Happy Halloween, everybody. Watch any good horror movies this year?
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
On Madore
Who would have thought, three years ago, that P.H. Madore would outlast Jeff T. Kane?
I recently said somewhere that I think Andy Riverbed is the most talented writer I know of under the age of 25. I think Madore is the most ambitious writer under the age of 25. Many times, his dedication comes close to matching that ambition. And if I was trying this hard when I was 18-21, I’d be someplace different now that I’m 30.
And yes, his temperament is oh so fiery. Witness his latest discussion with Dave Clapper in the blog post underneath this one. I’m glad I don’t have to deal with it any more. There once was a period of time, as I was in the midst of rejecting what he claims to be 100 different submissions (I should dig up the actual number), that I had to publically absorb the wrath of Madore on a weekly basis. There were many who used the word “hate” in regard to Madore. Fortunately, the 18 year old was no match to the superb debate skills of the lawyer’s son. At some point I bought Madore surf and turf and maybe he realized I was being genuine when I kept telling him that if anything, I truly admired that he didn’t give up and kept sending us work. I don’t know if being published in the Jargon was an adequate payoff for all those years of struggle, but if it makes him happy...
Madore has burned his bridges, and I’ll no doubt take flak for publishing him. “Why do you continue to carry this guy?” a writer I respect very much asked me once, but it’s not like Madore would let anybody carry him.
I recently said somewhere that I think Andy Riverbed is the most talented writer I know of under the age of 25. I think Madore is the most ambitious writer under the age of 25. Many times, his dedication comes close to matching that ambition. And if I was trying this hard when I was 18-21, I’d be someplace different now that I’m 30.
And yes, his temperament is oh so fiery. Witness his latest discussion with Dave Clapper in the blog post underneath this one. I’m glad I don’t have to deal with it any more. There once was a period of time, as I was in the midst of rejecting what he claims to be 100 different submissions (I should dig up the actual number), that I had to publically absorb the wrath of Madore on a weekly basis. There were many who used the word “hate” in regard to Madore. Fortunately, the 18 year old was no match to the superb debate skills of the lawyer’s son. At some point I bought Madore surf and turf and maybe he realized I was being genuine when I kept telling him that if anything, I truly admired that he didn’t give up and kept sending us work. I don’t know if being published in the Jargon was an adequate payoff for all those years of struggle, but if it makes him happy...
Madore has burned his bridges, and I’ll no doubt take flak for publishing him. “Why do you continue to carry this guy?” a writer I respect very much asked me once, but it’s not like Madore would let anybody carry him.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Who shall pass?
Too many blog posts ending in question marks, especially when I'm supposed to be the one answering questions.
Respect for the dead dictates a period of reflection and mourning. But now that Zygote is gone, that leaves Thieves Jargon with one less active front-page link. If there isn't going to be an active ZIMC archive, I'm going to have to replace that front-page link sooner or later. The question is, who is worthy of TJ front-page billing?
I had some hot chat with Jake Mooney the other day about how it seems like there have been very few new interesting literary journals popping up in the last year or two. For a while, I was thinking that Why Vandalism? was going to be the hottest new journal around, but I've heard that they don't reply to submissions, which is cardinal sin number one. Why Vandalism? can bite my bag. Mourning Silence made a very strong combined print/web debut, with work from Spencer Dew, Tim Gager, P.H. Madore, and a few others, but can you trust a journal that's been around for less than two issues? A strong start is good, consistency is better.
My first thought for a successor would be Word Riot. They've been around longer than the Jargon, and a lot of our better wirters have also been published there. Publisher Jackie Corley I met once in Boston, and she has a strong regional accent. So there's your consistency and quality.
But as always, I'm open to suggestions. Most of all, I'd love to hear about some upstart journals I haven't heard of before. Who is it that's going to make me sit up and take notice and think about rewriting everything that I've been doing for four+ years? Who's going to be carrying the mantle when TJ bites the curb like Zygote?
Respect for the dead dictates a period of reflection and mourning. But now that Zygote is gone, that leaves Thieves Jargon with one less active front-page link. If there isn't going to be an active ZIMC archive, I'm going to have to replace that front-page link sooner or later. The question is, who is worthy of TJ front-page billing?
I had some hot chat with Jake Mooney the other day about how it seems like there have been very few new interesting literary journals popping up in the last year or two. For a while, I was thinking that Why Vandalism? was going to be the hottest new journal around, but I've heard that they don't reply to submissions, which is cardinal sin number one. Why Vandalism? can bite my bag. Mourning Silence made a very strong combined print/web debut, with work from Spencer Dew, Tim Gager, P.H. Madore, and a few others, but can you trust a journal that's been around for less than two issues? A strong start is good, consistency is better.
My first thought for a successor would be Word Riot. They've been around longer than the Jargon, and a lot of our better wirters have also been published there. Publisher Jackie Corley I met once in Boston, and she has a strong regional accent. So there's your consistency and quality.
But as always, I'm open to suggestions. Most of all, I'd love to hear about some upstart journals I haven't heard of before. Who is it that's going to make me sit up and take notice and think about rewriting everything that I've been doing for four+ years? Who's going to be carrying the mantle when TJ bites the curb like Zygote?
Monday, October 20, 2008
The phonies?
When Zygote went down, somebody said maybe it was because there are a ton of phony writers running around. I've been thinking about that for a few days now, but outside of myself, I don't feel like I even know one.
I'd love to disagree with some people though.
I'd love to disagree with some people though.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Zygote in My Coffee = dead?
Say it ain't so!
This comes as quite a surprise, and I'm sad. I always thought of Zygote in My Coffee as the only onther literary journal worth stealing writers from. I loved their front page newspaper layout. I loved that my job blocked Zygote on my work computer because there were stylized bare breasts on their front page. I loved knowing that if I saw a submission from somebody who had been published in Zygote, they were probably a wino. I loved their message board. I thought their small press books, which Fugate printed and bound out of his house, was the best of the indie presses. Zygote Print was an inspiration, and their Flipbook 69 series was one of the coolest things I had pulled out of my PO Box.
I never met Brian Fuggett, but we exchanged email plenty of times. He designed one of the original Thieves Jargon flyers. A lot of times I'd be drinking late in the night, reading through these submissions, wondering what the fuck I was doing, and I'd feel better knowing my brother from another mother was doing the same thing out in Ohio.
Not to say I don't understand. I'm a chronic single man, so there's some extra time to play around with. Fugate I know has a wife and a kid and a second kid coming (here?), all of which made it even more impressive how he was able to keep a journal going. Editing a journal is often times thankless. By virtue of rejecting at least 75% of the work you receive, all you're doing is pissing off unbalanced writers. You spend all your free time searching out this work you're so excited about, and you start message boards and nobody wants to talk about it and you wonder if the only people reading are writers looking for a place to get their work published, and then once you publish it, you never hear from them again. You get on the train and for a month straight you see people reading the same six books, so few people with gamble. There are plenty of frustrations, but you fight through them, because still, you believe you're doing something worthwhile. But shit, after five years, yeah, Fugate, happy trails. You done damn good, you left your mark, and you set the bar over and over again. Thanks for showing me how it's done.
This comes as quite a surprise, and I'm sad. I always thought of Zygote in My Coffee as the only onther literary journal worth stealing writers from. I loved their front page newspaper layout. I loved that my job blocked Zygote on my work computer because there were stylized bare breasts on their front page. I loved knowing that if I saw a submission from somebody who had been published in Zygote, they were probably a wino. I loved their message board. I thought their small press books, which Fugate printed and bound out of his house, was the best of the indie presses. Zygote Print was an inspiration, and their Flipbook 69 series was one of the coolest things I had pulled out of my PO Box.
I never met Brian Fuggett, but we exchanged email plenty of times. He designed one of the original Thieves Jargon flyers. A lot of times I'd be drinking late in the night, reading through these submissions, wondering what the fuck I was doing, and I'd feel better knowing my brother from another mother was doing the same thing out in Ohio.
Not to say I don't understand. I'm a chronic single man, so there's some extra time to play around with. Fugate I know has a wife and a kid and a second kid coming (here?), all of which made it even more impressive how he was able to keep a journal going. Editing a journal is often times thankless. By virtue of rejecting at least 75% of the work you receive, all you're doing is pissing off unbalanced writers. You spend all your free time searching out this work you're so excited about, and you start message boards and nobody wants to talk about it and you wonder if the only people reading are writers looking for a place to get their work published, and then once you publish it, you never hear from them again. You get on the train and for a month straight you see people reading the same six books, so few people with gamble. There are plenty of frustrations, but you fight through them, because still, you believe you're doing something worthwhile. But shit, after five years, yeah, Fugate, happy trails. You done damn good, you left your mark, and you set the bar over and over again. Thanks for showing me how it's done.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Two ways to handle rejection
It's okay, I don't handle rejection well, either.
1. Jac Jemc. This girl is adorable.
2. "I learn something new everyday. On Monday, October 6th, I learned that even small press can be pricks.
Funny how the attitude of an editor can ruin your perception of an otherwise wonderful e-zine. I have no urge to read it again.
Have a great day."
(This guy sent a submission that was addressed to both TJ and Zygote in My Coffee at the same time. I told him I was going to reject it without reading out of principle, so the writer probably has a point.)
1. Jac Jemc. This girl is adorable.
2. "I learn something new everyday. On Monday, October 6th, I learned that even small press can be pricks.
Funny how the attitude of an editor can ruin your perception of an otherwise wonderful e-zine. I have no urge to read it again.
Have a great day."
(This guy sent a submission that was addressed to both TJ and Zygote in My Coffee at the same time. I told him I was going to reject it without reading out of principle, so the writer probably has a point.)
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Crime roundup, part 2: "Arkansas" by John Brandon
Fits on the bookshelf between Mike Boyle and Richard Brautigan.
McSweeney's, you treat me so bad, but I still want to give you a good morning HJ when I wake up with you on my mind.
The main idea of this book is that if you're young and you can think quick, you can make decent money running drugs for shady people. It's way easier than being in college or working a real job. When convenient, your conscience will desert you, but at the right moments, it will grow.
Most of the McSweeney's crowd will relate to Kyle and Swin, the twenty-something drug couriers, because they're young and confused and likeable. But to me, the real choice meat of the narrative revolves around Ranger Bright, who runs one arm of the smuggling ring out of an Arkansas state park, and Frog, the secretive mastermind of the whole smuggling operation. These two guys have isolated themselves through their careers, but they each have urges to act as surrogate fathers: Bright brings in Kyle and Swin and aims to teach them the ways of the world as he sees it (which includes lots of whiskey and sloppy cooking), and Frog brings in two boys of his own, with the idea of having them inherit his operation when the time is right.
"Arkansas" is fun, but not. It's very funny, but the more you laugh at the characters, the more you like them, and the problem is that most of them end up dead.
Browse at Amazon.
McSweeney's, you treat me so bad, but I still want to give you a good morning HJ when I wake up with you on my mind.
The main idea of this book is that if you're young and you can think quick, you can make decent money running drugs for shady people. It's way easier than being in college or working a real job. When convenient, your conscience will desert you, but at the right moments, it will grow.
Most of the McSweeney's crowd will relate to Kyle and Swin, the twenty-something drug couriers, because they're young and confused and likeable. But to me, the real choice meat of the narrative revolves around Ranger Bright, who runs one arm of the smuggling ring out of an Arkansas state park, and Frog, the secretive mastermind of the whole smuggling operation. These two guys have isolated themselves through their careers, but they each have urges to act as surrogate fathers: Bright brings in Kyle and Swin and aims to teach them the ways of the world as he sees it (which includes lots of whiskey and sloppy cooking), and Frog brings in two boys of his own, with the idea of having them inherit his operation when the time is right.
"Arkansas" is fun, but not. It's very funny, but the more you laugh at the characters, the more you like them, and the problem is that most of them end up dead.
Browse at Amazon.
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