Zoetrope All-Story Vol. 12, Number 4

For those of you who don't know Francis Ford Coppola's contribution to the world of literary magazines, well, you should. But this is a standout issue among the already exceptional. The stories, including those by April Wilder, Rachel Cusk and even old F. Scott F. himself look fantastic, but the reason that you're going to want to go and seek out a copy of your very own is so that you will have the photographs of rock musician Lou Reed in excellent prints in your own hot little hands.

I hope the cover photo I downloaded is at least tantalizing...

New to Me, 2008

Just about a month ago, Peter Rozovsky 'tagged' me to challenge me to come up with a list of authors that were new to me that I had read in 2008.You can read about the challenge here.

I got out of it at the time by citing Adrian McKinty's refusal of a similar challenge, where he pointed out that the year was not yet over. But as he has now posted his own Books of the Year, and 2008 is even now receding quickly into memory, I guess my excuses have now faded away.

In no particular order, then:

Gregoire Bouillier
Joseph O'Neill
Samuel Butler
Sara Gran
Shirley Abbott
Julian Rubenstein
Micah Perks
John Hubner
Heinrich Boll
Cory Doctorow
David Park
Jonathan Coe
Glenway Westcott
Adam Mansbach
Patrick McGrath
Zoe Heller
Matt Haig
Alaa Al Aswany
Amara Lakhous
Jean-Claude Izzo
Adrian McKinty
Gene Kerrigan
Declan Burke
Lorna Sage
Meg Rosoff
Zoe Heller
Rabih Alameddine

Slightly sketchy:
David Sedaris--I'd certainly read an essay or two before, but had never sat down and read through an entire book of his before.
Arthur Phillips--again, I'd made a start on a couple of things in the past, but hadn't gotten very far. Come to think of it, I didn't this time either. But paradoxically, the difference is that now I get him. So I think that rates something.
T.H. White--I know I read something as a kid, but The Once and Future King was a revelation to me as an adult.

Even more sketchy, because in some ways just more shameless self-promotion since these are my fellow authors in the Carpathian Shadows, Volume 2 anthology. But strictly speaking, it's true:

Carol A. Cole
Kevin Tipple
Kristin Johnson
Christine Barber
Donna Amato

Oh, and I shouldn't forget reading an entertaining novel by our publisher, Rob Preece.

Being somewhat lazy, I am not going to try to figure out the debut novelists here--I think this might be technically difficult to ascertain, and for the most part wouldn't apply anyway. As for tagging, well--if you even so much as glance at this blog, consider yourself tagged. And it's your solemn duty to report back here. Anonymity does not shield you from having to fulfill this requirement. It's in the blogger contract when you log on.

Just kidding, oh ye of trembling heart.

And the Bad Drives Out the Good...

I know that for all practical purposes, I should really leave my self-promotional entry for Carpathian Shadows, Volume 2 up through the holidays. But I really just can't resist posting this recent spam email I got, and beside you can always scroll down. I seem to have a weakness for this stuff, so I'm very much afraid that it may crowd out all those pieces of writing actually worthy of praise. Ah, well. You read the title.

This email comes from "Froebe Lewellyn" and it's subject is "Christmaas Night". Doesn't this already sound like a lovely European Felix Noel sort of scene?

True, the tone changes somewhat with the opening line "Girls will drop underwear for yyou!", followed by the appropriate link. But then this might be the best Christmaas gift that many could hope to receive, and far be it from me to judge.

And then we have a short cryptic--what?--poem? paragraph? story?

It was most touching to see how some of the rubber us a great
advantage, of which we did not fail the night after the
did she talk to you at all when she reached the carriage.
good morning, mrs my brother was killed, painlesslyi quite
painlessly

Don't you feel somehow that if you studied this long and hard, you might eventually render it comprehensible? Okay, you don't, but that's just because I gave you the heads up that it was spam.

"It was most touching to see how some of the rubber..."

"a great advantage, of which we did not fail"


"Did she talk to you at all when she reached the carriage?"

"Good morning,Mrs., my brother was killed, painlessly--quite painlessly."

There's a story in the gaps, I promise you.



Where do they get this stuff? And why? Does anybody know?

In any case, Feliz Navidad, Froebe Lewellyn, whoever and wherever, and I suppose I should add whatever you are. You will pardon me if I don't respond directly...

And now for a bit of shameless self-promotion

Updating to say that I do promise that this post will not remain prominent, though frankly, I can't see that I'm going to get around making a big change before the New Year, the holidays being what they are. So, in the meantime, I'm posting the link to Fictionwise, where you can get the anthology at a discount, and then rate it if you are so inclined.



Press Release:

"Carpathian Mountains, ancient castle, and unexpected overnight lodging creates havoc for some foreigners.

Carpathian Shadows: Volume Two follows the haunting aura of Lord Erdely from the Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania, Romania, and his mysterious castle.

Lord John Erdely lived in the 17th century and date of death never confirmed since no body has ever been found. It is rumored he dealt in black magic to suppress the ongoing collaboration of the churches to bring a unified religion to all people, a Greek Catholic practice.

Enter the present time…

All visitors staying in Cornifu Hotel are surprised with a mystery invitation for a one-day excursion to Erdely Castle. Befuddled but amused at the same time, they accept, unaware of the events to follow."

For the purposes of this post, the name of this blog should temporarily be "Things You Most Certainly and Without Any Doubt Have Missed", but it can't be helped. I recently submitted a story for the above named horror anthology. This, the second volume, which includes my story, came out on Halloween. It's in e-book format at the moment, and is available through booksforabuck.com, but will be available in print form in the very near future.

I'm editing this to add the Amazon link for the print version, should anybody be so inclined. It's here

The thing that makes this post a little less self-serving than it might initially seem is that there are five other writers, an editor and a publisher who have all worked hard on this book, and I'm happy to be in their company. My own story isn't the scariest in this collection, but I think it's all right in its way, and there are a couple of others that are more bone-chilling. A nice review was posted here:

Chris Chat

What I like about this review is that it recognizes the special qualities of each story. I'll post the ISBN for the printed version of the book here when it's out, but meanwhile do check out Rob Preece's excellent BooksforaBuck.com website,especially if you're interested in sci-fi, horror and/or romance...

Oh, and if the idea of this intrigues you, I expect you'll also want to check out
Carpathian Shadows, Volume One, also from BooksforaBuck.com, featuring four more authors tackling the same premise.

Reginald Shepherd

Reginald Shepherd, poet and critic, passed away on September 10th. He was 45. Although I am a relative newcomer to his life and thought, I found it compelling from "first contact" in an article he wrote for Poets and Writers about his biography early this year. To understate it, the odds were always greatly against him, and yet somehow he overcame to be a voice in the culture.

You can find his always stimulating blog here:

http://reginaldshepherd.blogspot.com/

There are two great poems and one incisive critique right there at the top, which is of course the very end of things. Many thanks to his partner, Robert Philen, for his work in posting last thoughts and for keeping this blog open so that people can grieve their loss communally.

Bach at Leipzig

I went last night to Shakespeare Santa Cruz, our annual summer play festival up in the redwood groves on the UCSC campus. (And if you think that sounds like an unreal experience, well, yes, it is.) Itzmar Moses recent play was held in the indoor theatre, which is just as well, as this more intimate setting is necessary for the total concentration it requires.

Now this may be a spoiler folks, but Bach is not actually a character in the play. He, or rather his music, is the atmosphere of the play. Among the many interesting things the play attempts to do, is to help the audience understand what a fugue is. In my opinion, it succeeds brilliantly.

Six--or is it seven?--musicians are hoping to acquire the post of organist of the Thomaskirche in Leipzig. That is probably all you need to know about the basic plot structure of the play. Everything else is elaboration.

It has had a great success here in Santa Cruz, deservedly so. This is the second play this year I have seen with an ensemble male cast, the other being the equally enjoyable The Seafarers and against my feminist instincts, I find this five or six person male ensemble idea a sound structure. It is not that there are no women in this world--but they are all addressed, mostly in fear and trembling, in absentia.

I think you could read this play and enjoy it. But it is a little like reading a score of music, and much more so in this instance than in the reading of other scripts. Reading can only take you so far--you have no idea of it's effect until you see it performed.

As Time Goes By

Well, it's been awhile. I am trying to keep this blog really focussed on things I feel that extra attachment to so I suppose it's bound to be more limited. Perhaps it will be surprising that this post mentions a television series. But I watched it again tonight and thought, no, it's right up there in the "things I love" category.

Although I do occasionally get addicted to unlikely TV series, I don't think there are really many apologies to be made for loving this one--not with Dame Judi Dench aboard. The premise of this one, for anyone who may have missed the frequent reruns on your local PBS affiliate, is that a man returning from life in Africa is reacquainted with a woman who runs a secretarial agency, and soon discovers that she is the same person he fell in love with when he was a young officer during WWII and she was a young nurse. Although there is a bittersweet note of lost chances running through this, it is essentially a comedy, and played by two actors with very great comic gifts, it inevitably leans in this direction.

I have tried to think what makes this rate a post here. I have mentioned it to friends who I thought would like it--they haven't. But I suspect they haven't seen it in the same light I have. People find each other again, certain misconceptions are patched up, love is rekindled, and there are a host of charming or eccentric secondary characters. The acting level is very high, the writing is up to the highest mark, and the timing is superb.

But all this is really secondary. What I really fall for is the reality of this little world of Jean and Lionel, and her daughter Judy, employee Sandy, publisher Alistair and so on and so on. It is convincing and complete, and a life that I would be happy to be invited into. It isn't everyone who gets a second chance at love in their senior years, but it is so nice to think of this household in their very comfortable London home, and wish that life for everyone had such a happy ending.