Ninth Letter Spring/Summer Issue

The Spring/Summer issue of Ninth Letter is out, featuring work by yours truly. The magazine has a great new look. You can check out some sample spreads here.

Thanks in advance for buying dozens and dozens of copies and throwing a series of really elaborate Ninth-Letter-themed dinner parties to which only your most good-looking friends will be invited.

Boswell

Currently reading Boswell by Stanley Elkin. It's pretty fantastic. Elkin's work couldn't be more underrated if it tried.

Emerging! Writers! Network! Post! About one of my stories!: Grabby Subtitle

Michael Czyzniejewski just wrote a ridiculously nice post about one of my stories for the Emerging Writers Network. You can check out the post here. This means a lot to me, and not just because my entire personality is basically a bottomless pit of attention-seeking behavior - but because I admire Mike's work a lot.

If you haven't checked out his book, it's fantastic. You should also check out this new anthology he's in, which also features Aimee Bender, Stuart Dybek, Michael Martone, Benjamin Percy, and pretty much all the people whose stories you want to rub all over your face.

Anyway, I've worked under Mike both as a student and as an assistant editor at Mid-American Review. In the process, he has taught me an insane amount about writing stories. Not just about craft stuff, but about how stories should fit into your life, and what you should be willing to risk if you want to write them well. In short, he's one of the good guys.

Also, a quick note about the Emerging Writers Network: this site is a lot of fun and is a great way to find out about writing you might not hear about otherwise. If you poke around, I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised.

By the way

Have you looked at the top of this blog lately? If not, take a gander. Isn't it amazing? Isn't it more than amazing? In terms of over all aesthetic, this new header makes the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel look like a brochure for satellite television.

Of course, I can't take any credit for it. It was put together by Brent Van Horne, who's a stand-up guy. Also, Van Horne has a story in the most recent issue of The Madison Review, which I will write a proper post about once I get my grubby little hands on a copy - but the story is bound to be fantastic.

That's all for now. Keep your eyes peeled.

Blog Love

In news that probably wouldn't excite a person with normal priorities, I've been told that Ninth Letter has begun linking to this blog on their blog. So don't worry, that funny feeling you got the last time you were on the Internet was just the stray vibes that resulted from Ninth Letter's blog and my blog falling madly in love with each other.

Suggested use:

1.) Go to Ninth Letter's blog and click on my name.

2.) Once you've clicked on my name and have arrived safely at this blog, click on Ninth Letter's name.

3.) Repeat these steps until your computer breaks, at which point you will be of no use to anyone.

Oh! And this also means, I assume, that Ninth Letter now endorses all the opinions expressed on this blog. Especially the controversial ones. That is a tremendous step toward legitimacy for me, as well as for my one-man campaign to disband the United Nations and replace it with a Scientologist think-tank.

Anyway, I should also take this opportunity to remind you that I've got some work forthcoming in the next issue of Ninth Letter and that I couldn't be more excited about it. Keep your eyes peeled!