Letter from the Editor

One of the things I missed most during the pandemic was going to the movies. I’m one of those people who will go to see almost anything on a warm summer evening, and every aspect of a trip to the theater is exciting: waiting in line for a ticket, deciding on popcorn and soda, that small thrill when the lights dim and the previews begin. And when it’s a particularly striking movie, I savor that quiet walk back to the car under the stars, letting all the feelings rush through you. And midnight movies are something special. You start the film on one day and end it the next, forcing yourself to stay up later than usual with other strangers in a dark room. There’s a greater sense of vagrancy and daring to it, of isolation and solitude. Most everyone else is asleep, but not you. You’re having an adventure in another realm, maybe a horrific one, or an epic one, or a romantic one. Time stops, but when you walk out after the credits, you’re cast into another place, deep into the night, and more often than not you’re changed for the better.

There’s something particularly magical about a midnight movie and I think the poems in this issue tap into that feeling. Some of the poems explore drive-ins, some classic theaters that no longer exist, some reference old films, some new, but all have that yearning, that sense of rebellion, that craving for adventure. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did, and a big thank you goes out to all who sent work, as well as to Gabriel Ricard, our interview for this issue. He’s a film critic, a poet, a writer, and an actor, and he’s one of the more interesting folks I’ve met on Facebook over the years. I think you’ll enjoy what he has to say.

I’d also like to take a moment to mention that a friend of mine, and a friend and contributor to Hobo Camp Review, has been missing for several months with no word about where she went or what happened to her. Meghan Marohn disappeared on a hike in late March near Lee, Massachusetts and her family is desperate for any information. Please take a look at the website they set up, review the details, and consider donating to the cause (to hire a private investigator to keep searching), and keep your fingers crossed that she shows up just fine. She is a phenomenal poet, a kind and caring person, a dedicated educator and volunteer worker, and the community is much less bright without her. Thank you for taking a moment to view the website and for sharing the information across all your socials. It all helps. 

And finally, I had July 7^th on my calendar for the release date for a while, but I only now learned of James Caan’s passing. What a legend, and so we’re dedicating this issue to him. 

With that, on with the show. The curtains are parting, the lights are low. I hope you’re all there in the dark with me, and if not, well…we’ll see each other down the road one of these days.

Happy viewing,

James Duncan, Editor