Collin Kelley: Modern Confessional

Notes & Notions: American Idol, Nashville, head colds

2009-12-05T12:32:00.007-05:00

As I said in a previous post, I've dithered over recapping American Idol's new season, which begins on Jan. 12. It's a major time commitment and I generally start feeling recap fatigue in April. However, I now have renewed purpose, plus a new home for the recaps at Project Q Atlanta -- the online news and entertainment source for the city's LGBT community. It will give my snark-filled rants a much bigger audience and, hopefully, create some healthy debate and humor. The recaps will appear first on Project Q and then post here on the blog. Many thanks to Matt and Mike at Q for their support.

I'll be in Nashville on Thursday, Dec. 10, 7 p.m. for a reading from Conquering Venus at OutCentral, the city's LGBT cultural center, followed by a book signing at OutLoud Books. OutCenteral is at 1709 Church St. and the bookstore just next door. If you're in Nashville, please stop by and say hello!

The future of book tours is pretty grim. Just read this article in The Indie Reader about why tours are becoming an endangered species. I'm having to take a good look at my budget for early 2010. I have a feeling that some of the readings/signings may have to be cancelled. The economy might be showing signs of improvement, but it hasn't made money magically appear in my bank account.

My cold -- which is finally dissipating -- was one of the worst ever. It's lingered on for a week, and now I just have a little cough. I'm taking mucinex to help clear up my chest. I think I'm going to get a flu shot when I return from Nashville. If this cold is any indication of the winter cold/flu season, then I need to get a booster.

Writer, Interrupted

2009-12-01T13:06:00.005-05:00

I've had one of the worst cold/flu things going on since Friday. My weekend was spent in a drug haze on the couch. I accomplished nothing. My plan was to dive back into the second novel, but I couldn't even muster the energy to look at the computer for long periods of time.

I felt the big sick coming on Thursday evening, after having a huge Thanksgiving meal (turkey and dressing, ham, veggies supplied by The Colonnade -- yum!) with my parents and grandmother. I rushed home and started knocking back juice, vitamins, etc. It was too late.

Yesterday was a near death experience. I dragged myself down to the Fulton County Courthouse for jury duty (the first time I've ever been called) and sat for eight hours in a hot room with several hundred other people. It was Kafkaesque. I don't get why they call so many people to jury duty when they aren't ever going to use them all. It seems like a giant waste of taxpayer time and money.

Peony Moon asked me to name my favorite collections of poetry for 2009. You can see my choices at this link.

Please take a moment and remember that it is World AIDS Day. There are more than 33 million infected and in 2008, 2 million people died of HIV/AIDS-related illnesses.

Gobble, gobble: Adam Lambert, Thanksgiving & other notes

2009-11-25T18:27:00.004-05:00

SoldoutMusic.com (curated by the effervescent Russ Marshalek) asked me to write an op-ed on the whole Adam Lambert controversy, and it's posted now at this link. I'm not a fan of his new song "For Your Entertainment," but the angry, homophobic, double standard being heaped upon Lambert and his performance at the American Music Awards has seriously pissed me off.

If you're looking for a stocking stuffer or something for the reader on your list, Amazon.com is selling Conquering Venus for only $10.17 during its Black Friday blow out. As a matter of fact, the few presents I'm buying this year are coming from Amzon, because they are selling books, DVDs and music for ridiculously low prices as it wars with Wal-Mart and Target for online sales.

I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving here in the states. I'll be posting again over the weekend. I've got some book reviews for ya.

Weekend Update: Podcasts, music & sublets

2009-11-22T11:59:00.006-05:00

Last Tuesday, I met novelist Ben Tanzer (Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine) for dinner at The Flying Biscuit and over bacon and eggs we recorded a podcast about Conquering Venus, poetry, favorite authors and more. You can listen to the podcast at Ben's This Blog Will Change Your Life. I highly recommend Ben's new novel. I read it in two days. His ear for dialogue is sharp and conversations make up 90 percent of the novel. It has a Richard Linklater film quality, especially the ultra-talky Before Sunrise and Before Sunset. That's a good thing. I'll be offering up a longer review soon.

I am totally hooked on Last.fm, a music/social networking site where you can stream music and share it with friends. I love it so much I subscribed. Definitely worth $3 a month. Taking a cue from author Dan Chaon, I created a playlist of the music that inspired me while working on Conquering Venus. Vanessa Daou, Massive Attack, Moby and Kate Bush are all on there. You can check it out at my Last.fm page. You can also peruse the 100 or so artists I've added to my library and discover some new music.

Michael Montlack -- friend, poet and editor of the My Diva anthology -- is subletting his East Village studio in Manhattan from Jan. 18 to April 1. That's the photo above. Here are the particulars:

East Village/Gramercy Park (15th Street and Third Avenue). Walking distance to Downtown and Midtown and two streets from Union Square (major transportation hub).
Excellent location on tree-lined, peaceful street. Fun and safe neighborhood.
Building has elevator and laundry room.
Sixth (top) floor. Very quiet.
Cozy and clean studio.
Queen-sized bed. Futon/couch too.
Microwave, stereo, flat screen tv.
Cable and wireless internet.
$1,900 per month covers rent, electric, internet and cable.
Prefer to rent for the two months but open to shorter stays.
No cats or dogs, please.
Looking for someone who will be clean and respectful of neighbors.

If you're interested, send Michael and email at mikemont17@hotmail.com.

Saints & Sinners Short Fiction Contest

2009-11-19T19:42:00.003-05:00

Anyone who reads this blog knows that I've given up on poetry contests in general, but this short fiction contest from the wonderful folks at Saints & Sinners Literary Festival in New Orleans is something I can get behind. Here's the skinny.

The Saints and Sinners GLBT Literary Festival!s First Annual Short Fiction Contest is soliciting original, unpublished short stories between 5,000 and 7,000 words with GLBT content on the broad theme of “Saints and Sinners.”

The contest is open to authors at all stages of their careers and to stories in all genres. The entry fee is $10 per story with a 3 story limit per author.One grand prize of $250 and two second place prizes of $50 will be awarded. In addition, the top stories will be published in an anthology from QueerMojo, an imprint of Rebel Satori Press.There will also be a book release party held during the 8th annual Saints and Sinners Literary Festival in New Orleans May 13-16, 2010. The deadline for the receipt of manuscripts is January 2, 2010.

Contest details at a glance:
Theme: Saints and Sinners
Entry Fee: $10 US per story. Limit three stories per author.
Deadline: January 2, 2010
Word Count: 5,000 to 7,000
Send 2 copies of each story with a completed entry form. Submissions should be in standard
manuscript format. Your name and contact information should NOT appear on the manuscript.

Contact:
Entry Form and more information on website: www.sasfest.org. For questions or further information concerning the short fiction contest, contact Saints and Sinners Literary Festival at fictioncontest@sasfest.org or call (504) 581-1144.

The future of blogging

2009-11-16T18:11:00.003-05:00

I've been a bad blogger. Okay, honestly, I've been cheating on blogger -- with Facebook and Twitter. I'm such a social media whore. But I'm not the only one. I've noticed that posts on many of the blogs I follow are fewer and far between and that comments have dried up. I've gone from having a couple thousand people look at my blog each week to around 600. Meanwhile, the number of people I'm interacting with on Facebook and Twitter continues to grow.

Yes, there's been some Conquering Venus overkill here, but I've also found I have less and less time to write blogs with any kind of substance. I'm working on the second novel, writing poetry, giving readings, working the day job and just finished up co-directing the Atlanta Queer Literary Festival. I'm hoping that with a little break over the holidays, I can return to more normal blogging. The question is will anybody be reading? Is blogging going the way of MySpace? Mashable posed the question in this article over the summer, which predicts blogging will, basically, adapt or die.

It's no secret that MySpace has become yesterday's news unless you're into music. I'm not sure why MySpace hasn't just switched over to an all-music platform and stopped trying to compete with Facebook. I've got two MySpace pages and I'm toying with deleting them both, since I never bother to go there. The numbers of people connecting with me through MySpace has dropped to zero. I feel like I'm wasting bandwidth. Facebook has become the portal where I do the most interaction with friends and those who have read my work.

For years -- I'm about to move into my seventh year blogging -- I was a loud proponent of regular blogging and always had a retort for those who said they didn't have time to write and blog, usually along the lines of "get better at managing your time." I apologize to all of you who received that response from me. I know better now. With changes in the economy, I'm busier than ever at my day job as an editor, I have multiple writing projects going at once, I freelance, plus I'm trying to keep the momentum going with Venus. The idea of adding "write a blog of substance" to this list makes me tired just thinking about it. That's why I -- and many others -- have turned to Facebook and Twitter. It's easy.

Twitter limits you to 140 characters, so you have to be short and to the point. If you post something of interest on Facebook -- a news item an observation about politics, for instance -- a dialogue is instantly created between you and your friends and followers. I've received more feedback on Facebook than I've ever received here, except for the Poets on Twitter posts.

So, where do I go from here? Well, early next year Modern Confessional is moving to WordPress. There will be dedicated areas for news about my novels and poetry. It will basically consolidate the three blogs I keep up now into one easy-to-navigate site. And although I planned not to blog about American Idol next year, I've changed my mind. Which means more snark and laughs for all those who follow those posts. In between the Idol posts, I hope to post more about what's going on with social media, fiction and poetry. In short, I'm going to try and be a better blogger.

In the meantime, I'll be whoring it up over at Facebook and Twitter. If you're still reading here, what are your thoughts?

Weekend Music: Bad Romance by Lady GaGa

2009-11-13T20:19:00.004-05:00

One of the catchiest pop songs of the year and a video that will leave you both creeped out and exhilarated for its audacity. It's sorta of 2001: A Space Odyssey meets Eastern Promises. Oh, and little of The Burning Bed thrown in, too. GaGa has single-handedly resurrected the music video as an art form. Madonna should take note. The video was posted to YouTube on Tuesday of this week and has received more than 6 million views in just three days.

Ouroboros Review Issue 4 Out Now!

2009-11-12T10:42:00.001-05:00

My interview with poet Cecilia Woloch is featured in the new edition of the fantastic literary magazine, Ouroboros Review.

Happy 40th Sesame Street

2009-11-10T19:27:00.003-05:00

I can't believe I'm the same age as Sesame Street. The opening above is the one I remember from my childhood. Only now can you see how radical it was -- the multi-cultural blending, the children running from deserts, farms and what appears to be ghettos to get to Sesame Street. It was always a haven for me. It taught me so much. Happy Birthday, Sesame Street!

AQLF 2009 Report

2009-11-08T17:08:00.006-05:00

Exciting and exhausting are the only words to describe the last four days of the third annual Atlanta Queer Literary Festival. The highlights for me: the keynote addresses/readings by Manil Suri and Staceyann Chin, reading with Michael Montlack, Regie Cabico, Cleo Creech and Jim Elledge from the My Diva anthology, hearing poet Charles Jensen read from his amazing work, and ditto for Terry Galloway, who read from her memoir, Mean Little Deaf Queer.

The festival began Wednesday with a packed house at Charis Books, which was also celebrating its 35th anniversary. Lisa Allender hosted the evening, which featured readings by Alice Teeter, Maudell Driskell and more. A group of us went for drinks and a late dinner at the Brewhouse in Little Five Points afterwards to debrief and talk about politics, including healthcare reform (which the House approved last night! Get on the stick, Senate, and let's get this passed!).

Thursday night was the My Diva reading at Outwrite Books. Beforehand, Megan Volpert and I (that's us in the photo by Cleo) had dinner at the always delish Flying Biscuit (breakfast foods for lunch or dinner has always been a favorite) with Regie, Michael, Scott Wiggerman and his partner David and Joanna Hoffman. There was a good crowd at Outwrite, too.

Friday night's keynote event by Manil and Staceyann was our biggest evening. I think there were nearly 100 in the audience at the Auburn Avenue Research Library. Manil talked about his career as a mathematician and keeping his writing life "in the closet" to his colleagues. Staceyann read alternately hilarious and harrowing vignettes from her memoir, The Other Side of Paradise.

I spent 10 hours at the Decatur Library yesterday, but was disappointed by the turnout. Despite having free workshops and readings non-stop from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., attendance was low and some of the workshops were cancelled. We're already brainstorming ideas to streamline the Saturday event and draw bigger audiences. Still, hearing Charles Jensen read from his new collection, The First Risk, and the passionate Terry Galloway more than made up for this disappointment. I didn't make it to last night's All-Star Slam, but I heard it was amazing with performances by Kit Yan, Regie, Joanna, James Caroline, Theresa Davis, Ami Mattison and Karen G.

You can see photos from the festival at the AQLF site and if you're on Facebook, check out Cleo Creech's wall to see his extensive album of pics. Thanks to everyone who came out. Now, it's time for a rest.

AQLF Begins & Other Notes

2009-11-04T11:20:00.005-05:00

AQLF begins tonight at 7 p.m. with a kick-off event at Charis Books, which is also celebrating it's 35th anniversary. Charis is located at 1189 Euclid Ave. in Little Five Points. Performers tonight include Lisa Allender (emcee), Malika, Krystal Tift, Alice Teeter, Louisa Merchant, Maudelle Driskell, Sincere, Charlene Ball and Libby Ware.

I'll be reading tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. at Outwrite Books as part of the My Diva anthology showcase. Editor Michael Montlack, Jim Elledge, Regie Cabico and Cleo Creech will also read their essays. Come out and join us. The full schedule of events is at www.atlqueerlifest.com.

Check out Jameson Currier's wonderful review of Conquering Venus at the Out In Print blog. I also must thank Justin Evans for the insightful interview he has posted with me on his blog. He asked some really great questions about poetics, craft and inspiration. Cheers, Justin.

Watch This: Fawlty Towers on DVD

2009-11-01T15:20:00.008-05:00

The Brits have always done television better than America. Rather than running a series into the ground when it's well past the sell-by date, the Brits have always known when to quit and leave you wanting more. Queer As Folk (the US version never came close to topping the original), The Office, Life On Mars, Absolutely Fabulous and Ashes to Ashes (the finale is coming in the spring) all ran for just a few series and bowed out while still at the top of their game. Fawlty Towers, which has just been released in a newly remastered, three-DVD boxed set ($42.98, BBC Video or purchase episodes on iTunes), also belongs on that list.

In 2000, the British Film Institute put Fawlty Towers as number one on its list of Greatest British Television Programs. And for good reason. Created by Monty Python's John Cleese and his then-wife Connie Booth, the comedy ran for six episodes in 1975 and then a second set of six episodes in 1979. That's all there was -- 12 episodes of one of the funniest comedies ever on television. It's now considered a cult classic in America after airing on PBS stations for the past 30 years. This new DVD set celebrates the series with beautifully restored picture and audio, as well as a disk full of documentaries, interviews, outtakes and even a tourist documentary of the seaside town of Torquay where the series was set. John Cleese gives commentary on every episode.

Cleese, as put-upon hotel owner Basil Fawlty, is hilarious. Always on the verge of a massive stroke, Basil works himself up into a state over minor things (not to mention sucking up to rich guests and desperately trying to keep the "riff raff" out) and is forever mis-communicating or misunderstanding situations that lead to hilarity. His snappy relationship with his more evenly-tempered, no non-sense wife, Sybil, is the heart of the show. Andrew Sachs as the abused Spanish bellman, Manuel, plays the character as a wild stereotype and Basil's xenophobia -- like Archie Bunker's racism -- wouldn't fly on today's PC television. Connie Booth's Polly is probably the most sane character on the show, an art student employed as a waitress in the hotel's restaurant, who is often forced into many other jobs to keep the hotel running.

There are scenes from episodes of Fawlty Towers that are now classic: Basil beating his broken down car with a tree branch screaming, "I'm going to give you a damn good thrashing," and the episode where the German tourists come to stay and Basil, suffering a concussion, insults them with Nazi jokes and impersonating a goose-stepping Hitler. Cleese and Sachs extreme physical comedy is reminiscent of the Three Stooges and the Marx Brothers. They both must have been bruised after every episode.

What amazes me is that although there was a four year gap between series, the second series picks up as if no time has passed at all and is just as funny -- sometimes more so -- than the first. Cleese and Co. could have surely carried on for more episodes, but decided to go out on top. Cleese said he and Booth took six weeks to write one 30 minute episode and were always worried it wasn't good enough. Even on the commentary, Cleese bemoans some of the less funny parts of episodes. Cleese and Booth, who divorced in the gap between series but remained friends and writing partners, said they considered a third series in the 80s but decided against it. Cleese recently said there would never be another series because he and the actors are "too old and tired and expectations would be too high." He's right about the expectations. Fawlty Towers is locked in time and imminently re-watchable. It's nostalgic, comfort television of the highest order.

For more about Fawlty Towers, check out the Facebook page or Twitter.

Trying not to burn out

2009-10-31T12:30:00.005-04:00

I backed out of a gig today. I was supposed to read at the Atlanta Pride festival this afternoon in Piedmont Park to promote next week's Atlanta Queer Literary Festival. But I just couldn't do it. Since I've been home from the NYC gigs, I've been at a dead run with the day job, preparing for the festival, promoting Conquering Venus and desperately trying to get back to working on the second novel. I feel depleted and exhausted. So, I'm keeping a low profile this weekend and getting myself mentally ready for AQLF. My apologies to anyone who was expecting me in the park this afternoon.

I'll be reading with Michael Montlack, Regie Cabico, Jim Elledge and Cleo Creech on Thursday night, Nov. 5, at 7:30 p.m. at Outwrite Books in Atlanta for the My Diva anthology event. On Saturday, Nov. 7, at 3 p.m. in the Decatur Library, I'll be reading from Conquering Venus. To see a full schedule of the AQLF events -- which features Staceyann Chin and Manil Suri as our keynotes and a special appearance by Terry Galloway -- visit the AQLF website.

Many, many thanks to novelist Ben Tanzer for all his help promoting Conquering Venus and for giving it a great shout on his This Blog Will Change Your Life.

Weekend Music, Review & Interview

2009-10-30T04:00:00.003-04:00

Florence and the Machine's brilliant cover of the Candi Staton classic, You've Got the Love.

Jason Pettus reviews Conquering Venus at the CCLaP website.

A new interview at the What to Wear During an Orange Alert website.

Conquering Venus news & notes

2009-10-28T12:09:00.001-04:00

If you're a book club looking for literary fiction with a dash of mystery and suspense, please consider Conquering Venus. There are discussion questions for the novel at this link. I am available to speak to book clubs in the metro Atlanta area and if I am visiting a city later this year or in 2010, I'll be happy to try and work a visit into my schedule. Please contact me at collinkelley@gmail.com to inquire.

Many thanks to publishing gurus Russ Marshalek and Brett Sandusky for having me read in New York and for the interview at their irreverent new vlog, Quit Being A Hooker, Hooker. I'm happy to be in the company of Eoin Colfer as one of the first interviews on the site. Please note the interview is not safe for work, small children, house pets or nuns.

If you're in Atlanta on Saturday, Oct. 31, I will be reading at the Atlanta Pride festival in Piedmont Park on the Budweiser stage. The literary portion of the event begins at 2:15 p.m. and I will probably read around 3 p.m.

Wings of Desire & Paris, Texas on Criterion DVD

2009-10-26T05:00:00.002-04:00

Two of the greatest films ever made -- both by Wim Wenders -- are being released by The Criterion Collection. Wings of Desire is out Nov. 3 and it was just announced that Paris, Texas will be released in Jan. 26.

Weekend Update: Poetry galore

2009-10-25T13:24:00.004-04:00

This has been a weekend of poetry thanks to two big events: Voices Carry on Friday and the Atlanta Queer Literary Festival fundraiser, I See Straight People, last night

Despite competing against two other readings, we had around 50 people for the sixth annual Voices Carry reading presented by Poetry Atlanta at Sycamore Place Gallery in Decatur. Theresa Davis, Karen Head, Bob Wood (filling in for an ailing Tania Rochelle) and Cecilia Woloch were fantastic. Kodac Harrison closed with a song and I hosted the evening, opening by reading three new-ish poems. Of course, after hearing all these wonderful poets, I was inspired to come home and try to write something new. I have a draft of something that deals with sex, bondage and travel, so we'll see how that plays out.

I woke up yesterday feeling the early stirrings of a cold (which I'm still feeling this afternoon -- Tylenol Cold & Flu is kicking in nicely), but I relaxed all day and made my way over to the Horizon School for the AQLF fundraiser. Great readings by host Rupert Fike (I'll never think of toast and Ireland the same way again), Jon Goode, Bruce Covey, Alice Lovelace, Laurel Snyder, Chelsea Rathburn (who debuted six new poems!) and Cecilia Woloch. We received more than $100 in donations. If you couldn't make it last night, but would still like to make a donation, just go to www.atlqueerlitfets.com and click the DONATE button in the right sidebar. Any amount is helpful. I can't believe we're just a little over a week away from AQLF!

My next reading is Saturday during Atlanta Pride. I'll be on the Budweiser Stage performing with Theresa Davis, Megan Volpert, Dustin Brookshire and some other fine LGBT poets starting at 2:15 p.m. If you're in the park, drop by the stage and check us out.

Walt Whitman...for Levi's Jeans

2009-10-22T04:00:00.000-04:00

I wonder what Walt Whitman would think of his poetry being used as the script for two new Levi's Jeans commercials for their new "Go Forth" campaign. The one above uses the audio that's been floating around for awhile claiming to be Whitman reading four lines of "America" on a wax cylinder. The one below uses Whitman's "Pioneers! O Pioneers!" read by voiceover artist Will Greer. The commercials are slick and beautifully filmed, but it's so bizarre to hear Whitman hawking jeans. Of course, nothing slips by the Christian right wing crazies who are calling for a boycott of Levi's over these commercials, which they claim are "indoctrinating" (that's the right wing word du jour) kids into fascism, homosexuality and anarchy. Think I'm joking? Read some of the comments from Free Republic. And, of course, the commenters characterize Whitman as a creepy, perverted faggot. Maybe Uncle Walt wouldn't mind after all.

Balloon Boy, Obama and sexy librarians

2009-10-21T13:09:00.005-04:00

The fab poet/musician Jackie Sheeler and I recorded a webisode for her Get Angry With Me blog and didn't get too angry, but we did have a lot of fun recording this. There's a little plug for Conquering Venus (natch), plus we talked about the Balloon Boy hoax, watching the Storybook Burlesque troop perform at my Sunday reading (Jaxx was hot for the "sexy librarian") and Obama's pledge to end Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT) and repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Many thanks and much love to Jaxx for doing this and for putting me up for my weekend in NYC. My hair was still wet after my shower and it makes my head look weird. Please try to ignore that.

Conquering Venus podcast & NYC report part 2

2009-10-20T20:45:00.006-04:00

First, let me thank Will Kenyon for interviewing me about Conquering Venus for the podcast on his blog. You can listen to it now at this link. It was a fun interview, and I do sound quite over-caffeinated for much of the session.

Now, let's go back in time to last night and the Just Working on My Novel event at The Tank in New York. Although Elise Blackwell and I were "the hosts," it was really Brett Sandusky and Russ Marshalek's show. Elise was not feeling well, but was a trooper and read from her novel, Grub. I thought my reading from Venus was much better than Sunday night's, since I was more relaxed, familiar with the surroundings and the audience was quite enthusiastic. There were some great folks reading at the open mic, including a guy who read this graphic, hilarious piece about having sex in a crowded NYC subway car. Last night was also the launch of the publishing vlog Quit Being a Hooker, Hooker. It's warped, frenzied (and over-caffeinated AND over-bow tied) and probably inappropriate, but y'all know I love the inappropriate stuff. My interview with Brett "Fuck the Pain Away" Sandusky will be posting on the site soon. God help you all.

I'm back in the ATL and getting ready for this weekend's back-to-back poetry spectaculars -- Voices Carry and I See Straight People. Come out and join us!

NYC report

2009-10-19T10:37:00.008-04:00

A quick update on my trip and readings in NYC. I arrived late Saturday afternoon to a cold and rainy Manhattan. BFF Jackie and I hung out all evening at her place in Harlem, catching up and talking late.

Sunday was more rain and being totally lazy. Last night, we hopped on the subway and went down to the 45th Street Theater and The Tank space for Fierce, a literary event hosted by Russ Marshalek. I read with Elise Blackwell, Dana Rasso and Sarah Rainone. Katie Kitamura was sick and didn't show, which was a little disappointing. Brett Sandusky taped an interview with me for the about-to-launch publishing biz website, Quit Being a Hooker, Hooker. It's a pretty loopy, improvisational interview. I think it will be posting soon. I was so excited to see my friend and the brilliant musician, Vanessa Daou, in the audience. Her support has been amazing. Love ya, V!

The only downside of the evening was that the bookseller didn't get copies of Conquering Venus. There was plenty of blame-game going on who dropped the ball on that issue. I was momentarily livid, but there was nothing to be done. I guess my days of schlepping books to readings isn't over yet.

Tonight, I'll be co-hosting the prose open mic, Just Working on My Novel, which is also being held at The Tank. I'll read again from Venus and Elise Blackwell will be reading from her work. I have a couple of copies of Venus with me, so those will be for sale at the table tonight. If you're NYC and coming down, sign up for the open mic is at 7 and the readings begin at 7:30 p.m. A big crowd is expected, according to hookers in charge Russ and Brett. ;-)

New York state of mind

2009-10-16T21:05:00.004-04:00

I'm off to New York this weekend for readings at The Tank on Sunday and Monday evening. The Tank is located at the 45th Street Theatre in Hell's Kitchen, 354 W. 45th St.

Sunday, Oct. 18, 7:30 p.m.

Fierce: An evening of intense voices in fiction and literary-themed burlesque

Featuring:

Elise Blackwell
Collin Kelley
Katie Kitamura
Sarah Rainone
D.E. Rasso

Performances by members of Storybook Burlesque

Fierce is a night celebrating the powerful, the moving, the offensive and the exhilarating in modern fiction, gathering 5 of the most exciting writers currently putting pen to paper.

Readers include current South Carolina-based Elise Blackwell, author of three critically acclaimed novels, "Hunger", "The Unnatural History of Cypress Parish", and "Grub", with a fourth on the way in 2010; Award-winning Atlanta poet and journalist Collin Kelley, whose recently-published first novel "Conquering Venus" is a triumph of heart, sex, time and place; world traveler Katie Kitamura, whose novel "The Longshot", about the inense underground world of Mixed Martial Arts, has her being called “the second coming of Hemingway”; Sarah Rainone, author of high school yearbook from hell coming of age novel "Love Will Tear Us Apart" that’s as sexy, bittersweet and unnerving as the song it takes its name from; and D.E. Rasso, cult-fave writer/blogger/expert on ways to kill a man using only one hand, recently published to great critical acclaim in the renowned breakup story collection "Love Is A Four-Letter Word".

Supplementing the readings will be performances by the literary-themed Storybook Burlesque troupe, ensuring the level of connection between the visual and the audible, the written and the seen, never drops.

Monday, Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m.

Just Working On My Novel: The bi-monthly reading series that's drunken and curious. That makes it drunkenly bi-curious.

"Just Working On My Novel"-a night to air the bones and skeletons rattling in the closet, that take the shape of half-finished, mid-craft pieces of fiction and nonfiction. It is a reading series, and it is awesome. It is a force of nature, and it tastes like candy.

"Just Working On My Novel"-Because everyone's writing a novel. There are some who believe everyone should write a novel. Obviously Lauren Conrad agrees. If she can do it, are you telling me you can't? It doesn't even have to BE a novel. Nonfiction works, too, but "Just Working On My Somethin' Somethin' " doesn't have the same ring to it.

Host for this go-round of Just Working On My Novel are not one but TWO esteemed authors-South Carolina's Elise Blackwell and Atlanta's Collin Kelley.

Collin is an award-winning poet and journalist, and has recently published his first novel, "Conquering Venus". Elise has released three novels to critical acclaim, "Hunger", "Grub" and "The Unnatural History Of Cypress Parish" and is on the faculty at the University of South Carolina.

What Elise and Collin will do: read from what they've published. Read from unpublished works. Talk to you. Drink.

What you will do: Show up at 7 to inquire about a place in line to read your 5-10 minute unpublished work of fiction or nonfiction. Be prepared for critiques. Drink. Donate to support the tank nonprofit art space, because it loves you and you love it.

Signup at 7 p.m., readings at 7:30 p.m.

The Page 69 Test

2009-10-14T11:44:00.000-04:00

Many thanks to Marshal and The Page 69 Test for featuring Conquering Venus. The concept for the blog is for authors to turn to page 69 in their book and write an essay about how what's happening on that page and how it relates to the rest of the novel. On page 69 of Venus, Irène tells Martin about the root of her agoraphobia. You can read the entire essay at this link.

The Sarah Jane Adventures returns

2009-10-12T18:46:00.001-04:00

Brilliant trailer for series three of The Sarah Jane Adventures, which begins this week in the UK. Sarah Jane, K-9, The Judoon and...The Doctor!

New interview in SubtleTea

2009-10-11T17:43:00.005-04:00

Many thanks to SubtleTea.com editor David Herrle for the in depth and thoughtful interview about the creation of Conquering Venus. You can read it at this link. Be sure to explore the rest of this fantastic online literary 'zine!

There was a small audience for my reading this afternoon at Bound to Be Read Books, but some great questions and discussions. Many thanks to the folks at the store for having me read and sign as part of their fourth anniversary celebration.