Vigorously Lazy

While scouring the webs yesterday I came across this video of recent contributor Joe Meno reading from his new book.

Joe has been kicking ass lately. Makes me feel like a proud poppa. Even though he’s seven or eight years my senior. And is my former teacher. And has published a bajillion more things than I ever have or will. And has met Salman Rushdie.

Proud poppa nonetheless.

Beautiful creepy crawlies from beneath the sea await you at Ben Lawson’s portfolio site.

Steve Harvey can best be described as “whatever” boarding on “unfunny and annoying” and I don’t really know what kind of self-help bullshit he’s peddling with this book, but I chose this cover to bring up the issue of people putting themselves on their own book covers. Generally you’ll find this concept is usually practiced in nonfiction. I’m not sure if a fiction author has ever done it, but I’d love to meet the guy or gal who has the balls or ovaries to do it. I don’t know why but I easily see one of those grocery store/airport authors like Grisham or Stephen King to be the ones to do it.

Anyway, this is a practice mostly held by TV or Movie personalities to help sell books. But there’s a thread of commonality that I’ve noticed in it: Douchebags put themselves on the covers of their own books. Lots of conservative pundits serve as examples:

We finally caught up to the 90’s and launched a Facebook page. To celebrate, NASA launched a shuttle off in our honor. Chase has some better pics here.

So, yeah, we’re on the Facebooks now. Check us out here. Go ahead and friend us. Or “face” us, or “poke” us or whatever it is you’re supposed to do on this thing.

Illustrator Aleks Sennwald does a lot of kick-ass freelance work, but his drawings are something to stop and take a look at.

Okay, I’ve been feeling like a douche for doing a lot of re-posting lately. Things have been somewhat quiet on the magazine front since the launch. I’m gonna get off my ass and show you some good original stuff soon. Just you wait.

A lot of ladies are into quilting these days, but none of them have taken the craft to such surreal and extravagant heights as California artist Sarah Moli Newton Applebaum.

Things have been slow over at Annalemma for the past couple of weeks. I’m going to upload some new shizz in the next few weeks.

This week’s entry is a little bit biased. I’ve known some of the Featherproof guys and gals for a little bit and Mr. Zach Plague had a novel excerpt in issue #3 (which is on sale btw).

Amelia Gray’s first book, AM/PM, is a semi-connected collection of flash pieces, one per page, each of them packing a huge punch in each paragraph. My favorite so far is an entry that tells of a PDF file that is a symbol for love. Keep an eye on this book and this author. Both are poised for blow-up status.

The aforementioned Mr. Plague is responsible for the pen-and-paper cover drawing. Simple, effective, charming, interesting, and accessible. Well done Zach.

So I’m in the midst of sifting through submissions for issue #5 and this process has compelled me to go on a bit of a tirade about the business of writing good stories. Seems that some of you submitters out there have forgotten some fundamental principles of good storytelling so I thought it would be in both of our best interests if we took a little trip to Writing Day Camp.

Here is what you are about to say:
“Who the fuck is this guy telling me how to write good stories? I’m already a good writer. I drink and I smoke and I read Chuck Palahniuk. End of discussion. I’m a fuckin’ writer.”

Take it easy. I promise you will get something out of this. And if you don’t then, well, you can punch me in the arm at about 40 percent. No, 30 percent.

Also, I wanted to do a “list” kind of post cause apparently they’re really popular with internet nerds and I want to drive up my hits. Tryin’ to make dat internet money son!
(ahem) Sorry. Let’s begin…

My friend Tito and I were talking about paintings and stuff this weekend. He’s been saying how he’s over portraits, that he needs more than just a face. I told him an image with a person in it is way more interesting to me than one without. He agreed but said that there’s things that the portrait doesn’t capture, like gesture and connections. I’d say that Rune Guneriussen has accomplished specifically what me and Tito were looking for: Gesture and connection without humans. Or something like that, I dunno. Check him out. He plays with light really well.

Still tweaking that big post I mentioned Friday. I’ll try to get it ready for tomorrow.