New Business Model: Celeb Lit

Actual photo evidence of B. Spears reading

Actual photo evidence of B. Spears reading

What if instead of celebrities paying to have shitty biographies ghostwritten for them, they published good progressive/fucked ghostwritten novels? ‘White Larvae of the Ill Nacht’ by Tom Hanks. ‘Borsmissisott’ by Lil Wayne. I’d read a Lindsay Lohan novel if it was written by Brian Evenson, and so would several hundred thousand little girls. That seems like a ‘new literary business model’ I could get behind, one that would actually make some serious $$$. Now offering my recently competed 70000 word ‘post-structuralist language novel’ to the first rock star/model/actor willing to take it on. I’m serious.

Random / 28 Comments
August 9th, 2009 / 1:12 pm

Specimens of our Species

Princeton University Press recently released an interesting-looking book called An Intellectual History of Cannibalism by Catalin Avramescu Translated by Alistair Ian Blyth.

An Intellectual History of Cannibalism is the first book to systematically examine the role of the cannibal in the arguments of philosophers, from the classical period to modern disputes about such wide-ranging issues as vegetarianism and the right to private property.”

Here’s a review by Jenny Diski at London Review of Books.

Uncategorized / 7 Comments
August 9th, 2009 / 10:44 am

Sonnets for Saturday

I googled sonnet in images and a million picture of this lady came up.

I googled "sonnet" in images and a million pictures of this lady came up.

I briefly studied poetry with William “Bill” Matthews eons ago. I liked him very much. I was a bad poet. He made us write sonnets. I wrote one that narrates a mother teaching her daughter how to masturbate in the shower. He didn’t like it. He didn’t like much of my work, and yet, we liked each other. After the jump is my sonnet. Feel free to share your bad sonnets in the comment section.

READ MORE >

Random / 35 Comments
August 8th, 2009 / 8:02 pm

Steven Trull and Just Sayin– the only two people who entered the villanelle contest- are the winners!!! I will send them both packages of books! Thanks, you two, for writing a villanelle and entering the contest. Email me your addresses at peterrutt@live.com.

Free Tarot Reading/Dream Interpretation with Purchase

mowinggrassNo Tell Books is offering a psychic special this weekend. Buy a title from No Tell Books and with proof of purchase, receive a Tarot reading or interpretation of your dream from editor/publisher Reb Livingston.

Buy one No Tell Books title between now and Sunday, August 9, 2009 and receive a FREE tarot reading or dream interpretation! (One free reading or interpretation per customer)

If you buy a No Tell title this weekend, not only do you receive a stellar collection of poetry, you also receive FREE PSYCHIC ADVICE from me, poet and editor, Reb Livingston. This psychic advice will be dispensed via either a tarot reading or dream interpretation. BUT WAIT, THAT’S NOT ALL, if I receive any clairvoyant nuggets while I’m doing your reading or interpretation, I will share them with you AT NO EXTRA COST.

Been having a recurring dream that’s been worrying you? Then you might want to take advantage of this offer. Oh, and books and stuff.

Presses / 7 Comments
August 7th, 2009 / 6:11 pm

congratulations to mike young, pony strangler, on his upcoming full length poetry collection, WE ARE ALL GOOD IF THEY TRY HARD ENOUGH, coming out in 2010 from PUBLISHING GENIUS PRESS.

Power Quote: De La Soul

delasoul-0044

POS: Living in everyday is something
Something everyday like this is our livin’

DOVE: Giving something sheer for the crowd is our major
Major to the crowd is to hear what we’re givin’

POS: No time to rest we got work in the studio
Studio suppliers rest at no time

DOVE: Showtime is enough when the Soul is performing
Performing is the Soul y’all, and it’s showtime

POS: Coping with dates in clubs, can’t even lounge,
Lounge with the homeboys how we are copin’

DOVE: Scoping new material for Paul to plug high-pitched,
High-pitched what Paul plugs in and still scopin’

POS: Bearer of peaceful views to express peace,
Peaceful expressions why we are bearers

—This Is a Recording for Living in a Full time Era

Oh, come on now. Not even De La writes like this anymore.

Power Quote / 2 Comments
August 7th, 2009 / 3:39 pm

Literary Dopplegangers: two HTML Giant Contributors

OK, what do you think, maybe I’m breaking the rules?

Round one we got Mike Young crooning in my practice space:

Pretty happy he can play Roy Orbison songs

Pretty happy he can play Roy Orbison songs

Behind the Scenes / 11 Comments
August 7th, 2009 / 3:14 pm

From the Balki Bartokomous wiki

One episode had Larry going duck hunting and the normally gentle Balki surprisingly asks to come along, out of an intense hatred for ducks, which are regarded as vicious predators on Mypos. The description he gives of the ducks on Mypos later in the episode, however, implies that in fact Pterodactyls still exist on the island.

Excerpts / 27 Comments
August 7th, 2009 / 2:45 pm