Author Interview w/ Patrick Wensink

Patrick Wensink is the author of the bizarre un-put-down-able collection of short stories "Sex Dungeon For Sale!", which is published by Erasurehead Press. He discovered we had a mutual online author buddy, I discovered he had an interesting book that I wanted to get my hands on, and luckily, for me, he was in a giving mood!!

According to his Goodreads profile.."he has done a lot of things he is not proud of. But he's also done some pretty interesting stuff. Over the years he has bottled and sold his own line of Wentastic BBQ Sauce, got married in a doughnut shop and even found the time to author a few greeting cards."

He had a fun time answering the following questions. I had a fun time reading them, and I hope that you do too!!

Who was your role model growing up and why? Who is your role model now?

Uhhhmmmmm, this is when I’m supposed to say Gandhi, right? Or, wait, no, Abe Lincoln. Yes, Abraham Lincoln. But I’m a writer and writers always say Shakespeare, don’t they? Crap! How about that time Lincoln and Shakespeare arm-wrestled? I think Gandhi was the ref.

At what age did you first start writing?

I’m not one of those guys who wrote a book in grade school. In fact, anyone who claims to have written a work of fiction that young is probably a liar. And if they are a liar, well, they’re probably a good writer. Damn. I did a lot of journalism in college and worked as a rock critic for many years. That was good training, since entertainment writing lets you be more creative than hard news. Somewhere along the line I started writing fiction and that gradually swallowed my urge to write newspaper stuff until all I did was fiction. According to my records, this was some time in the last decade.

What was the writing and publishing process like for Sex Dungeon For Sale!?

I actually pitched Eraserhead Press a novel I wrote, but they said they wanted something shorter from first-time authors. Luckily, I had a desk drawer full of funny, weird short stories that had been published a little, but mostly not. My editor read them and, I think, got back to me within a few days and said Eraserhead wanted to publish it. Then we hired a group of market researchers and scientists to help come up with a title that showcased my grace, class and dignity. They suggested we call it “Sex Dungeon for Sale!” and the rest is history.

Describe Sex Dungeon for Sale! in 5 words.

More Fun Than A Mustache

Which of the short stories do your readers seem to enjoy reading the most? Which did you enjoy writing the most?

The cool thing about “Sex Dungeon for Sale!” is that everyone gravitates toward separate stories. It’s like a Rorschach Test of your sense of humor. Millionaires and important politicians gravitate toward “My Son Thinks He’s French,” probably because it’s funny. While Astronauts, avant-garde sculptresses and submarine captains lean more toward “The Many Lives of James Brown’s Capes,” probably because it’s also funny. However, ballerinas, private detectives and the Sasquatch seem to enjoy “Pandemic Jones,” which isn’t really funny at all, but a longer noir-type story about a pharmaceutical company conspiracy. Oddly, some people really enjoy the Foreword I wrote, which is basically making fun of pretentious forewords in books by telling some rambling, esoteric story about Nazi spies and Bruce Willis.

Personally, I felt like I really found my voice when I wrote “My Son Thinks He’s French”. It was funny, but had a strong emotional core, which is what I shoot for. It was one of the first stories I had published in a lit magazine (Hobart) and I am still proud of that little guy.

What are you reading right now? What books are currently sitting in your TBR pile?

Eerily enough, I was halfway through “Ray” by Barry Hannah when he died this past week. I’m also reading Will Self’s “Junk Mail” which is a collection of his newspaper articles.

My TBR shelf is large, as I’m a compulsive book buyer. Especially at yard sales and thrift stores. One new book I’m very excited about is James Greer’s “The Failure.” James is a cool guy and has said some very nice things about my work in the past. I cheated and read the first chapter and am very eager to continue.

Which 5 books would you save if your house were on fire?

1. “How to Save the Really Important Stuff from a Burning Home”; 2.“Firefighting for armatures”; 3. “Arson and Insurance Money Made Easy.”; 4. “Fodor’s Guide to Caribbean Islands for the Recently Wealthy”; 5.“The Collected Stories of Flannery O’Connor” .

What is your take on eBooks and eReaders, both as an author and a reader?

I don’t own an e-reader and “Sex Dungeon for Sale!” isn’t available as an e-book yet. But I have no problem with the format. Anything that encourages people to buy books and keep reading seems like a good thing to me. It does make me feel bad for bookstores, though. I used to live in Portland, OR and Powell’s Books is home to many happy memories for me.

What books/authors/websites would you recommend to our audiance?

I always recommend “U.S.!” by Chris Bachelder. That’s one of those brilliant books that shocks me when nobody’s heard of it. It’s about a group of liberals who bring Upton Sinclair back from the dead, only to see him assassinated over and over and over again. It’s hilarious and poignant.

How did you become the proud creator of Wentastic BBQ sauce? Where did your obsession with all things BBQ originate from?

What’s that AC/DC song, “It’s a Long Way to the Top if Want to Make Barbecue Sauce?” About five years ago I began brewing up my own barbecue sauce and canning it to give to friends as a gift. (Part of the joke was that the label featured a picture of me, cross-eyed drunk)I got lots of positive responses and very few cases of food poisoning, so I began selling it at a street fair in Portland. I actually wrote an article about my experience called “Anarchist Clowns Stole My Money,” it’s up on my website (www.patrickwensink.com/nonfiction). I have since moved across the country and dedicated way more time to writing, so, sadly, the Wentastic BBQ Sauce Company has closed its doors.

Thanks for the questions. I had a lot of fun answering them. Hopefully I didn't ramble too much.

Not at all, Patrick! Thanks so much for allowing me this opportunity to let everyone take a peek inside the head of a bizarro fiction writer!!

Author Interview w/ Kevin Sampsell

Hello, World! Meet Kevin Sampsell. He is the founder and publisher for Future Tense Books, as well as writer of the recently released memoir "A Common Pornography", (which you should run out and read the moment you are done checking out his interview). He has also published two collections of short stories entitled "Creamy Bullets"and "Beautiful Blemish", and runs a blog. How he found the time to be interviewed by little ole me is still a mystery to me, but I thank him endlessly for doing so!

Without further ado....

When did you first start writing? Can you remember what your first story was about?

Well, my first stabs at creative writing were song lyrics when I was in elementary and middle school. Then I heard Henry Rollins doing weird spoken word stuff when I was in high school and I thought that was funny so I started writing stuff like that. I don't think I started writing stories or personal essays until I was about 24 or 25. I think my first story was about a guy who hangs out at the library and draws pictures of toasters while vandalizing phone books. I guess that must have been back in the days when they had phonebooks at libraries. I remember my brief time living in Fort Smith, Arkansas, thumbing through phonebooks from other cities at the library. But that story was NOT autobiographical!

Tell me how your publishing comany - Future Tense Books - came to be. What does a day in the life of a publisher look life?

I started Future Tense in 1990, basically to publish my own crappy little chapbooks of poetry. A couple of years later, I started publishing other people and getting more serious about it. Well, at least as serious as one can be while stapling books in my kitchen. A day in the life? Reading as much as I can and bossing my intern around. And of course, stapling.

Of all your published books, which was the hardest for you to write? Which are you most proud of?

Definitely A Common Pornography for both. It was the only book I've written that has brought me to tears. So my secret hope is that readers also shed tears when they read it. I mean it's only fair, right? As far as fiction goes, I'd say that Creamy Bullets is a good example of what I do there and it's my longest book too.

The book I'm most proud of being a part of as a publisher was Please Don't Kill the Freshman by Zoe Trope. The author was still in high school when I published that chapbook and then she got a big book deal before she even graduated. That was a pretty crazy thing to be a part of. That book turned out to be a hugely influential young adult
when HarperCollins republished it in 2003.

"A Common Pornography" covers some embarrassing, sensitive moments from your life. What were you thinking as you were writing it (both originally, and this time around)? Were you worried how your family and the public would respond to it? Is there any one particular memory that your readers feel most drawn to?

I think you just get to a certain age (late 30s and 40s for me) where you don't care anymore. Hahaha. If I had to write about really embarrassing stuff from the past few years it might be harder, especially if other friends or family were involved. But either way, if you're going to tell stories from your life, you have to dig into those deep uncomfortable moments. And you can't worry about what certain specific people think. You'd get stuck or you'd hold back all the time if you worried about your dear old aunt or sweet little nephew. You can't please everyone all at once.

The parts that readers are responding to is really interesting for me. Everyone has a different thing they latch onto. Some people respond to the family stuff, some relate to the nostalgic childhood stuff, and of course some people just want to talk about the porn stuff. But no matter what part they want to talk about, I think it's the honesty at the root of it all that people appreciate.

Are you currently writing a new book? What is the next book we can
expect to see from your publishing company - Future Tense Books?

I'm going to try a novel next, I hope. And I do think I'll do another memoir thing but probably not for another ten or twenty years. In the meantime, I hope to publish some more short stories and essays here and there.

As far as Future Tense goes, I'm about to release a cool little book of poetry collaborations by Zachary Schomburg and Emily Kendal Frey. And then later this year, there's a flash fiction chapbook by Prathna Lor and a weird, funny novella by Jamie Iredell.

Who was your role model growing up, and why? Who do you admire today?

Growing up, I'm not sure. I didn't have a really strong role model in my actual life. I was a big basketball fan though and I loved Julius Erving and Maurice Cheeks. That whole 1983 championship team. That's probably kind of sad, I know. When I got a little older, I found other people who inspired me though. Calvin Johnson, the singer of Beat Happening and record label guy behind K Records was a big influence. He was how I learned about DIY. Of course, there are writers and publishers who I look up to as well--Dave Eggers and McSweeney's were really big deals to me when I first discovered them about ten years ago. Other writers who multi-task: Michelle Tea, Davy Rothbart, Jonathan Ames, Dan Clowes, Steve Almond, Chelsea Martin, Miriam Toews, and my fiance, Frayn Masters (who writes, does sketch comedy, directs, and produces a storytelling show in Portland).

If your house were on fire, and you could only rescue 5 books from your bookshelves, which 5 would you save and why?

My signed copy of Stories in the Worst Way by Gary Lutz (my favorite book ever), Facing the Music by Larry Brown, Cruddy by Lynda Barry, Home Land by Sam Lipsyte, and my signed copy of Barry Hannah's Ray (He wrote: To Kevin, Sabres Up!).

What were the last 3 books you've read? What books are sitting in
your To Be Read pile?

I read Jamie Iredell's spectacular book, Prose. Poems. A Novel. And also: The Ticking Is the Bomb by Nick Flynn and Justin Taylor's great story collection, Everything Here Is the Best Thing Ever. The books I'm reading now, or soon are: Willy Vlautin's Lean On Pete (he's someone I will read anything by, forever. He's that good.), The Mercy Papers by Robin Romm, and the controversial Reality Hunger by David Shields.

What is your take on eBooks and eReaders, both as an author and a reader?

I don't really think ebooks are going to take over, at least not for regular books. Maybe for some magazines and newspapers. I read some stuff online and on devices but I prefer to hold books.

What authors/books/websites would you recommend to our readers
out there?

Authors: Lipsyte, Toews, and Lutz. But also specific books like I Remember by Joe Brainard, Letters to Wendy's by Joe Wenderoth, Stop- Time by Frank Conroy, and all the great funny writers like Terry Southern, Mark Leyner, and Harry Crews. Also, Wells Tower, Diane Williams, William Gay, Lewis Nordan.

Websites: The Rumpus, HTMLGIANT, Powells.com, Elimae, Hobart, Bookslut, Identity Theory. And of course, futuretensebooks.com

A huge thank you again to Kevin for agreeing to be interviewed, and for allowing us to get to know him better, as a writer and publisher!! Be sure to check out his blog, and his books.

Mastering the Dream

Read 3/3/10
4 Stars - Strongly recommended
pgs:107

Thanks to author Kelly Lydick for sending me a copy of this experimental work of fiction for review.

Mastering the Dream takes us on the emotional journey of a young woman named Marie. Written in a multitude of forms, spanning her past and her present in journal entries and letters written to her future self from her past self, we witness her swift mental decline and her slow and painful climb back up into sanity.

Marie, like many of us, questions the existence of God. Though unlike many of us, she appears to agonize over it. She ponders the past, present, and future of everything around her in excess, which I believe eventually takes its toll on her mental and physical health.

There is a point in the novel where Marie fears that she will fade out of existence, that by forgetting the placement of freckles she may forget herself. There is a panicky anxiety to her... her inability to sleep at night, her attention to breathing... Which funnily enough I can relate to.

When I was in my teens, I started to experience heart palpatations, which scared me half to death. I would notice them more at night, when I was laying down trying to sleep.. so, many nights found me pacing the bedroom floor, wringing my hands, and drinking water just to keep my body moving, because if I was moving, then my heart was beating...and I was terrified to fall asleep for fear of not waking back up.

In my opinion, the risks Kelly Lydick takes by telling her story in multiple formats paid off. At times, her methods added a frantic, paronoid pace. The further into the novel I got, the more I felt sure that Kelly was writing from personal experience herself. It felt a little too real to be written purely fiction. But again, that is only my opinion.

Bazell's Mob-tastic Masterpiece?

Read 2/27/10 - 3/3/10
3 Stars - Recommended to readers familiar with genre
Pgs:336

Have you ever read a book that was all hyped up, recommended by everyone who read it to everyone who hasn't, and wondered if you had read the same thing everyone else had read???

Have you ever read the back cover of a book and thought "Hey! This sounds like something right up my alley!" and then proceeded to read it and realised that it really wasn't what you thought it was about, and wondered what book the person who wrote the blurb had read???

I'm kinda torn here. Which is a strange for me. I don't want to bite the hand that feeds me - See, this was part of a pack of books that Regal Literary mailed me for review. I worship the ground Michael Strong walks on, and look forward to reading more of the books they are associated with.... They do a great job of sending me books that match my tastes. And there really was nothing wrong with the book at all. I thought it was well written, fast-paced, and it held my interest the entire time I was reading it.

Were there moments of "oh yeah right, there is no way anybody would/could do that"? Sure. Like when our guy Peter Brown slices his leg open in a walk in freezer, breaks it's fibula and removes the bone with his own two hands, and uses it as a weapon. - But those moments were few and far between.

Were there moments of "in your dreams, buddy"? Uh huh, yup. Like when our same hero walks into an elevator, makes small talk with a hot chick, and suddenly she is pulling the STOP button to do it "aerosmith" style. - Not enough to take away from the big picture though.

Mostly it was just a cool little story about a guy who was once involved in some messy shit with the mob, put his time in for a crime he sort of didn't commit, entered the witness protection program, and tryed to move on with his life. There was no real race to beat death, not in the sense that the back cover blurb made it seem like. And there was no case of dual identities or split personalities, as the back cover blurb also made it seem like. Just a straight up story of a repentant dude having some bad shit finally catch up to him.

I just didn't see what all the fuss was about. I'm not screaming from the rafters about it. I wasn't left with the feeling that I had just read the next best book. I liken this to one other reading experience Ive had.. and that was with Joshua Ferris's "And Then We Came To The End": A good book that was hyped to hell and just didn't live up to all of it... for me.

I allowed the hype to build this book up. It's not the author's fault. The fault lies completely with me. No one made me set those expectations. I did it to myself.

I almost wish I could turn back the clock and read it without ever having heard a word about it from anyone else. Perhaps I would have been one of the ones raving about it? Where's that damn time machine when you need one, huh?

Author Interview W/ Ben Tanzer

Author Ben Tanzer certainly knows how to fill a schedule. Between releasing two printed books - "Lucky Man" and "Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine" - and a short story eBook collection entitled "Repetition Patterns", he also finds the time to compulsively blog at "This Blog Will Change Your Life" and "This Zine Will Change Your Life". Phew! I am tired just writing all that. To top that off, he is a great sport for finding the time to answer a handful of questions for us. Thanks Ben!


How long have you been writing? When did you first realise that this was something you wanted to do for a living?

I have been writing for about 11 years. I first had the idea that I might need to be a writer when I was a senior in high school and forced to take a creative writing class. I thought about it a lot in college, and even took another creative writing class which I did not enjoy, the older students were really harsh and I never had any good ideas for stories anyway, and then I obsessed over my desire to write for much of my twenties, endlessly writing down lists of stories I might someday tell.

As I hit thirty though, I thought now, I must start now, nothing is happening for me, nothing I want, and then there was a call from someone I know who was thinking about leaving her husband, and I got very upset and started obsessing what it meant, for them and for their kids, and for me and my wife. I was really spinning and I felt like the only thing that was going to make me feel better was writing.

So sitting in bed next to my wife I wrote this story about a guy leaving his family. It was one of the stories that had been sitting on one of my endless lists of stories I would one day write. Once I finished that one, I couldn't stop and here we are.

What was the strangest job you've ever held, and why did you leave it?

I suppose the strangest job I've ever held was working in a law firm right after I graduated from college. Okay, it wasn't strange, just not fun. And I left because everyone I worked with was so unhappy, which just sucked and made everything I was building there seem very unpromising. Ultimately, I may have found a law job I liked, and may have even started writing as well, but hating that job was helpful, because it led me to make some changes, and try other things, like social work, and moving from San Francisco to New York, and then on to Chicago, all of which I want to believe has played a role in making me who I am as the person and the writer I am now. Of course, I may be wrong about all of this, but if I am it doesn't change the fact that it was a job that really sucked.

How would you describe your online blog and 'zine?

They are related and yet not. The blog was created because I thought I needed a platform for hustling my books and I wanted to create a vibe like the monorail episode of The Simpsons. In that episode which is based on the Music Man this guy convinces the citizens Springfield that they need a monorail because it will not just make their lives better it will make the whole world a beautiful place. Of course they don't need one and it won't make their lives better. Building on this I decided to create a blog that would be like a faux corporate blog where my books were products that changed people's lives, sometimes for the better.

I also thought though that I should use the blog to brand myself, thinking that some people might be drawn to how I see the world and what I like to riff on and this might make them more drawn to the things I am working on. So, I endlessly hype myself, but I also hype all the things I like and celebrate which in my fantasy world becomes intertwined into this brand. As I created this platform, I also thought though why just hype what I like, this has to be fun as possible for me as well, so why not use it to pursue other interests that further build the brand, but also support those I want to support.

The zine then grows out of this desire. It represents things I feel compulsive about, writers, street art, music; it supports or exposes the work we highlight to a wider audience and it extends my brand, and my completely fake goal of presenting that which I like most, including myself, as a lifestyle choice a la, Martha Stewart, Oprah or Tony Hawk.

How do you manage to balance your time between publishing books, writing for and running TBWCYL and This Zine Will Change Your Life, and having a personal life?

Some of this magic of course, my herd of unicorns and team of gnomes rock, but really, it's a variety of things that more or less work. Part of it is keeping the fat in my schedule to a minimum, which means I rarely treat any time as down time, no Seinfeld marathons, no naps, and much less drinking than in the past. I am also constantly slotting or scheduling things, looking for potentially open times in my calendar and then deciding what might be done then. With the zine, it helps that I am just part of a team and that everyone plays a role, with my role now mainly being air traffic control. I have to skip things of course. Or put them off.

I make sure I write at least 30 minutes more or less every day, but rarely get to write more than that, which means the various writing projects I'm working on take longer than maybe I would like. I also don't sleep a lot, but by choice, though from what Dr. Oz says, this isn't the best strategy among the many I factor into what I am trying to do or not do.

Of all your published books, which was the hardest for you to write? Which are you most proud of?

I would say they were all hard in the same way. Meaning, once I have an idea getting started is not so hard, there are little glitches along the way, but when I'm ready to write, I write. What's hard is after taking a break and coming back to something, and then trying to decide if it's really what I intended it to be. Does it flow like it did in my head? What needs to be cut? Do the various threads get pulled together?

Also, and maybe more important, does it look, read, taste, whatever, like what I hope something I write will look, read and taste like. Is it stripped down, driven by dialogue and anger and struggle, but funny and slamming, something that tries to mash Bruce Springsteen, David Cronenberg and the Ramone's together, but without their talent? Given this, I imagine the book I am currently shopping around is the hardest, because I'm in the middle of it, and it might not quite be ready, though if it isn't how can I get it there?

In terms of being proud, I'm proud of all of them, but that's wishy-washy, so let's say Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine, because I was proud to write a book, any book, and I did with Lucky Man, but I was worried I wouldn't be able to do so again, at least something I liked, but I did, and it's out there, and this is good, for me anyway.

What was the thought process that went into the short story collection Repetition Patterns?

I had a bunch of story ideas all piled-up, that seemed like they could be related, but didn't yet have any direction or form. Meanwhile, I was reading these various short story collections I really liked, When The Messenger is Hot, Drown, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, The Stories of Breece D'J Pancake, The Bridegroom, and I was really taken with how they all seemed to be of a certain time and place, and as I thought about these collections and my stories, I wondered if I could so something like that, write some stories that might all take place in a place like my hometown around the time I grew-up, and as I thought about this, the stories started> coming together and then I sat down and wrote the first drafts over 2-3 months.

Some of the stories in Repetition Patterns contain teenage promiscuity> and abnormal parental behaviors... Do you ever worry about how a reader,> friend, or family member may react to you writing?

One thing I have to say, and especially with Repetition Patters, is that as a whole, these stories are fiction and the elements in these stories that reflect any one person or event are slight because they are merged into other people and events and memories. Also, these are stories influenced by events that took place at some other time and some other place and while they stuck with me it's not clear they stuck with anyone else. Plus, I would rarely write about something that was especially hurtful or embarrassing to someone that I am in regular contact with.

That said, on occasion people have just popped-up again out of nowhere who might recognize something less than flattering about themselves from whatever time and place we crossed paths for whatever length of time that was and when that has happened I have felt self-conscious and bad about it.

Now if you're question is also in part about how friends or family members will look at me or think about me after reading these things, that I don't worry about, again I'm not embarrassed about the little that might tie to me directly, it's who I am, or was, and I think as writers we need to give that up.

Repetition Patterns was published by CCLaP as an eBook. What is your> take> on eBooks and eReaders, both as an author and a reader?

Good question. I am of two minds on this. As a writer, and a very obscure writer at that, I think eBooks and e-anything is great because I want my stuff to get out there and this accomplishes that and if it sucks in some more people, generates some more fans and possibly makes some more money, awesome.

As a reader though, this kills me, I loved books before I could even read, the look of the spine, the feel of the pages, carrying a book around in my pocket or a bag for weeks on end, seeing them lying on the table next to my bed, and across my bookshelf, or better a bookstore, and so when thinking about that stuff, and I do, I hate that the whole feeling of loving books as a sentient experience may slowly get lost.

If your house were on fire, and you could only rescue 5 books from your> bookshelves, which 5 would you save and why?

Five is tough. And wrong to even ask. Still here are 5 I could see favoring if forced or on fire: The Basketball Diaries, Jim Carroll; Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Hunter S. Thompson; The Martian Chronicles, Ray Bradbury; Cruddy by Lynda Barry and What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver.

Now with your indulgence, I do have a second 5 I would grab if I had some help from say my sons or a really well-trained dog: Meditations from a Moveable Chair, Andre Dubus; Radiant Days, Michael Fitzgerald; Carrie, Stephen King; American Skin, Don DeGrazia and Jimmy Corrigan: Smartest Kid on Earth, Chris Ware.

Finally, and sorry, really, as a shout-out to myself at fifteen and in recognition of J.D. Salinger's recent passing: The Catcher in The Rye.

What authors/books/websites would you recommend to our readers out there?

You know, I'm a terrible name dropper, though saying that I will still miss some people or places I think people should check out. But having said that, and even having referenced some of the books and authors above that I really love, this still leaves many authors and/or bloggers I hope your readers will take a look at: Tim Hall, Mary Miller, Scott McClanahan, Mel Bosworth, Collin Kelley, Claudia Smith, Jim Ruland, Barry Graham, Matt Bell, Jason Fisk, Jason Jordan, Ken Wohlrob, Shannon Burke, Benjamin Carr, Kendra Grant Malone, Lindsay Hunter, Corey Mesler, S. Craig Renfroe, P.H. Madore, Spencer Dew, John Domini, Amy Guth, Kyle Beachy, Nick Ostdick, Jamie Iredell, Kristin Fouquet, Pete Anderson, Caleb Ross, Matt DeBenedictis, Steve Lafler, Michael Kimball, Keidra Chaney, Peter Schwartz, J.A. Tyler, Mary Hamilton, Gina Frangello, David Masciotra, Elizabeth Crane, Brandon Will, B.L. Pawelek and William Walsh to name a few.

I would add some zines, zine-like joints or presses: Dogzplot, Annalemma, Knee-Jerk, Hobart, THE2NDHAND, CellStories, decomP, Prick of the Spindle, PANK, Full of Crow, Artistically Declined, Featherproof, Dispatch Litareview, ML Press, Future Tense, Microcosm, Monkeybicycle, Thieves Jargon, Necessary Fiction, Opium, Another Chicago Magazine and Caketrain.

And then I would also throw-in a handful of arts and culture type blogs that just rock: CCLaP, Orange Alert, The Scowl, Baby Got Books, The Page 69 Test, Largehearted Boy, HTML Giant, Big Other and Deckfight.

Cool?

Oh yes, Ben, Totally Cool!!

Author Interview w/ Michael Horvath

Michael Horvath, author of "Brighter Graphite", a collection of two novellas, is also Director of Acquisitions at a prominent midtown art gallery. I want to thank him for taking the time to answer a few questions about his book, and art background.

(photo © Stephanie Bart-Horvath 2010)

I understand that you are the Director of Aquisitions for an art gallery in NYC. Can you explain a bit about your art background and how you became an author?

Basically, ever since I was six or so, and got a lot of strokes for my drawing ability, I wanted to be an artist, knew I was going to be an artist, so my direction was set. I was a shy and obsessive kid and kept to myself much of the time. Really, I don't feel I had much of a choice. When I entered the University of Akron's art program, I met others like me, which sealed the deal, once I had a supportive community. This was in the mid-70's, and the faculty was young and very plugged in to what was going on, and a really great local music scene was developing, and there was a sense of community and energy. It was great! One of the guys in Devo taught there for a while, so there were many ideas floating around... I was writing art reviews for the University newspaper. I met people who were influential to my thinking, so that was good.

As for writing, a lonely kid with curiosity and a lot of time on his hands has to do something to kill time. I loved reading and would obsess on my favorite authors at the time--HP Lovecraft, Poe, Kafka. They all wrote evocative stories, which put you "there," so this escape put me "elsewhere" which is what i was after... I would try to mimic their styles in my early attempts I took one creative writing course in college, and had my first story published in the first issue of YAWP, the literary magazine started by the teacher of the CW course. He became a poet of some renown, and was very supportive of my work. I think his name was Elton Glaser, but I'm terrible remembering names. I concentrated on the art and didn't start writing again until 1995, when I worked myself out of my home studio with a series of 34 concrete sculptures, and started jotting notes for the story that became Graphite.

Since I read certain authors voraciously and was mesmerized by the the work of specific artists, it all mulched up in my mind, and I cannot differentiate how one affects the other-- it is all of a piece, and my creative mentality, I guess.

What was the strangest job you have ever held?

Without a doubt it was it was the summer I spent counting traffic at the AM and PM rush hours-- 6-8 AM and 5-7 PM-- for the city of Akron. They had been using mechanical pneumatic counters with long hoses across the highway; cars registered 2 signals, the front and back wheels, trucks at least twice that. But the City had to verify the numbers with humans.The split shift was absolute hell. Those were my party days, and I was usually late picking up my partner to go on-site. they moved us all over the place. The point, I guess, was to count the truck traffic for proper taxation. Big semi's rolling over the hoses with their 12 wheels or whatever would sever them and screw up the data. So we had to do it by hand on clipboards that had counters on 2 sides, one for cars, the other for trucks. And then back to the site at 5PM for the evening rush. Excruciating.

I later sublimated the monotony and repetition of that job, however, for my senior show when I sequestered myself in the University gallery until I completed One Million Marks, which was a grid of scratch marks--four vertical marks with a diagonal slash through them. I lived in the gallery until my task was finished, nine days and four hours. Beautiful huge drawing, 9 x 11 feet, in vermillion on the bumpy white plywood walls, which appeared to waver in pink patterns... And thus, I became a millionaire.

Who are you most influenced by? Has anyone ever compared your writing style to another author?

I am most influenced by writers who have the ability to put me "there." I admired Lovecraft, despite all his excess, for his ability to drag you through his various hells by a steady stream of poignant sensory details. He had good pay-offs, too, his climaxes quite satisfying. Kafka, ditto. I read William Gibson's Neuromancer about ten times. Martin Amis and Will Self blow me away... There are so many good writers out there that, in order to write, I quit reading. Apparently I have hit my saturation point for input, and must now output. Artists that have influenced me most are Caravaggio, Leonardo, Duchamp, Chris Burden... I could go on and on.

As for comparisons, you compared me to Nabokov, and let me say here that I am unworthy! He is the best writer in any--and all--languages. I started re-reading Lolita a few years back and just had to put it down. His sentences are so loaded and perfectly phrased that it would have taken me years to get through it. Like eating lobster at every meal.

I do obsess over my writing, though Nabokov-esque quality is every writer's goal, I would think.

What was the writing and publishing process like for you?

It was a rush and a thrill and very daunting. But my editor, John Paine, shepherded me through the process in a fairly painless way, and made good suggestions about the pacing and plotting, as did my publisher, Chris Sulavik. I was well mentored, and it helped my confidence a great deal. Thank you, guys.

Your novella "Graphite" follows an eccentric on a journey to Graphite, a strange and foreign city where everything and everyone is covered in a fine gray powder, to discover why his beloved pencils keep breaking. In "Brighter", we are introduced to a unique world where a war is brewing between two different classes of artist, and bear witness to the Proof - an ancient and deadly test that is both an honor and a humiliation. How did you come up with these story ideas?

As an unrepentant eccentric thinker, I was just following my instincts and letting go. Graphite started with a note card while I was working myself out of my studio with the sculptures. And then another, seemingly unrelated note to myself, and then another, and so on until I had a pile of these obscure and unrelated observations started to coalesce into a unified and strange fantasy. Puns and a mordant sense of humor have always set my mind in motion, and it all whirl-pooled into Graphite, the story. I must say it was one of the most interesting and profound creative processes I've experienced. It really opened my eyes. In fact, Graphite almost wrote itself. So I just trust that process, trust my gut.

Looking at my body of written work, I tend to write strident satires about odd and needy people who get what they think they want, and the consequences that follow. I have a dark sense of humor, and enjoy flexing it.

Are you currently working on another project?

I have several stories in eternal revision, and a rough draft of a novel that needs expansion. My life is hectic and time is hard to come by, so I don't get to my creative work as much as I want.

Which authors do you enjoy reading?

Martin Amis, Will Self, Kafka, I would like to read Moby Dick again... but my time restraints declare: write it or read it!

What is your take on E-books and E-readers, as an author and reader?

I like it, and it is the obvious new frontier: Green Lit. On the other hand, I love the book as an object, a portable repository of info and adventure. I also appreciate the book as an art object, my wife, Stephanie, is a great designer, and the aesthetics involved in designing a book are as complicated as creating a painting.

If your house was on fire, and you could only rescue 5 novels from>> your>>> bookshelves, which 5 would you save and why?

Tough question, and unfair. But OK--in no particular order: Moby Dick--the Great American Novel of revenge and obsession, and everything you wanted to know about whales. London Fields--Martin Amis is a funny, ironic, mean and poignant writer, and I dearly love all his work. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas--Hunter Thompson's Howl, and it is a howl, even though it isn't a novel. My Idea of Fun by Will Self, dark and bitter wit. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy, the other Great American Novel, a monster book of spiritual devastation by a fearless writer. These are the very books I should use as kindling to start the fire in my library and free myself of their influence...

What authors/novels/ websites would you recommend to our audience?

Well, Brighter Graphite is book that immediately comes to mind...

Every writer I have mentioned is eminently worth reading. My advice to adventurous readers is to take chances on authors they have never heard of, read the backs of new books, look for the new guard. As for websites, I end to focus on sports sites (I am a devoted Cleveland sports fanatic, for some reason. I went to the Catholic grade-school that was folded into another Catholic grade school that LeBron James attended... Sports are a matter of faith for fans in northern Ohio. I also read a great deal of science-oriented websites. And humor sites, I like to laugh, or I'll cry.

The best general recommendation I can offer to everyone is use your time well. Time is the currency of life.

Thanks so much for agreeing to answer these questions. It's wonderful to get to know the person behind the book!

It was my pleasure; thank you for giving me this opportunity to rant.

Jim -The Growing Up Years

Read 2/27/10
4 Stars - Strongly recommended
pgs:286
Sequel to "Jim the Boy"

Funny thing about me and reading, When books are part of a series, I have to read them one right after the other. I don't like to squeeze other books in between them, unless of course they are already 12 novels long and I've only just discovered them (then it becomes a bit like chocolate - tastes good for the first 3 or 4 pcs, then just gets to be sickening and depressing)... OR they are still being released, in which case, I have no choice but fill the time from one release date to the other with books from my to-be-read pile (Of which there are currently over 200!!)

This book came as a package deal along with "Jim the Boy" (see my review here) and "Beat the Reaper" (next up) from Regal Literary, and thank goodness, because it saved me the potentially life threatening trip out into the Snow Storm Of The Century this weekend to purchase it.

I have been flying through my to-be-read pile this week, and a very large part of that is due to the fact that the books I have received for review have been quite good, and seem to demand most of my free time.

For instance: I woke this morning, let the puppy out for his morning walk, and plopped my butt on the couch to start reading "The Blue Star" and squeeze in a few pages before the boys crawled out of bed looking for breakfast. Still set in North Carolina, I find Jim - all grown up in his senior year of high school - still acting like a silly boy and hanging on the front steps of the school with his buddies.

After breakfast, I slide back onto the couch to find that Jim is in love with a beautiful girl who lives up on the mountian. He slides his desk up against the back of her chair and secretly plays with her hair as it covers the pages of his textbook in history class. Poor Jim, though... it appears that the one he pines for belongs to another, who is currently on a boat in an ocean fighting in WWII. Ooohh rats, the boys want lunch now.

Once the boys' tummys are full again, it's back to the couch and the book to find out that Jim's Uncle Zeno had almost married the mother of the girl he is in love with. Not to mention that Jim himself appears to be in some sort of tangle with Norma, a girl he once dated, that he broke it off with, who still carries a torch for him. Damn, laundry is piling up. Let me get a load going.

Back to the couch (which now seems to have this funny butt-shaped indent in it) and Jim, who confesses his love to the girl he can't have, who warns him off but not before geting flirty and hiding in the fog on the mountian and allowing Jim to ask her some personal questions. After this, she ignores him for awhile and nearly breaks his heart by showing up at the school dance with another boy (NOT the boy she is supposedly dating who is still serving in the war)! Shoot, I suppose I should go take a shower, huh?

Finally out of my pajamas and on the home stretch, there is a body in a coffin that causes Jim alot of guilt, a fourteen year old girl that got knocked up by Jim's friend at the dance, a heartfelt conversation between Jim and the mother of his crush, and a signature on an enrollment form for the war.

It seems like it was only yesterday that I was reading about the little boy Jim and all the mischief and mayhem and mean thoughts...Oh wait, haha! That was only yesterday!

All kidding, and soap-opera drama, aside, Earley does a wonderful job helping Jim the Boy grow into Jim the Man. The progression is a painfully natural; the situations he faces and the choices he makes all help to take Jim along the path to manhood.

At one point, towards the end of the novel, Jim jokes to himself that he must be the worlds worst adult, giving you a pretty raw peek into the mind of this man who can't see how far he has come, and how much he has grown. Always wanting to do the right things, but not always capable of it. It's part of being human, part of growing up and learning to deal. It's just normal.

It was great to revisit little Jim, and I look forward to meeting him again, perhaps as an older, and wiser man in future novels, should Tony Earley so choose.

The Story of a Boy Named Jim

Read 2/26/10
4 Stars - Strongly recommended
Pgs:227

Many times, I am introduced to books by authors I had no previous knowledge of. Authors that I may never have read, were it not for a helping hand. Regal Literary was the helping hand that introduced me to "Jim the Boy" by Tony Earley.

Set in North Carolina during the Great Depression, Earley takes us through a year in a young boys life, where he deals with the joys and frustrations of growing up, learning to appreciate who he is and where he comes from, and realizing that the world is much larger than he could have ever imagined.

Drenched in southern goodness, Earley sculpts Jim, the stories protagonist, out of "frogs and snails and puppy dog tails". Named after his father, who died unexpectedly a week before he was born, Jim is tortured by your typical 10 year old demons. He struggles to overcome unnecessary jealousies, trys to fight his fears, and looks to his three ever-present uncles for direction and structure. Though normally well behaved and respectful, when he gives in to his ugly side it eats at him until he sets things right.

It's an exciting and confusing time for a boy - the town opens it first multigrade school house, breaking down barriers between the mountain people and townspeople. Homes and businesses are wired for electricity. Extended families supporting each other and working together to put food on the table and clothes on their backs. Friendships are made, and broken, and made again. It's a time where anything is possible.

There were moments of beauty in this novel: the description of that moment where the last of the daylight fades right before the darkness takes over, and the way the stars don't seem as bright once the night is saturated by porch lights. There are also moments of sadness and heartbreak: the way that Jim's mother never let go of her deceased husbands memory, or Jim's guilt over not sharing his baseball glove with a close friend who becomes stricken by Polio.

The story slithers and slides through classic territory, it leaves a natural and comfortable down-home glow, following in the footprints of writers like Truman Capote and Harper Lee, bringing this little boy to life right before our eyes.

I see Jim in every little boys unwashed hands, dirty overalls, and sunburned cheeks. He breathes in every kid who ever said a mean thing and wished they could take it back. He hides inside every child who gloats when he wins, yet feels sorry for the one who lost. He is everywhere.

Sex Dungeon Anyone?

Read 2/25/10
5 Stars - Highly Recommended
Pgs:88

Patrick Wensink knocks this crazy collection of short stories out of the park. His book "Sex Dungeon For Sale!" was picked up by Eraserhead Press, a publishing company that specializes in Bizarro Fiction.

What is Bizarro fiction, you might ask? According to the wiki definition, it's like Franz Kafka meets John Waters; Dr. Suess of the post-apocalypse; Alice in Wonderland for adults ... Are you craving for it yet?

Peter does weird like nobody's business! In this collection of strange stories, we meet a realtor who trys to sell the finer points of a sex dungeon located in the homes' basement; killer dishwashering machines; a girl who starts seeing ex boyfriends faces in the strangest of places; and a marketing job where the only way to sell your product is to infect the public with the disease it cures.

While not the kind of fiction I would recommend to my mother, I love the way Peter creates these situations that, even though they are totally absurd and out in left field, could possibly be something you find in the news headlines.

He is the type of writer I wish I could be - He has great timing and pacing, each story blossoming perfectly on the page; His phrasing and structure is comically natural, at times it's like he is talking right to you, like real people talk to each other. And, at times, I found that I was actually quite jealous that he thought of some of these stories before I did! Wensink makes writing look easy.

Highly recommended to anyone out there in readerville looking for a little excapism, something that will make you laugh while scratching your head, and thinking "Hmmmm...what if...."

Here is Everything

Read 2/24/10
3 Stars - Recommended to readers familiar with author and/or genre
Pgs:185

The staff over at Harper Perennial are such wonderful people - keeping my bookshelves stocked to the gills with new releases and review copies. A very big thank you for sending this one on over.

I sat down this morning to start ANOTHER collection of short stories, this one from author Justin Taylor. After completing it just a short 16 hours later, I was forced to admit two things: One, that I can really do some damage when I buckle down and focus on reading. Two, that I am also starting to enjoy short stories.

They are short and sweet. They get right to the point. There are no long-winded, uninteresting side-stories that pull you unwillingly away from the main plot. They don't have time for that. They are forced to be focused.

If you feel like you just aren't into the characters or storyline, you don't have to feel guilty wasting time on it. It's only a few pages long. And the author has multiple opportunities to catch your interest, to suck you in, to make you a fan.

Justin Taylor, who is currently at work creating his first full length novel, can certainly write. There is no doubt about it. While there are recurring themes in this collection (religion, drugs and sex being a few of the more obvious), each story truly stands alone as far as it's themes and messages are concerned.

In one story, we meet a man who is left to clean up the mess after angels steal his girlfriends soul. In another, a boy plays Tetris while watching as the Apocolypse destroy the world outside his window and his girlfriend sleeps on the floor. Many of Taylor's stories revolve around broken relationships. They are populated by people who are confused, lonely, heartbroken, or just don't care.

To be honest, his stories are populated by the exact same people I used to sit back and watch destroy themselves in high school. People who were just outside my social circle. Friends of my friends. Faces you recognized from party to party. They were the kids in the background, dropping acid or smoking pot, curling into the fetal position and crying when they had a bad trip. Hitting on everyone, sometimes on anyone, but not willing to commit when their overtures were returned. Or turning suicidal and stalkerish when their love-calls were ignored.

A very quick read, a must read for people who are already fans of short stories.

There Is Nothing Common About Pornography

Read 2/22/10 - 2/23/10
4 Stars - Strongly Recommended
Pgs.216

Many thanks to Harper Perennial for sending me a copy of Kevin Sampsell's "A Common Pornography" for review. Had they not generously shipped it to me, I am ashamed to admit I may never have read it. Those who know me, and my taste in literature, would not be surprised by that statement. I am pretty vocal when it comes to non-fiction. I tend to steer clear for many reasons, which I shall spare you the details of here. Let's just say reading "A Child Called It" when I was younger, and more recently "Eating Animals" have scarred me for life (for different reasons, of course!).

My first reaction, as I started reading, was one of disbelief. It's hard to believe that all of this stuff happened to one person. I had to keep reminding myself that this was a collection of memories, real situtations that happened with real people. What a crazy life this must have been for him.

My second reaction was "oh my god! His family and friends are going to read this! What will his mother think? What will his SON think?"

It certainly takes a very strong, confident person to take the good, bad, and horrific moments in their lives and write them all out for the entire world to see. And it's not just enough to write them out, is it? It's a matter of accepting the truth... of holding that mirror up to yourself and not flinching at what looks back at you. It's a matter of understanding that these are the moments that have shaped you, that made you who you are today.

I had to constantly remind myself that the words I had been reading were real. That this was not just a fictional story of made up characters that have all these hilarious, embarrassing, and sometimes frightening things happening to them. That these are real moments that occured in a real persons life.

I want to thank Kevin for opening up, and being brave enough to share these snapshots of his life with me. He helped me to realise that I am not the only one out there with skeletons in my closet, memories that make my skin crawl and others that make me laugh till I cry. He helped me realise that it is natural to be human.

Don't let this memoir pass you by. Don't wait for a copy to fall into your lap. You will be missing out on a wonderful and whacky read!

Teenage Tragedy

Read 2/22/10
3 Stars - Recommended to readers familiar with author or genre
pgs:35 (eBook/Freedownload)

Sally Weigel's story "Too Young To Fall Alseep" is published as an eBook that can be downloaded for free by CCLaP, and exposes the inner workings of the "Millenial" generation (the older end of my son's generation). Giving us a peek into the psyche of todays youth, of what it is like to grow up in this day and age, we meet a seemingly laid back and mellow generation who don't seem to know what direction they are headed in, protesting just to get out of class, passionate about partying and attending the Radiohead concert, but not much else.

Our protaganist Catherine - an eighteen year old girl, bored with smoking pot and spilling beer down her shirt at endless house parties - makes a half hearted decision that will change her life forever. She visits the high school recruiting office and signs up to partipicate in the war as a non combat soldier.

The author takes on the brave task of speaking on behalf of an entire generation. While I believe she did a great job setting the stage, I couldn't help but feel disconnected from Catherine and the situation she found herself in. I think my lack of empathy is largely due to the narration. Sally chose to write the story in 3rd person narrative, when I feel it may have been more impactful having Catherine telling us the story herself. Perhaps she was trying to counter-balance that effect by including Catherine's journal entries?

Overall, an impressive first publication by a woman who wrote this story while still in high school.

A Strange Invention

Read 2/17/10 - 2/20/10
5 Stars - Highly Recommended
Pgs: 103

I took a well deserved break from the never ending pile of review copies and ARC's to indulge in a little Lost Literature. This poor little novella has been calling and calling to me from my bookshelf since I unwrapped it (This was one of my SS gifts at christmas time - Thanks again Sherry!) and shelved it with my other TBR's in December.

With the return of Lost - in it's 6th and final season - to ABC, It's calling became near impossible to ignore. I could no longer pass up the little story and the mysteries that were sure to be buried deep within it's pages.

I tryed to shelter myself from any spoilers or major plot hints ever since I discovered this novellas existence (I have had great stories spoiled for me before, so this has become an almost irrational fear of mine) on the Lost lit list.

What at first appears to be the diary of a common criminal who escaped prision by sailing away to an unknown island, quickly turns into a haunting, strange tale of mysterious goings-ons, and our un-named narrators rapid decline into paranoia and obsession.

Under the assumption that he is alone on this odd island, where trees are decayed and brittle, and doors are rusted shut, our narrator naturally panicks and hides when he becomes aware of the sudden and unexpected presence of a group of people - Where did they come from? How could he not have noticed the arrival of a boat? What are they doing taking up residence on the top of the hill?

Afraid that they are in cahoots with the police from the country he fled, our storyteller attempts to gather information while remaining unseen from the islands visitors. One day, he notices Faustine - a lovely woman in a head scarf who sits on the rocks overlooking the ocean, reading her book and observing the sunset - and begins to imagine a love blooming between them. Only, Faustine seems to be oblivious to our narrators creative romantic methods.

He questions his sanity - Have I turned invisible? Is she so disgusted that she won't acknowledge me? - and also fears for his safety. His obsession with Faustine eventually leads him to a curious discovery. One that will keep you turning page after page after page.

What are those odd machines that seem to be affected by the tide? Why does the sky suddenly hold two moons and two suns? Why does no one on the island seem to register his existence?

For fans of Lost, this book is a must read. It will get you to see the show in a whole new light.

For those you just love a good mystery - add it to your reading list. You won't regret it. You have my word.

From The Lovely People At Harper Perennial

Ahhhh... There is nothing better than receiving brand new review copies from a publishing company. Many many thanks to the lovely people at Harper Perennial for the following books, which arrived in my mailbox today:
(Descriptions taken from Goodreads)


This is a love story with a twist. An explosive debut novel brings Will and Helen's lives together in a tale as tight as rope and as black as tar. "The Bird Room" is a candid, funny, intimate portrait of a generation.






Postcards from a Dead Girl is the tragicomic story of Sid Higgins, a twenty-something telemarketer in the midst of a crisis. His sales are down, he thinks he might have a brain tumor, and his ex-girlfriend, Zoe, keeps sending postcards from exotic locations but he's pretty sure she's dead.

They have proudly taken their place the bottom of my ARC/Review copy TBR pile!

Patterns That Repeat

Read 2/16/10
4 Stars - Strongly recommended
Pgs:37 (eBook/freedownload)

This book was brought to my attention by Jason Pettus, owner of the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography , for which I would like to thank him. And also a big thank you to it's author, Ben Tanzer, who has been a great sport - patiently waiting for me to read and review this collection of short stories.

Are you finding it strange that, being a self professed non-fan of short stories, I am reading short story collections back to back this week? I think it is time to re-evaluate my position on them, as Ben Tanzer stands up and demands to be noticed in Repetition Patterns.

I admit to being slightly underwhelmed as I read the first story, which happens to be the title story - just some guy unhappy with his therapist, whose unprofessional accusations cause him to start up with a new therapist. While reading Babysitter and What We Thought We Knew, as I was introduced to a town of neighboring kids and their promiscuous tendencies, and pedophile parents, I started to wonder what I had signed myself up for.

The third story, however, entitled Gift, demonstrates how wonderful sound can be, and how silence can remind us of what we are not hearing. It also forces you to realize how precious every moment is, and how we may tend to take them all for granted.

Among others, we meet a strange boy who becomes obsessed with a girl in his school, and rages against what he can't have; a teenager who spends months in a Pac Man daze only to be let down by the final level; and confused new parents who want nothing more than to get their infant son to just stop screaming.

Early on, I started to recognize patterns - the movies the characters watched, the names of places the characters saw or visited, the raw sexual undertones that ravaged their town and their lives. I also became aware of a natural evolution of maturity and security, and of accepting things for what they are, without resigning yourself to them. It's these patterns, these repetitive moments, that make Ben's book work.

I look forward to reading more from him. Check out this book, and also take a peek at his blog - This Blog Will Change Your Life.