Hosho McCreesh's Blog, page 7
August 4, 2022
The Airgonaut...
Far out, man…
It feels like Sheldon Lee Compton and I have been in and around the small press for about the same amount of time. I remember seeing his name in some of the pre-internet fold-and-staple journals, and while nothing jumps out right now , I’d be shocked if we didn’t share the occasional same issue of something (BULL, maybe?) over the years.
And maybe I flatter myself to think so, but I feel like we’ve both gone about our business in similar ways. By that I mean quietly off, trying our best, and publishing whenever we manage to get lucky enough to find folks who want to work together. Heck, we’ve both even dabbled with the publishing side of things, hoping to find and highlight the work of others. THE AIRGONAUT, for instance, is one of Compton’s projects, so it was fun reconnecting a bit, and digging up something new for it.
So what’s new? It’s the beginning of what I hope will be a small, paced little novel about my first bouncing job. I’ve got a lot of the groundwork laid, and have been ticking off and refining chapters whenever the feel strikes, though I’m no where near finished. But, I think I like the external pressure of glimpses and peeks, the way it commits us to seeing things through…so putting it out now is laying down a marker, saying that I’ll try like hell to see it through.
As for who or why anyone would want to read about bouncing…well, it ain’t for me to say. It’s just a thing I’ve long wondered how to pull off, and at long last maybe I’ve found the way.
Anyhow, the working title is DÜDH (short for Das Uber Draft Haus), and if it happens to sound like your 25 cent cup of swill, then enjoy!
July 24, 2022
THIRST #137
It ain't called SHOW FRIENDS...
DrunkSkull Books and the Dead Bird Gang bring you another animated drunk poem from A DEEP & GORGEOUS THIRST, this one read by William Boyle, and steeped in the Hollywood tradition of the screw-job!
If you want to watch more ANIMATED DRUNK POEMS, just click the button below!
If you want to buy a copy of THIRST, click here!
GET THIRSTJuly 20, 2022
Arroyo...
At long last, Jose Pepe Arroyo’s book, SONGS OF DESPERATION AND REVENGE made its way into the world (and quickly sold out). Arroyo has been involved in the small press, both writing and also making beautiful woodcuts, for years now (he did some art for a couple of Ridgwell books, and TACO FAIRY), though he remains relatively unknown. If you enjoy my work, you may well enjoy his...so, if you don’t know him, here’s a small introduction.
We’re also hosting a giveaway right here on this very thread, so stay tuned!
Why should people give a shit about art?
Because it’s the only way. Politics and religion are confusing and misleading; art will always tell the truth. And also because society continues to idolize (and consequently bankroll the lavish lifestyles of ) the talentless while our great novelists, people that have been doing the work for decades, are on food stamps and Medi-Cal, it’s fucking pathetic.
I’m glad to see you’ve recently put together a website/store , why’d you put it off for so long?
Because I have ADD, haha, which, as it turns out, can be a good thing, but for the most part has been disastrous for me, especially when dealing with administrative stuff. Time management is tricky and reading boring ass instructions on something I don’t find interesting will instantly put me to sleep. The thing that motivated me was that in the past few months eBay raised their fees. I’ve been trafficking hats there since 2014 and was trying to figure out where else to do business when the editor who published my book suggested big cartel. At ten bucks a month you really can’t go wrong if you’re selling your art work or even just displaying it. I then decided to not only make it a place to hustle my hats but to display some of my other work as well.
What's better: writing or woodcuts?
They’re both good for me in their own way but in the end, it’s all fruit that falls from the same tree. I also fuck around with junk art and I make hats and do air conditioning for a living. I say this because it gets complicated when it comes to presenting my work, say on instagram. I’m a terrible instagrammer and what I have noticed is that some people follow me for my writing stuff and then unfollow me because I post too many hats, and vice versa. lol.
Who’s your favorite artist that no one seems to know about?
I have a few. One of them is my friend Mario who I went to high school with. He wrote beautifully back then but he gave it up, kinda like Rimbaud, except in his case he became a contractor. Still, every time I am around him, I am treated to his poetry. He just talks it now, he’s a poet that doesn’t write.
There’s this musician/poet named Fizzy Water.
He’s brilliant and has written some of the most heartbreaking lines…
Lastly, my brother. He has this god-given gift. His paintings are so full of life. Hopefully, someday the world will get to see them.
What's the funniest book you can think of?
A Confederacy of Dunces. Long live John Kennedy Toole. Some say it was the publishing houses that killed him, but I say they had an accomplice: his mom.
What mistake do new writers make?
Being their own editor. You know what they say, “If you are editing your own stuff, you got a fool for a fucking editor…” or something like that, haha. I’m not talking about editing as you go when you’re writing either. I’m talking about putting out your stuff without putting it through some critical process that doesn’t involve you. One of the things I learned from Gerald Locklin is to trust the wisdom of editors.
What mistake do old writers make?
If you made it to old age and you’re still writing, I say make all the fucking mistakes you want. Hell, edit yourself even, that inner fool should have gained some hard-earned wisdom by then.
Lastly — I heard, there was talk of a second printing in the works…but why wait? I just happen to have an extra first printing — and I’m giving it away to one lucky winner here!
If you’d like to be in the running for it, just post a comment below. I’ll draw a winner in a week or so.
July 3, 2022
The Legend of the Three Swallow
So…T & I took a trip to Ireland. The kiddo was going on a school trip abroad and we thought we’d worry less if we were 1) geographically closer to him, and 2) if we had something big to distract us. So we booked a flight, rented a car and a house and, just like that — it happened. It was a terrific reminder that travel can be a simple thing — even a big trip — if you just have the means and the will…something that’s easy to forget if you haven’t done it in decades!
And as soon as we knew we were going, I knew I wanted to meet up with a couple of long-time writing/publishing friends, Brian McGettrick and Sean Lynch. As with many online friendships, the years of “knowing” one another seem to race by, even if you’ve never physically met…and the opportunity to change that always feels like an unexpected gift. If you’ve poked around our HQ, you’ll recognize both names, as we’ve been connected going as far back as the GPP, and Sean’s designed most if not all of MANY of the things you’ve read from me.
Scene of the crime.
And so it happened. And, as expected, both of them were aces. man — terrifically interesting, and I loved hearing about their lives and times, and just a few of the yarns from their decades-long friendship. As an even kinder surprise, Brian wanted to write up the whole event, along with some questions about writing, Ireland, and life in general he’d prepared. He set up his camera and recorded it for posterity’s sake, if not the drunken annuls of history! So if you’ve got 15 minutes to kill, hopefully there’s a couple laughs and a decent idea or two to be had in it.
Rumor has it that someone drank the entire bottle of Powers (Three Swallow) mentioned therein, but sources will neither confirm or deny as much on the record. Sources were also very patient with that someone, and managed to find the good hunks among the rest of his drunken blather…for which that someone is truly grateful.
Read at mcgettrick's website Get Brian's Books CHECK OUT SEAN’S WORKMay 5, 2022
Hungover at Work...
It’s been many years since I’ve had a decent hangover, but admittedly there were those days way back when…and usually a quick little 15 minute nap could fix me right up. I didn’t even need an alarm — my body just knew. It was great…
Until it wasn’t.
We’re pleased to share our newest animated drunk poem for your viewing pleasure. Animated by emma_dibus with narration by yours truly, we hope this brings a smile or maybe even a chuckle your way in these difficult and worrisome times.
May 1, 2022
Glister...
Like Remnant Embers…
…the city lights, while knocking back some wine out at the volcanoes.
Our latest drunk poem brought to life…this time our friend and publisher Ryan Winters (the artist formerly known as Bradley) reads, and Tharinda Dharmasena and the Sri Lanka crew offer up their beautiful stop-motion animation once again.
This poem, and its understated heartache, is one of the major tent poles to the larger story of the collection, and, as such, has always had a warm place in my heart.
April 17, 2022
And The Drinks Are Flowing...
A wise and dare we say manageable angle on ambition is at the core of this, our latest drunk poem animation!
After all, who’s to say what tomorrow holds, and if it will be better or worse or even just the same as this moment? Here at the HQ, the Dead Bird Gang and I encourage you to gather with your tribe and knock back a few while considering just what it is all that ferocious ambition is actually getting you in the end.
And should you have ambitions to watch more drunk poems, well you’re in luck!
April 6, 2022
Rental Car Shenanigans...
In our latest drunk poem animation, Bastien Chiarini narrates the increasing tension of driving a car in front of your dad for the first time. PavBar delivers the clean and whimsical animation.
Dead Bird Gang and DrunkSkull Books hope you enjoy it!
Watch more drunk poem animations here!
March 30, 2022
The Newest Drunk Poem Animation...
Here’s the short, snowy drunk poem animation we previewed at our WATCH PARTY this past weekend, for anyone interested. Once again, Tharinda Dharmasena and crew have delivered a cinematic stop-motion. It sure is fun making these!
If you want to watch them all so far, here’s the page:
