Gossip [&] the Devil

Thanks, boys. Placebo from L to R: Steven Forrest, Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal. Put me anywhere in the middle.

First and foremost, an announcement: As of yesterday I was offered the literary/music editor position for Common Line magazine! The editors, founder Ananda Osel and managing editor Vanessa K. Wilken have been very cool in communicating with me over these last few weeks. They’ve decided to pick up my review for Placebo’s new album, Battle For the Sun, for their Summer 2009 issue. I’ll keep you updated on the street dates! Needless to say I’m extremely excited and can’t wait to flex my creative wings a little. Being so wrapped up in poetry and flash fiction, I forget there is an entire world out there I used to dabble in, namely, editing and interviewing. I’ve already started to interview artists and musicians again, as evidenced by my three-part interview with New York based singer/songwriter Jessica Allyn (which you should have ready by now. If not, kindly visit parts one, two and three) and am currently in the process of interviewing John Bourke, DJ and one-half of the band Trash Yourself! out of Oklahoma City. (Which, by the way, I’m fucking stoked to write. Trash Yourself! know how to have a killer time. I’ve been lucky enough to attend after-parties they’e promoted for bands like the Shiny Toy Guns and if memory loss is any indication, they’re fucking skilled. Believe it.) I also have an interview lined up with The Debutante Massacre out of Columbus, Georgia so check back for updates on all of those delicious morsels of written delicacies. You know I’ll whore them out to your greedy eyeballs.

I’ve been making a concentrated effort to get back into freelancing because I don’t feel like I can create enough. It will be nice to visit different creative wells. I think it helps my poetry and fiction, honestly.

Secondly I’ve gotten off my ass and written not one, not two but three flash fiction pieces for Quick Fiction, one of my new favorite journals. The artwork is amazing and it can fit inside your purse! It’s one of the very few journals specializing in flash fiction, a genre which, in my opinion is neglected. It isn’t poetry, it isn’t quite prose, it isn’t a short story in the truest sense of the term–it’s something else. To me, flash fiction is a written photograph. It’s basically what I try and do with my poetry only I have a bit more wiggle room. So, I’ll keep you updated on that process as well. Fingers crossed, status still says “pending” which isn’t “rejected” so there’s still hope.

ALSO, the upcoming theme for Cram, Volume 6 is the “Uncensored Edition,” and you bet your ass I submitted. That little journal is quickly becoming one of my favorite homes. CJ Laity and Co. always do a fantastic job of promoting new talent and have a true love of the art.

Haven’t heard back from Boulevard Magazine or the Nimrod Literary Journal, which can be good or bad depending. If you’ve made it they usually inform you fairly quickly after the deadline close. If not, they send you a convenient little card in the mail that usually starts with, “Dear poet, while your work was a quality submission we regret to inform you…” and ends with, “but do try us again next year!” Ad nauseum.

Packaging dead flowers, whole cloves and, oh yeah, merch for my site.

The first round of beta-merch has been sent to a handful of lucky people who participated in my button giveaways via Facebook, Myspace and Twitter. If you’re reading, lucky recipients, do take pictures of you wearing your merch (scandalous pictures are fine and even encouraged) and send them in so I can put them up on the brand new [VISUALS] page! (Oh yeah, CHECK THAT SHIT OUT.) Thanks again for participating! I’m still not sure if I’ll keep all the designs but they had to be tried out on someone, welcome to my experiment! New buttons and stickers on their way to me as I type.

Lastly in this long ass update I’ve received all the materials for the chapbooks about to hit the merch store…as soon as I’m done hand making them. I’m thinking this run will be extremely limited, roughly 20 or so, until I see what demand is going to look like. Remember, these are all HAND-MADE by me. Each one will be completely unique and feature all of the work I’ve had published thus far plus a few extras for the hardcore fan, pictures, introductions and will come packaged with bits of clove and dead flowers. (True story, ask anyone who just received their buttons.) Many of you have been asking “what the fuck happened to the t-shirts” and all I can say is I’m sorry but they’re going to have to wait until I can cough up the $300 (and then some) to order them, then find time to make each one of them, again, BY HAND. Though I’ve been accused of being a rockstar (or, even more amusing, fucking a rockstar[s]) (may or may not be true), I don’t make rockstar pay.

Currently, in another window, I’m working on a pitch for The Frisky which, is harder than writing the fucking article itself. I’m optimistic however. I’m determined for this to be an excellent year.

I have a small, much-needed get away next month and a ton of work on my plate. It feels good though. I finally feel like I’m headed in the right direction.

(For finishing this entire entry, click below to view Placebo’s video for their first single from Battle For the Sun, “For What it’s Worth.” Your nether regions will thank you.)

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