Five Items of Interest
At the NPR blog, Linda Holmes writes in praise of cultural omnivores.
Just so you know, there’s a bill in Congress that would call for the auditing of abortions and I would explain in greater detail the many levels of bullshit embedded in this bill but I have a headache. Mother Jones discusses this bill quite well. It is expected to pass through the House easily.
Chris Bower has something to say about wit and wisdom.
I enjoyed this review of a $600 cookbook in The New Yorker.
At The Awl, SJ Culver writes about writing and expectations.
I’m on spring break right now
–>VIDEO: Adam Robinson and Stephanie Barber @ The Poetry Project
–>WWAATD: Everyone’s favorite poet Heather Christle writes about the poetry of foreign language textbooks. Here is an excerpt:
1 The patio looks very neat.
2 The apartment is unoccupied.
3 The desk is unoccupied.
4 The kitchen looks very neat.
5 The house looks very neat.
6 The rooms are unoccupied.
7 The houses are unoccupied.
–>NEW YORK: Monkey Bicycle 8 release reading this Wednesday, 7 PM, The Cakeshop, INFO
–>SUBMIT/READ: Patasola Press is Patasola Press (print) and Caper Literary Journal (online) and they will publish you if they like your work.
–>THING: Everyone’s favorite poet Matthew Rohrer writes here about how his work changed from 1995 to 2007. If you click around you can find out that this is part of a series in which poets talk about how their work has changed over time, which is cool.
–>PODCAST: No Slander Podcast, featuring Michael Earl Craig in episode two. Recordings of Michael Earl Craig are hard to find.
Everyday Draft Crow Bomb Lolita King Rattling
1. I haven’t closed in my browser this piece by Kristen Iskandrian at Everyday Genius since it was published about three weeks ago.
2. Draft: a journal of process is a new magazine that shows author’s revision processes in crafting a piece. The first issue contains versions of work by Mary Miller and Greg Hrbek; a really interesting twist on a vision at the way a thing becomes.
3. In Portland, a new artists community has opened, Crow Arts Manor, offering gallery space, workshops, readings, and a lot more.
4. Bomb’s 2011 Fiction Contest is now accepting submissions, judged by Rivka Galchen.
5. At the Observer, a review of Tiger, Tiger by Margot Fragoso, a book about “a real life Lolita” & radio-centric speed dating.
6. Coming up in Beverly Hills, CA: PEN Center USA will present THE PALE KING: MONOLOGUES FROM THE UNFINISHED NOVEL BY DAVID FOSTER WALLACE at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills on April 28, 2011. Doors will open at 7PM with a cocktail reception. To purchase tickets contact The Saban Theatre Box Office, Tuesday through Friday 12:00pm – 5:00pm; Phone: 323-655-0111.
7. And in Los Angeles, a release party for the debut issue of a new magazine, The Rattling Wall: PEN Center USA and Narrow Books at the Hammer Museum on May 11, 2011 at 7PM for the release of The Rattling Wall, a literary journal specializing in short fiction, travel essays, and poetry.
round up: bell hooks, joseph p. wood, jubilat, gordon massman, lowercase letters, et al.
I picked up Gordon Massman’s The Essential Numbers 1991-2008 at AWP. Nobody told me to; I didn’t know that Blake had said things about it. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. This is the most depraved-and-beautiful book of poems I’ve read maybe ever. I mean, Massman’s language forces me read every poem aloud (which is one of my gauges of good poetry); the sheer music of the language propels me down the page, and when I’ve finished every poem, I feel a little sick. I’m glad this book exists in the world. I’m not sure I’ll get through it. Here’s an interview.
In the chapter on capitalization in The Copyeditor’s Handbook–I was just forced to buy a new one because I spilled grouper juice all over my tried-and-true copy; I bought it at Borders for a big-chunk discount because Borders is hightailing it out of my town–so, in this new copy, under the heading “Personal Names and Titles,” is a debate about capitalization. For fuck’s sake, people. If bell hooks or k.d. lang want their names lowercased, what’s the problem? Well, according to Amy Einsohn, who feels like my bff some days, Bill Walsh says this:
Sure, before “k.d. lang” there was “e.e. cummings.” But, as most good dictionaries…and New York Times style recognize, these are logos. The names are K.D. Lang and E.E. Cummings. To bow to the artists’ lowercase demand…deprives readers of a crucial visual cue…
Nothing in Common
David Duhr writes about Steve Almond’s DIY approach to publishing for Publishing Perspectives.
At Mother Jones, a primer on how to start your own country. I had no idea micronations existed. They seem similar to micropresses.
Aubrey Hirsch has some advice on what you can do with your novella. (No, not that.)
Why do writers abandon their novels? It’s a good question.
It is time for the Tournament of Books. Who are your favorites? I am rooting for Bad Marie.
Lady Journos is featuring lady writers.
Speaking of ladies, I Don’t Respect Female Expression, a chapbook of 11 stories by Frank Hinton, will be out at the end of April.
Joel Johnson wrote an article for Wired about Foxconn, iPhones, and the suicides of 17 employees.
Here’s a list of words that don’t exist in English and here is a similar list. (Thanks, Fiction Writers Review)
Kelly Davio offers some thoughts on writers and self-presentation.
The Wall Street Journal is doing such great literary coverage these days. Meghan O’Rourke writes about cadence in prose.
5 things killed in Hawaii after falling into a bulltrap
1. ASU’s online literary mag yawps for submissions for short fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and art for its 7th issue, which is scheduled to come out in May 2011. The guillotine (a term I argue should now replace the tired deadline) is March 31. For accessories, check out www.superstitionreview.com.
1. Fairy tales thrive in the face of technology.
1. Hey listen:
(Two nights ago someone offered to buy me a Kindle. I just couldn’t. But I am thinking on it.)
5. Today is President’s Day so go compartmentalize, punks.
Some Monday Items of Interest
Over at Tayari Jones’s blog, she talks about some of the bizarre choices black writers face when trying to get published. As an aside, I got an advance copy of her novel Silver Sparrow, review forthcoming, and the accompanying literature said, “When I first read Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones, I was reminded of the great black women writers of our time,” and I wonder why the writer of the letter wasn’t simply reminded of the great writers of our time. Later, there’s a blurb from the Atlanta Journal Constitution that says, “One of the most important writers of her generation, able to stand confidently alongside such heralded young black authors as Edwidge Danticat, Colson Whitehead, and ZZ Packer.” Does that mean she can’t stand confidently alongside young writers who are not black? Curious.
It’s Black History Month. Here’s a roundup of movies about black history in one way or another.
Have you checked out the Journal of Universal Rejection?
This is a really interesting open letter from Claudia Rankine, post AWP.
Brad Green wrote a really solid essay you should read. I’ve also been loving his thoughtful interviews for Dark Sky Magazine.
The Lumberyard has a new online imprint, The Saw Mill.
Martin Amis doesn’t want to write children’s books. Shocking, I know.
Question: can critics and authors be friends?
Lendle allows Kindle users to share books. Finally.
I am really enjoying the Chick Litz blog, run by a group of really active undergraduates at Ball State. There’s a great community of young writers at Ball State who are involved in all sorts of interesting projects. They also have a Kickstarter to raise funds for a writer exchange they are doing with the University of Alabama, if you’re of a mind to contribute a dollar or ten.
Eileen Myles writes about being female for The Awl. The comments are “interesting” but her essay is brilliant.
Emily +/- Dickinson
Last night for school I was asked to give a brief presentation on the importance of Emily Dickinson’s dashes. (I posted about this a few days ago.) My one sentence conclusion: “They’re nearly as important as the words are.” yeah ok whatever…
I did some further reading, though, and noticed/learned something I think is interesting: even among the “accepted,” contemporary, “dash-inclusive” collections of her work, the dashes still aren’t fully represented the way she wrote them in her manuscripts… and I’m not just talking about the hypen vs. en dash vs. em dash thing, but even their placement and existence.
Let’s get into some shit…
Everything Happened All At Once
It feels like there is a lot of literary news today.
McSweeney’s is launching a cookbook imprint. When I first read that, I thought it was a joke. McSweeney’s also shares some good news about publishing.
There is a brilliant, long form investigative article in The New Yorker about Scientology. A new bar has been set. There is also fiction from Mary Gaitskill.
Another magazine has decided to charge for submissions. Robert Swartwood is on the case. The publisher responds. The world continues to turn.
I saw Kara Candito read at AWP and was blown away so I’m going to share some of her writing that’s up at BLIP.
AWP happened. You loved it. You hated it. There was a Literature Party and an amazing deejay who felt what she was spinning so hard she jumped up and down to the beat. There was dancing. My god, there was drinking. You didn’t go. You were glad not to go. You wish you could have gone. You wish you hadn’t gone. Your liver hurts. You are sweating. You didn’t want AWP to end. Did you see that? What was his name? That really happened. You wish that had happened. The recaps abound. They are amusing to read.
Emily St. John Mandel writes about bad reviews.
The Kartika Review has launched The 500 Project which will profile 10 Asian writers from each of the 50 states. I am really intrigued by this idea of using these profiles to start toward a canon of contemporary Asian literature.
Crowds might be able to write as well as individuals.
Laura Ellen Scott’s Curio is being serialized by Uncanny Valley. I think you will enjoy it.
Is the Internet free? Perhaps not so much.
Cathy Day offers some valuable advice for a linked stories workshop and Dylan Landis shares some lessons on linked stories. This is a tiny preview of a post I am working on about how to shape a short story collection. I don’t know how. That’s what I’m writing about. It might not be the most useful post in the world.
David Quigg suggests some edits to “The Problem With Memoirs.”
There is a new issue of Bookslut which includes a feature by Daniel Nester and Steve Black about the lifespan of a literary magazine. You should also check out this piece about women and criticism.
Anis Shivani thinks Freedom is overrated. He works for AOL now though, for free, so he might not have the last laugh. Toward the end of his essay, Shivani writes, “The problem with realism is also that it ends up being conservative, and even pessimistic. This is because it wants to rule out unpredictability to the extent possible, believes in a stable social order (otherwise why write realistically?), and wants the end to be internally and formally consistent with its premises, once they have been laid out.” You know how I feel about things that begin, “The problem with…” There is no problem with realism though their may be a problem with Freedom. I haven’t finished the book yet. I will come back, Shivani! We will talk realism. Just you wait.
Featherproof, Birds LLC, Flying Object and more
HOLY SHIT! Featherproof does it again. WHAT THE HELL IS STORIGAMI? It’s stories laid out into a foldable fashion — which you print, fold, read and unfold and unread — it’s really neat — the stories change as you turn them into animals. Kathryn Regina, Zach Dodson himself, Daniela Olszewska and I wrote them (mine’s a pig!), with Brad Nagle and Zach doing the hefty design work. This might be old news, though, if you already read the story in NYLON.
Augury Books — a new poetry press in NYC — looks neat — at least judging by the poems they’re reprinting at their site in anticipation of their coming out party — Ben Lerner, Kimiko Hahn, Stacy Szymaszek and more. They don’t have a first title lined up yet — there’s a contest to decide who it’ll be (you can enter for $20 if you aren’t affiliated with the press) — find out more about the contest and their impressive inaugural reading — on Wednesday — at their website.
Also, that gang Birds, LLC has a big ToDo in NYC on Friday. One of the few books I’m looking to pick up at AWP is Sommer Browning’s Either Way I’m Celebrating which they published late last year. This reading — for the Stain of Poetry — features Dan Boehl, Browning herself, Elisa Gabbert, Justin Marks, Emily Pettit, Sampson Starkweather and Chris Tonelli. Fine feathered friends.
What else? I just received an early copy of The Orange Suitcase by Joseph Riippi. It comes out in March, and it’s one to remember.
Last night I watched and loved Winter’s Bone.
And here, via Daniel Nester at WWAATD, is Jessie Carty’s interesting post about double-publishing.
Or would you prefer to watch a video? Here: Michael Filippone video-reviews Ben Spivey’s book, Flowing in the Gossamer Fold.
And to round out this round up with more aviary things: Check out Flying Object, a new independent bookstore. Sure, it’s in Amherst, MA (what isn’t?) — but there’s a lot to explore at their chock-full website.