Friday 29 August 2008

Eviscerator Heaven

Really excited that Eviscerator Heaven are going to be running two of my pieces in Issue 4. Once again especially pleased with the lightening fast response time.

I am sure that this issue will have a great cast of writers. Issue 3 certainly does (at a quick glance): David McLean, Amanda Boschetto, Rob Plath, A.D. Hitchin, Jack Henry, Luis Cuauhttemoc Berriozabal, Karl Koweski, Si Philbrook, and others. So well worth checking out the free pdf download. You should be able to navigate to it from the link to Issue 2.

Tuesday 26 August 2008

Bad Marmalade

Very pleased that Bad Marmalade have just posted one of my pieces – Letter To A Stranger. There is a link on the right-hand side. It does lots of swearing and all that sort of jazz/jizz. My mummy does not like it. I have no idea why. I thought parents were supposed to encourage their offspring – not give them all sorts of negative feedback (and cut off their inheritance). I just think it frightfully ungrateful – I won’t be writing about her again, if this is the way she reacts. Except for that one where she gets her cock stuck in the vacuum cleaner.

On a separate note Linda J. Washington’s forthcoming book, Hybrid (d/e/a/d/b/e/a/t press), is going to be sporting the cover I designed – aren’t I clever and multitalented? Doing all that stuff with cover bleed and DPI as well the design.

I would say more about other stuff – but my laptop screen needs a good clean – Mr. McLean’s been talking dirty again.

Monday 25 August 2008

Review (of sorts): there’s a little hobo in my heart who forever gives the finger to humanity – rob plath

there’s a little hobo in my heart who forever gives the finger to humanity – rob plath – blackbook madness, vol. 1 (d/e/a/d/b/e/a/t press)

This, appropriately enough, is the first volume in the blackbook madness series – and a fucking-damned fine collection it is too.

Poems that burn with intensity and leave the scars indelibly branded in yr brain. Poems that attack the madness of the (m)asses, and most of the ‘underground’ pretenders, with the force of a clenched fist – not just in intent, but in the unrivalled style in which they are written. Poems that decimate the watered down talents and lives and ambitions of most of the written wastage that others outpour in the delusion that the recycling of pastiche has any kind of relevance to anyone. Poems that show if you punch those keys with enough anger that they can hit harder than any fist. Poems that question the futility, and the misguided clinging to hypocrisy and busyness, of the lives that many live, all the while unaware of the cadaver waking up inside them. Poems that show a genuine and unflinching bravery, but also can surprise with tenderness and real beauty, and sometimes open the trapdoors with the unbearably harrowing. Poems that can make you think. Poems that could make you change the way you look at life through the traditional lenses that distorts culturally accepted madness into accepted normality. Poems that you can read again and again and again.

But what poems are about, or what they represent to the different people who read them, amounts to nothing unless the actual poems themselves are good. And all of the poems in this collection are scorchingly brilliant. I have said elsewhere, in comment on one of Rob’s poems, that if he had decided to forge a career in advertising he would have been a millionaire – the sheer number of new, twisted, and exciting images and ideas that he comes up with in just one poem, would be more than enough for most other poets to fill an entire volume with. Thank fuck he writes poems, rather than adverts – although I suspect they would be the most disturbed adverts ever made.

The titles alone fuck all over the inarticulacy and unimagination of the many pretenders who can wear the clothes, and even walk the walk – but not, unfortunately, talk the talk. Titles like (and this is random): ‘a metaphor to get you through straight razor days’, 'flip your zippo, bitch & shut up’, ‘poetry is scars bathing in milk’, ‘hulk hogan & dry humping’, 'norman rockwell can go fuck himself’, or ‘ignoring sunsets & not admiring stars’

I would quote some examples. But I’m not going to. Enough fuckers read Rob’s stuff for free, on his own sites, and in the many journals he has been published in – you should just fucking buy the book. There is a link on the right to d/e/a/d/b/e/a/t press.

For anyone unaware of Rob’s work there are examples in the two linked sites in the Highly Recommended Writer’s section.

Friday 22 August 2008

Sein Und Werden

Considering that getting into the journals and magazines that I really like is the only thing that prevents erectile dysfunction from completely dominating my life – you can imagine the throbbing tumescence that I am currently experiencing as a result of having a written piece – The Witch’s Keys - going in the print edition of the next Sein Und Werden AND some art – Postcard Of The Hanging – going up on the next online edition of same journal. And further considering that there was already a sizeable semi defiantly lingering from being in the last print edition of SuW – I would advise clicking on the link for that edition – both online and print being very excellent. There is a small review of the content of the print somewhere in the past posts.

I will have something much more sensible (depending on my mood or state of inebriation) to say when the issue goes live.

I’m just saying – YEAH, really -- loud and proud.

Monday 18 August 2008

Neonbeam 6

Most wonderfully pleased and excited that one of my stories is going to be in Neonbeam 6. This is always a great publication – and the print version of Neonbeam 5 (which I was lucky enough to be in too) is the best printed object that my stuff has appeared in – so I am pretty confident that Sammi will be doing a great job with the new one. Because issue six is the next issue that means that issue five is the current issue. (For the benefit of Amanda Boschetto’s husband.)

I will be saying more about this issue when it comes out – and provide links and all that jazz. I am positive that it will have great stuff in it. There are links to either the free download or print version of issue 5 on the right.

Sunday 10 August 2008

Zygote In My Coffee

Oh yeah!!! Zygote In My Coffee is up and online, and I got one of my things in this. I am pretty damned pleased about that. There is a link on the right if you want to know about my erectile dysfunction. Or you can send me a private message and I can send you the pictures. Seriously, this issue gives me a real boner. Stuff by Jack Henry, Lisa LaTourette, and many others, plus the regular columns, Bat Shit Crazy by Misti Rainwater-Lites, and Observations of a Dumb Polack by Karl Koweski.

Info about the ‘69’ flipbook chap series too.

And archives of Rob Plath’s and Jack Henry’s internet radio show.

Zygote is always one cool mofo – so check it out, fuckers…

Friday 8 August 2008

Clockwise Cat

At a time when my life is going seriously off the rails (not such a bad thing to deal with for myself – even suicide only brings forward the inevitable – prevents the nasty gods from killing you with cancer – but somewhat disturbing because of the damage to others), and a time when I have not been writing shit, not really been reading shit, not really been submitting shit, not really been doing anything other than spinning plates on a tightrope (and no funumbalist I), it seems like one of my older pieces has gone up at Clockwise Cat. Something I would not have been aware of if I had not been stalking McLean’s blogspot (although I still have not found the Go Private button).

There is a link on the right for Clockwise Cat. And link on the right for Autoerotic Elegies if you want to see if you can find the Go Private button.

Also in this issue – which (of course) I have not had time to fully read – I find there to be an excellent piece by Craig Sernotti, some fuckery by Jack Henry [ahah], three poems by Luis Cuauhtemoc Berriozabal, and best of all, a review of Misti Rainwater-Lites’ Dripping Milk by David McLean. The book sounds great, and the review manages to review Misti’s work, and give a great glimpse into the seriously maladjusted (by conventional standards – so, therefore, pretty fucking well-adjusted, by my standards) attitudes of the man that both Sweden and Wales are proud to have has their ambassador.

Loads of other stuff. Poems, and stories (some themed with an absurd bent, some not), reviews (of books and music), visual art, polemics and essays. I know I will be eager to read more – so get some pussy by clicking that link. And do it now.

Tuesday 5 August 2008

MungBeing 21

I am very excited to have Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite! just go up at MungBeing 21, along with some artwork (Pablo Fanque’s Circus). There’s all sorts of stuff going on in this piece – click on the link on the right for your free ticket.

I would say more about my piece – but I am much more excited that Jennifer Chesler’s work, Thanatopsis, is also in this issue. The sheer beauty, and note perfect, writing is simply breathtaking. Don’t read what I have to say about it – read the piece instead. There is a direct link to her work on MungBeing in the Highly Recommended Writers section on the right-hand side.

I would urge you to read the other pieces as well…

Pam and Brad (MungBeing 19)
Sickening Remains (MungBeing 18)
Deux (MungBeing 17)
Skeleton Shmeleton (MungBeing 17)
Transcript of Interview with Jennifer Sparks "Immortals Are Not Our Gods" (MungBeing 15)

…you will not regret it. Unless you don’t like things that are too good. Unless your ego is threatened by real genius.

THE – Quotes Issue

Most excellent!!!

Despite not been sending much stuff out recently – got another piece gone up at THE. For the Quotes issue. Sandwiched between Lincoln and Goethe quotes is something that I wrote ages ago. Given the ignorant and hypocritical clacking jaws of the press, starting up once again, about the McCanns – somewhat topical. Seems like not knowing things, and not knowing people, is the ultimate authority to pass judgement.

My thing is called News of the World. Link on the right.

Also work by:

Matt Finney – And Afterward – he kicks off with a Hemingway quote.

Howie Good – A Great Perhaps – assembled like a good kind of Frankenstein’s monster from the last words of Leonard Bernstein, Jean Cocteau, Marco Polo, Richard Halliburton, George Engel, L. Frank Baum, Vincent van Gogh, Theodore Roosevelt, Rabelais, and Heinrich Heine.

David Lawrence – Dissent – about a button that says “Dissent is patriotic” and some strong musings on much stuff.

Todd Moore – dillinger ds – pretty damned cool by my tastes.

Monday 4 August 2008

Bad Marmalade

Always very pleased to have my stuff go up on Bad Marmalade – a rather out of character piece – Old People In Love – just gone up – link on right. There is a cool illustration by John Mingo to go with it.

There will be another piece going up there during Flash Fiction Week.

Doubly pleased, therefore.