Hosho McCreesh's Blog, page 14

Poetry and Punk Podcast

A Very Special Episode…

Martin Appleby, recently sporting a dapper, green mohawk, has taken a cache of poems from our A DEEP & GORGEOUS THIRST - UNABRIDGED AUDIO for “EPISOD 004” of his PAPER AND INK LITERARY ZINE PUNK & POETRY PODCAST. The episode includes an Interview with punk poet Dave Cullern (Fuck Ballads), music from Falaun and then a bit of the stink from us here at the HQ! There’s Joseph Ridgwell narrating for some poor sap at the gas station in his underwear. William Boyle speaks to getting screwed in Hollywood, and Willy Vlautin talks of the naked guy in his buddy’s pool. So grab a beer and start listening!

For those who don’t now, Martin is the driving force behind Paper and Ink Zine, and is a tireless supporter of small press goodness, all while still being a terrific writer in his own right. So if you’re looking for a taste of what the audio book, check out the podcast (and all the other stuff Martin gets up to)!

I also have it on high authority that anyone who wants a copy of the audiobook can reach out to Martin, as he’s got some free full length download codes.

The Daily Drunk

Two Great Drunks That Drunk Great Together!

The Daily Drunk was nice enough to give everyone another chance to check out the animated poems we made for the audio release of THIRST. Pop on over and give ‘em a watch!

Leeches of Lore

Three brave amigos are they

If any of you reading Chinese Gucci wondered about Akira’s favorite band, Leeches of Lore, and if they were real, the answer is yes, and unfortunately they’ve lost their terrific and talented keyboardist, Noah Wolters. One of the reasons their amazing concert, Leeches of Lorechestra, was featured in the book was, frankly, people needed to hear and see it. It was a special show and a special time for me, and, if you’re interested, you can check it out below.

I believe that people who struggle and strive to make art in an unblinking, uncompromising, and professional way — especially when plowing through day-jobs and navigating the steppes of the undiscovered or under-appreciated are a human glue that binds not only influences to future art, but us to each other in the joy of shared experience. Leeches, for me, is a truly mighty band…one I wish everyone could know. Their blend of professional musician-ship, dirty grit and whimsy, and down-right fucking rocking is a model for art made the way they wanted to make it. And this recent loss stings…even for a late-comer like me. The handful of times I met Noah, he was this blend of cool, chill, funny, and warm — with that rock-and-roll edge that the band as a whole has. A great guy, and another incalculable loss to Albuquerque’s music scene.

If you can, and if you’re moved to, his family could use the support. You can CHIP IN HERE.

Now, strap in and enjoy the ride. I hope to catch Noah again on the next go round.

Support Your Favorite Independent Bookstore Today!

Yep, today is Independent Bookstore Day, and there’s no better way to help KEEP BOOKS DANGEROUS than by buying something from your favorite spot.

And hey, if you want to multiply your personal impact, find a small press writer or publisher and order their stuff through your favorite store!

Now that’s some real culture-making, folks!

Updated Digital Audiobook Spots...

Lots of ways to listen!

One the off chance you’ve been waiting, here’s an updated list of audiobook platforms (yes, that one) where you can get your copy of A DEEP & GORGEOUS THIRST - UNABRIDGED AUDIO.

And, because times are tough, remember, the audiobook is also available through your local library’s platforms — free to you once they get a copy. So request away! We should be readily available in their systems, and so even if you can’t visit in person they might still be able to get a digital copy to check out remotely.

Tell Your Local Bookstore I'm a Fool...

Okay, as a guy out here in small press world mostly doing my own thing my with self-published books and books from a few (great) small presses, finding wider traction is rough business. And while it seems writers and publishers and bookstores all want the same thing — people reading books — the truth, as usual, is that the true dynamics of the thing are a lot more nuanced. Now, I could be wrong, but it seems that:

Writers want their books available on bookshelves forever, to be discovered by new readers over and over.

Publishers want to get all their copies sold quick…and then new printings to be stocked and sold too.

Bookstores want all the copies they’ve bought ANYWHERE EXCEPT sitting on shelves — they want them quickly bought up and sold out.

So for folks like me, out here in the barren steppes of publishing, there’s no cover. It’s unwieldy to manage consignment deals, even as I understand that shelf space is a bookstore’s prime real estate — one they can’t waste on expensive inventory that sits collecting dust, hoping it’ll someday turn a small profit.

And there’s the crux.

We haven’t figured out a better way to do things. Even before the plague hit, there seemed no way for everyone to get what they want. And since the pandemic began…things are even more dire. So, how can I help? What can I do?

How about this: I’ll send free books (a few, I ain’t rich!) to any bookstore that’s interested.

Then they can sell the books for whatever they can get for them, and keep the scratch as a way to support all they do to Keep Books Dangerous. Maybe I even find a new reader or two in the process, which is always a treat for me.

The cost? I’m out a little dough…which, honestly, I wish I was off spending in bookstores anyway. This way we can accomplish most of the goals, for most of the folks involved — and that feels like a good thing to me.

So tell your local bookshop they can now stock one of your favorite writers at absolutely no risk to them. Have them get in touch with me here if they’re interested:

Yes, We're Interested!

Totes McGotes!

No real news to report…though I was reminded of this fine motto/graphic this week, and thought I’d throw out a quick reminder that you can get yourself one of these bad boys (and some other fun bits) over at Society6 — on the off chance that happens to float your boat.

It’s a thing I made on my typewriter a while back that I sometimes see bouncing around the interwebs — which is always a fun surprise. Anyhow, my wife loves a good tote so I threw this together…but if you wanted one too, I wouldn’t be mad.

Yep, I'm Ridiculous...

Kurt Baumeister asked me SIX RIDICULOUS QUESTIONS over at Vol. 1 Brooklyn…and it was great fun trying to figure out how to answer them! The series makes for some great reading — as the questions are unlike any you’ll typically hear, and end up showcasing a completely different side of some of your favorite writer-types.

Many thanks to Kurt — whose book Pax Americana has a really cool New Mexico connection via Stalking Horse Press.

read the Ridiculousness

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BAGAZINE #8

All hail the might X-Ray Book Co. and their long-running, absolutely amazing, never-know-what-badass-piece-of-handmade-goodness-you’ll-see-this-time assemblage, bagism, and happening, Bagazine. The most recent iteration, Bagazine #8, landed recently, and once again I feel damn lucky to be a little part of the whole enchilada. Like a cube of avocado, maybe — maybe a diced onion or that sprig of parsley...

This thing packs in some serious art, by vastly talented creators of every stripe, across all manner of printing, dreaming, stamping, sticking, coloring, sketching, and line-making! Collecting might not be your bag (pun intended), but there’s nothing to stop you from checking out not only the galleries of previous editions, but all the other things Johnny & Giselle get up to…so if you have a few minutes to spare, go marvel at the gospel according to Bagazine!

Go to bagazine!

Goodreads

Goodreads?! More like GREATREADS!

Just a friendly notice that the A DEEP & GORGEOUS THIRST - UNABRIDGED AUDIO project has a page on Goodreads, and I, for one, would love it if you’d go give it a rating/review! The handy button below will take you right there! In fact, feel free to rate/review all my books if you’d like — I wouldn’t mind a bit!

Go To Goodreads!

That’s the LETTERED EDITION pictured above…and if you like the cut of it’s jib, I think there are 5 or 6 copies left.

In other news, this is in the works…