Tag: other writers

Short Story Every Day: “That Lombardi Thing” from Phil Jourdan’s What Precision, Such Restraint
Click to buy

I read an early version of this collection, What Precision, Such Restraint, a few years ago, during which time I must have been drunk, since though I recall enjoying the collection I don’t remember it being so front-loaded with genius.

I read two stories today, the first and second, chronologically. Both are amazing, but it’s the second I want to mention here, “That Lombardi Thing” which encapsulates what I consider to be the absolutely best kind of story: voice-driven, thought-provoking, and never too full of itself. This is why I love Saramago. This is why I love Brian Evenson (though his characters do tend to be a bit full of themselves, the stories aren’t). This is what I try to write.

“That Lombardi Thing” explores the made-up (I think made-up) concept of Freudhacking, which is the practice of switching a person’s conscious with their subconscious. Thought-provoking: check. The narrator is a one-time practitioner of Freudhacking who wants nothing more than to be left alone, never to practice again. Voice-driven: check. The occasion for the story is that this old man practitioner is approached by a man who wants to know what it’s like to live without language. The old man thinks he’s nuts. Never too full of itself: check.

The author, Phil Jourdan, tries to pawn this collection off as just a literary experiment without any merit beyond its own pages. He even calls the book a bunch of terrible names during a live reading in Boston a few months ago. It’s just proof of his genius that by telling the world of the book’s insufficient origins Phil can then be free to write whatever he wants, and the reader, having been briefed of the rubbish, can’t complain. Well, the reader won’t want to complain, so you failed, Phil.

Rules for Short Story Every Day posts, designed to make me have to work as little as possible
1. I’m not allowed to take notes as I read
2. My commentary on each story should involve as little research as possible. I’m reacting to the story on a visceral level, not an intellectual level (though I reserve the right for overlap should my visceral mix with my intellectual)
3. “Every Day” should be taken as the headline grabber it’s intended to be. I probably won’t
June 10, 2013
Short Story Every Day: “Sugarbaby” from William Gay’s I Hate to See that Evening Son Go Down
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“Sugarbaby” from William Gay’s collected stories, I Hate to See that Evening Son Go Down captures slow, unaffected degradation of a marriage in ways I’ve never read before. The main couple, Beasley, and let’s say, Martha (as part of the rules, I’m not allowed to go back to the story at all, and I can’t remember the wife’s name) are seen within their small community as a pillar of marital perfection. They’ve en-joyed/-dured marriage longer than any other couple. One day, Beasley buys his wife a dog, a small, yap-yap-yap kind of dog, who doesn’t seem to appreciate the fine home Beasley has brought him into. Eventually, Beasley shoots the dog with a gun far larger than would be necessary to kill such a tiny animal. This fact, though not directly addressed, is mentioned only enough to be allowed to simmer in the reader’s head. This is what makes a Gay story so perfect: small actions and tiny mannerisms imply tremendous consequences.

After a lifelong perfect marriage, Margaret suddenly abandons her husband. Beasley doesn’t react. This non-reaction is the impetus for an eventual divorce lawyer sent to Beasley’s house, a court supenona, and on and on the list goes, when really, Mildred never even tried to contact her husband after her split. This is where the reader is asked to pick a side. We choose Beasley because, yeah yap-yap dogs are terrible, and yeah, Megan should have given Beasley a phone call before sending in the law. What the fuck, Marge!

So the reader roots for Beasley, yeah, perhaps by default, as we aren’t allowed to see Melissa’s side of the story. And sure, eventually Beasley kills a cop and “escapes” to live on his own in the wilderness, primarily to avoid paying 50% cash to his wife in lieu of 50% of his property (the property deal having long been decided by Melody’s lawyer as no longer enough), but despite all of this, we actually still feel for Beasley. It makes me wonder if my loyalty would be different if Beasley shot a real dog like a Golden Retriever.

Rules for Short Story Every Day posts, designed to make me have to work as little as possible
1. I’m not allowed to take notes as I read
2. My commentary on each story should involve as little research as possible. I’m reacting to the story on a visceral level, not an intellectual level (though I reserve the right for overlap should my visceral mix with my intellectual)
3. “Every Day” should be taken as the headline grabber it’s intended to be. I probably won’t
June 9, 2013
I get naked with this book! A review of The Cost of Living (a novel) by Rob Roberge
The Cost of Living will easily make my top 10 of 2013 list.

I’ve read all of Roberge’s work, all that I’m aware of (Drive [novel], More than they Could Chew [novel], Working Backwards from the Worst Moment of My Life [stories]) and I’d read anything else in the future. He’s one of my favorite writers, so you know, having the history I do, you can trust my words.

To read The Cost of Living is to read the rock and roll story that everyone’s always wanted, but could never find; there’s too much glitter and groupies, too much ego in other rock and roll stories. With The Cost of Living, you’re forced to deal with, and ultimately fall in love with, a life that’s been destroyed by the stage. Every rock and roll story you’ve read before will seem cliche compared to The Cost of Living.
- Buy the book: http://www.amazon.com/The-Cost-Living-Rob-Roberge/dp/1938604296
- Visit the author: http://robroberge.com/
- Visit the publisher: http://www.dzancbooks.org/storage/OVBooks/OVfront.html
P.S: I promise my praise has nothing to do with the fact that Roberge blurbed my novel, Stranger Will. I was a fan of his way before he read my book.
April 16, 2013

The Perfect Edge Trifecta tour begins today!

The Perfect Edge Books blog tour has officially started! What is it? A tour in which blog posts about 3 Perfect Edge Books releases will be posted on various super-duper blogs over the next few weeks.

I’m telling you, Perfect Edge Books is going places. Big places. I’ve genuinely enjoyed and/or loved every book they’ve published so far in their short few months of existence. If you like my books, or like insightful, rough-around-the-edges, intelligent novels, then definitely check out Perfect Edge Books!

See the tour schedule below. I’ll be updating the dedicated The Perfect Edge Trifecta tour page as new posts are published. Be sure to check back often for updated links.

While you’re at it, head over to the blogs listed below and subscribe, why don’t ya? You’ll like them. They have good stuff to offer.

Perfect Edge Books was founded in late 2011 to unite authors whose books weren’t “obviously” commercial. Our books tend to sit in various genres all at once: literary fiction, satire, neo-noir, sci-fi, experimental prose. We believe that literary doesn’t have to mean difficult, and that difficult doesn’t just mean pointless. We prefer to cultivate a word-of-mouth approach to marketing, and keep production as simple as we can. Learn more at www.PerfectEdgeBooks.com.

Blog Tour Schedule:

Stranger Will

1-Apr	Bigger, Fuller Glass
1-Apr	Bookworm Castle
1-Apr	Naimeless
2-Apr	Deal Sharing Aunt
2-Apr	Growing Up Little
3-Apr	Free Book Reviews
3-Apr	The Reviewing Shelf
4-Apr	Candle Beam Books
4-Apr	Challenging Reads
5-Apr	Lissette E. Manning’s Blog
6-Apr	Cabin Goddess
7-Apr	Tread Softly
7-Apr	Words in Sync

Angel Falls

8-Apr	Sycho Faerie’s Book Obesession
8-Apr	Bookworm Castle
8-Apr	Naimeless
9-Apr	Book Broads
9-Apr	Growing Up Little
9-Apr	Deal Sharing Aunt
10-Apr	Free Book Reviews
10-Apr	Charlotte Babb’s Blog
10-Apr	Bless Their Hearts ~ Mom
11-Apr	Black Heart Magazine
11-Apr	Challenging Reads
12-Apr	The Story Factory Reading Zone
12-Apr	Lissette E. Manning’s Blog
13-Apr	A Bit of Everything
13-Apr	Cabin Goddess
14-Apr	Shelley’s Book Case

The Sound of Loneliness

15-Apr	Bigger, Fuller Glass
15-Apr	Naimeless
16-Apr	The Reviewing Shelf
16-Apr	Growing Up Little
16-Apr	Deal Sharing Aunt
17-Apr	My Life with Books & Boys
17-Apr	Free Book Reviews
17-Apr	Charlotte Babb’s Blog
18-Apr	Lissette E. Manning’s Blog
18-Apr	Candle Beam Books
18-Apr	Black Heart Magazine
19-Apr	Nancy Hendrickson’s Blog
20-Apr	Bookworm Castle
20-Apr	Cabin Goddess
21-Apr	Words in Sync

April 1, 2013

The Sound of Loneliness by Craig Wallwork video book review

Click the image above to watch the video book review

Craig Wallwork’s The Sound of Loneliness (Perfect Edge Books) takes the concept of a tired, alcoholic, depressed writer and recesses it a generation or so, using a 22 year old protagonist with 52 year old problems.

Much of the story’s tension lies between this 22 year old Daniel Crabtree and his teenage infatuation Emma, a tension that similar to Lolita, is meant to rouse conflict, but unlike Lolita, the age and maturity difference between the two characters is such that the reader can imagine the two characters actually working out, given another decade.

Also, I manage to work in a Roseanne reference which makes me happier than you can even imagine.

Buy The Sound of Loneliness by clicking here: http://www.amazon.com/The-Sound-Loneliness-Craig-Wallwork/dp/1780996012

March 24, 2013
They call me “Hipster Casanova.” Well, maybe not everyone, but Claire Wilkinson does.
In celebration of the release of his novel My Pet Serial Killer, Michael J Seidlinger is stopping by to transform me into a fictional serial killer, one of My Pet Serial Killer main character Claire Wilkinson’s ex-boyfriends? I’m…honored?

Alias/Known As: “Hipster Casanova”

Real name: Caleb Ross

Number of victims: 29

Description:
- Met victims at literature readings and art gallery events.
- Spoke with a clear and alluring accent said to be very charming by those that turned down his offers.
- Used self-deprecating, laid back conversation to let victim’s guard down.
- Often used the opening line, “Do I have something stuck between my teeth?” to start a conversation.
- Courted victim for approximately a week while waiting for inspiration to mount.
- Upon finding inspiration, approached victim with proposal to be a part of latest work of art.
- Used bladed weapons, nails, and other items to puncture, carve, and write into victim’s skin.
- After body was carved into with words and floral designs, made cast molds of the victim’s body to be later hardened into saleable pewter sculptures.
Be Mine

“I’m saying, ‘You can’t just covet that body. Take the surgical knife and carve!’

He’s coming up for air and saying, ‘She tastes like strawberries!’

And I’m shaking my head wanting to move things forward.

‘You’ve gotten your taste now what are we going to do?’

He’s sighing a loud sigh and I’m hearing it, raspy and apprehensive.

I’m asking him, ‘Hey, what’s wrong with you?’ He’s not telling me.

Enough is enough. I can’t have him acting up like this.

‘What does a pet do, hmm?’”

Buy My Pet Serial Killer by Michael J. Seidlinger at Amazon.com now!
March 19, 2013
Wordless Book Reviews #4: Amy Sage Webb, Paul Tremblay, and Gil Reavill
Click the image to watch the video book review

A few days ago someone suggested I do more Wordless Book Review videos. I hesitated, mainly because it seems I’ve beaten that dead horse too much. But then I realized that I have access to a huge library of sound effects. Hence, Wordless Book Reviews: Sound Effects Edition.

Books Reviewed/Sound Effected-ed:
March 19, 2013