My short story "I Am War, Mr. Tolstoy" published today

My short story "I Am War, Mr. Tolstoy" was published today on my author's page at Cowboy Jamboree Press. 

I pull from some personal shit on this one more than I usually do with my stories (which is generally a pretty fair amount to begin with). It's subject matter I've not been brave enough to share until the past, maybe, two years. 

Also, I insert some Leo Tolstoy into this one, obvious by the title for starters. Tolstoy is my favorite stylist - not my favorite storyteller - but goddamn his style is impossible. Listen, for real, go read him. Not one of the novels, though Anna Karenina is a fine one if you can push through to the last two pages, where all the patience and pushing through gets a right fine pay off.

But start with the short stories. Start with "Alyosha the Pot" if you're just getting into him. Then move next to his short novel Master and Man. Just read Tolstoy is what I'm saying. He style is simple enough to be read in grade school. Thing is, you may not appreciate its themes and profundity until much later in life. But ain't that at least the start of a great relationship.

Hope you like the story. And I guess it's okay if you want to leave a comment here and tell me it was good or that it was so bad it nearly blinded you with horror while reading. Don't care. Just say something. 

David and Tom, Chaos and Hobart.

Went and got behind on sharing my Hobart Chaos Questions interviews here, so I'm going to post links to the last two here now.

I talked with David Joy a ways back there. He said things like, "I go back to eleven years old fishing the cattle pond on the Johnston’s farm. My Granny can be my Al." And chided me for calling what people wear outfits. 

David's Interview

And just yesterday I posted my interview with Tom Williams. Tom said things like, "I am going to eat the editorial offices of literary magazines and book publishers that have rejected me and my friends..."

Tom's Interview

Next up is Bonnie Jo Campbell. We wrote yesterday and she let me know that she'll have them my way at some point this week. Can't wait to see what this black belt storyteller offers up.

I Asked Leah Hampton Some Chaos Questions

Leah Hampton, the chimera herself, "sat down" for a Chaos Questions interview with me at Hobart. She is also the self-espoused Hobo Hampton, it turns out.

Productivity

The reason I've written and had published nine books in twelve years is because I write for recreation, for fun. It's what I do instead of going to the movies or having dinner out, or so forth. I don't mean it's my hobby; I'm saying it's the most fun thing I do, so I do it a lot.

 

I talked to Benjamin Drevlow at Hobart

The Drevlow "sat down" for a chaotic interview with me at Hobart. 

I so dig how Ben can extoll on any subject so colorfully. He's fun just to talk to, let alone interview. Give him room to run and he'll sprint til the cows come home.

I'd love if you'd go read it!

Another Stunner from Cody Sexton

 

Some Writers Have Shakespeare, I Have My Uncle

I posted a poem at Poverty House yesterday by my uncle G.C. I started reading that poem, "Big Shoal, Coal Town on the Big Sandy (1918-1949)," when I was eleven years old. I've been reading it for thirty-six years. And I've yet to write anything nearly so beautiful and true. Nothing so honest and tender. But it has always been my measuring stick. Always will be. 

If I've had any success as a writer it's because I had my uncle as an example throughout my childhood of someone who sat down and wrote words as a routine, as a career. I stood in his writing room as a kid and felt a religiosity I couldn't understand but felt deeply --- the quiet space, the bookshelves full and covering all the walls from ceiling to floor, the simple desk that sat in the middle of the room, the 1978 IBM Selectric 1 that squatted bulky on the desk in perfect mystery. I knew what he created with that typewriter, that whatever magic that happened in that room came from my uncle through that machine. 

The result can be found in my body of work. What can I say?

Some writers have Shakespeare, I have always had my uncle.

My interview with Ben Loory is published today at Hobart

Ben answered my chaos questions with that big imagination of his and did so wonderfully. My favorite answer? This one:

/

SLC: Tomorrow you show up for work and the whole damn place, the entire building, is gone. There's a note in the place you used to park that reads, "They know." Walk me through the rest of your day.

BL: I think my day probably ends right there? My brain's not built to withstand shit like that. One time I ran out of peanut butter and had to go to the hospital.

/

It's okay to go read it so go ahead and do that please and thank you. 

New Position as Interviews Editor at Hobart

Something strange happened.

In September I sent a column pitch to Hobart. I had created an interview series called Chaos Questions for the now defunct CCM's Enclave and had several of those interviews published there. This was years ago. I love the series, so when I learned that a friend of mine, the author Frank Reardon, had a column at Hobart I figured it couldn't hurt to see if they would be amicable to allowing me to continue Chaos Questions there.

Months passed. I forgot I sent the pitch.

Then Elizabeth emailed back about a week ago and said she'd like the series. I felt really good about it. Hobart has been a solid indie lit journal for two decades, has a wide readership, and has published so many great writers over the years.

So she emailed back, including in the message the journal's managing editor Andrea Taylor, and introduced me to Andrea as the new interviews editor, saying it was great that Hobart would have one again. 

I walked around the house for five minutes or so and then old instincts from my days as a journalist battling deadlines and searching for leads on new stories kicked in and I sat down and emailed Ben Loory. Loory is one of my favorite writers and the idea of his imagination answering the wild questions I send out with Chaos Questions was one I'd had in the back of my mind for years. 

I don't if it was because he knew it would be an interview that would appear in Hobart (what I suspect, to be perfectly candid, and obviously is clearly understandable) or if he liked one of the old interviews I sent to give him an idea of what to expect, but he wrote back so so much more quickly than I could have predicted; it was about two hours later when I got a return email from Loory with enthusiasm, agreeing to take part.

I walked around the house for another five minutes or so.

There was a lot on my mind about then.

But I got it together and wrote Elizabeth to let her know I had a first interview lined up. It was really cool that she was excited about having Loory for the interview.

And that's where I'm at, present day. But I'm still walking around a bit, though it is settling in. I'm thinking of who to write to next and what kind of questions I'll write to play with their minds. 

Dan Russell's FAIR TO MIDDLIN' PODCAST

I had the honest to god honor of being Dan Russell's first guest on his new podcast Fair to Middlin' this past week.

I've said this on social media already but Dan was a really calming presence. Every interview I've done over the years has been something I couldn't go back and watch because my insanity always got very out of hand and watching it made me want to go to bed and sleep for 40 hours. But I was comfortable the entire time, which, if you know anything about me, is a full-blown miracle.

We talked about Poverty House and writing and shared some stories. I can't wait to see who he has on next and on and on and on.

Thank again for the awesomeness, Dan!