ISSUE NUMBER FOUR. VOLUME NUMBER ONE.

I love you when you’re standing on the lawn
Peering at something in a tree: “It’s gone.
It was so small. It might come back” (all this
Voiced in a whisper softer than a kiss).
- John Shade

I find it odd that a man would communicate with nature through science.}
- Kingsley Triton, Esq.


ISSUE NUMBER THREE. VOLUME NUMBER ONE.

: ‘ . ( ! ) — , / ?

Now someone’s talking. The halfmoon of bare
Board between our numbers and our letters
Resembles a work-space for paper dolls.
Wee scoops, tacks, tweezers, awl and buttonhook,
Comma doubling as apostrophe
And dash as hyphen—tinkering symbols known
Not in themselves, but through effects on tone.
The character who supplies them, by that token
Distinguishes himself from who has spoken
Up to now, and strikes a note we’ve missed,
Clerkly but eager, glad to be with us—
Young lab assistant, or cub journalist
Thrilled by his first big scoop, yet not above
Enhancing revelation with the odd
Parenthesis or restful period.
Is it still Bezel—I can’t say that name
But you know who I mean: are you the same?
-James Merrill, The Changing Light at Sandover

“If fashion is your trade then when you’re naked I guess you must be unemployed yeah.”
–Jarvis Cocker


ISSUE NUMBER TWO. VOLUME NUMBER ONE.

“A peculiar publication was Hedgerow (ca. 1954), a journal that I purchased at a gypsy bazaar by the Seine. An old monthly that lasted no more than three issues, Hedgerow aspired to the edge of greatness, yet barely scratched the surface. The editors of Hedgerow , all practicing physicians, published widely from their own work and the work of their patients. They wrote of fantastical islands, Grecian mythos, the occasional couture yarn, the occasional religious piece, the occasional quote from Auden or Dumas, Malory or James. But despite the abundance of mediocrity, their faulty political discourse and the vague meanderings of its poems, every issue of Hedgerow felt complete. It was as if the editors had attained something while publishing themselves and the few others whose work they respected. It could be said that they were masters of their own esoterica, their attention to minutiae. They had found a name and, perhaps, a bit of something else, something alien.”
-Kingsley Triton, Esq.

ISSUE NUMBER ONE. VOLUME NUMBER ONE.

“As, and this happens more often than not, one becomes comfortable and knowledgeable of those that swim in the publicly accessible pool, one may eventually become embittered by said pool, and even venture so far as to dream of having a private pool in their backyard. Limited by finance and proper plumbing, one more often than not is forced into acceptance of their current pool. Their dreams enter into a state of remission, and they continue to bump into the hairy oafs who can barely perform a crawl without becoming winded.”
-Theodore Clifton Sr.

Red China is a magazine of literature and the arts that offers a “pool” unique by nature. Red China brings with it a pleasantly confrontational attitude. We are fickle and unsure of ourselves. The only thing of which we are sure of is our taste, our confidence in what we believe is good. We are often quite happy with other pools in the neighborhood, we read them religiously, and we think others should read them, too, these pools.

We also, however, find that some of these pools tend to flow too well together—that they are incestuous upon conception—and that has left us wanting for something slightly different.

To say that we ignited as a concern solely through dissatisfaction is not wholly accurate. We are inebriated by the wealth of excellent prose, poetry, artwork and ideas that is currently made available by those dedicated enough to present it. We are simply offering a new pool, fresh to swim in, limited to only the most excellent of strokes, and surely free of algae, a shallow end, and those who insist on wearing floaters well past the appropriate age of necessity.



ISSUE NUMBER ZERO. VOLUME NUMBER ZERO.

Red China seeks to contribute a singular and thoroughly developed aesthetic to the world of arts and writing. There is no fixed “angle.” Rather, we want to define a sensibility. Our editors are dedicated to working with writers and artists who are willing to contribute to a fresh, exhilarating dialogue between their audience and themselves.

We chose Red China, its title, iconic imagery and palette, for its continuity and face value. We hope that this choice should act as a stable point of departure, a consistent forum for the dynamic work we hope to showcase.

See our History.

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