Cover: Photo (c) J. G. Betts. Poppies by the river Manzanares Madrid.
LUPO for June 2020 is now on the table. It has reached its fiftieth issue in rather difficult and strange times, but let us hope the seasonal smorgasbord it lays out will provide some comfort-consumption for those still locked down or in. The topics on offer include aliens, Arabic, cakes, cows (terrestrial and marine) but not cow-cake, a curse, an elephant, first lines, the Fonz, Freud, a funeral, goldfish, Larkin, magpies, manners, Mona Lisa, Sisyphus, a vegan lion, Venezuela and water bears plus many other rare dishes, not to mention a special Covid Corner with a dozen more or less virus-tinged verse excursions for those who can’t get enough of the c-word, as well as three assortments of short observations.
Names old and new are to be found topping this quarter’s Interval items, that is to say Chris Aspin, Damian Balassone, Marcus Bales, Alan Balter, Jerome Betts, Stuart Blair, Barbara Lydecker Crane, Greg Duncan, Susanna Clayson, Pat D’Amico, Peter Emery, Sylvia Fairley, Curtis Franks, Julia Griffin, Oscar Kenshur, L A. Mereoie, Bruce McGuffin, Leslie Monsour, Anna Nolan, Chris O’Carroll, Tom Schmidt, Derek Sellen, Alex Steelsmith, Henry Stimpson, Michael Swan, Andi Talbot, Robert West, and Russel Winick.
Overhearing, interviewing or otherwise interacting with assorted animals in Doolittle mode are the winners of Competition 49, Jane Blanchard, Richard Fleming, Elizabeth Horrocks, Judy Koren, L. A. Mereoie, Bruce McGuffin, and Liza McAlister Williams.
A warm summer welcome is extended to a score of first time appearers on the LUPO roster, namely Veronica Aaronson, Nathalie Abi-Ezzi, Chris Aspin, Marcus Bales, Robert Bilinski, Robert Black, Kevin Blankinship, Greg Duncan, Curtis Franks, Mel Goldberg, Karen Greenbaum-Maya, Stephen Kingsnorth, J.I. Kleinberg, Joan McNerney, Jen Mierisch, Naomi Marklew, Tom Schmidt, Anna Nolan, Andi Talbot, and Russel Winick
Please note that there have been some clarifications and changes to the submission guidelines starting with this issue.
So, on towards centenarian status, with thanks to LUPO’s founder Martin Parker, its web manager Sarah Willans and all its readers and contributors everywhere, linked by the English language and a liking for light verse among economists, editors, engine-drivers, lawyers, librarians, logicians and, no doubt, some of Larkin’s lecturers, lispers, losels, loblolly-men and louts.
