Gossip [&] the Devil

Orphans:

I know it’s been a bit since I’ve had brand new work posted online. Well I’m about to break that cycle. As most of you know I’m a big fan of writing and reading flash fiction – it’s a genre I’m still new to but am learning, with the help of criticisms from editors and peers, rapidly how to shape a 1000 word or less word picture.

I currently have a new flash fiction piece entitled “Living Under Glass” featured on Troubadour 21, which is a wonderful site marrying art and poetry, for “writers in the 21st century.” It hosts a plethora of poetry, photography and short stories, providing a home to many artists under one impressive roof.

“Living Under Glass” is part of my “Big Brother Billy” series, in that Billy comes home to his younger sister and a number of short fiction pieces ensue. Each piece isn’t linear and isn’t meant to tell a story in and of themselves, but rather a back story is to be gained from their peculiar and semi-incestuous interactions. I started them back in 2007 and so far I’ve only had one real champion of that series but I’ve always felt it had more to say. According to the short story editor and the executive editor for T21, they do too. So expect more from the series shortly! For now, check out “Living Under Glass:”

“Living Under Glass” on Troubadour21

Help me become a “Readers Choice” by getting my view count up! If you know anyone that might enjoy semi-rockstar inspired, image heavy works, direct them my way Orphans!

Proofs 3-5 of 5 + swag + scented oils = packages done G & D style

It feels like it’s been a long time. Currently I’m listening to the brand new Muse single and feeling vicious. I can’t seem to find the words lately but what faith I possess clings to the insides of my skull and says it won’t stay that way forever. There are too many artists out there working in art’s favor, too many inspiring my favor for me to let go completely.

Proofs 3-5 of 5 have been sent out to some of my most trusted family, in an effort to catch any last mistakes and to gauge what works and what doesn’t, before the final books go to print. I promise they’re coming. I’m also out of nearly everything in the merch store, so time to re-order/re-design swag over there too. Busy days for dreamers, it seems.

Speaking of books, probably my favorite small-press publication out right now is a bi-annual journal called Quick Fiction, published by The Parlor, North Shore’s Independent Writing Studio. Quick Fiction is dedicated to showcasing flash-fiction of 500 words or less and it’s completely revitalizing. In my opinion, flash-fiction still isn’t really recognized as a legitimate genre. It isn’t quite a short-story, not nearly long enough to be a novella, nowhere near a poem. Many people I’ve talked to have written flash fiction off as “an easy way out” or basically for people not good enough to excel in any of the above mentioned genres. Prose in general tends to be frowned upon. (How many of you got the “this is purple prose” on any of your college papers?) As Samuel Taylor Coleridge once said: “I wish our clever young poets would remember my homely definitions of prose and poetry; that is, prose = words in their best order; poetry = the best words in their best order.”

But I find flash-fiction to be my second-favorite genre to work within, next to poetry. It’s a photograph in 500-1000 words; it even looks like a photograph on the page. To me, it takes immense talent to describe a scene in all it’s detail in 500 words, by no means is it an easy task. From the absurd and sickeningly beautiful “The Practical Application of Beauty” by Andrea Kneeland in volume 15 to the gorgeous description in “Sunny Days Are Fine” by Matthew Purdy in volume 12, Quick Fiction is dedicated to publishing some of the best at this craft.

For any aspiring artists out there the artwork for their covers is always amazing as well. If you’re looking to get your work on the cover of a class act publication, I’d highly recommend checking it out:

Some of the copies of Quick Fiction that I posses.

I have submitted to this journal and, like The Great American Poetry Show, I will not fail to submit to until I am accepted. I love it that much. I mark all of the books I own, but I mark this one in pencil so I can erase it later. No really, I’m telling you, go buy a copy. For $8 you can own something that will surely inspire you. It’s well put together, aesthetically pleasing and stuffed full of talent. If you absolutely don’t want to buy a copy (what?) you can also donate, as it is published by a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization.

In other news I’ve finally finished my interview with Gil Baram, Kill Hannah’s new touring guitarist. We were able to talk at length and the more we talk the more I find him to be extremely well-spoken and honest–traits you don’t take for granted in this industry. He’s relatively unknown thus far and I’m aiming to break that silence. Look for that in the next couple of days.

I’ve also updated the [words] page with my latest publication in Cram 6, one of my very, very favorite poems called “Crybaby.” This particular poem was actually the breaking point in my graduate poetry course with Professor Ai. I was an undergraduate accepted to her graduate course since I’d finished all the undergraduate poetry course work avaliable at OSU. To make a long story short, before I submitted this poem for class review I was writting how I thought a poet “should” write, aka turning in mediocre, safe poems that were met with lukewarm reviews at best, completely torn apart at worst. Then one day I met a boy with insane hair and maple-colored eyes and spent one long afternoon in the student union fantasizing about him. This poem is the result. It was met with fierce love/hate reviews but regardless, one of my peers, Scott, stopped me after class and thanked me for writing it. From then on I never settled. In fact, I might dedicate a blog post to this poem in the future. I’m in love with it just as I might or might not be in love with the character. You can read it here.

Lots of shit coming up in the next few weeks, Orphans. Again, super, super busy but the circus doesn’t stop. You’ll want to make sure you join us by subscribing in a feed or via email. Trust me, I’m better at doing what I do than your last girlfriend was at satisfaction. Believe that.

PS. Had to work on a couple of things and during that time some of my “I just need the airfare and I’m gone” posts vanished. If you missed them you can find them here and here.

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.)

(more…)