No News Here

Just checking on my website and updating things here and there. And then I noticed the News section was last updated in 2015–Ugh!  Not because I haven’t written any new updates, mind you. But because I don’t write them here.  I think I’ll leave this page up, if for no other reason than every few years it’s fun for me to stroll down memory lane and see what I was up to when. (I don’t assume anyone else reads much here.)

But if you’re looking for updates, better places than here are any of the following:

My Facebook Author Page

My personal Facebook page

Left Fork/Flowstone on Facebook

Mind you, I’m not saying any of these will be updated regularly. Just more regularly than this page you’re staring at.

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Upcoming reading on Friday, May 8

Long time, no post. Let’s remedy that. This very coming Friday night, I’ll be reading from my latest book thing Goldilocks and the Three BARs (Beyond Available Resources) (of which you can learn more here.). It happens at the County Building in Cave Junction, I’ll be going sometime around 6:30-7pm. I hope to see ya there.

Here’s more on the full line-up of Art Walk, thanks to the fine people at IRVAC:

IRVAC Presents: Second Friday ArtWalk, 5 – 8 PM * May 8th, 2015
Come Explore the Visual, Literary, Performing and
Culinary Arts of the Illinois River Valley!
Josephine County Building
Celebrate IRVAC’s and ArtWalk’s 15th Anniversary!
Come perform at our Open Mic! 5 to 6:30 and also 7:30 to 8 pm:
Singers, Dancers, Actors & Poets Welcome! Open Mic Competition will extend through all 4 ArtWalks this season with Prizes awarded Aug. 14!
Also:
6:30 to 7:30 Local Authors Kindi Fahrnkopf, Ryan Forsythe and Grants Pass Authors Nancy Yonally & Wally Coleman: Book Reading & Signing.
Josephine Community Library
IRVAC Learning Through Arts: LBMS 7th Grade African Projects
Plus: Summer Reading Sign-ups
ArtWalk Welcomes Wild Bill’s Oregon Outlet, LLC.
Glass Pipes, Jewelry, T-shirts & More!
Bagel Junction: Caribbean Kitchen by Chalo: Choice of Fish, Chicken or Veggie. Rice & Plantains. Local Art and Authors, too!
ArtWalk Welcomes Bear Images: Special: 15% Off All Jewelry & Clothing.
Ravenswood Gallery: Local Art, New Crystals & Jewelry. Come say Hi!
Taylor’s Country Store: Music Duo Buck Harms & Anna Hyde
Nature Photography by Patty & Ned Booth.
Special: Red Snapper Tacos. Regular Menu.
ArtWalk Welcomes Lady Thyme Herbs
Watercolors by Ruth Overholser, Herbalist & Consultant
Art & Photography by Kay & JP Ekwall
Cave Junction Farmers Market – New Location: Jubilee Park!
Musical Guests: Sunrise Ocean & Friends
Fresh Local Produce, Plant Starts, Honey, Bodycare Items & More!
Eye Care Group, Optometric Physicians: Group Show. Paintings by I.V. Fine Artists: Clayton Fincher, Pat Hammer, Valerie Main, Jo Sauer, Bea Thompson & Kaye Wyman. (Regular business hours, only.)
Second Friday ArtWalk is sponsored by Illinois River Valley Arts Council Explore our website: http://www.irvac.com. Information: 592-6288
Artwalk information: 226-6458 cjartwalk@gmail.com
ArtWalk Sponsor: Jefferson State Financial Group.
Graphic Design by Bruce Stone 592-2901
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New journal, new book, new organization

It’s been a while so time is long overdue for an update. A few notes:

1. New journal: Earlier this year I started a new literary magazine with fellow souther Oregon writer Michael Spring. We co-edit Cobra Lily: a review of southwest oregon literature and art. Yup, the focus is poetry, stories, art, memoir, etc., all celebrating our region. Plan is an online quarterly with a print annual. You can read our first 2 online issues now at CobraLily.org. Submissions are open for Issue 3, so if your art focuses on this region, check out our guidelines.

2. New book: Okay, it’s actually a new version of an old book, but I’ve redesigned The Little Veal Cutlet That Couldn’t. Now that my PhotoShop and InDesign skills have come into their own (what does that mean?), I decided it was time to re-do the book that I originally created in Word (yup, a full color book formatted in Word!?). It’s more for fun than to make any money, so I’ve also cut the price. Previous version was $10.95 and I’m making this one available for $8 (though I see Amazon has already dropped it to $7.60 with free shipping on orders over $35). Check out the Amazon page or the facebook page.

3. New organization: to celebrate the many writers of Oregon’s Illinois Valley, and to help them/us connect to writers, I’ve formed something of a writers collective that I’m calling Read Local-Illinois Valley. Plan is several programs to pool resources and help writers find readers and readers find writers. We had a table at the Takilma Folk Faire last month, but our first event is coming the first week in November. At the IV branch of Josephine Community Libraries, we’re having a Local Author Holiday Book Reading & Sales event. What better or more unique holiday gift than a signed copy of a book from someone in your own community. Expect novels, local history, books of poetry, and maybe even a children’s book for adults–all of which can be dedicated to that special someone. For more information, check the Read Local website.

All for now…

Finally…it comes down to this

The years was 2005. George Bush was president, the trials of Saddam Hussein had begun, surgeons in France had just carried out the first human face transplant (a mere 8 years after Face/Off), and I had first applied to the MFA program in Creative Writing at San Diego State University.

In spring 2006, I ended up declining an offer to attend, instead taking a job running a hostel in Redwood National Park with my wife and son (soon to be sons, plural). Okay, true–we actually got the offer to run the hostel first; not knowing if I would hear from any program, we moved up there and 2 weeks later came the call from SDSU. But we were happy where we were at and I said no thank you (or maybe I said “Uh…can I defer?”).

Fast forward four years. Barack Obama is president and the hostel closes due to an estimated $1 million in repairs. Time for Kaci and I to figure out what to do next. In the back of my head was that MFA I’d been itching to get. So I applied again and in Fall 2010 we moved to San Diego.

Well, fast forward again, this time to this afternoon (Obama still president) when I turned in my final 30 pages for the program. I’ll meet for feedback in a week or two, but yup, this means something. I’m done. Well, almost.

Thursday, May 9, at 7pm, I will be reading from my thesis, a novel about garbage, government, and growing up. Oh, and Faith No More. The evening is actually a collaboration of sorts with 3 of my good friends and colleagues, who will share their own work. We met Saturday night for a rehearsal and it looks like it’s going to be quite the event: live music, visuals including canned patriotic YouTube videos, humor, seriousness, limited edition chapbooks, and more. (We promise to keep things moving.)

So if you’re anywhere near San Diego State Thursday night, consider coming on out. Details on the Facebook event page.

Coming Attractions

A few readings over the next few weeks…

First up is this Saturday’s ADZPCTKO. For those not in the know, that is the Annual Day Zero Pacific Crest Trail Kick-Off event. My wife Kaci and I each had pieces accepted for the Pacific Crest Trailside Reader. Three of Kaci’s poems are in the Oregon / Washington edition, while my story “Sometimes They Come Back,” which I’ll be reading, is in the California edition.

It takes place Saturday, April 27 at Lake Morena County Park in Campo, east of San Diego. I’m scheduled to read at 7:45pm, but if you get there early, there is a presentation on “Bears, Lions, Rattlesnakes, Ticks and Fire” at 6:30pm. Full details on the event, including the full weekend schedule, is here.  By the way, all royalties from both volumes of the Trailside Reader benefit the Pacific Crest Trail Association, so pick up one or both and help out a great organization.

Then on Thursday, May 9, from 7-9pm, I’ll be doing a thesis reading with 3 colleagues at San Diego State University’s Scripps Cottage. But I’ll give an update with more information on that soon. Stay tuned…

Poetry & Arts reading March 1

As part of the San Diego Art Institute’s Poetry & Art Series, I’ll be joining a great group of readers on March 1. This serves as something of a kick-off to festivities celebrating 40 years of Fiction International, the journal for which I serve as Assistant Editor (look for more information soon on the main event May 15).

Headlining the reading are Harold Jaffe and Katie Farris, two great writers I’ve been fortunate to work with during my time in San Diego State’s MFA program. But there will be much more, including live music by Nathan Hubbard; Jimmy Jazz’s first reading in years; plenty of food and drink; fiction from some of my editor colleagues; and also an Open Mike following.

The event takes place in the Museum of the Living Artist, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Members are free; $5 at the door for others, though note well: if you bring some wine to share, you get in free!

Check out the full description here or here.

By the way, I’ll be reading from my latest publication, scheduled to be released that very day by the fine people at Whole Beast Rag. (Though maybe if you’re heading to the reading, try not to check it out ahead of time.)

Now available

This week, Black Scat Books published my short tale “If You Don’t Read This, The Terrorists Will Win” in a full-color illustrated edition.

The book is the fifth in their “Absurdist Texts & Documents Series” which publisher Norman Conquest describes thusly: “This innovative chapbook series features works designed to disrupt, disorient, and smash boundaries—academic, cultural, literary, and philosophical. Each title is published in a limited edition of 50 copies.”

So get them while they’re hot…or at least while they’re available. (There’s no telling how many my Mom will want to snatch up to give as Christmas presents this year.)

More information on this and the other books in the Absurdist Texts & Documents series is available at http://blackscatbooks.com/absurdist-texts-documents-series/

Please consider a purchase to help support small independent presses like Black Scat.