Bewildering Stories welcomes...

euhal allen

A popular theory goes that if you read Bewildering Stories you must not be bewildered yet and need to work on it, right? Well, we’re working on it. One of the first things I asked Mr. Allen was whether he’d misspelled his own name.

But not in so many words, mind you, just in a polite, roundabout kind of way. And Mr. Allen replied very graciously that he’s rather attached to the lower-case spelling. Recalling our submissions guidelines, I conceded he had a point there. Accordingly we’ll do all we can to respect his wishes and use lower-case wherever possible.

Where we can’t use it: when “euhal” begins a sentence; where it might be mistaken for an unfamiliar common noun; and in the Biographies index. We’d have more latitude with e e cummings, but that poet’s name doesn’t present the same problems.

Ever curious, I also asked about the pronunciation, figuring it might sound like “you-all” or the name of a trucking company. Mr. Allen, who must have long since gotten used to these questions, was as gracious as ever in explaining that it’s pronounced like “yule.” And that it’s an old family name that he uses for sentimental reasons.

Now, you’ll find euhal allen’s biographical sketch very personable. It’s almost a Bewildering Story all in itself. I’d be tempted to create an official Challenge based on it, but it appears in Biographies & Bibliographies, not in an issue of Bewildering Stories. So here’s an unofficial Challenge: How old is euhal allen? How much younger is his wife? What do you think his children really think of him? I’ll give you my answer to the last one: I think they’re secretly quite devoted and are fond of teasing him. Check out his biographical sketch and see if you don’t think that’s plausible.

Euhal Allen’s first contribution is “A Stamp of Distinction” in this issue. There’s more to come, too!

Welcome to Bewildering Stories, euhal. We hope to hear from you often!