As a Machine and Parts: a novella (12/2011)
I Didn't Mean to be Kevin: a novel (1/2012)
I’ve been non-stop busy the past few weeks. I feel as though I’ve done nothing, as my to-do list never shrinks. But somehow, as I look back, all that I felt never happened, is done. Here’s a few things:
The wonderful Robb Olson and Livius Nedin at Booked Podcast did a full episode about my work, splitting time with my two newest books, I Didn’t Mean to be Kevin and As a Machine and Parts. The things these guys say, it makes me blush colors of red never before blushed by humans. Listen to the full episode now, and be sure to stay to the end to hear Mlaz Corbier say awesome things about my awesome socks.
Pablo D’Stair and I recorded another episode of The Velvet Podcast. We talked about one my recent tweets:
I hope to have the episode edited and posted within a week. As always, taking with Pablo is a true joy. I hope the listener gets as much from the episode as I got from recording it.
I’ll be reading in St. Louis as part of the Noir at the Bar series at the Meshuggah Café on February, 28th. The next day, I’ll be at the AWP Conference in Chicago just hanging out. Head over to the Facebook event page for more info. You should be there.
I will be reading at Emporia State University in Emporia, KS as the first guest for the Fall 2011 Visiting Writers series. I am quite excited to return to my university to participate in this event. I’ve attended many readings at Emporia State during my undergrad years, so to be the one at the podium feels damn fine. I’ve been told the reading will likely be in Plumb Hall, which can be found on this handy map of the ESU main campus.
I believe I will be visiting fiction writing classes throughout the day as well. And fingers crossed I have the opportunity to indulge in some of that fine Emporia cuisine that I miss so much.
Please come. It costs nothing to get in. We may charge you to leave, though, so bring cash or diamonds.
| What |
Visiting Writers Series with Caleb J. Ross
|
| When |
Thursday, September 8, 2011
7:00pm
- All Ages |
| Where |
Plumb Hall
1200 Commercial Street Emporia, KS, USA 66801 |
| Other Info |
Caleb will be reading from current and forthcoming work during a live reading/Q&A session. Copies of his novel Stranger Will will be for sale, and Caleb will be available to sign copies of the book.
|
| What |
God Hates Authors: a live reading
|
| When |
Sunday, August 7, 2011
7:00pm
- 21+ |
| Where |
1531 Grand Blvd.
Kansas City, MO 64111 |
| Other Info |
Authors Jesus Angel Garcia (BadBadBad), Caleb J. Ross (Stranger Will), and Brandon Tietz (Out of Touch) read from their work.
$5 gets you in. Salvation gets you out. Expect drinking, free give-aways, and maybe a documentary snippet or two. Emcee: Michael Gomez: http://www.facebook.com/michaelgomezcomedian |
(This post is cross-posted from the Outsider Writers site)
From CCLaP
The Chicago Center for Literature and Photography, or CCLaP, is proud to announce their latest local live event, a large-scale party to celebrate the release of their first four paper books this summer. An electronic publisher since 2007, CCLaP has been quietly releasing new special-edition, handmade “Hypermodern” paper editions of its four titles throughout the summer; and on August 10th the group will be gathering at the popular Beauty Bar in the Bucktown neighborhood for drinks, free food, and a half-hour reading from all four featured authors, as well as a few surprise guests. Beauty Bar is located at 1444 West Chicago Avenue, and the free event will take place from 7 to 9 p.m., the reading itself from 8:00 to 8:30. All four books will be for sale individually for $20 apiece; or for one night only, attendees can purchase all four in a bundle for only $50.
Books and performers being featured that night include the novella “Too Young to Fall Asleep” by SALLY WEIGEL, about a Radiohead-listening “emo” high-school student who volunteers for the Iraq War (originally published in 2009);“99 Problems” by BEN TANZER, essays about the mental intersection between running and writing (originally published in 2010); “Life After Sleep” by MARK R. BRAND, a day-after-tomorrow tale concerning a device that allows people to only need two hours of sleep a night (originally published this past winter); and “Salt Creek Anthology” by JASON FISK, a collection of linked “micro-stories” regarding four trashy couples in the far Chicago suburbs (published this summer).CCLaP’s “Hypermodern” series is an attempt to create special collector-worthy editions of all the center’s electronic books, reasonably priced yet expertly made; they feature handmade hardbound covers, including a color photo of the ebook’s original cover adhered to the front, external Coptic stitching, whimsical decorative endpapers, a special signature/provenance page for collectors, and a full Colophon in the back listing all materials used. CCLaP itself has been open online since 2007, and with a handful of local live events held in varying venues across the city each year; the center also produces a semi-weekly podcast, sells general giftstore-style merchandise, and publishes over 150 book reviews a year at its popular website. Among other accolades, it’s been featured twice at respected arts guide BoingBoing.net, and its blog is followed by almost ten thousand unique monthly visitors.
For questions or more information, please contact executive director
Jason Pettus at cclapcenter@gmail.com, or visit
[cclapcenter.com/events].
Literature lover and good natured promoter of all things indy, Jason Behrends offers up his newest episode of the Orange Alert Podcast with lovely side dish of yours truly. He has included my reading of the first chapter of As a Machine and Parts (from a March reading at Method in Kansas City) in this newest episode. Jason was one of the earliest supporters of As a Machine and Parts, so it means a lot to have him include me.
Listen to the full episode here.
Fresh from our own live readings, me, Ben Tanzer (You Can Make Him Like You), Ryan W. Bradley (publisher, Artistically Declined Press), Nik Korpon (Stay God), and Brandon Tietz (Out of Touch) have a sit down at Bourbon in Washington DC to discuss the hows and whys of author performance.
Performance is part of the author’s life. Many of us may prefer the romance of the hermit writer to the reality of the performing writing, but as the culture shifts to a system of ever-spilling minutia (Twitter) and increasingly fragmented media distribution channels (hundreds of TV channels, YouTube, Hulu, and on and on), the author is expected to play an active role in selling both his book and himself. Performance—live author readings—offers a unique opportunity to do both.
Listen to the full discussion over at The Velvet Podcast. Or you can subscribe to The Velvet Podcast via Feedburner, Podcast Alley, or iTunes.
