i'm obsessed with shorts. short. stories.
on this rainy day, in no particular order: Power, Corruption and Lies by New Order The Suburbs by Arcade Fire Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division Summerteeth by Wilco Unplugged in New York by Nirvana Best of Bowie by David Bowie London Calling by The Clash You Forgot it in People by Broken Social Scene Time … Read more
the electric recording company exists to reproduce vinyl recordings from 50-60 years ago. i’m thinking somebody has an obsession with vinyl here and, thank fucking god for obsession. little niche projects like this restore my faith in the absolute power and necessity of creation. the pleasure this man has in music, his belief in the … Read more
i’ll admit i’m quite curious about writer Jesus Hardwell who published a slim book of shorts called “Easy Living”. it’s wonderful writing. i’ve read it three fucking times. jesus’s a character writer and a little trippy so if you like Dennis Johnson, you’ll love Jesus Hardwell. they may even be the same person, karmically, if … Read more
i’ve been fucking around on twitter and shortlisted for a CBC challenge “lawmakers & lawbreakers”. here’s my tweet story, a bite-sized excerpt from a noir-styled story i wrote a couple of years ago titled ‘Dent’. it’s contained within a fabulous anthology titled ‘Stampede Queens’ that we’re trying to publish. he deserved it, says Phil. i … Read more
There are songs you have to sneak up on like you’re hunting for a rare bird. And songs that come to you fully intact like a dream through a straw. And other songs you find like bits of gum under your desk that you have to scrape off… Tom Waits
in a recent New Yorker podcast, Richard Ford states that novelists cannot be perfectionistic, that it doesn’t fit the novelistic form; however, this trait fits the short story form. this really got me thinking, took me on tangents into the writing/personal. last year, i tried to write a novel and it fucking freaked me out. … Read more
i read an interview of James Salter in the Paris Review and, man, what an interview. take a look at it here: http://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/1930/the-art-of-fiction-no-133-james-salter this man is fucking smart. anyway, in the usual discussion of what makes short story writing so great, he is asked “what’s your idea of a short story?” here’s his answer: Above all, it … Read more
here are a couple links to people who review a short story/day ALL MONTH LONG. that’s dedication/obsession. i like the idea of visiting with a story each day, kind of like catching up with an old friend and talking crazy stuff over. like the time you played cowboys and indians through the dug up streets … Read more
okay, top 10 list of what i consider, in my (warped) opinion, the best short stories i’ve read to date. when i say best i mean memorable. on this particular day and in no particular order. “Emergency” by Dennis Johnson “Paper Lantern” by Stuart Dybek “Pounding their Shadows” by Anthony De Sa “Swimming in Zanzibar” … Read more
recipe for a gimlet: 2 oz. gin 3/4 oz. rose’s lime cordial –throw these ingredients into a shaker, over ice, and shake briskly. strain and serve–make sure the glass has a sugared rim. for texture. PS a lovely drink, especially in the summertime. PPS i may have a second. yes, i think i may.