JENNIFER K MAHAL -- In the wings

Everyone has a talent. It could be a skill for selling cars, a certain

soup you make better than anyone else or even a knack for politics. In

this section, the talents we focus on are the arts.

Many of the people featured in the pages of Datebook are “names.”

Their work in the arts has led them to be known nationally or

internationally. They have films or concerts or exhibits or stage plays

or books just coming out.

But there are many talented people who don’t make it to the limelight

that often. They are the ones you see on the stage at community theaters

and their art hangs in local galleries. They put on original productions

in out of the way venues or print their own books. And they put on

performances of poetry and they hope people will come.

With this column, I hope to make the names of some of these community

artists known by doing profiles and interviews. I plan to write this

every other week, barring acts of God. What I ask of you is to nominate

someone you know who works in the arts, whether it be acting, singing,

painting, sculpting, writing, producing, directing, doing set design,

playing an instrument, working in a band ... you get the picture.

You can send your nominations to Jennifer K Mahal, c/o Daily Pilot,

330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627 or e-mail me at o7

Jennifer.Mahal@latimes.comf7 .

Will Goodman is an example of a person doing creative work who doesn’t

get much recognition. Goodman, 26, is the editor and publisher of Notes

from the Sliding Pillar, a quarterly literary journal with a P.O. Box in

Newport Beach.

The self-published journal, which can be found in local coffeehouses,

is named for his favorite Fyodor Dostoevsky book, “Notes from the

Underground,” and the sliding pillar suspension on a Morgan.

Goodman, who makes his money by restoring classic cars, said the

Morgan’s suspension hasn’t changed since the 1920s.

Last month, he held an event at Sol Grill in Newport Beach to

celebrate the fourth edition of the Orange County publication. It was a

rousing success.

“People love it,” he said.

The curly haired writer started the magazine in January after people

who saw the stationery cards he wrote started sending him poems. The

initial issue only carried his poetry.

He took the copies to Alta Coffee in Newport Beach and was shocked to

see they were all gone in two weeks.

He made up a basic Web site and set up shop.

“I fell into it,” Goodman said. “I was blown away that some place like

Orange County has no literary gut to it,”

Now Goodman gets several submissions a week from all over Orange

County for the black-and-white publication. Submissions include photos,

short stories, poems and letters.

“I’d like Sliding Pillar Press to not only publish the magazine, but

to get involved with new media, film, to get into events,” he said. “I

want it to be an outsource for creative expression.”

Not everything that Goodman receives makes it into “Notes.” He uses

his own taste as a guide for what goes in -- but his tastes vary.

Goodman just finished reading “Primacy of Perception” by Maurice

Merleau-Ponty and started reading “Alice in Wonderland” again. He says

Edgar Allen Poe ranks among his favorite poets.

“I’m trying to work on a form rejection letter, but it’s hard,”

Goodman said. “I reject different ones for different reasons.”

He doesn’t believe all poetry is good poetry.

“There is bad poetry out there,” he said. “It’s OK to think so.”

Most of all, Goodman is trying to connect the different sides of

Orange County through art. And that’s not an easy thing to do.

“There’s a lot of things about this county that’s great, but it’s so

disassociated and disconnected,” he said.

Not to mention, when poetry comes up, many people tune out.

“I find people tend to be leery,” he said. “It’s not a pretentious

thing at all. In fact, it’s rather lowbrow at times.”

Like this untitled poem in the fourth edition about drinking and

gambling by Edward Jamison, Jr. of Costa Mesa.

It starts: “They took my money, but I’m still wearing my pants.”

It ends: “I’m a sucker for long shots.”

And in a way, so is Goodman.

To submit to “Notes to the Sliding Pillar,” write to Sliding Pillar

Press, P.O. Box 2422, Newport Beach, CA 92659.

* JENNIFER K MAHAL is features editor of the Daily Pilot. She can be

reached by e-mail at o7 jennifer.mahal@latimes.com. f7