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.

Fiction Inspired by The Smiths

Read 2/10/10 - 2/16/10
4 Stars - Strongly recommended
Pgs:265
Short Story Collection

Thank you to Harper Perennial for sending me this ARC copy.

Peter Wild, an editor and journalist, worked with multiple authors to create Please - a collection of short stories that were inspired by the songs of The Smiths, which releases in March.

Being too young to appreciate The Smiths when they broke into the music scene in the early 80's, and subsequently disbanded in the late 80's, I was a late Morrissey bloomer. I clearly remember walking into our local Gallery of Sound music store, and browsing the racks of cassettes (yes, I said cassettes) to find Your Arsenal in the new release section. At that point I hadn't heard of Morrissey, and was really just starting to get into the darker side of alternative music (The Cure, Depeche Mode, Catherine Wheel, Afghan Whigs). So I grabbed it, hoping that my money was not being wasted in vane.

On my long walk home from the shop, I popped the cassette into my walkman (oh man, am I dating myself!) and within the first 15 seconds of the first track, I was in love. I played Your Arsenal non stop for the next week, and wore the cassette tape out in a matter of months. Of course, during those next few months, I saved what little money I could get and began purchasing every piece of music Morrissey had released - which quickly lead me to The Smiths.

One of the most influential alternative bands of all time, they experienced a fierce following, making a mark within the entertainment industry that is still visible today. Moody, painful, lonely, angry, heartbroken, suicidal - songs and lyrics that are still so relevant to many of us. Combining amazing lyrics with soul stirring musical arrangements, The Smiths found the world's soft spot.

How many of us, as we listened to Morrissey sing his heartwrenching and angst filled songs, felt that he was speaking directly to us? How many times have we thought "oh my god, he is singing about me, he knows how it feels"?

Did you know that Morrissey is a big reader? A man who can not only express his deepest darkest feelings in a sexy lispy voice, but who is also not afraid to admit he loves a good book??? **swoons**

Peter Wild and Harper Perennial have teamed up to take the essence of The Smiths, and incorporate it into stories that call to your heart, and your head. Stories that range from sadly hopeful (Cemetery Gates - two people who fall in love on their deathbeads) to strange and creepy (I Won't Share You - in which a man's arm begins to separate itself from his body), silly and indulgent (Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now - where a man sends his co-worker a video of himself lip synching to this song naked) to disfunctional love (Jeane - a man who can't seem to let go of an abusive situation).

I tend to steer clear of short story collections that feature multiple authors, as the stories and writing styles always tend to clash with one another, and leave me with a fractured feeling. Not so in the case of Please. Perhaps it is the genius of Peter Wild, chosing the right stories. Perhaps it is the perfect match between author and influence. Perhaps, it is simply the fact that The Smiths brings out the best in everyone.

Whatever it is, it is magical.

The Blue Sweater Contest Winners

4 TNBBC members sent me messages on the wonderful volunteer work they have done to make their towns, this world, and most importantly, PEOPLE's lives better!!!!

Congratulations go out to:

Cheryl McCaffrey
She has just joined the Boston chapter of a group called The Swap Team http://theswapteam.org/ which her friend Sarah is running. They are organizing a clothing swap this spring. The way the swap works is you bring one item of clothing and you get one ticket in exchange - so it is sort of like an old-fashioned barter system where no money is exchanged. The pieces that are left over are donated to a charity (we have not confirmed which one yet). This great group will help bring awareness to needs vs. wants in regards to clothing.


Ralph Gallagher
For four years he has worked with New Jersey's REBEL (Reaching Everyone By Exposing Lies) to educate kids and teens about the dangers of smoking and tobacco use. They have held many events to help raise awareness as well as worked with elementary school children. Two big events that take place yearly are our beach cleanups and Fuzzy Friends event. Each summer they go to different NJ beaches and clean up cigarette butts. For Fuzzy Friends, they raise money and go to build-a-bear to make bears for children who have been affected by caner - personally or through a family member.

Heather
She is a social worker living in Indiana. In June'08 Indiana was hit with floods - houses were damaged beyond repair. FEMA(Federal Emergency Management Agency) quickly became involved within the area. She was apart of a group who started a board to deal with the flooding within two counties and assisted with case management - going out to homes to assist individuals affected by the flood with emergency assistance and long term recovery. She also assisted clients with appeals and helped with grants to foundations to assist those affected by the flood.

Lauren Morrison
During her senior year in college, she started volunteering for an organization called Urban Promise in Wilmington. They run summer camps and after school programs for inner city kids at no cost to the families. Much time was spent tutoring, reading to and playing with many children from inner city Wilmington. They would have camp night at the staff house , spring break trips and college trips (for the teenagers employed to get work experience, tutoring and help applying for college) as well as monthly trips that a couple times that included going to a farm to ride horses. SHe has been able to watch some of these kids turn their lives around, and thrive because of the influence she and her group had.

The intent is to have them read the book as a group, and discuss it's content.
Thanks again to Rodale for allowing me this opportunity. And thanks again to the participants, for all the hard work, and selfless devotion they have shared with us, and the world!

To see the original posts for this contest:
Blue Sweater Blog Post
TNBBC Contest rules

Best Glasses in Literature

Having relied on glasses to see my way through this world since the sixth grade, I was pleasantly pleased to see the four-eyed freaks of the literary world get a little recognition.


Check out the article from Guardian.co.uk, which I found while Tweeting.

Laptop Owners Unite!

Sadly, I do not own my own laptop. But if I did, I would absolutely order one of these covers. Aren't they lovely?



It's called BookBook and it's sold exclusively for MacBook and MacBookPro. I'm partial to the distressed black, myself....(((drools)))

Vampire Poetry!?!

Read 2/10/10 - 2/10/10
4 Stars- Strongly Recommended

Thanks to Ryan, who agreed to mail me out a copy of this book to review.

What's better than curling up with a book of poetry on a snowy evening? How about curling up with a book of Vampire poetry! Ryan Mecum has a way with words in this quirky collection of haiku's written by a man who was turned into a vampire buy the woman he loved. He chronicles his journey to America, and documents not only the search for his beloved, but also the times through which he exists, and his influence on historical moments.

Here are some of my favorite entries:

"How to eat someone:
Hold tight, bite neck, suck hard, drink.
Repeat as needed."

"Blood tastes like cherries
mixed with a lot of copper
and way too much salt."

"I don't get women.
I go and murder for love
and she's mad at me."

"I play with my food
by sucking blood through the holes
then blowing it back"

I am dying to get my hands on his Zombie Haiku. Who knew word groups of 5 - 7 - 5 could be so much fun?