Episode #004 of The Velvet Podcastjust went live a few hours ago. Me, Rob Parker, and Mark Jaskowski talk about: Most writers, whether hobbyists or professionals, would defend that writing is a compulsion. Yet despite this apparent need, writers find a lot a lot of ways to procrastinate (creating this podcast being one). In this episode, three Velvet members discuss why writing is so necessary, what keeps us from writing when we know we should, what keeps us writing once we start, and how helpful are writing exercises (Writers Digest would say “very;” their bottom line depends on it).(WARNING: We like tangents. Be weary) Please, give it a listen. Subscribe via Feedburner, Podcast Alley, iTunes.
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So, I'm back, after four short days of writing-related debauchery. All-in-all, a great time. The highlight, of course, was the OW Press The Velvet reading, which took place on Friday, April 9th at Leela European Cafe. Fourteen readers came together to read current works, works-in-progress, or never-to-be-published works. A damn fine time. I managed to meet a lot of people I've only communicated with over the Internet, which made the trip both surreal and important. Also, I posted about the AWP Conference as it was happening, over at the Denver AWP blog that I set up. Myself, along with a few other writers, posted about our experiences as they were happening. I'm sure more updates will trickle in over the coming days, as hangovers and jet-lag wear off.
A very special Episode #003 of The Velvet Podcast just went live a few hours ago. I interview one of my very favorite authors, Brian Evenson about his upcoming AWP Conference panel, Crime, Horror, Sci‐Fi, and Fantasy… Seriously.Extract below: (Anthony Smith, Brian Evenson, Stephen Graham Jones, Tod Goldberg, Mark Smith, Seth Harwood) Six writers of genre fiction who also teach and/or have graduated from university creative writing programs discuss how they approach genre fiction as a serious literary pursuit rather than as a lesser form of fiction. In addition, they discuss attitudes towards genre fiction in the university and how those attitudes have changed over the years. I want to personally thank Mr. Brian Evenson for taking time out of his day to chat with me. He has made this fanboy quite happy. Be sure to visit his website for details about this amazing author. Please, give it a listen.…
Episode #002 of The Velvet Podcastjust went live a few hours ago. Me, Chris Deal, Bob Pastorella, and Chris Bodenstein talk about: Why the disparity between genre fiction and literary fiction? Why are these two modes so often thought of as mutually exclusive? Though genre fiction (the big ones: mystery, sci-fi, horror) are taught at the university level, there is a palatable disinterest among much of academia. In this episode, four The Velvet members discuss these questions and more. I look forward to the future of this podcast. Please, give it a listen. Subscribe via Feedburner, Podcast Alley, RSS, or iTunes.
Someone needs to murder Pablo D'Stair. He's making all of us, who for so long have relied on passion as a vehicle for discussing literature, look like asses. I've never met a person more in love with books (possibly more in love with the idea of- and the ideas within- books than the books themselves). This guy makes me imagine a beautiful world of quiet dive bars and smokey conversation. He recently asked me to be a part of the re-emergence of his literary journal, Predicate. What he's done here is amazing. He invited seven authors to wax ever-so eloquently about literature. Sounds boring, I know. But these are not simple Q&A sessions. These are in-depth examinations of the meaning of literature. Okay, still sounds boring. But trust me, it's not. Despite what my description above may imply about my ability to be entertaining, I'm quite proud of my contribution.…
I've been a member of The Velvet for a few years. During that time, I've come to respect the pool of talent over there not just for their writing chops, but for their reading tastes as well. They are my taste-makers. I am glad to now be able to share that camaraderie with you. Episode #001 of The Velvet Podcast just went live a few hours ago. Me, Gordon Highland, and Rob Parker talk about a few things writing, specifically regarding writing communities. I look forward to the future of this podcast. Please, give it a listen. Subscribe via Feedburner, Podcast Alley, RSS, or iTunes (coming soon). And don't worry, it won't be my lame voice on the Podcast for every episode.
Right away, let me say that this interview is fake. For the real, and much more interesting interview between Tim Hall and Scott McClanahan, click here. Why fake an interview with Tim Hall? I'm procrastinating work on my current novel. Tim Hall (TH): Your book is built around my two favorite themes of creative writing: autobiographical fiction mixed with a geographical/sociological postcard of a place. It's like a portrait of the artist in the "staycation" from hell. What made you decide to "go Winesburg" and create the semi-fictional town of Rainelle, WV to tell your stories? Caleb J Ross (CJR): Did you even read my book? What they hell is a Rainelle? Is that some kind of gazelle? It should be. Maybe I'll write a story about that. Then I'll put that story in a collection that is both autobiographic and postcard-like so it fits your summation of my book.…