Tuesday 22 July 2008

Eviscerator Heaven – Issue #2

Most pleased that the very talented A.J. Kaufmann has included my piece in the second edition of Eviscerator Heaven. A wonderfully quick response – and the thing is already available as a free pdf download. Click on the right to get words for free.

That most well endowed word stud, David McLean, tells us what Love Is at the start, and I give you A Good Fisting at the end. I therefore like to think of this thing as a sandwich – with the work of Ray Swaney, Yvon Cormier, Howie Good, Ray Succre, Corey Mesler, David LaBounty, Luis Cuauhtemoc Berriozabal, Felino Soriano, Amanda Faith, Travis Blair, Richard Wink, Brittony Fay Johnson, and Michael Aaron Casares providing the filling.

When I was younger I always wanted a sandwich with Anita Pallenberg and Michele Breton - with me as the filling. Or with Edie and Nico. But Eviscerator Heaven looks pretty tasty – and you can dine out for free. And a hell of a lot more savoury than what a sandwich with Edie and Nico would be like now.

Friday 18 July 2008

Bad Marmalade

Very excited to have another one of my pieces accepted by Bad Marmalade for forthcoming use. They are also calling for more submissions of Flash Fiction to be used sometime in August. The most popular pieces will end up in the forthcoming fiction booklet – to be distributed free in a few major cities in the UK. So if you think that kind of exposure might be a good thing – send your best stuff to Jim at Bad Marmalade. There is a link on the right (to one of my older pieces) Blood On The Tracks – you should be able to navigate to the submission email address from there.

Sunday 13 July 2008

THE – Theme Issue

Exceptionally pleased that THE have accepted another one of my pieces for the upcoming theme issue – Quotes. I think the deadline is August 1st for submitting poetry or flash for this theme. Previously published is ok and there are full guidelines for submission on the site – check out the link on the right for details. If they get enough good submissions there will be a printable download, and if not, accepted pieces will just go up online. Some good people have been in THE – so why not check it out?

Sunday 6 July 2008

Eating Your Night – David McLean – Papadildo Press

Paperback book £6.61 / $12
Available now from lulu
109 pages, 8.5" x 11", and nice shiny black wipe-clean cover


This is another absolutely excellent collection of poems. My intention was to read the entire thing before posting any kind of review. But that was not to be. And the reason is the same reason you should stick your hand in your pocket and buy this book.

Sure, with over 550 published poems all over the web and in print, you can read some of his work for free, but having this stuff in print, and being able to take your time over each one is a pretty awesome experience. And being able to reread the things is bloody rewarding too.

The scope of many of the poems would render any attempt at a conventional review longer than the book itself. Check out what I have said about just one poem included in Sein and Werden (previous post) and you might get an idea of what I’m talking about. Better still, if you are from Mars, and have not read his work, click a few links on his blogspot (link on right-hand side) for a quick taste, and then get your sweaty paws on this book, and fucking feast.

Check out the disturbed deviant’s site for more info – about this book, and review by Misti Rainwater-Lites - and for reasons why you should part with some more cash for Cadaver’s Dance (Whistling Shade Press) which is also out, and available for purchase at Amazon.com and Alibris.com.

Up The Staircase

I am very pleased to have my story Bad Touch just go up in the Summer Issue of Up The Staircase. There is a link on the right-hand side. Looks like there is plenty of good stuff in this thing. Particularly enjoyed Melissa Mann’s story Touch Sensitive, and pleased to see poetry there by Gillian Prew and Samantha Ledger. Plenty of other stuff too, that I have not had time to read yet. Essays and literary reviews as well.

Saturday 5 July 2008

Debris Magazine

I am absolutely delighted to have had my short story – Conversations With Mother – just go up in the Summer issue of Debris Magazine. It is another great publication, which I am very proud to have my work in.

Also up are short stories by Aleathia Drehmer, Teresa Tumminello Brader, and Carl Palmer. All of which are excellent. Poetry and prose, artwork, reviews, and travel writing also in this issue. Be sure to check it out. Link on the right.

THE

I am very pleased and excited to have two pieces up at THE – a flash fiction piece ‘My Sister’ and a poem ‘She Said She Said’. There is a link down below. There is plenty of good stuff to be read there too - including four things by Misti Rainwater-Lites, one by Jack Henry, two poems by editor Craig Seronotti, and three poems by David McLean (just to whet your appetite before you buy Cadaver’s Dance – which is now up at amazon.com and alibris.com – more details to follow). As said, lots of other stuff too – a great site – and bloody brilliant response time.

MungBeing

I am most excited to have both Ignorant Art Ism (a more than slightly perverse write) and Transmigration Triptych – The Abhorrence of Symmetry (artwork) in MungBeing 20. There is a link on the right – should you feel so inclined. And why the fuck would you not? This is an excellent multi-media site – and all of the issues contain some great work.

Please search out Jennifer Chesler on MungBeing and read all of her pieces there. There is also a link on the right-hand side in the Highly Recommended Writers section. She is (and by far) the most outstanding and exciting literary talent I have ever read. And this is not on of those prevaricating ‘one of the best’ type statements casually written on the back of novels. On discovering her work about a year ago, I was instantly of the opinion that she is the most important artist writing today. Nothing I have read since has come close to altering my opinion.

The linked pieces only represents a small taste of the most astounding body of work I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

Neonbeam 5

I have just received my copy of Neonbeam 5 – and this thing looks really great – 8 ½” square – nice shiny cover – looks a bit like a graphic comic book– with cover art (Girl in the Fire) by Scott Springer – the double column layout inside really suits the pieces – and many internal illustrations. There is, as mentioned before, a free pdf download available – but this is a really nice object to be in possession of. And priced at £3.51 (probably about $7) – this book is a great bargain. 78 pages of entertainment! I get described as ‘insanely talented’ in the introduction – so a book with great understated integrity.

My short story ‘Almost Lovers’ twists around the various preconceptions and prejudices in typically sublime style! Also includes three excellent poems by Rob Plath (‘hulk hogan & dry humping’, ‘who the hell is groucho marx?’, and ‘wine compass’), two awesome poems by the deranged deviant David McLean (‘i do not’ and ‘words are like snow’). There is also an interview the mad fucker, in which he talks about alcohol, religion, philosophy, poets, myspace, age, what makes him happy (and surprisingly this is not something illegal), and other stuff. There are also two photos (one which looks supremely demented) that will defy even the most heterosexual men not to facepaint.

There is a great introduction ‘Parity for Squares!’, by Neonbeam editor, Sammi Leng, a dark humour/mixed genre story by Gregory L. Hall (Death Farm), poetry by Felino Soriano, The Doomsday Book by George O’Gorman is a very non-standard story that involves the Holy Grail, poetry by Robert S. King, an interview with Jeremy C. Shipp (author of the novel ‘Vacation’, novella ‘Flapjack’ – featured in the Bizarro Starter Kit, and writer of short film ‘EGG’), poetry from William Doreski, a wonderful short story ‘Bath Time at La Chapel Blanche’ by Richard James (somewhat in the territory of Murakami – but still uniquely his own style), poetry from Colin James, ‘What Lies Beneath’ is a great story by Paul Weinburg that is hard to say too much about without giving away many of its secrets, poetry by Aaron A. Polson and Bruce Harris, a delightful short story by Sammi Leng herself – A Matter of Taste – a story very much to my tastes, ‘ID’ by Peter A. Balaskas is a longer fictional piece which starts with a Shakespeare quote about killing all lawyers – certainly made me warm to the piece straight away, poetry by Darryl Salach and Alan King, and a very intriguing story by William de Rham (‘Last Run in Zermatt’).

There are links to both the free download and for purchasing in print on the right-hand side. Considering how good this thing is in print, and the price, I would recommend the later most heartily. Spend money and kill trees, I say.

Cherrypicked Hands

The debut issue of Cherrypicked Hands has just gone up online – link on the right – not had time to read what is there yet – but a quick glance reveals that David McLean, Stacy L. Welch, Richard Wink, and Simon Philbrook are in this issue – so it’s got to be good. My own piece is called The Time Accountant – a celebration of life and conventional work and of the human spirit. Or probably not. Misanthropic humanist is what I am.

Zygote in my Coffee

Most excited to have one of my things accepted by Zygote in my Coffee. I am sure I will have much to say about this issue when it goes up – there is always plenty of great stuff in Zygote – columns as well as stories and poems and stuff. You should check out the current issue – click the link – and then click on the nude chick…

Sein Und Werden

Sein Und Werden – Summer 2008 – Sein, Cos, Tan – is now out and available to buy in print. Just read through my contributor’s copy this morning – and it is quite a trip. Editor, Rachel Kendall, has just gone straight into my top ten of awesome women, purely as a result of producing such an exciting, and absorbing, collection.

Filled with short stories, flash, poems, and the magnificently indefinable, it is a collection that can provide entertainment beyond a single read. It is about 58 pages – but starts on minus figures – and sticks two fingers up at any conventions. Includes graphs. And diagrams. And equations (like mystical runes). And artwork. The written pieces touch on surrealism, abstactism, jism, existentialism, and many other isms. Some very clever fuckers have contributed to this – but all highly readable, and thought provoking.

Surrealistic Pillow Book is my own contribution. It includes accountancy terminology among other things.

Matrices, by David McLean, steals the show – a bit of an epic – that covers so many things: Sheol, Nivea, a possible Placebo reference, philosophy, religion, meaning (and lack off), words in latin (and italics), and joyfully blasphemous depravity, just to list a few. A fucking ‘meaty’ read, that turns seamlessly from the profound, to the obscure, to the outrageously funny, and back again.

The Potter, by Brenton Rossow, and Shadows by V Ulea (Vera Zubarev), were both particularly engaging, and moving. Pathology Sex Monsters, by Ross Brodie, is an absolute scream – a great use of scientific and biological terminology to describe some hardcore fucking.

The entire thing is highly refreshing because of the many approaches, and styles.

The online edition – with different content – is also very much worth checking out.

There is a link on the right to Sein Und Werden – current issue – for browsing the online content – and info on how to part with £3/$6/3.90 Euros (+p&p). There is also information about the theme for the autumn issue – why not unleash your own madness?

Full list of contributors:

J E Stanley
Pablo Vision
Jane Thompson
Andrew Lundwall
Sherry Musick
Aaron A Polson
Irene Frenkel
V Ulea
John Brewer
David McLean
Ross Brodie
Adam Hinton
B Drew Collier
Juliet Cook
Brenton Rossow
A J Kirb
Rachel Kendall

Parasitic

There is a new issue of Parasitic up (there is a direct link on the right-hand side) – and I am very pleased and proud to have my work included.

The current issue includes:

New Header Image by Shaun Garrod
gretchen by karl koweski
wrong by melissa mann
damaged girl pablo vision
the girl with pink socks by mikael covey

and previous work includes:

First Line Last – A Cut-Up

by Yu-Han Chao, Joe Dunthorne, Paul Ewen, Steve Finbow, Amy Guth, Stewart Home, Travis Jeppesen, Paul Kavanagh, Haidee Kruger, Toby Litt, Melissa Mann, Martin Millar, Ben Myers, Kevin O’Cuinn, Joseph Ridgwell, Adelle Stripe

William Burroughs cut ups

Summer ‘87 by Matthew David Scott

Vortex by A.J. Kaufmann

Me, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Zsa Zsa Gabor’s Daughter by Joseph Ridgwell

‘Western Night’ by Rob Plath

Parasitic is clearly some monster beast – and Zack Wilson has done an excellent job in attracting such a stellar list of writers – and been especially kind in allowing a dumb chancer like me to share this stage. Considering this must only be the second time I have not offered cash or sexual favours along with my submission – I am a bit pleased.

Don’t read this – read Parasitic – all of it – and then send them you very best stuff.

BLANK (B&W Film Short, 22 mins)

And just because I get bored, I do get bored, in the flatfield, etc. I remembered that I’ve got an additional music credit – under yet another pseudonym – in Steven Young’s ‘BLANK’ (2002, 22 mins) – shown at Slamdance Festival Utah, Kinofilm Festival Manchester, Toronto Online Festival (winner dark-edged short), and several airings on Propeller TV. My own contribution, it has to be said, is somewhat minimal, more sound effects, than music, but I think this film is excellent.

BLANK includes drug-addled vampires, psychotic wheelchair-bound swingers, testosterone-crazed neighbours, bugs, transvestites, and a demented, and truly disturbing, preacher. Filmed in black and white, it is intensely claustrophobic, unsettling, displacing, and disturbing. Watch out, too, for some highly specialised porn – the film is not without humour – I recall having the mock-ups for these magazines lying around when my mother came to visit – but it is not like I have any kind of reputation to uphold so don’t remember giving any explanation. Early on in the film, a very irritating neighbour appears – accompanied with a very, and purposefully, irritating jazz soundtrack – much satisfaction was had by creating this ‘muzak’ – however, please do not let this put you off watching beyond these early scenes.

To watch the film in full (22 minutes – remember?) click on the ‘BLANK’ link on the right-hand side.

Don’t you fancy a change from seeing words? Don’t you get bored in the flatfield?

His other films include ‘HALY SAINT’ (2004, 33 mins) – shown at New York Film Festival, Glastonbury Film Festival, and Fantastic Film Festival Manchester. His latest film ‘ABSENTIA’ (2007, 60 mins) is a unique marionette science fiction odyssey – it is also as mad as fuck. Earlier films include ‘HEADS’ which involves aliens invading Earth in search of drugs and sex – I used to have the full-sized prop – the swinging pub sign for ‘The Tethered Freak’ in my old house. I also recall his teenage effort ‘JURASSIC LAWN’ being piss funny – but we all did a lot of acid and speed and weed then – and we were young. [Because we're young, because we're gone/we'll take the tide's electric mind, oh yeah? oh yeah! Because we're young, because we're gone/we'll scare the skies with tiger's eyes, oh yeah? oh yeah!] But I am a sad old bastard now.

Steven Young also used to front ‘The Big White Stairs’ – psychedelic art-rockers – with several sessions on Mark Radcliffe’s evening slot on Radio 1 – and is still actively involved in ‘The Magic Otters’, among other projects. He was the drummer for Space Head’s Roadburn Festival (Holland) appearance (along with Hawkwind and Ozric Tentacles, etc). He also produced and recorded an attempted resurrection of ‘The World of Twist’ from his own studios – fronted by the late Tony Ogden (famous for wearing a leather shirt in Dry Bar/ The Hacienda [Manchester, so much to answer for] – before the fairly legendry appearance performing The Storm on Channel 4’s The Word).

Heroin Love Songs

Journal of Heroin Love Songs is now up online and print version available to buy – links to both options on the right.

The print version is priced at £3.16 and this is what you get:

Printed: 60 pages, 8.5" x 11", saddle-stitch binding, black and white interior ink.

“A journal of avant-garde, underground, no bullshit, fuck you poetry from around the world.”


This great new venture by Jack Henry kicks off with a stellar list of contributors – really pleased to have my work included alongside David McLean, Rob Plath, Amanda Boschetto, Misti Rainwater-Lites, and very pleased that the great author, and writer of prose, Verless Doran has debased himself enough to write poesy and get his work in this thing. With so much stuff going on right now – I have not had time to read all of this – but the full list of keyboard-bashers is:

george wallace
zach moll
zack popour
kami
danielle rose
allorah wyman
michael grover
dan provost
puma perl
david mclean
jason “juice” hardung
misti rainwater-lites
pablo vision
leigh pierce
rob plath
lester allen
craig sernotti
rose morales
linda j washington
wayne moser
thamyris jones
simon philbrook
amanda boschetto
yvon cormier
verless doran


I think there will be another issue in August – so start saving up your best stuff…

Bad Marmalade

I am also very pleased that one of my things is going to be in Bad Marmalade again – this extraordinarily energetic multimedia site is always a vibrant place to visit – and they are very supportive of their artists.

Various Stuff

Exceptionally pleased that the awesome Clockwise Cat have been kind enough to take We Look Like Someone You Would Not Want To Meet for issue ten. Clockwise Cat is always well worth a visit. As well as poetry and prose, there are reviews of books that you would probably want to spend money on by that temptress David McLean.

Up The Staircase have been kind enough to use Bad Touch for their upcoming summer issue.

Melissa Mann has recorded an audio version of my story A Day In The Life (the piece chosen by guest editor Mark SaFranko for inclusion in Beat The Dust.

A secret glimpse of my world is now showcasing in The New York Review – written by a great friend – and talented writer – Mark Mika - you can check it out in the Lies That People Have Told About Me section. I am optimistic that there might be other pieces about me elsewhere in the future. I like being a muse. It is so much easier than writing myself. And I make a great muse. I am beautiful and with many levels of intrigue and almost blindly brilliant talent. And my unassuming down-to-earth nature make me a very accessible and identifiable superhero for the plebs and the (m)asses.

Explorsion are using some of my artwork for their forthcoming print edition. There may be a gallery showing – but I am having difficulty keeping track of all that is going on. Whatever happens, I’m pretty excited about this.

My work is to be included in the forthcoming Dogzplot Flash Fiction Anthology – this should be available to buy in paperback form in July – more info in the dedicated blog.

Friday 4 July 2008

Instant Pussy

Information about Instant Pussy – put together by the absolutely awesome Misti Rainwater-Lites. There are links to both options somewhere on the right. I would also recommend putting Misti’s name into the search-box – and taking a look at the many wonderfully titled works available to buy there.

But, back to the pussy:

Instant Pussy NuMeRo uNo w/out artwork – purchasing (£3.30) or free download

Printed: 73 pages, 6" x 9", perfect binding, black and white interior ink


This version does not contain any eyeball raping artwork or pornography. This would make an excellent chew toy for your poodle or whatever kind of dog or other animal you call your own.


Instant Pussy NuMeRo uNo w/ artwork – purchasing (£10.10) or free download

Printed: 92 pages, 6" x 9", perfect binding, full-colour interior ink

This right here is the reincarnation of Instant Pussy, ya'll. Not just anybody can get inside the Pussy. Only the sexy people. And, of course, DOES contain the eyeball raping artwork or pornography. Including a nude chick w/ dick (or man w/ tits – whichever way you care to define). I always wondered what Jack Henry really looked like. Now I know.


Contains work by Rob Plath, David Mclean, Amanda Boschetto, w. alt burns, Karl Koweski, Juliet Cook, Jack Henry, and many, many others. Loads of good stuff in this – so good that I have some regrets about being completely intoxicated when I wrote and submitted my pieces. Oh well, you gotta live dangerously.


My own pieces are Bad Shit And Angelina Jolie and Time Travellers From The Future – and they have been kind enough to use some artwork too. It is, of course, absolutely great to be in the Pussy.