James Dorr's Blog, page 122

Players Second Thursday Features Trumpet, Poems

On a pleasant near-summer’s night, the Bloomington Writers Guild co-sponsored “Second Thursday Players Pub Spoken Word Series” (cf. May 12, et al.) started off comparatively noisily with a trumpet performance by local musician Kyle Quass, followed by two poets and one fiction writer.  The fiction was by Tom Bitters with a quiet romantic tale of himself, his wife, and a local benefit performance by John Mellencamp; with Nashville Indiana full-time poet Andrew Hubbard next with four or five self-described “cross[es] between character studies and short-short stories”; and, after a musical interlude by Kyle Quass again, a group of more conventional poems by local writer Antonia Matthew.  These were followed by seven open mike readers of which I was fourth — square in the middle — with a fairy tale variant originally published in RAPUNZEL’S DAUGHTERS (Pink Narcissus Press, 2011) called “The Glass Shoe,” or, translated to modern political terms, alternative facts meet Cinderella.

And Now for Something Completely Different: A Cat Lagniappe

A warm June day and, for something completely different, how about a post that doesn’t have anything to do with TOMBS (which is still on discount on Amazon last time I looked, incidentally, just click on its picture in the center column)?  Or, serendipity strikes once again!  See, it seems I was just moseying like through the Internets and what should I [image error]happen across but a still-live link to a humorous saga concerning the herding of cats (ah, now, Triana), originally published in NUKETOWN in March 2001, but here reproduced as an electronic reprint from SPACE WESTERNS (SPACEWESTERNS.COM, from which also the illustration to the left), May 2007.*  So now as a lagniappe, a little free thing you get once in awhile for no particular reason at all except that it’s there, a kind of a story I don’t write too often, a tall tale:  “Catskinner Sweet and the Twirling Teacups of Deadwood City.”

To read, press here.

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*As a curious footnote, this is also the only story I’ve had reprinted in the Netherlands, in the magazine WONDERWAAN for June 2011.  Translated in Dutch, for those who wish to know, the story appeared as “Kattendrijver Sweet en de Draaiende Theeschotels van Deadwood City.”

New Tombs Review Live on Gehenna Post

We may recall C.P. Dunphey’s interview of me, “Love and Death:  An Interview With TOMBS Author, James Dorr” (see May 26), as one homing in in detail on various aspects of TOMBS:  A CHRONICLE OF LATTER-DAY TIMES OF EARTH itself.  Inspiration, ghouls, the use of languages — and where does Vodoun come into the picture?  We’ve seen the preview, as it were, but what of the show?

Well, for the main event, really, one should buy the book.  A click on its picture in the center column brings more information, or press either of the Amazon or B&L links (both still offer discounts as of today) on May 30’s post, below.  But we’ve also seen [image error]one review already, by Christine Rains (cf. June 1) — are there not any others?

The answer (surprise!) is yes.  First came the interview, then — today — C.P. Dunphey’s review is now up on GEHENNA POST.  May I offer a quote?

TOMBS is an unexpected, enigmatic piece that author James Dorr spent years creating.  The world is visually stunning, the layers and depths of the universe never faltering in their ability to not only captivate the reader, but to also offer a lending hand in an escape to a world full of wonder and astonishment.  From the Old City to the Tombs, every setting is flawlessly illustrated with language poetic and frequently romantic.  Dorr crafts his universe with talent unrivaled and unparalleled.

To see all press here.

At the Movies (Sort of): Horror Cartoons for a Near-Summer’s Weekend

Lovely weather hereabout, at least, as a good start for June.  Maybe a little rain on Sunday (but maybe not) and what looks to be a whole week more of sunshine and high-seventies/low-eighties highs.  But one cannot survive on niceness alone, eh?  [image error]Certainly not horror mavens like us!

So, to the rescue, courtesy of THISISHORROR.CO.UK, comes . . . HORRORFREAKNEWS.COM and “Top Ten Horror Cameos in Popular Cartoons” by Joshua Millican, for which press here.  Just when you thought it was time to relax with an innocent laugh (my favorite at first glance is Number 7, when Homer Simpson meets C.H.U.D and the Mole People).

Tombs Review Up on Christine Rains’s Blog

This is a thank you, too, for which a short look back as well to May 27.  Christine Rain’s opening review of TOMBS: A CHRONICLE OF LATTER-DAY TIMES OF EARTH has already received a seconding comment on Goodreads, but now the review is also up at Christine’s own blog, SPECULATIVE FICTION WRITER CHRISTINE RAINS.  Sample it for yourself by pressing here — where you’ll find a fun blog in its own right (not to mention, well, [image error]another flattering comment about me, re. the writers group I’ve occasionally mentioned that she’s on as well (not the Bloomington Writers Guild, that is, but the sf/f/h critique one, cf. May 21; also June 24 2016).  TOMBS: A CHRONICLE OF LATTER-DAY TIMES OF EARTH is “officially” published today as well*, and hopefully will be garnering other reviews too in the not far future (while in the meantime, if you’d like to add a comment to Christine’s, you have two places to do so, on her blog by pressing above, or for Goodreads by scrolling down to the third post below).

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*A quick check just now shows that both Amazon and Barnes & Noble have their pre-publication prices still available, but no indication of how long they’ll last (see post just below, May 30, and press the link of your choice there to take advantage)!

TOMBS Is Here! (Pre-Order Bargains Have One Day to Go)

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The word had already been circulating, that the printed edition of TOMBS: A CHRONICLE OF LATTER-DAY TIMES OF EARTH, while still with an official publication date of June 1, was expected to be physically available a few days early.  A friend then reported last week that her pe-ordered copy had already arrived from Amazon, and, today, a copy has also come into my hands — that is, on May 30.  So TOMBS is here, and a lovely volume it is too! A cursory look-through indicates the proof corrections I found, at least, have all been corrected.  The book looks delightful.

But also it does remain in a ghost realm of sorts, actually in hand for some but not “officially” actually published, which brings up an interesting opportunity.  Both Amazon and Barnes & Noble, whilc no longer terming them “pre-order” prices as such, are still offering substantial discounts of a tad over a third of the list price off, still available as of today and presumably tomorrow, the 31st of July, as well.  Presumably these will be over by Wednesday, official “official” publishing time, but if you haven’t ordered a copy already — and think that you might — it might pay to check by Amazon or B&L prior to Thursday, by pressing here or here, for a really good deal.  But after that they may go back to the cover price of $14.95, so it’s best that one hurry!

Bloomington Writers Guild Last Last Sunday (for Summer); Onion Trump Dump

Sunday’s weather belied the predictions of afternoon storms which perhaps helped May’s Bloomington Writers Guild “Last Sunday Poetry Reading & Open Mic,” in conjunction with the Monroe County Convention Center, garner fifteen participants who stayed the whole time.  The featured poets were native Hoosier and Americorps veteran Charles Culp, with poems on such things as diners (“the liquor store closes, the church closes, but the diner’s still open”) and the art available just by looking around one, among other topics, and Virginia native Breon Tyler, a visual artist with a degree in Painting and [image error]Printmaking, currently completing a masters here in African American and African Diaspora Studies, who started with a work by a poet from Sierra Leone as well as recent poems of her own  Then after a break, six non-scheduled poets read from the audience, of which I was sixth with three somewhat summer-themed poems (parties, vacations, poolside relaxation) from my VAMPS (A RETROSPECTIVE) collection, “Through This Wicked, Winding Way,” “Why She Started Writing Poetry,” and “Moonlight Swimming.”  Last Sunday Poetry will resume August 27 following a a two-month summer hiatus.

Then a second item, simply for fun on a holiday weekend, or, I don’t usually cover politics here but. . . .  But satire does count as literature and this one is difficult to resist, a “claim” by satirical site THE ONION of having “Obtained Hundreds of Trump Documents” including, well, a number of topics from which one may choose after pressing here.  And for horror fans (thus bringing it under this blog’s purview, ahem) I especially recommend, under “Family,” Melania’s letters home to her mother, particularly the last concerning an apparition seen one night on the White House lawn of. . . . (but be sure to read her other letters first).

First Tombs Review Is Alive on Goodreads

Less than a week out from June, and the official release time for TOMBS:  A CHRONICLE OF LATTER-DAY TIMES OF EARTH grows nigh.  Yesterday gave us what’s probably the last pre-publication interview of me, though I’ll try to have others in the months to come (if not at quite so manic a pace).  But also a first, as of late last night, a review on Goodreads by blogger and author Christine Rains, and five stars to boot!  (Yes, that’s five in a one-to-five system, with five being tops.)  But more to the point, to read it press here.

TOMBS Interview Goes Up Early!

Yes, we said “Friday night” (see post just below), but the Gehenna & Hinnom Books interview of me on TOMBS:  A CHRONICLE OF LATTER-DAY TIMES OF EARTH is live now!  Kudos go to Editor/Interviewer C.P. Dunphey for excellent quickness, as well as great questions on origins, ghouls, use of languages, social cultures, and more.  [image error]Discover the parts played by whimsy — and guilty pleasures, the influence of Voodoo, and Charlie Chaplin’s “The Little Tramp.”  Pre-TOMBS “history.”  The long, long path to publication by Elder Signs Press and the inspiration of other authors and books going back to 1485 (and worldviews going back far, far, farther than that).  Of keeping one’s place and fun with details. . . .

And so, like a good zombie that just can’t be kept down — not to mention the biggest picture of the book’s cover I’ve seen thus far! — for the “dirt” on TOMBS:  A CHRONICLE OF LATTER-DAY TIMES OF EARTH be invited to press here.

At the Movies: 25 Best This Century SF; Tombs-Specific Interview Friday Night?

SF film fans delight, courtesy of INDIEWIRE.COM let us wallow together in “The 25 Best Sci-Fi Movies of the 21st Century, From ‘Children of Men’ to ‘Her’,” by Chris O’Falt, Graham Winfrey, Kate Erbland, and Zack Sharf, and brought to us via TOR.COM and Stubby the Rocket.  With themes that [image error]range from love to fear to humanity itself, the best sci-fi movies of the 21st century all share distinctly original visions. . . , begins the rundown, the rest of which can be seen by pressing here.  And the neat thing is, in scrolling down through it, I’ve probably seen at least half myself already (who knew I had such good taste?), and even own films numbers 1 through 4!

Then in other quick news, last night I turned in an interview to C.P. Dunphey of Gehenna & Hinnom Books, with questions designed almost exclusively with TOMBS:  A CHRONICLE OF LATTER-DAY TIMES OF EARTH in mind.  Yes, launch time for the novel is drawing nigh — but there’s still time to get a one-third off pre-publication discount by pressing here (or, for B&N fans, better yet here).*  But back to the chase, to quote Mr. Dunphey:  These answers are amazing!  For audiences, they will be superb, and for me as a[image error] reader myself, it answered a lot of questions I had as well.  I will post the interview tomorrow night and will send you the link before I post it to any social media.  Very excited for this to be published.  And yes, I know, would that others would be so enthusiastic!

So look Friday night or, one needing one’s sleep, possibly Saturday morning for a fairly long interview mostly confined to TOMBS.  And after June 1st, when the book is out, I understand there may be a review of it too.

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*I understand there should also be an electronic edition of TOMBS, but not quite yet.