Issue 15 - April 2008

An Interview with Fiona Glass Stanley Ridge

We thought some of our readers might be interested in the ‘takeover’ by the new editorial team from Fiona’s point of view. So Stanley Ridge designed a short questionnaire and Fiona kindly answered it. He wanted to know if she could point to any differences in the ‘new look’ zine but of course we had to have her answers before it went ‘live’. Maybe next year...

Q: What led you to start an on-line magazine in the first place?

A: Sheer frustration!  At that time, about five years ago, there were very few places taking m/m short stories, and almost none taking m/m erotic romance short stories.  Torquere Press hadn't yet been set up and many of the other e-publishers hadn't yet cottoned on to the immense popularity of the genre, and print publishers such as Gay Men's Press were only interested in novels.  In the end a friend and I decided to create our own market, not just for our own stories but for those of our friends and fellow-writers as well, and it just grew from there.

Q: How long did it take to get going and develop a readership?

A: Probably about a year.  The first couple of issues were very much a 'testing ground', both for the design and the contents, and many of the stories were by myself, my friend and a few other close friends.  But the first issue was very well received and after that we started receiving stories from complete strangers.  Every time someone new had a story in the zine they told all their friends, who promptly told all *their* friends, and word soon spread.  It's grown exponentially pretty much every year since then.

Q: What in your opinion makes FF unique among on-line GLBT story zines?

A: I think it's the 'softer' edge.  There are plenty of gay men's magazines that publish stroke material, and several magazines that publish literary fiction, but not many that publish our brand of erotica tinged with romance.  It's very popular, both with the ladies and with many gay men, who have been known to write and thank us for actually publishing gay *romance* for a change!  So I've always worked very hard to keep it on the same lines.

Q: How did it feel having all those readers rushing to the rescue?

A: Scary, but very, very touching!  I was almost in tears.  Forbidden Fruit is very much my 'baby' and I would have been heartbroken to see it go under after all this time, but the workload had just become impossible for one person, even with the valuable help I had from Emily and Kay.

Q: If you still read all the subs, how does having an editorial team decrease your workload?

A: Ah.  The quick answer to that is that I don't read all the subs any more.  Much as I would love to, I simply don't have time, and I have every confidence in the ability of the new editorial team to select great stories - otherwise I wouldn't have taken them on!  I still offer advice on the selection process and will use my casting vote in the case of deadlock amongst the editors, but that's as far as it goes.  I'm looking forward to reading all the stories now that the zine's online!

Q: How does it feel working as part of a team after running FF on your own?

A: Not as hard as I expected.  Of course, I was never strictly speaking 'on my own' - for the first year or so my friend helped out (she later asked to be disassociated from the zine, so sadly I can't give her the credit she deserves) and after that I had input from Emily and Kay.  But after the best part of four years in charge I thought it might be quite difficult to work with a new team.  Thankfully we seem to have all slotted into our new roles with remarkable ease!

Q: Do all the editors see eye to eye with you on policies, quality, etc? Where are the differences?

A: Several of the new team had already worked on Forbidden Fruit in one capacity or another, and others were avid readers or supported the zine in other ways, so they all had a good understanding of the style, content and quality involved.  We seem to agree to a staggering extent and so far there haven't been any real disagreements.

Q: Do you foresee changes in the kind of stories FF will be publishing?

A: Any editorial change brings small changes in style - as soon as you have new people in charge of selection they will take stories that might have been refused, or reject ones that might have been accepted in the past.  Overall, though, I don't foresee any major changes.  Forbidden Fruit is very good at what it does best, and our readers show their appreciation by coming back time after time.   I think all the editors understand the importance of keeping the style and 'feel' of the zine and not applying the 'new broom' too savagely!

Q: What are your main interests outside the zine, and will you have more time to pursue them?

A: You'd think I ought to, wouldn't you?  After all, it used to take me around twelve weeks' solid hard work *every year* to get the three (lately two) issues off the ground, and that's twelve weeks I now have back.  Of course, it's never quite that simple, but I do feel I've had more time to concentrate on my writing since the new team took over, and am well on the way with one novel and have just started a second.  Other interests include reading, gardening, watercolour painting, history and archaeology, and music, but I tend to slot those in around my writing anyway.  But any visions of putting my feet up, pouring a cup of tea and leaving everyone else to do the hard work haven't quite materialised.  I still roll up my sleeves and get involved with the zine on an almost daily basis!

Editor’s note: The team is very grateful to Fiona for her continuing help, and wishes her all the best with her novels!

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Stanley Ridge, a native New Yorker, has for over 30 years made his home in the Midwest, where he teaches in a small liberal arts college.  He also works as a literary translator.  His life as a professor and scholor, father of two wayward sons, owner of a large, friendly dog, and for over five years partner of a beautiful man, keep him very very busy.  He devotes much of the little spare time he has to writing and somewhat less of it to his duties on the editorial team of two m2m on-line literary magazines.  He likes to travel and has spent nearly a quarter of his life abroad, mostly in French-speaking countries.

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