A writer friend of mine, Mathilde Von Vandervonelschnitz, has joined MySpace. Welcome, Mathilde!
She, as you may know, is the mastermind wordsmith behind the chronicles to be featured on www.pukacorn.com. As she would say, enjoy her. And, sincerely.
Interview with Elizabeth Crane
I am in the process of rereading Elizabeth Crane’s All this Heavenly Glory, which I love.
Bookslut has an interview up with her, which focuses on her newest book, You Must Be This Happy to Enter. From Bookslut:
The title’s perfectly apt: YOU MUST BE THIS HAPPY TO ENTER, with a ferociously happy Precious Moments creature staring at you from the cover, arms spread wide like a kid who can grasp the concepts of measurement to some basic degree. While these are stories for happy people, they’re not saccharine. While these aren’t saccharine, they’re far from depressing. In one story a woman becomes a zombie and makes the best of it by going on one of those midday Lifetime reality shows where a houseful of women trump their problems by earning gold stars and making paper crafts. All the while, you notice that there is no cynicism. None. Not even when a small town loses its color (more literally than figuratively, mind you).
Link at GSU!!!
Kelly Link will read in Atlanta this month, along with Sarah Gorham. I am not familiar with Gorham’s work, but Link is one of my favorite contemporary writers. Her collection of stories Magic for Beginners is one of the most interesting, startling, colorful, and memorable books I’ve read. My three favorite stories from this collection are “The Hotlak,” “Stone Animals,” and “Magic for Beginners.” Zombies, rabbits, magic, and fabulation aside, Link’s work is full of, simply, good stories. I was so excited about her work that I’m sure I looked like a mute idiot back at AWP in Atlanta last February when I all of the sudden realized I was standing at the booth for the press she co-founded, Small Beer Press, and of course she was standing right there too.
The reading is Thursday February 21 at 7:30, in the Troy Moore Library at Georgia State University; it is open to the public. Earlier that day the New South’s Writing Workshop will host the third annual Conference on Literary Publishing, which is sponsored in part by Five Points and Poets & Writers. However, I believe the Conference may only be open to students and faculty at GSU.
WANTED
Ok. So. (imagine hand gestures meant to convey encouragement and excitement. )
I’m interested in profiling tattoo artists (and fabulous original tat work) in future issues of SUB-LIT. Please spread the word to those who might be interested. Submissions are open. I’d love to see some high quality photos of original tattoo work, as well as the usual photography, painting, comics, drawing, etc. I am open to anything, just make it good. It’s fun. It’s basically free advertising, especially if you own a studio or shop.
Amber Nicole Brooks
Art Editor
SUB-LIT
Happenings
Five Points will be at AWP in New York City this year: January 30-February 2. Last year, the convention was in our hometown, Atlanta, and it was a blast. I, regretfully, am unable to make it this year. But be sure to come visit my colleagues at booth B68 at the book fair. We have new bear badges and great deals on subscriptions.
SUB-LIT is accepting submissions for the next issue and beyond. I need art, photography, high quality photos of original tattoo work. Check out the latest issue. Spread the word to artists and writers.
Edward Hirsch will read at Georgia State University on March 17, 4:00 in the Troy Moore Library. Why anything is scheduled on St. Patrick’s day, I don’t know. But you should go anyway.
CL Fiction Contest Celebration
If you’re in Atlanta, you should stop by the Creative Loafing Fiction Contest Party on Thursday the 10th. It starts at seven. Two of my friends won first and second place this year. (Last year, if you remember, the great Brett Bender won first place.) This year, Laurah Norton Raines (she recruited me to work at SUB-LIT) placed first. Sam Miller (his work has appeared in McSweeney’s) placed second.
Creative Loafing Fiction Contest
The 2008 Creative Loafing fiction contest is officially over, and so are my hopes and dreams. Just kidding, sort of. Two of my friends claimed first and second place. Right now that list of names is on the DL, but I’m told I can give away names as of Monday the 7th. So check back then. As usual, there will be a celebration. From an email I got from CL:
Regardless, we¹d still like to invite you to the Fiction Contest party on
Thursday, Jan. 10, at 7 p.m. at Eyedrum (Suite 8, 290 MLK Jr. Drive SE,
Atlanta, GA 30312; 404.522.0655, www.eyedrum.org).
The party, which is free to the public, is a great opportunity to meet other
writers in the community, listen to readings of the three winning entries,
and enjoy some live music and refreshments.We¹ll have beer on sale, with food and beverages provided by Café Intermezzo.
Aside from the readings, we¹ll have appearances and book
signings by our panel of judges (David Fulmer, Joshilyn Jackson and Fiona
Zedde). (Bound to Be Read Books will be on hand to supply copies of the
authors¹ works, but purchases are not necessary; bring your own copies if
you have ¹em.)We¹re also happy to welcome the ambient sounds of Duet for Theramin and Lap Steel. (Check out their music at http://duetonline.net.)
Please come help Creative Loafing (along with the Chattahoochee Review)
support Atlanta¹s burgeoning literary scene. We think you¹ll like what you
hear.
SUB-LIT Issue 3: The Art
Dear SUB-LIT readers,
A few words on the art in issue three:
Kimy Martinez’s paintings from her Seizing Me collection are images created for an independent film: Seizing Me, a psychological thriller. The “Seizing Me, Razor,” “Seizing Me, Buckle,” and “Seizing Me, Key” are realistic images with a distinct style: extreme lights and extreme darks are juxtaposed in a way to make the realistic subject matter almost more real, more present, more startling. The images command a presence, demand attention, creating a feeling of edginess, an edginess mirrored in the actions and gestures of the female figure.
Amy Johnson’s images may at first appear deceptively simple, but her paintings are jarring in their outward expression; “Been there done that” is a subversive, comic gesture toward a archetypal image and theme. Johnson has a knack for reworking traditional motifs into something engaging. Her work is deceptively playful; the play is doing directive work on the viewer, if you look closely.
H.L. Groen’s “Kinnari” is striking in its implications, the blending of woman and bird; Groen’s painting, with its bold colors and strong profile, stands confident. The image of the Kinnari, though solitary, points forward and backward to a large body of religious and mythological writings. Groen’s representation of woman sums up the selections I’ve made for this issue, representations of the world as painted by women.
Although I in no way sought out the theme of women and painting, the selections I was left mulling over at the end of the reading period happened to all be works of the same medium, and the artists happened to all be women. A theme, not preconceived, emerged for this issue. I hope you enjoy the selections.
And don’t forget to send me your art. I’d love to see more photography. Spread the word.
Sincerely,
Amber Nicole Brooks
Art Editor, SUB-LIT
Five Points is Hot
Jim Tomlinson and Viet Dinh are 2008 NEA Literature Fellowship winners. Check out this interview with Jim and Viet at Iside-Out China literary blog:
Q. LOL! Now, which story did you submit to NEA as a writing sample? Where was it published? In which way is the story representative of your writing?
Jim T.: I sent “First Husband, First Wife,” which appeared in Five Points and leads off my short story collection, Things Kept, Things Left Behind. Most of my stories are about characters and relationships that appear to be one thing but then unfold new layers. I think that’s especially true of Jerry and Cheryl in “FHFW.”
Viet D.: I submitted “Substitues,” which appears in the most recent issue of Five Points. I’m not sure this story is representative of my writing as a whole — my style and subject matter vary vastly from story to story. But I felt it was the best story I had on hand at the moment, so off it went.
Q. Both in Five Points! Isn’t that an interesting coincidence.
Amber Nicole Brooks 