Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow
by Steve Lazarowitz

In the last two years, I've had to say good-bye to countless people, places and things. The trend first started with Shattered Fragments, my Wandering Troll column that ran for twenty-five issues, over a two-year period. Shortly after, I said goodbye to my job, my apartment, all my Brooklynite relatives, New York City, my best friend Paul, my good friend Al, my trusty parrot Juanita, East Peoria, Illinois, my editor and confidante Samandi Adams, Fresno, California and The United States of America. I've said good-bye to chicken franks, knishes, my favorite Chinese restaurants. I've given my regards to Broadway. I left the States behind and my old life along with it.

I started a brand new life on the other side of the world. As Samandi put it, I'm a day ahead, a world away, upside down and driving on the wrong side of the street. I now have a new life, a new wife, a new family (jeeeeeeze that was fast!) and new interests. I had thought, now that I was here, I was done with good-byes, but then, we never really stop saying goodbye, do we? So here I am again, bidding a fond farewell to Blue Iris Journal, a zine Sahara Ice has called home for well over two years. This is the very last issue of Blue Iris Journal. That's the bad news. Blue Iris Journal has been around quite a long time for a review zine. And Liz Burton (bless her), has not only given Sahara Ice a home, but has supported both me and my writing career for as long as I can remember. It was one of the reasons I was so keen to give her my column, every month, free of charge. Sure the exposure's great for me, sure Sahara Ice is the most fun column I've ever written, but on another level, I've always wanted to give something back and this was how I chose to do it. I briefly considered letting my column die with the zine, but then, I started thinking. Do I really want to add another good-bye to my growing list?

I've had many columns online. The longest running (not counting Sahara Ice), were Shattered Fragments and my very first column View from the Parapet which migrated from Dragonsclaw to Exodus to Conflicting Spectrums. It might be of interest to some of you that all issues of both these columns are archived on my webpage...maybe not too, but I thought I'd mention it.

The thing is, I didn't just want to give my column away to any old zine. After all, I had started it as a thank you/tribute to Liz Burton and, as such, wanted to make sure that any place I gave it to, deserved the time and effort I put into it. I thought about the web pages that have been good to me in recent months and of all of them, one name popped into my head--Fallen Angel Reviews.

Not only did they give me an Author of the Year Award (for Scorch, my science fiction erotica novel, published under the name Master Nage), but they also gave me great reviews and support when injury prevented me from promoting my own work. To be fair, there were other sites and people that gave me great support as well (Road to Romance (particularly Tracey West) and The Romance Studio to name but two), but these sites are predominantly romance sites and I don't predominantly write romance.

So I contacted Fallen Angel Reviews and asked if they'd be interested in my column. They suggested I send some samples. This is always nerve-wracking for me. Twenty-five columns and I'm going to pick out three to show what I can do. Three columns to show not only my skill as a writer, but my suitability for their site and the range of the column as well, which is huge.

The fact is, Sahara Ice has been my forum to say whatever I happen to be thinking about at the time. There is no central theme. Sahara Ice is my mind on paper. I've had the time of my life writing this column and didn't want it to end. So I carefully chose three issues and hoped I would make the grade.

It was important because, while I didn't want to add Sahara Ice to my list of things I'd left behind, I wasn't ready to put it on any old site. I had decided if Fallen Angel Reviews didn't take it, I would put it to rest.

The days that passed while I waited for a response were very long indeed. So I'm thrilled to say that Fallen Angel Reviews has picked up Sahara Ice, and I will be writing my first issue for it shortly after I finish this farewell. Just like the rest of my life, my tearful goodbye is followed by a bright new beginning. The column won't change...at least not any more than I have. It will still contain everything you've hopefully come to expect from one of my articles or essays.

I have learned much writing Sahara Ice during my years with Blue Iris Journal. I've written some columns I love and a couple that, looking back on, I probably shouldn't have. Sometimes my anger or pain is blatantly obvious, while at other times I've been extremely silly. I've defended a future that didn't materialize and never could have. Yet within the boundaries of what I've written, I am immensely proud of Sahara Ice, prouder than I've been of any other column, for there are individual gems here that are perhaps some of the best nonfiction I've ever written.

For that reason, I'm even more grateful to Fallen Angel Reviews, not only for picking up the column, but also agreeing to archive all the back issues, so that even if you've missed them, you can still explore what has come before.

For those of you who have read and supported Sahara Ice over the years, I thank you deeply, and sincerely hope you will continue to visit my words in their new location. For those who might be reading this for the first time, or perhaps have only recently discovered Sahara Ice, welcome aboard. I'm glad you could make it.

I find myself left with only one thing to say. If I've done nothing more than entertain you, if I've brought a smile to your lips (or a tear to your eye), then Sahara Ice has been worth every ounce of effort I've put into it. I've had a great run with Blue Iris Journal, but I'm sure glad I don't have to sit down quite yet.There's so much more I have to share.
Steve Lazarowitz
Moonah, Tasmania
March 2003

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