A. Lynn Blumer's Blog, page 2
January 9, 2018
EZPZ Issue 2 is here!!
Bird in Paradise Now Available!
Physical & Digital Copies available on my website. I apologize in advance for the loops you must jump through to get a file. I promise I won't stalk you! If you don't have an address to punch in, message me here on GR & I'll see what I can do for ya :)
Physical & Digital Copies available on my website. I apologize in advance for the loops you must jump through to get a file. I promise I won't stalk you! If you don't have an address to punch in, message me here on GR & I'll see what I can do for ya :)
November 28, 2017
Promotions & Book Launch!!
Once again, Shawn Wolfman delivers wonderful new promotional posters!
October 5, 2017
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: ez.P.zine Vol. 2
Hey Everyone! I'm looking for Poetry and/or Flash Fiction to fill volume two of the ez.P.zine: Bird in Paradise
Authors can submit 1-3 pieces. Flash Fiction can only be one standard page long.
I'm leaving the topic (Bird in Paradise) open for interpretation. If it falls vaguely within, I'll consider it.
Message me if you're interested and I can send an e-mail with more information, OR if you're a Facebooker, you can go to Pyre's page and join the event.
Deadline: December 17th, 2017
Authors can submit 1-3 pieces. Flash Fiction can only be one standard page long.
I'm leaving the topic (Bird in Paradise) open for interpretation. If it falls vaguely within, I'll consider it.
Message me if you're interested and I can send an e-mail with more information, OR if you're a Facebooker, you can go to Pyre's page and join the event.
Deadline: December 17th, 2017
September 28, 2017
EZ.P.Zine Vol 1 is Here!
I am proud to introduce Pyre Publishing's first zine, Beast of Burden!This DIY collection of poetry is full of a wide range of styles and the personalities who pen them.
Physical copies are $5
Ebook is Free!
Both versions can be found on Pyre Publishing's Website.
May 21, 2017
Pyre Update: New Zine Project!
Hey fuck-ohs!
Watch out for the new "ez.P.zine" slated for release in September!
I will be sending out free copies of the quarterlies when they're released, and the 2017/2018 compilation will be available for as-cheap-as-I-can-get-it upon it completion.
ALSO, Volume Three of the N series is in the works! Due in August. I just had my last meeting with the writers to send them off on their first editing session and the book itself in in the design process :)
Lastly, my first personal poetry anthology is becoming more than just a thought, but not much more than that yet. BLUR EVERY LINE is set up for 2018.
Whew... When will I ever sleep? Between the day job and chipping away at the ole novel, I guess.
Watch out for the new "ez.P.zine" slated for release in September!
I will be sending out free copies of the quarterlies when they're released, and the 2017/2018 compilation will be available for as-cheap-as-I-can-get-it upon it completion.
ALSO, Volume Three of the N series is in the works! Due in August. I just had my last meeting with the writers to send them off on their first editing session and the book itself in in the design process :)
Lastly, my first personal poetry anthology is becoming more than just a thought, but not much more than that yet. BLUR EVERY LINE is set up for 2018.
Whew... When will I ever sleep? Between the day job and chipping away at the ole novel, I guess.
April 15, 2017
New Age Hippies, Big Bros, &Baby Lesbians.
April is poetry month, so we've been busy. I'm honestly enjoying the pace, no room for bullshit at the moment. Work, write, read, perform, spend a night with Mr. Benefits, and I still have time to lose my mind a little on the weekends! No complaints here, kinda just want to talk for a minute....
Thursday was our fist out of town show of the month. We drove up to Houghton, MI and read at the Orpheum Theater & Pizza Gallery (I don't think that's the real name... sorry). I love their stage and the room you get to look at. It's not gilded, but an elegant rustic that screams U.P. Michigan. I really enjoyed the reading, even though we only read to our fellow writers and the band that was closing that night. The Band was really cool.
Friday night was our first house show. It was local, right here in MQT. I was honestly surprised when this 21-year-old hit me up on Faceslut about reading at his party. I almost looked over my shoulder to see if he was really talking to me or if I was awake. He was and I was, so I said yes and told him I would gather my troops (its not like a troop, more like a small gaggle) and show up for his house party that ended up with 8 bands on the line-up, 7 if you consider the ones who never showed (typical).
I managed to get one person to show. Ole Reliable. The other two dropped at the last minute, with valid excuses of course. I got there early to get the best hiding place for my beer and smoke down the hosts. At this point, I was still unsure what to expect. One host was telling me some wishy-washy shit about when I could read. The other was sure but sort of blowing me off, busy being the big wig of the night. I'm not the type to be bothered by such things, though. Go with the flow. It's really quite easy if you try.
The opener was a pleasant surprise. Jeremy Murdoc, a man I've been curious about for a minute. Another silver fox, new to town, obviously old school Punk. It's not like you think. I'm aware he has a girlfriend, but I'm curious. I've seen him at shows involving the New Age Hippie types. He was at the Love Show, sat at the table closest to my booth, reading a book, and catching my eye several times. He played the electric guitar to a partner yoga sequence that night, and this last Friday he made the whole party sit down while he talked about Buddhism. If anyone knows anything about Buddhism it's a lot on suffering/life. Dukah? I probably slaughtered that word.... sorry. Anyway, It was the perfect way to start a night of pure rowdiness, and a good thing for me to follow. I just hopped up there after a few nervous puffs of my cigarette and talked more about suffering. I only read three pieces (one old, two new), since there was 8 bands anxiously waiting and people getting more drunk by the minute.
I looked at my audience and realized this was the biggest group of people attentively listening that I've had in a while. Even the Love Show, placed in a bar full of people, I didn't have that many eyes. I started to shake. First my knees, by the second piece, it was my hands and my voice. I apologized at this point but everyone as supportive. I tried to get out of my most personal piece, but I made the mistake of admitting that, then everyone wanted to hear it all of a sudden.... I was pretty happy I made it through that one with a steady pace. I have this way of reading fast like I'm on the run from everyone in the room and we all just stopped for a minute to take a breath. It was good. It was the best reading I've had in so long. A few people saw me later in the night and complimented my poetry in exactly the right way. The moment we writers live for. I feel so encouraged to write at the moment, here I am Blogging 'cause I don't know what else to do.... Anyway, yay!
The rest of the night was classic. Mr. Benefits and I found the perfect couch to watch it all from. There was the one bitch that wouldn't stop yelling and being a cunt. Girlfriend-just-broke-up-with-me-puke-on-the-stairs-piss-his-pants-hog-the-bathroom was there. We watched a guy get wrestled off the dance floor and thrown down the stairs (pre-puke) to the exit on the street. Two different couples were making out furiously, one on the dance floor, the other outside by the smokers and the homeless man asleep on the bench by his own vomit. The back room was hot with Marijuana smoke and bodies packed, getting fresh on the bed. Baby lesbians looking underage as fuck wandering around, letting me down with the way they acted so tough their tenderness was showing. Big Bro loud and proud about his ability to be wasted and still not slurring, stumbling, or poorly timing his tough guy responses. He was a hoot! What wasn't a hoot, the die-hards still walking around bare foot after all the bodily fluids had shown themselves. Well, I didn't see shit, but I'm sure there was jizz.... regardless, fucking gross, people!
We sat till the cops cleared the room out pretty well, the last two bands (the ones I was waiting for) didn't get to play, and a few fights almost broke out at the worst fucking time. Assholes not believing the cops were there, the real tenants telling them how they felt about that outlook. Then, we sat a little longer. Our demeanor kept the tenants from actually kicking us out. The back room became even more packed. If I had been alone, I would've squeezed in there, but I was not feeling it and I had the perfect DD to get me home to my dog.
Damn good night. Both of them honestly. OH! I almost forgot. The guy who closed us out Thursday night was there with a different band. For those who don't know, Houghton and Marquette are 100 miles apart, but they both have campuses and shit going on. The UP is HUGE, but the communities are small. We stick together. Anyway, I was invited to read at a house show in Houghton this summer! I hear Michigan Tech can rip it up harder than NMU. I've never seen it, but I wouldn't put it past the Keweenaw Peninsula Yoopers. They're a much harder breed of Yoopers. It's damn cold up there in the winter. We Marquette Peeps have it a little easier.
Well... That's all. I hope you made it to the end here! I'll let ya'll know if that Houghton show happens and fill ya in.
For now... Thanks for listening. Thanks for reading! :)
A.Lynn
Thursday was our fist out of town show of the month. We drove up to Houghton, MI and read at the Orpheum Theater & Pizza Gallery (I don't think that's the real name... sorry). I love their stage and the room you get to look at. It's not gilded, but an elegant rustic that screams U.P. Michigan. I really enjoyed the reading, even though we only read to our fellow writers and the band that was closing that night. The Band was really cool.
Friday night was our first house show. It was local, right here in MQT. I was honestly surprised when this 21-year-old hit me up on Faceslut about reading at his party. I almost looked over my shoulder to see if he was really talking to me or if I was awake. He was and I was, so I said yes and told him I would gather my troops (its not like a troop, more like a small gaggle) and show up for his house party that ended up with 8 bands on the line-up, 7 if you consider the ones who never showed (typical).
I managed to get one person to show. Ole Reliable. The other two dropped at the last minute, with valid excuses of course. I got there early to get the best hiding place for my beer and smoke down the hosts. At this point, I was still unsure what to expect. One host was telling me some wishy-washy shit about when I could read. The other was sure but sort of blowing me off, busy being the big wig of the night. I'm not the type to be bothered by such things, though. Go with the flow. It's really quite easy if you try.
The opener was a pleasant surprise. Jeremy Murdoc, a man I've been curious about for a minute. Another silver fox, new to town, obviously old school Punk. It's not like you think. I'm aware he has a girlfriend, but I'm curious. I've seen him at shows involving the New Age Hippie types. He was at the Love Show, sat at the table closest to my booth, reading a book, and catching my eye several times. He played the electric guitar to a partner yoga sequence that night, and this last Friday he made the whole party sit down while he talked about Buddhism. If anyone knows anything about Buddhism it's a lot on suffering/life. Dukah? I probably slaughtered that word.... sorry. Anyway, It was the perfect way to start a night of pure rowdiness, and a good thing for me to follow. I just hopped up there after a few nervous puffs of my cigarette and talked more about suffering. I only read three pieces (one old, two new), since there was 8 bands anxiously waiting and people getting more drunk by the minute.
I looked at my audience and realized this was the biggest group of people attentively listening that I've had in a while. Even the Love Show, placed in a bar full of people, I didn't have that many eyes. I started to shake. First my knees, by the second piece, it was my hands and my voice. I apologized at this point but everyone as supportive. I tried to get out of my most personal piece, but I made the mistake of admitting that, then everyone wanted to hear it all of a sudden.... I was pretty happy I made it through that one with a steady pace. I have this way of reading fast like I'm on the run from everyone in the room and we all just stopped for a minute to take a breath. It was good. It was the best reading I've had in so long. A few people saw me later in the night and complimented my poetry in exactly the right way. The moment we writers live for. I feel so encouraged to write at the moment, here I am Blogging 'cause I don't know what else to do.... Anyway, yay!
The rest of the night was classic. Mr. Benefits and I found the perfect couch to watch it all from. There was the one bitch that wouldn't stop yelling and being a cunt. Girlfriend-just-broke-up-with-me-puke-on-the-stairs-piss-his-pants-hog-the-bathroom was there. We watched a guy get wrestled off the dance floor and thrown down the stairs (pre-puke) to the exit on the street. Two different couples were making out furiously, one on the dance floor, the other outside by the smokers and the homeless man asleep on the bench by his own vomit. The back room was hot with Marijuana smoke and bodies packed, getting fresh on the bed. Baby lesbians looking underage as fuck wandering around, letting me down with the way they acted so tough their tenderness was showing. Big Bro loud and proud about his ability to be wasted and still not slurring, stumbling, or poorly timing his tough guy responses. He was a hoot! What wasn't a hoot, the die-hards still walking around bare foot after all the bodily fluids had shown themselves. Well, I didn't see shit, but I'm sure there was jizz.... regardless, fucking gross, people!
We sat till the cops cleared the room out pretty well, the last two bands (the ones I was waiting for) didn't get to play, and a few fights almost broke out at the worst fucking time. Assholes not believing the cops were there, the real tenants telling them how they felt about that outlook. Then, we sat a little longer. Our demeanor kept the tenants from actually kicking us out. The back room became even more packed. If I had been alone, I would've squeezed in there, but I was not feeling it and I had the perfect DD to get me home to my dog.
Damn good night. Both of them honestly. OH! I almost forgot. The guy who closed us out Thursday night was there with a different band. For those who don't know, Houghton and Marquette are 100 miles apart, but they both have campuses and shit going on. The UP is HUGE, but the communities are small. We stick together. Anyway, I was invited to read at a house show in Houghton this summer! I hear Michigan Tech can rip it up harder than NMU. I've never seen it, but I wouldn't put it past the Keweenaw Peninsula Yoopers. They're a much harder breed of Yoopers. It's damn cold up there in the winter. We Marquette Peeps have it a little easier.
Well... That's all. I hope you made it to the end here! I'll let ya'll know if that Houghton show happens and fill ya in.
For now... Thanks for listening. Thanks for reading! :)
A.Lynn
March 23, 2017
Losing The Plot w/Leo
Hey out there! Check out this podcast I did with Leo X. Robertson. Also, be sure to check out the other good episodes he has with other great authors!
Losing The Plot, Episode Ten
It was lovely talking with you Leo!
A.Lynn
Losing The Plot, Episode Ten
It was lovely talking with you Leo!
A.Lynn
March 21, 2017
The Booth
Hey All!
Pretty proud of my presentation here! I worked my ass off this March already and I'm glad to have something awesome to show for it. Even though someone knocked that deliciously dark beer you see there on to my table later in the night, none of the books (the most expensive item) got harmed in anyway so I can't be that upset, I'm very pleased with how this art show went! I told myself not to let go of the damn beer and I did... so that's what I get, haha!
Having a small business IS rewarding. I feel like I'm on a roll lately. Producing and Creating. What a wonderful thing.
A.Lynn
March 11, 2017
New Website & Merch, Bitch.
Hey everyone!
New levels here: Got a website and made up some stickers to help my po' ass along.
Free bookmarks/business cards currently in the works.
Clicky Click
New levels here: Got a website and made up some stickers to help my po' ass along.
Free bookmarks/business cards currently in the works.
Clicky Click
January 25, 2017
New Sign!
Painted by artist Shawn Wolfman
I am very excited to have this and for the event it was made for happening on Saturday! Another group of artists are working on printing a book here in our small town of Marquette, MI and I really feel like our projects helped spark this one. When I started my Open Mic in 2014 one of my goals was to raise awareness of young writers in the area. I feel so much closer to that goal today! After Saturday, hell... I might even feel like I've achieved it.
The event is called Sustain and this group's goal is to have the entire cost donated by the public and then give the finished product away. I'm really curious to see how this tactic works out since it's different from our own, but I wish them the best and Pyre will be there for support every step of the way!
