Scout & Engineer No. 1 [NOOK Book]

Scout & Engineer is unlike any other literary magazine I hav

Scout & Engineer is unlike any other literary magazine I have come across. Devoid of pretension, it is bold and has a great sense of fun. Each and every one of the contributions to this inaugural issue merits serious reflection and comment.

Erika Holzer's "Eyewitness" effectively builds up tension throughout. Also, one finds immense insight in editor-publisher Hannah Eason's interview with Elena Gorokhova, who penned *A Mountain of Crumbs* -- a memoir about life in the former Soviet Union. And Christopher Blonde's "Sports & Entertainment News" provides a captivating portrait of young people who know what they value in life and who are willing to take bold actions to pursue and preserve such values. In this tale I find much psychological truth.

Zeke Jarvis's "Convergence" is a quirky love story that convinced me of what I previously assumed impossible: mathematics can indeed inspire romance. ^_^ A certain major gesture on the part of the protagonist, though intended to be romantic, struck me as a bit, um, I will say "odd." o.O All in all, though, the story possessed a unique charm.

T. D. Edge's "Be Clear and Prosper" is an unusual combination of realism and fantasy, portraying what life would be like for ordinary-though-ambitious people had certain (unspecified) events in history gone differently. When the protagonist's values -- love, political ambition, religion -- come into conflict with one another, he must make a difficult choice that will have enormous ramifications for both his own life and those of others.

The importance of an individual's choices in life are also highlighted in Nemone Thornes's "Inside the Mountain," an emotionally moving tale of friendship and regret. In his current friendship with a young female admirer, an elderly author finds himself haunted by memories of a long-lost lover. How much of this friendship is based upon the young woman reminding the author of his lost love? And will the friendship be able to help the author make peace with his past? The entire time I was in suspense over how this emotional turmoil would be resolved.

Indeed, these stories all exemplify the importance of individual choice. I did not always agree with the pivotal choices the principal characters had made in the stories' respective climaxes. But the authors wrote with enough power and conviction that I was able to understand the rationale behind all of the principals' choices.

In short, *Scout & Engineer* is off to an amazing start. I eagerly await what the next issue has in store for us readers.

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