did you see syria today? i did…

This is not where I am. I was there. Now I'm elsewhere.

…Saw it from a hill in the Golan, but still. DATELINE: A kibbutz in Northern Israel. This is gonna be quick because I’m paying by the minute and also Shabbat starts soon, which seems to be a sort of big deal holiday in this country, which is kind of cool given that they do it every damn week and don’t seem to be tired of it yet. Anyway I just wanted to say that I’ve been pimping my galley of The Adderall Diaries on the tour bus, and there are now 38 more college-age Jews in the world who know it exists, plus the bus driver maybe (doubtful). At a used bookstore in Tel Aviv I picked up copies of Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass by Bruno Schulz, and Notes Toward the Definition of Culture by T.S. Eliot. Looking forward to digging into those on the plane home–after I finish the Adderall of course. Anyway, back to your regularly scheduled programming. Super hot girl in a bathing suit wants this computer. If I give it to her, there’s really no telling what else she might ask me for. Cheers.

Uncategorized / 14 Comments
June 12th, 2009 / 11:30 am

From Flaubert in Egypt

As dancers, imagine two rascals, quite ugly, but charming in their corruption, in their obscene leerings and the femininity of their movements, dressed as women, their eyes painted with antimony. For costumes they had wide trousers…From time to time, during the dance, the impresario, or pimp, who brought them plays around with them, kissing them on the belly, the arse, and the small of the back, amd making obscene remarks in an effort to put additional spice into a thing that is already quite clear in itself. It is too beautiful to be exciting. I doubt we shall find the women a good as the men; the ugliness of the latter adds greatly to the thing as art.

Excerpts / 8 Comments
June 12th, 2009 / 11:17 am
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Evelyn Hampton posted a behind-the-scenes recounting of her process of learning and moving in the inauguration of her new print journal, Dewclaw, including searching for printers, reading subs, costs, and etc. A great set of observations for those interested in how building a magazine goes. Support her, Preorder the issue!

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More Evenson (I can’t help myself): an excellent republished article of his from 2005 on Sunn 0))) and Earth in Arthur.

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A Conversation About The Adderall Diaries

The Adderall Diaries on my desk.

A month ago, both J. A. Tyler and I wrote Stephen Elliott and asked to be included as destinations for an advanced copy of his forthcoming book, The Adderall Diaries (which you can still do). We were instructed to read the book within a week and mail it to the next person on a list of readers. While it was nice reading The Adderall Diaries for free this way, thanks to the generosity of its author, any sort of information we can recall about the book is likely flawed or just wrong. The book has left us, and is with other people now. Neither J. A. Tyler or myself have any way of verifying any specifics referenced in our conversation.

READ MORE >

Uncategorized / 31 Comments
June 11th, 2009 / 12:09 pm

Brian Evenson reads ‘Younger’ for Apostrophe Cast

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This week on Apostrophe Cast is no other than Brian Evenson, reading from the leadoff story in his collection Fugue State, due out July 1 from Coffee House.

If you haven’t spent some time with the AC archives, they’ve got a backlog just waiting for you, recently including William Walsh, Shane Jones, Matthew Kirkpatrick, Sam Lipsyte, Michael Kimball, myself, and scads others. Check it.

After hearing ‘Younger,’ you can check out my review response to the story here, if you haven’t yet, in my story by story reviewing of all of Fugue State.

Author Spotlight / 6 Comments
June 11th, 2009 / 11:27 am
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TIGHT: Dzanc Books announces new web based journal THE COLLAGIST, submissions open now

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Scott McClanahan Interviews Rudy Wurlitzer Read it here on Aintitcool.

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NANO FICTION CONTEST: go here for contest of writing.  you can win american money. you can be a famous writer. you can be strong and healthy. you can survive a tornado. you can kick rick moranis in the balls so hard he falls to the ground gagging.  i like nano.

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Semiserious to Probably Unserious Q

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What are 3 literary journals that you feel would “change your life” if you were published in them? Do you believe your life could be changed by publishing a writing? Does it matter?

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June 9th, 2009 / 11:20 pm