Hi all!

We are back with our chitchat after a looong time. Since it's the last issue of 2009, we decided to actually do what you people always accuse Us of doing; throwing your letters in the wastepaper bin so that we could accommodate the editorial :p Anyway, it wasn't that difficult to do as there weren't many of them. You people are growing older it seems and that too faster than us. We don't get to see the same enthusiasm in your feedback nowadays… or is it Us that has become boring? Whatever the case is, do let Us know. Though it would be hard for you people to believe, but we actually pay heed to your advices and suggestions.

Now coming to some issues that need to be addressed… first on our list is the story competition. All we have to say to you is SORRY! We know you have been waiting for a long, long time to see the results and the stories in print, but it just couldn't happen due to certain problems that we wouldn't want to mention here. However, we are trying our best to make it happen and we'll keep you posted on the latest development from now on. So, all of you who have sent your stories for the competition stop clenching your fists at Us. Cool down!

The other thing that we want to talk about is the plagiarism issue. You are all probably aware of the fact that Sana Toor had sent Us a plagiarized poem which got printed in the Poets' Corner. We have received a letter saying that we should have given Sana a chance to defend herself. How can anyone defend the act of copying the work of a renowned poet, giving it a new name and sending it to a mag? Beats Us! Sorry, no justification can convince Us in this case. We know it wasn't the first time that something like this happened and it won't be the last either, we are afraid. But, the people committing such crimes will be blacklisted from the mag no matter who they are.

In the end, we have an announcement for you! There will be a surprise for you people in our next issue. Happy waiting!

We wish you all the best for the New Year and we pray that it proves better for our dear country.

Till next time,

Allah Hafiz!

'New Loonies' still getting comments!

Hi Ed!

I loved the article 'New Loonies' by Luavut. Believe me it was better than the Twilight series itself! By the way, for all the Twilight fans out there, I hope they realise soon that there is more to life than stalking vampires and shirtless werewolves. Luavut can say anything she wants. Just have a heart. It's a free country. By the way, I love Us! Great magazine!

Mahnoor Tariq, Lahore

P.S I want to know what people actually like about the Twilight series? Edward, Jacob? The fantasy? DUH!

Salam Ed!

I am writing to you for the very first time, although I have been a regular reader of your magazine since I started understanding English. I must say that your magazine is doing a superb job, and it is really gaining its momentum which it had once lost. It's nice to see that you are including posters again.

Ed, I have sent my poems to your magazine, and I feel honoured that at least two of them got printed, even though it took them two years to get published. Now, I wanted to ask you about the word limit for a one-pager story. And what personal information would I have to send in along with the story? 

And please, could you print a poster of Lindsay Lohan?

Aroosa Mushtaq, Rawalpindi

The word limit for a one-pager article/story is 650-700 words.

No one should be condemned unheard?

Dear Editor,

This is with reference to the blacklisting of Sana Toor. I am against plagiarism, but the way you have blacklisted her is beyond my comprehension. It's not fair to blacklist her or anyone else on account of plagiarism without asking for her reply in defense. She should have been given an opportunity to defend herself as you did in a particular case when someone else was accused of sending his article to you after getting it published in another magazine. I hope you follow the rule "no one should be condemned unheard". And do the same in this case as well. I further hope to see this letter in print even if it causes annoyance to you.