Hey — what’s the small idea? What qualifies me to be the editor of your micros section, anyway? Am I required to have a small list of tiny publications? Or have I proven myself awful at telling longer stories?Do I run out of things to say in gatherings the nanosecond everyone looks my way?

Furthermore, do you ever wonder if your humble editor of Citron‘s Micros truly walks the walk? Am I allowed to pass by the rusty micro machines Pro Circuit Racers when I walk around the Thrifty Shopper? Do I rock out to the Dio and Danzig on my Ipod mini? Do I calibrate my very own microscope in order to more precisely understand the universe? Is it about damn time for a worldwide obsession with Miniature Cooking?

I refuse to answer since it would eat too much time.

Instead, I’d like to offer you my latest dilemma regarding the microverse. Have you heard about this project called PRSNT? It’s a collaboration between Barcelona-based label Modern Obscure Music and an arts and culture collective called Created by Us. They gave 12 artists a 32-second window for a musical attention grab. Apparently, their inspiration for this artistic obstruction came from learning that one-third of all listeners using digital platforms skip to the next track within the first 30 seconds. You can listen to all the tracks free of charge on the PRSNT Bandcamp page.

Now I don’t want to spoil the surprise (shh…), but let’s just say Ryuichi Sakamoto’s finale is a very Cage-y piece called, (ahem…) “Silence.” It might be a fitting way to remember this brilliant pianist and composer’s passing. Or at least remind me to watch the career celebration Opus, which features Sakamoto’s last filmed performance.

So I did say earlier that there was a dilemma regarding PRSNT. I’m a believer in collecting physical media in my consumption of art. I’m also actively making it impossible to move houses ever again. (I’ve moved across the country twice and maybe that ship has sailed. So, should I pay €47 for about six minutes of music on a black vinyl circle? If you’re doing a exchange rate calculation, that’s $50.31 USD! (Plus $17.13 shipping.) Am I walking the walk as a maven of all things micro by saying, if I had the loot, I’d doot? Is that being cagey?

I can say this. Even as we head toward our 15th year, we’re still keeping it small. And our micros are free of charge, as always, unlike so many things that bring us joy in this life.

And since we were sort of speaking of pianos, please don’t miss Chelsea Allen’s visceral “L’usurpateur.” Can one literally and figuratively explore the crossroads in 100 words?  D. Walsh Gilbert does it in “Grandpa at the Intersection.” I’m a sucker for the ocean – what it gives, what it erases – and it’s Chanu Govind’s “Turnover” that just about made me cry. James Geary’s “Colander” proves that William Carlos Williams’ “no ideas but in things” also continues to hold validity. With all of these big ideas swamping such small places, you’re going to need Nathaniel Calhoun’s “recovery breath” which at a mere 12 words is among the shortest poems we’ve published, but perhaps more powerful for its brevity.

Living largely small,

JR Walsh
Online Editor
The Citron Review