Words everywhere

What a week in literature! This past Tuesday, my wife and I went to see Salman Rushdie speak as the inaugural writer in this year’s Portland Arts & Lectures series. I’ve heard him on the radio several times and I’ve enjoyed his appearances on The Daily Show, so I knew the guy was not onlyContinue reading “Words everywhere”

Jersey Devil Press turns four

It’s that time again, gang: Jersey Devil Press’s latest issue is out! And it’s our fourth anniversary! Whether it’s two best friends slowly poisoning themselves to death, or a blind painter taking instructions from an imaginary dragon, or a stranded cyclist drinking water with a coffin-dweller and jamming to interstellar music, or a family hauntedContinue reading “Jersey Devil Press turns four”

New publication

I’m an ingredient in a drink, y’all! As of today, my story “Have Love, Will Hurt” appears in the August/September print issue of The Rusty Nail, which is both my father’s favorite cocktail and a kick-ass literary magazine. This story is one of the fun ones, too. Not because of the content (a guy falls in love with aContinue reading “New publication”

Meanwhile, the Jersey Devil got drunk with General Grant

That’s an odd title for a post, but let me explain: The first story in the September issue of Jersey Devil Press is about a woman from the set of a vanity zombie flick having a love affair with General Robert E. Lee. And I know you’re not surprised by that sentence, because it’s JerseyContinue reading “Meanwhile, the Jersey Devil got drunk with General Grant”

Unshod and pregnant. With bees.

Oh, you guys. This issue. The photography, the poetry, the prose. The cover art. The beauty of it all! The long-awaited Issue 8 of Unshod Quills is live and online now, and it’s a wonderful, sweet, buzzing literary creature. Since we’ve switched to a focus on poetry, our ranks of gorgeous poets have swelled beyondContinue reading “Unshod and pregnant. With bees.”

Interview with Todd McNamee, author of Drifting

My friend Todd McNamee will be holding a reading this Saturday at Old World Merchants in Vancouver, WA, “surrounded by all my wonderful friends and family,” he writes on the event’s Facebook page. “I am very excited to be doing this at my dear friend’s import store” — which is such a cool venue forContinue reading “Interview with Todd McNamee, author of Drifting”

I’ve been nominated for the storySouth Million Writers Award!

Folks, this is just too amazing not to share: The editors at Bartleby Snopes have nominated my story “Lightning My Pilot” for the 2013 storySouth Million Writers Award! It’s a hell of an honor, and I’m inexpressibly proud to be listed alongside Joseph Lambach’s “Cutting Hair for My Sister” and Brian Kayser’s “Underwear and Leftovers.” Thanks, SO MUCH,Continue reading “I’ve been nominated for the storySouth Million Writers Award!”

The Jersey Devil never rhymes . . .

. . . But this month, for the first time in a full issue, we have poetry. That’s right, folks: your friendly neighborhood Jersey Devil Press, home to all your favorite short fiction — sci-fi, horror, comedy, sci-hor-medy, deep literary musings, and not-so-deep literary musings — has gone all bard-y and started breaking lines andContinue reading “The Jersey Devil never rhymes . . .”

North Texas writers

I tout the books of friends and writers I admire here on the blog from time to time, but as good fortune would have it, lately I’ve been getting a lot of news about books from former classmates! I did my doctorate in English at the University of North Texas, where I had the tremendousContinue reading “North Texas writers”

Oregon Literary Fellowship recipients in a chapbook

Literary Arts and the excellent Mel Wells have issued a special promotional e-chapbook for the 2013 Oregon Literary Fellowship recipients. I have the honor to be among that amazing group of writers and publishers, and so I’m in this chapbook, where you’ll find a little Q&A with me, an excerpt from the novel (you getContinue reading “Oregon Literary Fellowship recipients in a chapbook”