I was gonna do this whole post about evolving media distribution, and how I dig the new Netflix model because it allows me to shotgun series the way I prefer. But I already pretty much covered that with my House of Cards write-up over at ManArchy. And really, I’m such an Arrested Development fanboy that this needs no introduction. Pure excitement.
Tobias Fünke clip courtesy of Insert Me Anywhere.
Usually, this is where I would regale you with tales of torporific panels led by respected authors, new writerly techniques learned, rockstar-studded reading events, and sweaty hands shook. This recap will contain none of those. Okay, very few of those.
AWP is a yearly conference for writers, publishers, and writing programs. I’ve written about it before. Ten thousand literati descend upon some unsuspecting city, touting their wares and knit caps (my inbound flight featured a redolence of patchouli and a dearth of cosmetics), hungry to discover forbidden knowledge that’ll land them an agent or faculty position. Difference being, this year, I—and most of my peers—forewent the conference proper. We were there just for the hang, having burned ourselves out on its formalities in years past. Lodging next to the conference, we benefited from a contact buzz, and planned for many off-site hybrid events. Instead, we mostly kept our own company, while inviting along a few of our favorite, more-dedicated attendees.
When I say “we,” I refer to the ManArchy magazine staff. We come from various factions and intersecting circles, but ManArchy’s the one that unites most of us these days. That group includes folks from Booked. podcast, Perfect Edge Books, and LitReactor, among many. We enjoy one another’s company in more than just a professional capacity; we’re those people you find at the party congregated out on the patio deciding the fates of nations. AWP’s social opportunities were more appealing to us than its academic or creative ones. At least this year.
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The February 2013 issue of Word Riot features my flash-fiction* story “Speed Ramp,” about a homeless Indian boy with a flanging disorder, wherein his perception of time speeds and slows. It was partly inspired by the music video for “Guttersnipe” by Bhi Bhiman (below), which you may as well peep first—don’t worry, no spoilers there. Also, because it’s how they roll at Word Riot, you can listen to me read the story to you as well, for a multi-sensory experience.
Coincidentally, the last piece I had published online also contained Indian themes and was flash-length. Hmm …
Continue readingI wouldn’t usually devote an entire post to one measly little song, but I’m inordinately proud of this one. “The Sacred and Profane” dates back 10 years, when I originally one-man-banded it in a metallic style. Always dug it, but having by-necessity performed its vocal as well, that left something to be desired, tainting the whole thing. When Shannon and I started Winebox a few years back, it remained a contender for our repertoire, but needed a more organic treatment. We recorded a new version, but it leaned too far the opposite direction, too thin.
Recently, I re-vamped this beast with a gnarly, Zeppelin-esque guitar tone, layered in some organ for color, beefed up the mix, and now share the definitive version with you. It’s my first song where I feel like all the elements really gelled equally, from the lyrics and melody to the performance and production.
If that track does it for you, please check out other Winebox jams (originals and covers) via BandPage, ReverbNation, or SoundCloud, share them, and be sure to Like us on Facebook for updates.
Also visit my Music page right here on this site to listen and learn more about my other projects, or even take a studio tour.
Leah Rhyne, author of the Undead America series, lowered her Louisville Slugger and caught her breath long enough to ask me some writerly questions over at her site (apologies if you were expecting reversed roles; I never know how to word these things). We gnawed on such fleshy topics as sadistic plotting, choosing your own adventures, and nonautobiography, among others. Get clicky and sate your appetite for brains. Then be sure to check out her latest e-book, Zombie Days, Campfire Nights. Of course, if you haven’t read my Flashover yet, stop whatever you’re doing and remedy that, for Christ’s sake.
I first crossed paths with Leah in the LitReactor community, where we’re both competing in a bracketed short-fiction contest over the course of several months. Should we happen to meet in the final match, we’ll suspend our friendly façade and the gloves will come off for the duration. It will end in tears—though whose, I cannot yet say.
Author Interview: Gordon Highland
Other recent interviews:
Carbon-Based Lifeform Blues
Curiouser and Curiouser
Books and Booze
Just in time for Halloween, ManArchy staff authors contributed a week’s worth of quick scary/spooky stories to set the mood and prickle your nape hairs in this witching season. Mine’s called “Shivaree” and warns about getting nosy with some noisy neighbors.
Look for other flash-length frights from Richard Thomas, Chris Deal, Bob Pastorella, Michael Paul Gonzalez, Caleb J Ross, Craig Wallwork, and Put Pujolas.
This web zine should top your bookmarks list, with several new weekly articles sure to entertain men and women alike, so please share/Like the ones you dig to help us spread the word. And while you’re there, peep my ongoing Telecine film/TV column.
As always, you can find all my published short stories (and some exclusives) linked here.
The former Outsider Writers Collective recently torched their old site and, rising from its ashes, re-dubbed themselves OW III. [EDIT: Since posting this, they’ve taken the name Carbon-Based Lifeform Blues.] Long ago, they were kind enough to take a chance on this tyro scribe, reviewing my then-unsung debut novel, Major Inversions. Recently, whilst surveying my vast fictional empire and basking in its accumulated golden chattel of the intervening years, guilt overcame me, reminding me of the importance in giving back. Thus, I granted them an audience in the form of a (semi-exclusive, many holes barred, legally-vetted) interview: an “after photo” of sorts.
Pela Via, renowned editor, leader of men, and all-around swell gal, handles the interrogation. Through my confessions, you’ll learn about evangelical terrorism, assholic TSA screeners, and my description of a sexual encounter with Minka Kelly (total cochlea tease).
“Music to Def Ears”: An Interview with Flashover Author Gordon Highland
Other recent interviews: Curiouser and Curiouser and Books and Booze
Special thanks to OW III’s “expert amateur” Caleb J Ross.
My short story, “Untitled Stephenie Meyer Novel” (originally published in the Oprah Read This project) has found a new home in Noir at the Bar Vol. 2, an anthology available in paperback exclusively from Subterranean Books. “Stephenie” is a newly-revised version of my disturbing little tale about the aphrodisiac qualities of unreleased Twilight material in the hands of the opportunistic.
The first Noir at the Bar volume was one of the year’s best-selling books in St. Louis, as well as a Spinetingler award-winner for best cover, so when I was invited to take part in the live-reading series of its namesake last winter, I of course hopped the first thing smokin’ and doused myself in alcohol for the occasion. Here’s a recap of the event.
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Combining two of my favorite things into one of my favorite new podcasts. Sensing that some of their former guests (though entertaining and knowledgeable) had been far too sober given its namesake, for my appearance this week, I took it upon myself to lower my inhibitions, articulation, grammatical skill, and possibly good judgment by way of some very strong beer before, during, and after the recording. Did I pick a fight or get gropey with their sisters? Break down in blubbering, sniveling tears? You’ll just have to listen for yourself.
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“No matter where you live in New York City, you always end up in Queens.” Opening lines always shoulder a lot of weight (and disproportionate thought). This one I pocketed from a pilot announcement as we were descending into LaGuardia, cemetery plots dominating the landscape out my window. Which later inspired the concept of a life insurance salesman facing his own mortality as planes of the multiverse collide: ‘Burgatory.
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I’m contributing semi-regularly to a new column at ManArchy Magazine called Telecine. The term itself describes the process of transferring film to tape or disk. Of course, it also sounds like a cool amalgamation of “television” and “cinema,” which will be my areas of focus. Expect articles covering movie trends, retrospectives, witty observations about screens both silver and small, and maybe even a little technical how-to. Basically, similar stuff as what I covered back when my site was a blog called Medialysis, whose posts you can still find up top under the Blog drop-down, sorted by category.
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I can’t remember the last time I read a sci-fi novel (not a big genre reader in general, aside from crime fiction). Even with films and television, my sci-fi tastes always lean to character-driven stuff, like Gattaca, BSG, Children of Men, etc., where the technology is downplayed in favor of human drama. Simon West-Bulford’s The Soul Consortium straddles the two, stocked with an abundance of (very, very) distant-future tech described with such precision and detail that we rarely question its functionality, yet the story itself is as humanist as they come, exploring the nature of self, religion, fate vs. free will, morality, and even love.
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Normally I wouldn’t give every review its own post, but this is a really good one. Aside from the fact that they loved it (spoiler?), it’s a detailed look at the novel from several angles, making connections I wouldn’t have thought of, and confirming many that I did.
Booked Podcast Episode #89: S#!t Authors Say
Following the Flashover review, they tackle Praise of Motherhood by Phil Jourdan: a friend I performed two readings with this past week in Kansas City. In fact, I’ll embed one of them for you below. Powerful stuff. Then this monster-sized Booked episode concludes with a hilarious and disturbing conversation with author David James Keaton about the allegedly-nefarious publishing practices of one TonyG.
Czar Bar, Kansas City, 5/24/12 (“$@!# Authors Say” event). To warm things up, Winebox performed our very first show. I already had a camera set up for the readings, so I thought we should go ahead and record a live showcase video as well. Here are some selections for you:
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Yep, two readings in the same week. This time in a bookstore, which in theory would be a very different crowd than the inebriants populating Czar Bar a couple nights before, but I hope I can still count on you guys to help us keep things loose. And yes, three of the same blokes are reading (different material, I’m sure, for those of you who *cough* “travel with” the authors and trade tapes and whatnot). Being a bookstore, some of us will have books for sale, too.
So if Saturday evening works better for you, come join us. You’ll still have plenty of time to go get your drink on afterward. Wait, sorry; I meant we’ll. We’ll still have plenty of time to go get our drink on afterward. Of course I’ll let you buy . . . what kind of question is that?
Click the image above to embiggen the flyer.
Scheduled readers, besides yours truly:
Phil Jourdan (author of Praise of Motherhood)
Caleb J Ross (I Didn’t Mean to be Kevin)
Iris Appelquist (A Good Cover)
UPDATE: Audio and pics from the event.
Flashover Ch. 1: Biorhythms @ Prospero’s Bookstore, Kansas City”
How’s My Hair? author reading (Facebook event page)
Saturday, May 26, 2012
7:00 pm
Prospero’s Books
1800 West 39th Street
“The Pit” upstairs (use east side entrance)
Kansas City, MO 64111
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