By invitation, I’ve begun contributing to Write Stuff. I’ll post new articles every Sunday. Here’s my first piece: Below an Oak Tree.
Tags: [writing, creative, writers, Write Stuff]
It’s national poetry month and I have a new poem published
The Rapid River just published a poem I wrote. It is featured in the April 2006 issue. I guess I’m on a roll. I think the poetry editor has published four or five of my poems in the last eight months. Furthermore, I have been invited to read some of those poems at a best of Rapid River poetry reading on June 22nd at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café. Details are pending, but it looks like six local poets will be reading their work that evening. I’ll update the new EVENTS section (located in the left column) as information is available. Regarding the published poem, Values: II–it is part of a series of poems I’m tentatively calling Elements of Design. Surprisingly it stands well on its own, but I have a hard time reading it without knowing its sibling poems.
Tags: [Rapid River Magazine, poem, poetry, published]
Why read newspapers? Duh, for the comics.
Over the last few months I’ve been working on a comic strip which is scheduled to be published in a local ‘zine. During the course of this adventure I researched the whole comics in newspapers relationship. Here’s some interesting discoveries:
From David Astor for Editor & Publisher, November 4, 1989
“Comics are still the second-best-read features in the newspaper next to the headlines,” he declared. “[Readers and editors] love comics and need them. They’re a very important part of the paper.”[Mort] Walker said this year’s war between the two Dallas dailies over Universal features illustrates just how important papers think comics are.
“And one of the reasons for the continued interest in comics is that comics are continually interesting,” observed Walker, citing “new blood” over the years such as Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau of Universal, The Far Side by Gary Larson of Universal, and Calvin and Hobbes.
From The City Review:
While the “comic strips” of many newspapers is always one of their best-read features, “editorial” cartoons” have focused on political and sociological topics.
This one is more about the business side of newspapers, but I thought it was interesting.
From business journalist Dana Blankenhorn:
Without classified ad revenue, most newspapers would cost subscribers $1/issue or more, dropping circulation through the floor. Newspapers don’t make a profit from their Web operations, either. Yet they’re expected to post their stories on this medium-with-no-return until, when exactly? It’s the search engines that are making the big money, after all – whether they’re true engines or just link aggregations – those are the news front pages for most Netizens.The last bastion of a newspaper’s strength is its authority as a “thought leader” for the community. The people it picks for its editorial board, the columnists it chooses to publish – they’re all vetted through a careful, decades-long process for writing ability, reporting ability, and (most of all) fealty to the paper’s hierarchies and financial interest.
Again, this doesn’t have anything to do with comic strips, but is an interesting piece about Asheville’s “unusual” newspaper market.
“Gannett growing in weekly market, ranks No. 1 among owners”, by Chas J. Hartman, and Al Cross:
In western North Carolina, where Gannett owns the Asheville Citizen-Times and its two offshoot weeklies, the Haywood County News and Black Mountain News. The latter weekly, which predated Gannett ownership, is listed in E&P’s database. Gannett’s other Asheville non-dailies are the quarterly magazine Blue Mountain Living and the monthly magazines Mountain Maturity and WNC (Western North Carolina) Parent.There are an unusually large number of independent niche publications in the relatively small Asheville metro area. Weeklies include the Asheville Daily Planet, Asheville Global Report, The Asheville Tribune and Mountain Xpress. The last paper is the only one in E&P’s database.
Narrative Non-Fiction Comics: part 5
A while back, I mentioned that the first installment of my creative non-fiction comic is complete and pending publication. The first installment is titled “Higgins: Inside the Box.” Last weekend I completed half of the second installment (four strips or roughly 12 panels) which is the conclusion to the story arch, “Higgins: Inside the Box.” Then I began scripting a 5-part comic strip for a third installment which features a story line about this event. There isn’t an official title to this one. However, “Higgins: Outside the Box” seems like a logical progression.
Last Tuesday was the SECNCS meeting and fellow artists encouraged me regarding my inking techniques and suggested some tips on lettering comic strips. One artist, who is regularly featured in the Rapid River magazine, recommended that dialogue text be all caps and narrative text be upper and lower case. The recommendation is already being implemented beginning with the second installment.
This endeavor of combining illustration and creative non-fiction, have inspired me to study the poet William Blake. The illuminated text is not a new media; many ancient manuscripts were illuminated. For example, The Book of Kells is famously known for its illuminated text. Years ago, I studied under a calligrapher who taught me the secret of the Celtic knot work and spirals represented in the Book of Kells. The discipline of the knot-work has served me well, though not in my recent illustrations.
But William Blake illuminated his own poems and printed his own collections with the help of his wife. It helped that he was trained as an engraver and went on to apply his trade for book and magazine publishers. Being an innovator in his own right, he applied his trade to illuminate and print his own literature. Like William Blake, I studied graphic design (the modern day digital engravers if you will) and know how to produce books and magazines for clients. I wonder what William Blake would think of creative non-fiction comics?
Previous posts on creative non-fiction comics: [1] [2] [3] [4]
Surprised & embarrassed
You can imagine how surprised I was this morning when I opened the November-December 2005 issue of Small Press Review and read “Guest Editorial” by yours truly on page three. Surprised because it’s February 1st and I just received the issue yesterday, but also because I had submitted that piece over 10 months ago (more on that here and here and here and here). I am a bit embarrassed because in my haste to get that piece published, I posted an abridged version on 1000 Black Lines and later submitted it another editor who published it. Patience is still a virtue I need to practice.
Tags: [writing, writer, poetry, poet, Small Press Review]
Flasheville
Flash fiction + Asheville = Flasheville.com
Flasheville published “Another Empty Glass” over the weekend.
Making art with spills and splatters
All My Nights Turn Inside Out
Each year one of my many annual goals is to paint at least four new paintings (see right side panel for the last two years’ results). Last year my paintings took on a dramatically different direction thanks to my four-year-old son. From what his pediatrician says, his drawings are a bit advanced for his age but by no means does this mean he is a child prodigy.
Still, his drawings of people capture my imaginations. Through his eyes I see that paintings of people don’t need all the details of Rembrandt or Jan Vermeer van Delft to communicate. There’s also innocence with mixing paint directly on the canvas that he really enjoys. Since he lacks complete understanding of Joseph Alber’s interaction of colors, he doesn’t realize that all colors fade to gray if you’re not careful. And yet, gray can be a lovely background.
Retreat to the Stronghold
Happy accidents occurred and enhanced the experience of painting–a child’s approach to painting; having fun. It’s why I pursued the arts in high school and later at the university. Yet, there is a discipline to making art.
The first step to making art is designating time to produce it and committing to the task. Many of my former classmates from the university “played” and are currently busy with life and other matters of consequence. In the small book Art & Fear David Bayles and Ted Orland discuss this topic and offer a lucid observation–many art students pursue art making merely to achieve a degree and hang a senior art exhibit. In a recent essay, David Hollander states the same observation (regarding poets and writers): “The goal is not to get a degree.” The goal of art making is to share your individual vision and that takes a life of discipline.
Curly Dreams of Yesterday
Last summer I read about some recently uncovered Pollack paintings (“Is This a Real Jackson Pollock?” May 29, 2005, Sunday by Randy Kennedy). I got goose pimples with excitement. Could it be true? Are there really undiscovered Pollock paintings? I was giddy as I read the article in The New York Times.
I wanted to spill paint everywhere. My son thought it was quite an exciting idea too. However, once the paint hit the canvas he had the urge to mix the paint into a gray soup. I compromised and let him work the backgrounds as I handled the main subject; copper creatures of imagination.
Some fathers, I am sure, have other ways of engaging their children in activity like trips to the park, hikes in the mountains or visits to apple festivals. I do all those things as well, but somehow making art with my four-year-old expressionist seems for more fulfilling.
I’m Putting on My Socks
During Colonial America, it is purported that children began practicing the trade of their father around the age of five. Meaning that if the father were a merchant then the son would accompany his father to the shop and be useful for one day he would be in charge of the family business. The son would even wear similar wardrobe of his father (i.e. a blacksmith’s son dressed like his father and a farmer’s son dressed like his father).
So, if you see a father and son with black bandanas wrapped around their skulls, wearing paint splattered jeans, and spilling paint on canvases to loudly played ska tunes–that would be us making art and making memories.
I don’t know if I’ll continue the spill and splatter approach to painting. If I do it will have to be refined quite a bit. My goal is still to produce a minimum of four paintings by the end of the year.
Tags: [artist, painting, painter, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Alber, Pollack, father, son, ska]
The Blotter publishes poem
The Blotter published my poem, “The Last American Chestnut Tree,” in the January issue.
Narrative Non-Fiction Comics: part 4
The World’s Fastest Readings
Just got back from the world’s “second fastest reading” (according to Peter Turchi) at Malaprop’s. Twelve MFA faculty members from Warren Wilson College read from their published work. Each member was given roughly three and half minutes to read.
Last year I attended the first Warren Wilson MFA faculty reading [read here and here.]. This year they scaled it back a bit; from 18 to 12 readers.
WLOS had a camera crew filming portions of the event. I guess Asheville residents may see it on channel 13 tonight (I don’t own a television so I’ll check AshVegas’ blog to see if it was even aired).
Overall it was a good event. I must confess the first reader, whom I cannot recall, didn’t attract my attention and my adult ADD kicked in and I started writing stream of consciously in my notebook. Adria Bernardi read an excerpt from her novel which brought me back to the event and Justin Grotz delivered a fine reading of fiction as well as Peter Turchi.
Somehow the poets didn’t quite do it for me tonight. Maybe I’m overly critical of poets. Maybe the poets didn’t want to be there tonight. However, the second to the last reader, Steve Orlen, read a single poem that worked; and worked well.
After the event, I chatted with a gentleman who hosts Malaprop’s Blind Date with Poetry. He also happens to be one of the members of Eye For An Iris Press. With all the celebrated and award winning poets and writers gathered at Malaprop’s, I spent the most time conversing with this gentleman.
There’s something that has been preventing me from completing my application for the MFA program at Warren Wilson College. I thought it was simply intimidation, but I think it goes deeper than that. I can’t put my finger on it right now, but I intend to explore it later.
Tags: [poetry, fiction, literary, writing, reading, Warren Wilson College]
Warren Wilson MFA faculty Public Readings
The MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College Public Schedule
Readings will begin at 8:15 pm in the Fellowship Hall behind the Chapel unless indicated otherwise.READINGS – 8:15 pm
by MFA faculty and graduating studentsFriday, January 6
Marianne Boruch, Peter Turchi, Mary LeaderSaturday, January 7
No readings on campus, but come to “The World’s Fastest Readings” by MFA faculty at Malaprop’s, 55 Haywood Street. Reception at 5:30 pm; readings start at 6:00 pm.Sunday, January 8
Rick Barot, Wilton Barnhardt, Karen Brennan, Antonya Nelson, Eleanor WilnerMonday, January 9
Brooks Haxton, C.J. Hribal, Martha Rhodes, Kevin Mcllvoy, Ellen Bryant VoigtTuesday, January 10
First night of graduating student readings: Scott Gould, Sandra Nadazdin, Tatjana Soli,
Rosalynde Vas Dias
Tags: [poetry, fiction, literary, writing, reading, Warren Wilson College]
Narrative Non-Fiction Comics: part 3
The first installment is done. I’m a little bit nervous about sending it to the editor.
A couple months ago I began exploring the idea of literary comics; more specifically creative non-fiction comics.
I began sketching a 14-panel demo story and showed the drawings to some other cartoonists at a monthly meeting. The narrative non-fiction comic strip was modestly received and they encouraged me on some drawing techniques.
Casually inspired by Harvey Pekar’s American Splendor, Jessica Abel’s Radio: An Illustrated Guide and Eddie Campbell’s Alec McGarry, I began work on a narrative non-fiction comic strip storyline in five parts. Each strip, four panels, needed to be enough of a story to encourage a reader to come back next week. This would make it ideal for a weekly publication. The long term goal is weekly syndication (hah, stop laughing–everyone has dreams). The short term goal is a self-contained 5-page story.
Bitter Black Coffee, Issue 6, Summer 2005
The editor and publisher of a zine, Bitter Black Coffee, requested I put together this 5-page comic for an upcoming issue. In fact, the 14-panel demo story featured our intial meeting. So, this is a bit of a test run to see if I can complete something I started. We’ve been discussing this for over two months.
My personal goal (not the editor’s) was to have all 20-panels drawn, lettered and inked by Thanksgiving. However, personal crisis, illness and a full time day job prevented me from meeting that deadline. So, I adapted and gave myself three more weeks. The week before Christmas all 20-panels (plus a few bonus ones) were completed and scanned and ready to send. Only one hitch (actually two)–I didn’t have a name for the strip. Then I upgraded my laptop to Tiger and somehow lost the files I needed to email the editor. The naming of the comic strip still didn’t come to me. The muse must be on vacation or holiday or something. Maybe she has the stomach flu like I had last week.
During the Christmas holiday I found myself flipping through a copy of Alec: How To Be An Artist and I thought of a working title. I told myself it was too simple and too silly, but I went with it. I haven’t thought of anything else ingenious so the strip will be submitted with a working title. Maybe that’s the whole Malcolm Gladwell thing about snap judgments and split-second decisions.
Last night I got the files ready to email. Tomorrow I submit the self-contained 5-page story to the editor and publisher of Bitter Black Coffee.
Rapid River publishes another poem
With all the holiday hub-bub, I almost forgot to mention that local arts magazine Rapid River published my poem, “Abstract Painting in Blue,” in the December issue. It’s a short poem in a series of poems I’ve been writing on the topic of art theory as explained through the life of an artist.
Tags: [writing, writer, poetry, poet, Rapid River]
Christmas Eve at Westville Pub
There are these ads from True that keep populating my Hotmail page when I go to check email. In most cases I just ignore them because I’m checking emails not reading ads. But today I actually glanced at one and remembered how lonely it can be for single adults during the holidays.
A friend of mine sent me an email this week to let me know his band was playing at Westville Pub on Christmas Eve. The band is Gypsy Bandwagon and “wanted to do something for the folks that have nowhere else to go for the Holiday.” I can’t think of a better place to be on Christmas Eve.
I came up with a Web banner ad to replace the ubiquitious True ads:
The show starts at 8:00PM and is free to the public. Gypsy Bandwagon is an “Eastern European Pre Post-Modernist Folk Revivalist kind of thang.” Should be a good show. Maybe I’ll see you there. Cheers! Egg nog! and all that ho-ho Merry Christmas goodness!
Sketch: Another Cafe Reader
Intellectual swimsuit contest
A number of poetry submissions were sent out this weekend.
The one thing I abhor about the whole process is the “write a brief bio” portion of the submission letter. I mean, shouldn’t my publicist do that (not that I have one).
It’s like an intellectual swimsuit contest for a literary pageant. How do you look in a two-piece swimsuit with a tiara on your head? If you fit the definition of intellectual beauty and you’ve been published by notable literary magazines than you avoid the slush pile. If not, try finding another line of work.
So, here’s a new bio I wrote to accompany my latest submissions. It’s me in a red thong with a bright yellow Wisconsin cheese wedge on my head.
Bio: I am a cultural creative theory slut from Asheville, NC who is considered by some a true postmodernist. I collect hard cover books in foreign languages, eat critical theory articles for breakfast, bath in Icelandic and mythology and digest ancient manuscripts for light reading.
Do you think it’s too over the top?
H_NGM_N Publishes Poem
Just received an email from the editor of H_NGM_N that the latest issue (#4) is available online. H_NGM_N published my poem “Last Bus” in this issue. I’m still reading through it myself and really enjoy the company… especially, Tim Bradford’s “Scope.” H_NGM_N also offers merchandise (T-shirts, coffee mugs, bumperstickers and journal notebooks) which is just in time for the holidays.
Oh, Look What the Postman Delivered
Yesterday afternoon, I received my first royalty check from my publisher. I thought about celebrating, but then I looked at the amount… it should cover this week’s bus fare. I didn’t expect a big fat royalty check; after all it is a small poetry book by a virtually unknown character. I do find it curious that it’s delivery coincided with the birthday of American poet Emily Dickinson (she only had seven poems published in her lifetime).
Most (if not all) the books were sold through online retailers, and almost half the books were purchased in the last three months.
So, thanks to those who purchased Late Night Writing. The sophomore book cometh soon.
For those who haven’t purchased Late Night Writing… it makes a great gift. Or as my brother put it: “I have it displayed in the most predominant room in the house, the bathroom. I can’t tell you how many times I have enjoyed reading through this quality reading product. But a rough guess is at least once a day.” No, I didn’t pay him to write that.
So, next time you pick up a roll of toilet paper, remember to purchase a copy of Late Night Writing for that special room in your home. Here’s a list of places where you can find Late Night Writing. It is also available at Amazon.com, Abebooks.com, Alibris, Powell’s Books and Barnes & Noble.
One reviewer wrote: “Late Night Writing is easy, feeling-good reading, almost like a Rimbaud sobering up with Miles Davis over tequila sunrises at Venice Beach on a windy September late afternoon.”
Another reviewer wrote: “[T]hese poems are for & of the quiet moments we mostly overlook & are doomed to lose, snapshots of what’s been lost. This collection provides a kind of recollection & understanding,… in that space where we are alone with memory & desire.”
Tags: [writing, writer, poetry, poet, books, late night writing]
Sketch: Cafe Reader
Sketch: Coffee Underground Reader
Sketch: Woman Reading
Keep warm with The Traveling Bonfires
[photography and poster design by mxmulder]
The Traveling Bonfires invade The Grey Eagle:
Vanessa Boyd, Dashvara, Sunshine, Crooked Routes, Deborah Crooks, Hippie Shitzu, and FL singer/songwriter SJ Tucker.
Show startes at 6pm. $5 Cover charge.
Kapila Ushana will emcee the event. Courtyard Gallery will exhibit their work during the show.
The Asheville Citizen-Times interviewed Vanessa Boyd about her involvment with The Traveling Bonfires.
Comics and Narrative Non-Fiction Continued
I had tea not long ago with the writer of a very nice article about Asheville blogs. I didn’t realize he was such a comics aficionado. Over tea, he presented me with the idea of illustrating non-fiction narratives and personal memoir. I illustrated a 14-panel story about our meeting. The drawings are quick suggestions of setting and characters. I didn’t want to get too realistic.
Brian commented: “Such an exercise cannot help but broaden and deepen your writing… This is really fascinating. Taking everyday situations, finding the drama, illustrating them – you’re developing a wealth of back-story. I could see one of these scenes popping up under a bigger story… I don’t think you’re wasting time on this project.”
I hope he’s right in regards to the exercise assisting my writing.
Narrative Non-Fiction Comics is not new. Harvey Pekar’s American Splendor was famously made into a movie. Jessica Abel’s journalistic comic Radio: An Illustrated Guide records the making of a This American Life show. Joe Sacco’s books “Safe Area Gorazde: The War in Eastern Bosnia 1992-95” and “Palestine: In The Gaza Strip” are journalistic graphic novels.
Eddie Campbell’s Alec McGarry stories offer extensive inspiration in the genre of autobiographical comics/graphic novels. Alec McGarry is Eddie Campbell’s stage name (or rather comic page name). That is like Samuel Clemens writing an autobiography in which Mark Twain was the main character.
I must confess I’m enamored by that idea, but not as a narcissist. In the arena of stories, the most compelling tales are true, personal accounts–narrative non-fiction. Also, persuasive arguments are often won by personal example/experience. That’s what makes Elie Wiesel’s book, Night, so riveting–he was there. He survived Auschwitz, Buna, Buchenwald and Gleiwitz. He has first hand experience.
I know, I know–I’ve just sprinkled a lot of names throughout this post like confetti. Mark Twain I am not. Nor have I the life experiences of Elie Wiesel. I don’t know if I really want to follow in Eddie Campbell’s footsteps, either (he reveals all areas of his life–i.e. no trouble drawing himself nude which unnerves me–but maybe that helps him gain perspective on his own life).
I have a sketch of an idea of where I want to go with narrative non-fiction comics. This is what they call in Corporate America the development stage. It’s what I call drawing 1000 black lines before presenting a finished drawing.
Previous post on creative non-fiction comics: [1]
Sketch: Coffee Underground
Coffeehouse Junkie 
