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
THE INDIE, November 2005
The November issue of The Indie hit the streets last week.
BANNER STORY/HEADERS:
– “A Parking Snarl On Battle Square” by Michael Hopping
– “Human Needs Coalition Fights GOP Budget Attack” by Tim Wheeler/People’s World Weekly.
REVIEWS & INTERVIEWS:
– “The Year of Magical Thinking” (book review) by Michael Hopping
– “Writing and the World of the Library: An Interview with Umberto Eco” by Gaither Stewart.
COLUMNS:
– “Like a Rolling Stone: The Spirit of the Bonfire” by Pasckie Pascua
– “Writing, Painting and Thoughts about Spirituality from a Coffeehouse Junkie” by Matthew Mulder
– “Letters from Rome: The Greeks and Us” by Gaither Stewart
Plus much more…
To obtain FREE copies of the October issue…
go to The Indie website.
or write:
The Indie
70 Woodfin Place, Suite 01
Asheville NC 28801
or call:
Tel # (828) 225 5994
Sketch: Art Studio Still Life
Comics and Narrative Non-Fiction
pencil layoutA few years ago I illustrated a four-page comic version of a poem by Nate Pritts. To my knowledge there aren’t too many literary comics that tackle the idea of visually representing a poem in comic format. Not that my four pages was ground breaking. It was good exercise for me and provided the kernel of expanding comics into the literary realm.
You’re probably familiar with the publisher of Great Illustrated Classics. However, comics as a whole tends to be marginalized as tights-and-capes adventures at best or adolescent porn at worst.
comic page layoutA couple weeks ago, another comics aficionado presented me with the idea of illustrating concert reviews, interviews, non-fiction narratives and personal memoir. I jumped at the opportunity and began sketching out ideas immediately.
The biggest challenge for me was the limitation of the form. Illustrating a concert review requires a simple plot: I went, I saw, I reviewed. But will anyone read something that simple? I thought about adding a bit of narrative. In other words, tell a story about people who attend a concert; include brief backstory, dramatic tension, climax and conclusion.
inked comic pageLast weekend I began with two pages. The story was simple: my meeting with the other comic aficionado/publisher.
Backstory: artist has been trying to publish his comics for over ten years.
Tension: interviewer loves artist’s work and desires some new samples.
Climax: artist feels intimidated by the task but accepts.
Conclusion: artist begins a new direction in creative communication–comics.
Sketch: Woman Reading
Rapid River, Publishes Poem
Local arts magazine Rapid River published my poem “Narrative Kernel” in the November issue. Rapid River is published monthly in over 250 high traffic locations in Asheville and Buncombe County. Request a free copy:
Rapid River Art Magazine
70 Woodfin Pl. Ste 212
Asheville, NC 28801(828) 258-3752
Earlier this week I received letters of rejection regarding a collection of poems and a short story from two publications. I guess the publiscation of “Narrative Kernel” makes up it.
Writers at Home Series
Yesterday afternoon I attended a Writers at Home Series which featured Marc Fitten, editor, of the The Chattahoochee Review at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café.
Most of the audience in the cafe consisted of poets and writers seeking information from a benevolent editor who accepts or rejects submissions to a literary publication at his good pleasure. Sadly, most the questions were predictable. Any writer who desires to be published in a literary journal and asks questions like, “Should I call the editor to check on the status of a submission?” obviously has not done enough research in the field. Other fatuous questions include:
“What are you looking for in a manuscript?”
“What turns you off when reading a short story or essay?”
Puerile questions about writers wanting… no… lusting to be published almost drove me from the Café. You might as well tell the editor: “Sleep with me… I’ll bear your children… I’ll do anything… just publish my short fiction for the love of God.”
I sighed, doodled in my notebook and then the gracious Director of the Great Smokies Writing Program asked Marc Fitten to describe the life a manuscript once it makes it to the literary journal’s mail box. I listened.
I listened because Marc Fitten opened my eyes to the possibility that an editor of a literary journal might have a very rewarding job. The dream of all poets and writers is to get published, but another take on that dream is to publish a poet or writer of significance.
After the presentation, I told Marc I was almost persuaded to abandon writing and pursue publishing. With amiable fashion he smiled and said, “Yeah, it’s great.”
Another Published Poem
Local arts and culture magazine Rapid River published another one of my poems in the October issue. Rapid River is a free monthly magazine published in Asheville with a monthly readership of over 30,000 readers. You can find a Rapid River magazine rack pretty much any where downtown. I got my copy at Indigenous Teahouse & Juice Bar. So, go grab a copy and see what you think of my poem, “Reading ‘My American Body’ by W. K. Buckley.”
Coffeehouse Junkie 