Archive by Author

Farewell, from Vouched Indy

15 May

First Vouched Books table outside Big Car Gallery, October 10, 2010

First Vouched Books table outside Big Car Gallery, October 10, 2010


I’ve been wrestling with this for months, and especially in the last several weeks. Even still, I feel a race and a crush in my chest as I type this: June 7th will be the last Vouched Indy table. I’ve decided to close up shop here and transfer the flag to Vouched Atlanta, where Laura has been doing absolutely incredible things to build and promote the small press and literary culture.

I want to say thank you to all the readers, writers, and publishers who have supported Vouched from the very beginning, some now defunct: PANK, Annalemma, Mud Luscious, Publishing Genius, Hobart, Artifice, Rose Metal, DZANC, Magic Helicopter. The list goes on and on. And those are just the publishers–that’s not to mention the hundreds of incredible people I’ve met in the past three years: Roxane Gay, Matt Bell, Molly Gaudry, JA Tyler, Adam Robinson, Justin Sirois, Matt Seigel, Aaron Burch, Casey Hannan, Tim Jones-Yelvington, Tadd Adcox, xTx, Devan Goldstein, Aubrey Hirsch, on and on and on.

Lastly, I want to thank my wonderful contributors, past and present and future. I wouldn’t have lasted this long without all of you–especially without Tyler Gobble and his boundless energy, Laura and her gumption. I can’t wait to see what Laura builds as admiral of the Vouched fleet.

The small press community has shaped and changed my life in ways I can’t even express, and I will remain grateful to the eventual grave. I intend to remain a part of it in some way, will probably hang around and post a review here or there, and look forward to seeing everyone at future AWPs and readings. Here’s to Vouched. Here’s to you all. Here’s to everyone who has ever understood what it means to be small.

YesYes is doing a lot of Yes on the West Coast

23 Mar

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This just in from our friends at YesYes Books: they’re gearing up for some Yes’ness along the West Coast (or should we say the Yes Coast?). This monstrosity of a reading tour featuring some of the best of the YesYes crew looks to be crisscrossing the 101 from Seattle all the way to LA over the next week as a part of their brand-new PSYCCity reading series, each of which raises donations and sends poetry books to organizations that serve high-risk youth. 

Can I getta hell yeah? 

More details about the tour here.

PSYCCity Portland: A Benefit for P:EAR
Saturday, March 23, 6-8 pm
P:EAR Gallery

PSYCCity Oakland: A Benefit reading for Covenant House California

Monday, March 25, 7-9 pm
Grand Lake Coffee House

Live at 851, San Francisco
Tuesday, March 26, 8 pm

YesYes Books & Friends 2013 LA
Wednesday, March 27, 7 pm
Stories Books and Cafe

A Salon Reading with YesYes Books, Los Angeles
Friday, March 29, 8 pm
Hosted by Marci Vogel
Contact YesYes for an invite! kmasullivan@yesyesbooks.com

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Selections: OTHER KINDS by Dylan Nice

18 Feb

other kinds dylan niceOther Kinds
Dylan Nice
120 pgs
Hobart
$10.95

“My people were loggers and truck drivers–people who didn’t trust success as much as struggle. My father wore flannel and drank beer from tall, white cans. He spoke with a slowness that suggested hardship.”

* * *

“Young girls in young outfits. The curve of something I couldn’t know. I got off the bus and went to the basement and watched television. I watched the other kinds of people in the world until I forgot about myself.”

* * *

“Lily looked at you hard when she laughed. She came to the plains from an eastern city to see the size of the weather, the long breaths of wind, the way you could see the rain well before you rode into it. The place I was from was just as empty but not as flat. It took me years to get used to having nothing on the horizon, nothing farther in the distance to mark time.”

* * *

“The road back into town wound steeply through the woods. She drove the car too fast, gunning the accelerator, slamming the brakes. She had no understanding of the mechanics at play and I said nothing about the panic I felt. My father once told me that wet leaves can be like ice. Up ahead, a maple had shed its leaves thickly over a curve, and when her wheels hit, they kicked out. I hit my head, and the dash collapsed on my shin. She woke up to smoke that turned out to be her air bag’s dust. Mine didn’t go off.

She pulled at my shirt and screamed when the bloodied part of my face slumped toward her. I heard it from a great distance.”

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Fall Into the Sinkhole Anthology – SMALL PRESS COMICS

10 Dec

The Sinkhole AnthologyFriend of Vouched, author of the story collection Naked Summer, and all around good dude, Andrew Scott, is embarking upon the launch of a new small press comic book endeavor, Sinkhole Press.

To me, this is really amazing, but I’ll fully admit I’m less than well-versed about the world of independent comics. When I really think about it, I imagine there’s probably just as thriving a culture of small press comics as there is in the fiction/poetry/etc. genre, if not probably more thriving, especially because there’s not the divide between webcomics and print comics (at least, not to my knowledge). I don’t know. Do print comic artists have a lingering feeling of disdain for webcomic publishing?

This post is real-time making me want to have a beer with Andrew and ask him all these questions. I think I’m going to do that and post it here as an interview for the launch of the press.

AT ANY RATE!

Sinkhole Press is doing a Kickstarter to fund their first title, The Sinkhole Anthology. A bit about that:

The Sinkhole Anthology brings together creators—from the United States and Norway—who treasure the tradition and spirit of creator-owned, independent comics.

This will be the first release from Sinkhole Press, a boutique comic book publisher. The anthology features work by former students and graduates of the Kubert School, the creature designer and storyboard artist of the Troll Hunter film, the author of a literary short story collection (prose), the artist of the bestselling The Stuff of Legend graphic novels, and more.

So yeah. That sounds pretty baller. I backed it. The project is already fully backed, but if it sounds like rad action to you, you can still get in on it until December 27th. You can back it for $10 for a high-res PDF version of the final product, or $20 for a print edition.

Back that thing up.

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Bell vs. Pane in Literary Decision 2012!

13 Nov

RSVP on Facebook!

That’s right. Versus.

Vouched knows how sad you all are that the elections are over, meaning no more debates as excuses for drinking games. So, in true Vouched fashion, we are giving you one more debate–a literary debate. (And probably a drinking game.)

It’ll go like this:

Matt Bell and Sal Pane will each give their opening statements (readings), and then Vouched founder Christopher Newgent will moderate a 15 minute debate over today’s most contentious literary controversies: the rise of the eBook as a new world superpower, the dwindling word economy, and what’s the difference between flash fiction and prose poetry anyway?

Afterwards, the crowd will vote, and 5 lucky audience members will win a copy of the victor’s book.

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Meet Me in Philly: Conversations and Connections Conference

14 Sep

Everyone knows about that whole AWP thing, right? The huge conference where we all go and lose our voices and pulverize our livers and generally wish those few days could be our life-at-large?

Well, there are smaller versions of that throughout the year, and one of those is coming up next week in Philadelphia, and it is much more affordable than AWP, and there are awesome panels, and Stewart O’Nan is keynoting, and on top of a really kick ass time, your registration fee gets you a subscription to a literary journal, a book from one of the speakers, and a “speed dating with editors” session.

This year, Ol’ Dave Housely has asked me out in my Vouched capacity to manage book sales during the conference, and of course I’m going to say yes to that.

So, I’ll be there, and I hope to see you there, too. It’d be rad to see you there. I’ll be standing behind a red clothed table with a bunch of books on it. Say hello. Let’s be friends.

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Vouched Presents: a Literary Powerhouse

29 Aug

This reading really got out of hand fast. What started out as a simple “book release party for Amber Sparks”/”welcome to Indy for Sal Pane” escalated into an all out literary brawl with the addition of Lania Knight, and the REAL PAIN: FUTURE DEAD FRIENDS TOUR 2012 making a stop with Scott McClanahan, Sam Pink, Megan Boyle, Jordan Castro, and Mallory Whitten. This line-up could generate electricity for a small city.

Join us at the new Indy Reads Books store at the very north end of Mass Ave., and pack your brain full of words and moments you won’t want to forget. And, maybe some you’ll want to forget. Let’s be honest. Nights like these have a way of breeding regrets alongside remembrances.

RSVP at Facebook.

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Awful Interview: Christopher Newgent

16 Aug

Photo by Stevi Clark

As is the custom of readers at Vouched Presents, Christopher Newgent took part in an Awful Interview–with himself. He’s reading tonight at Indy Reads Books with Tadd Adcox, Layne Ransom, and Chadwick Redden. 7pm. There’s not much else to say. Here he is.

So, you’re reading at your own reading.

Yeah. Is–
Is there a question about that?

You don’t think it’s weird?

I mean, I suppose so, a little. It’s strange that it’s such a big deal in the literary world. Or maybe I’m just making a bigger deal out of it than is necessary. I don’t know. It’s not like anyone has really said anything outright to me or anything. It just seems weird. I don’t know why. I probably just enjoy any excuse to have a guilty conscience.

I grew up playing music in the underground music scene, and it was pretty standard practice for the band who booked the show to play, which facilitated show swapping with other bands and–

*YAWN*

…anyway. Yeah. I’m reading at my own reading. Tadd asked me to.

Tadd’s a good guy.

He is.

Tell me about Tadd.

Well, he’s a–

I’m just going to stop you there.

Okay?

That’s all. I was just tired of hearing you talk. You talk a lot.

Oh.

You’re pretty hard on yourself, aren’t you?

I can be, I guess.

Did I hear once, you thought you had/have an eating problem?

Yeah. I mean, I guess so. Not like a disorder or anything, but–

Explain that.

I was.

Right. Well, continue.

I don’t know. I don’t have either of the classic disorders or anything. But I tend to binge eat when I’m unhappy and stuff.

Are you unhappy now?

I don’t really want to talk about this.

Is it true that when you were a kid, you used to break into houses just to see if you could do it?

Why are you Larry King’ing me?

You mean, why are you Larry King’ing yourself?

Right.

I don’t know. Guilty conscience? Did you ever steal anything from the houses you broke into?

No. My friends did though. It was just sport for me. I wanted to see if–

BORING.

I’m…sorry?

Are you going to be this boring at the reading tonight?

I hope not. I try to put on a good show. I just want people to li–

Do you have any final words to the hopeful audience?

I love you. Please come.

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The Bodies Had Families: “Elise Qua Elise” at Everyday Genius

14 Aug

Only a few weeks from September, so only a few weeks from a bunch of political posturing about never forgetting, and me feeling uncomfortable, shuddering at the entire charade of it. I get uncomfortable when people talk in nevers and forevers; they’re such eternal words, and I’m not sure what eternity means. Sometimes that sort of faith frightens me. You need to read this:

And then this, from the same poem by Rebecca Hazelton.

And then the rest of the poem at Everyday Genius, because you are invested now. Because something about this one demands to be read the whole way through. Because the sad truth of it is this poem will be forgotten, just like those bodies and these bodies will be forgotten. And what does that even mean.

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Get Lucky with PANK 7

10 Aug

Have you heard? PANK Magazine, one of my favorites out there, is going bi-annual starting with PANK 7. This is the same PANK that got a nod from NY Times Style Magazine. That’s some swanky PANKy.

I pretty much hate myself for just saying that, but I’m not deleting it, I’m just going to keep on going, because my fingers are twitchy with coffee rot and yesyes.

Get PANK’ed with new writing from these names:

Jeremy Bauer
Sommer Browning
Michelle Dean
Caitlin Horrocks
Kathryn Houghton
Simon Jacobs
Eugenia Leigh
DW Lichtenberg
Michael Martone
Mark Neely
Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz
Kevin Sampsell

Get PANK’ed twice a year.

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