cover art for david mclean’s of dead snakes – rain over bouville publications

Very excited to have been invited to do the cover art for David McLean’s forthcoming book “of dead snakes” (Rain Over Bouville Publications).

As some may know/suspect, I spend a lot of time painting David’s face on the computer – but usually when I get caught in the act of doing this, it results in being called pervert, and barred from various internet cafés. This time, my latest release is not going to ooze down the screen, but be on the cover of the demented, depraved, deviant’s book.

You should buy this book when it comes out – which should be very, very soon.

But don’t just take my word for it – Misti Rainwater-Lites and Constance Stadler want you to buy it too – it says so here (along with other essential info).

Being a bit of a fucktard I have no idea how to upload images here at any kind of reasonable resolution – so the cover art can be viewed here.

Clockwise Cat

Clockwise Cat has struck issue number twelve and very pleased that my piece “Damaged Girl” is here.

I reviewed some books written by other people. Buying books can help the authors buy expensive drugs, and it helps kills trees. Trees take oxygen out of the atmosphere and replace it with carbon monoxide. So that’s two reasons for buying books. Other reasons can be found by reading reviews.

There is a review of the deranged and demented David McLean’s Pushing Lemmings here. There is a review of the angelic Amanda Boschetto’s Angels in Hell here. And there is a review of Christopher Nosnibor’s The Plagiarist here. Christopher has previously expressed an impatience to read my posthumous work – so I consider it my duty to continue with my 60 cigarettes a day habit.

There is an impressive list of contributors – but because my fingers are too cold to type – I will just say be sure to check it out – and mention that the prominent promoter of the pope, David McLean, has a sizeable number of poems there, and several reviews, including one for the wonderful Sein und Werden, which can be read here. The review is for the Memento Mori issue, and very astutely describes my own complex relationship with the Lord.

I have heard and seen herds of Christians sing ‘The Lord Is My Shepherd’ with great gusto. Rejoice, sheep, rejoice.

Anyway, back to Clockwise Cat, and a post with a lot of here’s – one can read a story about ‘me’ by Mark Mika here. Mark specially commissioned Goya to do the illustration for this piece.

frostbitten – mark walton – epic rites press

Very excited to have been invited to do the artwork and design for the Workers In Blood chapbook series (Epic Rites Press). The first one in the series will be Mark Walton's Frostbitten.

The artwork can be seen here – just scroll down a bit (the artwork for Rob Plath’s A Bellyful Of Anarchy is also on this page).

But, books are about content – not covers – so I’ll echo and endorse what is being said at Epic Rites about Frostbitten:

"Friedrich Nietzsche wrote: "Of all that is written I love only what a man has written with his blood. Write with blood and you will discover that blood is spirit." The epic rites workers in blood chapbook series showcases work by artists whose medium is blood.

The first entry in the series is Frostbitten by Mark Walton, winner of the 2008 London Poetry Slam! Championship. Mark does not merely write with blood, he wields his pen like a scalpel - marbling away fat and dead tissue with surgical precision.

Frostbitten is not merely a collection of poetry, it's the literary equivalent of open heart massage.

Frostbitten will be available in February 2009 from the epic rites bookstore, Amazon, CreateSpace and other venues yet to be announced. The price is $10 USD. A percentage from every book sold will be donated to Mark's favourite charity, the Terrence Higgins Trust, a charitable organization that helps those affected by HIV/AIDS. Thus, every book purchase will not only support Mark's work, epic rites press, but also a lot of individuals who could really use a bit of help."

I'll just add that there will be some really strong and exciting work coming out in this series – and this is going to be a killer book to launch it.

***

Massive cheers to Wolfgang Carstens at Epic Rites – the amount of work he has done in the last few weeks is simply astounding: a multitude of things going on at the Epic Rites site, many exciting books forthcoming, two different online journals (The Thin Edge of Staring and the second issue of Epic Writes online), and much more besides.

There is a link to Epic Rites on the right – and always loads of exciting stuff going on – be sure to check it out regularly.

Epic Rites Journal #2

Tremendously excited that the second Epic Rites Journal is up and live. A stellar line up of writers – with poetry and prose by the likes of Rob Plath, RD Armstrong, Mark Walton, Misti Rainwater-Lites, Erin Reardon, Tracy Landers, Dale Winslow, Chris Madoch, Mike Meraz, Karl Koweski, William Taylor Jr, DW Rindahl, Zack Wilson, Michael Keenaghan, Jason “Juice” Hardung, Wolfgang Carstens, Melissa Hanson, Craig Podmore and Jack Henry.

My piece – The Great Religion – can be read here. An awesome reading of the piece can also be heard here.

The journal also includes three fascinating and candid interviews with Andrew Taylor (Erbacce Press), RD Armstrong (Lummox Press), and Jack Henry (d/e/a/d/b/e/a/t press).