EDITOR'S STATEMENT, ISSUE 8   For more than a year, Slope has tried to provide to a fine, eclectic array of poets from around the world - the United States, Australia, England, Europe, and beyond - an electronic venue for their work. With Issue 8, we are proud to introduce to the web one of the first Welsh poetry collections (either in print or on the Internet) in recent American memory.   We find it imperative to share with the world poetry from groups of writers who are often overlooked or, worse, ignored. Thus we compiled this issue (many thanks to the esteemed Peter Finch for guest-editing the proceedings) with great pleasure, and hope to introduce a number of readers to the vital and multi-faceted Welsh poetry scene.   The nearly 30 poets included command, and deserve, a wider international audience for their work. We hope we have done our part to foster and kindle interest in Welsh verse, to dispel the unfortunate misconception by many that poetry in Wales began and ended with Dylan Thomas.   - Ethan Paquin, 2 January 2001       ABOUT SLOPE Slope is a bi-monthly, online journal devoted to contemporary poetry being written around the globe in English. We print only new, original and previously unpublished poems. Contributors hail from countries including Australia, England, Wales, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. We encourage new and emerging writers, while continuing to publish award-winning and established poets. Slope occasionally features "sampler" issues. Recent examples include New Avant Poetry (Issue 5) and Contemporary Womens Poetry (Issue 6); upcoming is a selection of Serbian and Croatian poetry (Issue 10). Poets featured and/or forthcoming in Slope include James Tate, Forrest Gander, Heather McHugh, Dara Wier, Franz Wright, Eric Pankey, Eugen Jebeleanu, Matthew Rohrer, Mary Jo Bang, Ron Silliman, Joe Wenderoth, John Kinsella, Timothy Liu, Margot Schilpp, Pam Brown, Kevin Hart, Lee Upton, Peter Minter, Brian Henry, Katy Lederer, Drew Milne, Mark Bibbins, Coral Hull, Bob Hicok, Graham Foust, Jonathan Monroe, Susan Schultz, Louis Armand, Spencer Selby, Christine Hume, Javant Biarujia, and many others.       WRITERS' GUIDELINES The editor invites electronic submissions of 2 to 6 poems in experimental and traditional styles.  All poems submitted must be previously unpublished and accompanied by a brief biographical note. Unsolicited poems, reviews, interviews and poems in translation will be considered year-round. Please query before sending reviews and interviews.  Poets retain all rights to their work. All poems (c) 2000-2001 the poets. Unfortunately, we can not at this time offer payment for any work accepted.       SLOPE EVENTS & NEWS January 12, 2001 Gallery Bershad, named 2000 Boston Gallery of the Year by The Boston Phoenix, hosts a Slope reading/concert/party at 7 p.m. The public is invited. Admission is $3. Readers include Franz Wright, Sean Singer, Matthew Zapruder and Peter Richards; performing live are The Figments (Natural Disaster Records). Visit the gallery website for details and directions. May 3 and 4, 2001 The University of Massachusetts at Amherst hosts "Big Small Press Fest 2001," a weekend of readings, panels and receptions featuring alumni of the UMass MFA program who have gone on to edit journals and presses. Slope will be represented in a panel discussion on electronic publishing. More details are forthcoming. A print collection of poems published in Slope is being planned.       MASTHEAD Editor & Founder: Ethan Paquin Australia Editor: Michael Farrell Guest Editor for Issue 8: Peter Finch Designer: Steve Palmer, 76design