this posting, please let me
know. Thanks. Gilles
*****
http://www.swans.com/
December 16, 2002 - In this issue: Perspectives on 2002

Time to close the year at Swans. We'll be back on January 1, 2003
with our traditional infamous and irreverent Predictions, and our bi-
weekly schedule on January 6. For this last 2002 edition, our regular
columnists and contributors share their opinions on how the year
went, what 2002 meant to them. So here you have it: Eleven columns
filled with personal views from a diverse collective of writers. They
are published in the order received. In addition Sandy Lulay offers her
last poem, and we publish a new Canadian poet, Sabina Becker.
Finally, the Letters to the Editor could easily have been published as a
series of articles and, in light of the Trent Lott ruckus, are worth
reading, particularly a letter we received from Saint Xavier University
Professor Kirstein.

2002 has been a challenging year for Swans and its collective of
writers, like for many other sites and people. We all went through the
valleys of despair and the various commotions provoked by this
increasingly reactionary and violent whirlwind engulfing the world, and
the growing authoritarianism in the U.S.  Emotions have run high at
times but while we added a zest of activism to our work we've kept
sight of what we are about, bringing food for thought and providing a
quality literary and political site on the Web. We lost one columnist
but gained three and more, a very talented flock indeed. Visitorship
has grown accordingly. We began the year with about 1,100 daily
requests. We are approaching 5,000 requests and on average 50MB
of data transferred per day (with peaks close to 100MB). Our low-
key publication, with little backing but the convictions and the integrity
of its contributors -- a site that follows no party line, has very few
graphics and does not advertise -- has grown 20-fold in 24 months!
Not bad for a bi-weekly publication... (We ain't CNN, but to keep
things in perspective it took us 4 years to grow from five or ten visits a
day in 1996 to 200 in 2000!) Swans' articles have been republished in
print as far away as Jordan and England and our visitors originate
from more than 100 countries.

So we are growing, but with growth come the associated pains. Next
year we will begin to ask for financial support and we will do so in a
way that shows what we need and how the money is spent. Our
fundraising will be as low-key and transparent as the site is. We hope
you will all generously answer our call.

In the meantime, thank you all very, very much for reading Swans.
Please, enjoy these perpectives on 2002, remember to form your
OWN opinion and to let your friends (and foes) know about us. It is
indeed your voice that makes ours grow.

Best wishes for a peaceful New Year from all of us at Swans.

                                    ...............................

Here is the list to all the pieces:

http://www.swans.com/library/art8/elich007.html
More Of The Same - by Gregory Elich

http://www.swans.com/library/art8/pgreen13.html
A Fading Vision Of The USA - by Philip Greenspan

http://www.swans.com/library/art8/herman06.html
2002 Has Been A Grim Year - by Edward S. Herman

http://www.swans.com/library/art8/mgc100.html
And So Goes 2002. . . . - by Milo Clark

http://www.swans.com/library/art8/elib005.html
Sinking In, Sinking, Then Ascension - by Eli Beckerman

http://www.swans.com/library/art8/alekp026.html
A Case For The Defense - by Aleksandra Priestfield

http://www.swans.com/library/art8/mws036.html
Whadda Mess - by Michael W. Stowell

http://www.swans.com/library/art8/jeb118.html
2002: Still Hope For The Future - by Jan Baughman

http://www.swans.com/library/art8/aah033.html
Reclaim The Dream - by Alma A. Hromic

http://www.swans.com/library/art8/rdeck033.html
If You're Happy And You Know It, Bomb Iraq - by Deck Deckert

http://www.swans.com/library/art8/ga148.html
A Pivotal Year? - by Gilles d'Aymery

http://www.swans.com/library/art8/sandl027.html
Cafe Espresso - A Poem by Sandy Lulay

http://www.swans.com/library/art8/sbeckr01.html
Empty-Handed Women - A Poem by Sabina C. Becker

http://www.swans.com/library/art8/letter18.html
Letters to the Editor

                                     #####

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Thank you for reading Swans

Gilles d'Aymery


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