All of this takes place somewhere gentle: Highlights from the new issue of elimae

There’s a new issue of elimae up! For those unfamiliar, elimae stands for electronic literary magazine, and they’re–so far as I know–the oldest lit journal on the web. (You might remember our Massive People Q&A with elimae editor Cooper Renner back in December.) They’re a fantastic journal–clear sense of mission, elegant minimalist approach to web aesthetics. Anyone looking to start a web journal would do well to take a long hard look at what makes elimae successful and sustainable. I haven’t read the whole new issue (YET) but I am prepared to report on what I”ve read so far.

“inconceivable wilson” (2 excerpts) by J.A. Tyler >>Go. He goes. Broken lines and the shape of circles. Circles. Go. He goes. The outside peeled off and he is in. He goes in. Go and he goes.<<

“Viral Video” by Kimberly King Parsons >> 3. The worst thing about the boy is that someone taught him to play the pan flute.  <<  (It should be noted that KKP also provided the title of this post. – ed.)

“Creature” by Donora Hillard >>Invited friends over to watch. Saw me groom myself until the skin split.<<

“Threadbare Von Barren” by Nicolle Elizabeth >> you’ve changed your phone number you’ve changed your day to day your coffee guy moved somewhere else you’ve changed how funny you were you’ve changed how you touch my hand you’ve changed how<<

All this plus new work by Norman Lock, Michael Kimball interviewing Shane Jones, and a bunch of other stuff that I don’t know what it is yet. Go forth, friends! Read elimae and know peace.

Uncategorized / 17 Comments
March 15th, 2009 / 11:17 pm

Hit and Run Magazine

 Hit and Run Magazine (click here to check it out) is a new online journal that features the scraps, notes, doodles, “rough draft scribbles” and so forth that writers make while, er, writing. It’s fun! Paul A. Toth, the author of the novels Fizz, Fishnet and the forthcoming Finale (July 2009),  is the editor and is accepting submissions. (Check out his website and learn more about him here.) The official description is after the jump: READ MORE >

Uncategorized / 2 Comments
March 15th, 2009 / 8:24 pm

Bacon Explosion Wins A Book Prize!

bacon-explosion

CONGRATULATIONS PORK!

Yes it is true!  The Bacon Explosion has won a BOOK PRIZE which is something that ALL of us want!  It just goes to show that BACON > US!  I hear that The Bacon Explosion has quite a way with language and its work was called “elegant and lucid, emotionally charged and precisely controlled,” by the National Book Critics Circle!  And that’s a circle I don’t want to mess with!  Hooray for Bacon Explosion!  AND the Bacon Explosion didn’t even have to die of liver failure like Roberto Bolaño to win this award!  Because everyone knows that the Bacon Explosion CAN’T DIE!  The Bacon Explosion was the inspiration for the modern children’s classic ‘Tuck Everlasting’!  It is the perfect example of humanity’s awareness of our own mortality and makes us comprehend our role in the world!  It’s so sad at the end of the book when the Bacon Explosion stands over Winnie’s grave!  It’s so ironic that we all want to live forever, but then when we do, we’re all like ‘no i don’t want to live forever!’ and then it’s kind of like that BORGES story where Connor MacLeod fights his first battle in the Scottish Highlands in 1536, but fights his greatest battle on the streets of New York City in 1986!

READ MORE >

Author Spotlight / 4 Comments
March 15th, 2009 / 11:55 am

DAKOTA FANNING!! NEW MEMBER OF OULIPO???

CHECK OUT THIS VID!!!

She was probably inspired by Raymond Queneau’s Exercises in Style (in which he tells the same inconsequential story of a bus ride using 99 different literary styles).

I am excited about Dakota’s project.

Web Hype / 16 Comments
March 14th, 2009 / 8:19 pm

Terms I am tired of Hearing

derfetterusse__poetHaving been around writers more than usual lately, I’ve found myself disgruntled with some of the jargon and stylizing that comes up: not necessarily as a matter of pretension, but more as habits.

I’m the kind of guy that can’t stand to sit in a movie next to the dude eating popcorn with his mouth open. Gum chewing really nicks my nerves.

In that mind, here are 4 writing-related speech manners that seem all over the place and really crank my crank.

READ MORE >

Random / 254 Comments
March 14th, 2009 / 3:02 pm

James Purdy died today.

purdy2450

…

And, really, fuck the rest of us.

Author News / 12 Comments
March 13th, 2009 / 9:02 pm

Guide to becoming a better writer

Here are some tips on becoming a better writer, which begins with your posture. Feng Shui means ‘wind water’ in Chinese, which is better than ‘passing gas diarrhea.’ My point is, us Chinese are profound peoples. Fortunately, htmlgiant has an in-house Chinese representative, yours truly. My goal is to help you survive the literary world. Please pay attention:

ergo1

1. Chip on Shoulder

You will need a chip on your shoulder. When somebody asks you ‘what you do’ at a party, you will need to think ‘fucking moron,’ and reply, [sigh] “I’m a writer highly published online. I’ve been nominated for a the Million Writers Awards and was interviewed twice. My chapbook sold out in two weeks.” As you sulk by the spinach dip, you will reaffirm the stereotype of self-involved writers.

2. Monitor Angle

Your monitor should tilt towards the heavens as you blind angels with your genius.

READ MORE >

Technology / 32 Comments
March 13th, 2009 / 7:45 pm

NOAH CICERO, NEW BOOK, WHITENESS, PAVLIK, HUNGER, SELLING-OUT

the way i found writing on the internet was noah cicero. he was the first person i read, who was what people call “an internet writer.” i still think that he has written some of my favorite things. he is working on a new book, called Best Behavior. noah was a trill a$$ blood and he answered some of my questions.  we talk about the new book, how to murder an elderly person with a snap bracelet and youngstown ohio, let’s see, uh also The Human War.  

(interview after break)

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Author Spotlight / 15 Comments
March 13th, 2009 / 4:51 pm

A Little Friday Inspiration

nfs

“Of all that is written, I love only what a person has written with his own blood.”

Now let’s get out there and write some fiction or poetry, people.

From The Nietzsche Family Circus.

Random / 5 Comments
March 13th, 2009 / 2:28 pm

Haut or Not (w/ digression)

toal

Drew Toal writes:

After he moved out of our apartment, Tao Lin didn’t take all of his books with him. So, it should be noted, that these are likely his least-essential books. But isn’t Tao Lin’s refuse still hauter than a normal person’s bookshelf pride?

It’s a strange message, but I can only assume that Drew would have no reason to mislead Htmlgiant, so let us gather that Tao a) lived with Drew at one point, and b) these are/were his books. In a perfect world, I probably should have contacted Tao to corroborate this, but this is an imperfect world.

READ MORE >

Haut or not / 21 Comments
March 13th, 2009 / 1:20 pm