Yes, yes, Dear Dermot indeed.

Or, perhaps I should relabel this feature: Inexpensive Dermot, because (to show solidarity with our hard-working team of unpaid features editors here at Write Out Blagh!) I limit my Editor-in-Chief's stipend to that which barely covers my first and second home comfortable living allowances. 

Anyway and whatever, hello and welcome to the Editorial and Letters Page of our February edition.  And, might I say, it's that time of the month when I can put my feet up and stop haranguing my staff to get them to send me their contributions, and I must say I was delighted with your very own contributions from last month. 

Let me tell you something, at birthday parties I used to have a pinata every year, as is traditional in this part of the world

- not a real one, you understand;

being a Salford lad, our version of the traditional pinata was a passer-by and we would beat them with a stick until they agreed to give us sweets.  Soliciting articles from my colleagues here at the zine involves much the same proccess. 

Not so, our reading public though, I am pleased to say. 

Last month we had a plethora of lovely supportive letters in praise of the zine and with suggestions for what we could do with it. 

This month we welcome your letters, not just about the zine itself, but about all of your opinions on everything and everything that is happening in "the poetry world" this month, or even "the world", which,  as my Venn disgram informs me, contains "the poetry world" as a subset.

So get writing and send your Dear Dermot letters to dermot@writeoutloud.net

or use the comment box below

Janet writes:

Dear Dermot,
 
i'm delighted to read the new February edition which has some fabulous entries for enjoyable reading and interactive sections.
I have a small query though;-
Your Dear Dermot page says we can comment in the comments box but the comments have been disabled for that page.
I find the same has happened on ''Picture This.''
 
Will they be re-activated soon ?
 
Janet Ramsden

Dear Janet, on occasion, the best laid plans of mice and men can go somewhat awry - and we collaborated heavily with the mice on this one, and perhaps an overseer with an eye for detail was lacking.  Still, all's well that ends well as the well known play by the otherwise unheard of William Shakespeare demonstrates.