Laurance Kitts did an excellent job of interviewing me over at Slit Your Wrists Magazine. Yeah, they’re not for the faint of heart, but they do good work. They published one of my stories, “Vision Quest” in their sister publication, Surreal Grotesque, and did a beautiful job of layout and design. We talked about my next book, Disintegration, as well as upcoming short story collections with Kraken Press and Snubnose Press, my influences, what made me decide to write in the first place, my first book, Transubstantiate, the bonus chapter about Madison in the signed/limited edition, and much more. And Laurance is an excellent writer himself, keep an eye out for his work, as well.
Tag Archives: richard thomas
Interview: Richard Thomas—Chin Wag at the Slaughterhouse
Richard Gowin did an excellent job of interviewing me over at his blog, The Slaughterhouse. We talked about publishing, ebooks, influences, my second book Disintegration, identity, sadism, reality, schizophrenia, and much more. I had a great time. Richard is also a fantastic author himself, be sure to check out his work.
I’ve finally landed a literary agent! Paula Munier at Talcott Notch.
I’m thrilled to announce that I have finally secured a literary agent—Paula Munier at Talcott Notch Literary Agency. Paula has over twenty years of experience in the business and has been a real pleasure to talk to as we discussed my second novel, the neo-noir, transgressive thriller Disintegration.
I can’t explain how exciting it is to talk to an agent who understands my work—my voice, the settings, the plot—and can see a place for this novel (and other projects down the road) at major publishing houses. So not only do we want to land a big press, but we have also been talking about film rights and foreign book sales as well.
Keep your eyes and ears open, and I hope to have more great news for you all real soon. Thank you all for your support, everyone who has read and critiqued and supported this book, Disintegration, as well as all of my writer friends who have been so instrumental in helping me to get my work published. My success is contingent of a tight-knit community of writers, friends and family, and I’m happy to welcome Paula into my literary family.
Curbside Splendor #3 is available for order now, out soon, with my story “Divining”!
Look, I made the cover! Looks like Chicago’s own Curbside Splendor #3 is now up for ordering. My story “Divining” is in here. It involves tarot cards and bad women. I’ve been trying to get more involved with local artists, and this is one place I wanted to publish. Thanks, Victor David Giron for the support. Out soon.
Terror Scribes (Dog Horn Publishing) is out, with my story “Transmogrify” inside.
My story “Transmogrify” is in Terror Scribes, a collection of stories from Dog Horn Publishing. Love that cover art. And if you’ve read any of their previous collections, novels, or magazines, you know that DHP does great work.
My review of Wild by Cheryl Strayed is live at The Nervous Breakdown.
My review of Wild (Knopf) by Cheryl Strayed is now live at The Nervous Breakdown. This is a fantastic memoir, one that takes out into the wilderness, so that we can hear the song and pain that emanates from her broken heart. A mother that dies too soon, a life that is falling apart, and one hell of a long trail to hike. The old Boy Scout in me loved the outdoors, and the poet that lives in a little chamber of my chest sat with her observations and listened to them hum.
My review of THREATS by Amelia Gray is live at The Nervous Breakdown
My review of the debut novel THREATS by Amelia Gray is now live up at The Nervous Breakdown. This is a sly, subtle, unsettling and touching novel.
I remember the first time I heard Amelia read, at Blake Butler’s Scorch Atlas release party here in Chicago. It was the first time I’d met her, or Blake, or Zach Dodson, Sam Pink, lots of people. She read one of my favorite stories of hers, ever, “Go For It and Raise Hell.” And that was when I became a fan. I ended up reading with her and Blake, Lindsay Hunter and Aaron Burch the following night, if memory serves me correctly. Lots of talent, really set the bar pretty high. I think Amelia read her snippets of threats that next night, that or another Quickies! a year or so later, but either way, those threats really stayed with me—upsetting, but funny, dark and yet with a hint of love at the center. Much of that applies to THREATS. Head on over for the full review. It’s a great book.
Storyville Column Six is Now Up at Lit Reactor: Getting an Agent
And, now my sixth column is live up at Lit Reactor. It’s about how to get an agent. Now, I don’t HAVE an agent, so keep that in mind, but I’ve gotten very close, and I’m very familiar with the process. Heck, if you have any new ideas, let me know. It’s a slow, painful process and the odds are against you, but it’s certainly possible. Let me know what you think.
My story “Dyer” is now live up at Beat to a Pulp
Several years ago, in the middle of my MFA program, I decided to experiment with form. I’d just seen the movie Rashomon by Akira Kurosawa, and thought to myself that you could write one hell of a good story if you told four perspectives on a lost evening out in the Indiana dunes. “Dyer” is the result. Special thanks for David Cranmer and Beat to a Pulp for taking this story. I’m honored to be up on the site and in such good company, alongside authors like David James Keaton, Frank Bill, Matthew C. Funk, Cameron Ashley, Hilary Davidson, Chris F. Holm, Dave Zeltserman, and John Hornor Jacobs.
AWP Chicago 2012 – My Schedule
I know you all are just waiting for me to release my schedule for the exciting 2012 Chicago AWP. So, here you go. Tentative, of course.
Wednesday, 2/29
8:00 pm Kick-Off Party @ The Empty Bottle (1035 N. Western Ave.)
Readings by xTx, Jesus Angel Garcia, Ben Tanzer , Mary Miller, Lindsay Hunter, Sam Pink, Amber Sparks. Live music from Guided by Voices vocalist Robert Pollard.
Thursday, 3/1
8:00 pm The Wrong Kind of Reading @ The Galway Arms (2442 N. Clark St.)
Plots with Guns. Readings by Anthony Neal Smith, Kyle Minor, Seth Harwood, etc.
Friday, 3/2
7:00 pm Beautiful, Words @ Beauty Bar (1444 W. Chicago)
Sponsored by The Nervous Breakdown, Bookslut, Dzanc Books, Curbside Splendor et. al. Live music by Rob Roberge.
Saturday, 3/3
9 am Hilton S104. Midwest Gothic: Dark Fiction of the Heartland (Dan Chaon)
10:30 am Palmer S143. Vampire by Vampire: Genre Writing and the Creative Writing Workshop (Alissa Nutting)
12-3 Lunch and bookfair
3 pm Palmer S215. Men from Venus, Women from Mars: Writing from the Perspective of the Opposite Sex (Kyle Minor)
3 pm Hilton S195. An MFA, huh? What Are You Going to Do With That?
4:30 pm Hilton S233. The Art of the Short Story Collection. (Richard Bausch, Laura van den Berg)
6:00 pm Ear Eater #13: The Impossible, The Extraordinary @ Beef & Brandy (127 S. State St.)
Readings by Amelia Gray, Kevin Sampsell et. al.
SEE YOU THERE!
