other writers Archives » Page 2 of 21

Pablo D’Stair’s 2007 book about a cat is being reissued

March 14, 2013

I'm always eager to promote Pablo D'Stair's work. It's my kind of stuff. So of course I'm going to let everyone know that his novel, Candour, is being re-released with a fancy new cover from Goodloe Byron. About Candour: An unnamed man suddenly begins succumbing to the horrors of a nightmarish disease. Secluding himself in his apartment rooms, his only companion is his cat, Alastair Cello, who he determines to keep unaware of his impending death. BUY IT HERE – a hardcopy straight from the printer is 47% off list price ($4.24, down from $10) by entering the following DISCOUNT CODE: SSZ8VB6L

The Colony by Jillian Weise video book review

January 31, 2013

It’s been a while since I’ve done a book review. It feels weird, like I’m returning to an abandoned lover, hoping for a warm reception. Please, viewer, take me back! This time I’m looking at The Colony by Jillian Weise, a novel about a science collective/get-away for people with genetic abnormalities. But this book is less The X-Men and more if Gilmore Girls had predispositions to suicide and strange abilities to grow missing appendages. Trust me, it makes sense. Should you be interested in reading The Colony, I’d appreciate you purchase using the link below (I get a very small percentage): Paperback: http://amzn.to/10eJb1J Kindle: http://amzn.to/Udf7nN

The Art of the Domestic Grotesque: An Interview with Caleb J. Ross in the newest issue of Surreal Grotesque

December 27, 2012

I'm honored to have been able to spout off a bit for the newest issue of Surreal Grotesque magazine. Here's a taste: Your work doesn’t really resemble a genre in any way, which is nice, although people try to pigeonhole certain writers as being Chuck Palahniuk-esque or in the vein of “urban noir”. If you had to describe your writing style of work to someone who has never read you before, how would you describe your writing? I use the term Domestic Grotesque a lot, which basically means family dynamic meets visceral irrationality. The best example I can think of—though this book came out after I coined the term Domestic Grotesque—is Matt Bell’s Cataclysm Baby. A lot of Brian Evenson’s work would also fit. I love the imagery I can get away with when I write the grotesque, and I love the inherent tension when dealing with a family and…

Video Review of Quintessence of Dust by Craig Wallwork (Video Blog ep 030)

October 6, 2012

At times William Gay, at times Carlton Mellick III, but always, I’d say, he dodges what would traditionally be called Bizarro fiction by way of empathy for his characters. He’s Bizarro with heart…so, magical realist, I suppose. He’d fit in more with Amy Bender and Gabriel Garcia Marquez than with Carlton Mellick III or even Bradley Sands, but is strong enough in the world of any to be welcomed by them. Wallwork isn’t afraid to take a strange, even repulsive concept, and build a touching story around it. A story of a man shitting out his own nerves? Sounds ridiculous, but Wallwork makes it work. A sexual sideshow couple famous for inserting increasingly large objects into the woman’s vagina? Yep, but it gets even weirder, yet Wallwork knows how approach these images with honesty and heart.

Look mom, I made the cover of Noir at the Bar 2

October 1, 2012

Back for another round of booze, blood and bad taste, Noir at the Bar continues its assault on the literate world. Contributors include: Jedidiah Ayres, Frank Bill, Jane Bradley, Sonia L. Coney, Hilary Davidson, Les Edgerton, Nate Flexer, Matthew C. Funk, Jesus Angel Garcia, Glenn Gray, Kevin Lynn Helmick, Gordon Highland, John Hornor Jacobs, David James Keaton, Tim Lane, Erik Lundy, Jason Makansi, Matthew McBride, Jon McGoran, Cortright McMeel, Aaron Michael Morales, Scott Phillips, Robert J. Randisi & Christine Matthews, John Rector, Caleb J. Ross, Duane Swierczynski, Mark W. Tiedemann, Fred Venturini, Benjamin Whitmer and Nic Young You will definitely need to order this collection. Available (exclusively, I think) via Subterranean Books (online and in person), based in St. Louis, Missouri. The store is amazing. Help the indie bookstores, order a copy now! Click here to order Noir at the Bar 2

Ranking Chuck Palahniuk’s novels from Most Important to Least Important

September 29, 2012

Chuck Palahniuk is an important writer. Love him or hate him, he’s done more to bring reading to uninterested demographics than almost any other author. But how do his books rank? I decided to take some time to (as) objectively (as possible) rank all of Chuck Palahniuk’s novels from Most Important to Least Important as a way to help hew readers find the right Palahniuk book. What makes for an important book? It’s not necessarily a good story or well-written prose. I believe it’s a mixture of both, along with contextual relevancy, or “impact. For purposes of this list, I will be weighing the social impact of the book above any other metric. Here’s the list Socially relevant Fight Club (machismo and consumerism) Survivor (cult of celebrity) Invisible Monsters (cultural importance of and priority placed on beauty) Maybe socially relevant Haunted (the reality TV obsession and “Truman Show Syndrome”) Pygmy…

Getting the Signed Book – Jesus’ Son by Denis Johnson (Video Blog ep 028)

September 22, 2012

A few years ago I attended a writing conference in Portland, Oregon called the Tin House Writer’s Workshop. During the event, I met a lot of great authors, one of which was Denis Johnson, author of, among many other books, Jesus’ Son. This newest installment of Getting the Singed Book features my heroic story of how I got my copy of Jesus’ Son signed by the author. It involves, among other awkward situations, the author nearly, almost, kinda drinking my pee. Read all about this almost happening at Dark Sky Magazine, here: http://www.cjrlit.com/DrinkingPee And don't forget: subscribe to my YouTube channel, subscribe to my YouTube channel, subscribe, subscribe, subscribe!