Take the word, "duty," for instance. Besides its obvious meaning, in the previous sentence, of simply doing work , it can also refer to an amount of water need to irrigate a crop, a moral or legal obligation, or a tax on an imported good.

The word "good" is even worse. Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary (the title of which has become doubly oxymoronic, in my edition's particular instance) shows nearly 50 definitions for the good word "good."

Fortunately for us, "pith" doesn't have nearly that many meanings, but it still does more work than any one word probably should. Still, it does a good job with it, and shows no signs of exhaustion, so I have taken the liberty of giving it just one more small duty, since it is so aptly suited to it.

Different dictionaries describe it in various ways, so I will take another liberty here, and give you the synopsis that I often use in the magazine: "Pith is: the soft core of various things D bones, feathers, etc.; a spinal cord; a plant stem; the piercing or severing of a spinal cord to kill an animal or render it insensible for experimental purposes; the essential part; substance; gist; cogency; energy; concentrated force; this magazine."

It may not be immediately obvious as to which particular meaning is intended here, so I will do you the favor of suggesting that you think of this magazine more in terms of "essential part, substance, gist, cogency, etc.," rather than the somewhat less palatable definitions. They are not to be excluded, by any means. It is simply hoped that Pith, the Magazine will be known more for its concentrated force than for its piercing of spinal cords. (Still, we do a little of that, too, when it's necessary, just to learn a little more about what makes us all "tick.")

"Pith," the word, like most of our words, has an interesting story of its own, and the full definitions are quite worth exploring, so I will soon be including them on this site. In the meantime, you may wish to explore some of the small samples of the writing and poetry from the magazine that are available here.

In practical terms, PITH, the magazine, is 40 pages of poetry, stories, and artwork, of some small creative, entertaining, and occasionally enlightening value. It has been published on paper since the mid-1990's, and will continue to be so, for as long as we have brave trees and brave artists, writers and readers. The magazine currently costs three American dollars per copy (well worth it, I am often told), and the envelopes and stamps that transport it cost another two. Those prices are likely to rise slightly in the near future, as it does cost a little to produce it, so I recommend subscribing soon.

Enjoy the site, and for even more enjoyment, write to Pith, and I will send you a copy or subscription of your very own. You are also welcome and encouraged to submit your work for future issues. Pith exists as a vehicle to share interesting writing and art with as much of the world as possible, so we are very open to new contributors. And please don't get pithed off about it D it's all just for fun, anyway.

Also remember, when reading Pith, wearing the helmet is entirely optional.