Caleb J. Ross's Blog, page 58
July 30, 2012
New column at Manarchy Magazine. Reviews of things. THE CONOSAUR ARTIFICIONADO
Today my first of hopefully many quick reviews goes live at Manarchy Magazine. My different approach? Rather than describe traditionally sophisticated things using the sophisticates dictionary, I’m reviewing in stream of conscious style, adhering to the following measures of artifice (the “artifice” part of The Conosaur Artificionado”):
Reviews will be written while imbibing the reviewed item.
Reviews will be written as a narrative or vignette.
Reviews will not bother with the connoisseur’s jargon.
What marks the debut review: Oban Scotch. Click over to read it. Then drink it.
Video book review of The Fifty Year Sword by Mark Z. Danielewski (Video Blog ep 021)
Click the image above to watch the video on YouTube
I anticipate some reactions to this video book review will be negative. Of those negative reviews, I anticipate 3 response types:
Hatred from those that haven’t read the book, but simply want to defend Mark Z. Danielewski (I understand this feeling, believe me; and despite how I feel about The Fifty Year Sword, I will continue to defend Danielewski, even if only for his potential; House of Leaves remains one of my favorite novels of all time)
Hatred from those who have read the book, and claim that I’m simply too dumb to “get it” (again, I understand this feeling and am willing to embrace this possibility)
Hatred from those who have read it and claim to like it. It’s this last group that I’m most interested in.
Those of you in this last group, please, please, please help me understand what I must have missed. I want to like this book. I really do. I want to believe that Danielewski’s verse writing is just an awkward trend (I didn’t like Only Revolutions, either, if you must know).
The Fifty Year Sword will be re-issued in October 2012 should any of you decided to read this book.
Video book review of The Fifty Year Sword by Mark Z. Danielewski
Click the image above to watch the video on YouTube
I anticipate some reactions to this video book review will be negative. Of those negative reviews, I anticipate 3 response types:
Hatred from those that haven’t read the book, but simply want to defend Mark Z. Danielewski (I understand this feeling, believe me; and despite how I feel about The Fifty Year Sword, I will continue to defend Danielewski, even if only for his potential; House of Leaves remains one of my favorite novels of all time)
Hatred from those who have read the book, and claim that I’m simply too dumb to “get it” (again, I understand this feeling and am willing to embrace this possibility)
Hatred from those who have read it and claim to like it. It’s this last group that I’m most interested in.
Those of you in this last group, please, please, please help me understand what I must have missed. I want to like this book. I really do. I want to believe that Danielewski’s verse writing is just an awkward trend (I didn’t like Only Revolutions, either, if you must know).
The Fifty Year Sword will be re-issued in October 2012 should any of you decided to read this book.
July 28, 2012
Surreal Grotesque Magazine likes I Didn’t Mean to be Kevin: “This novel is easily comparable in subject matter to Chuck Palahniuk and Kurt Vonnegut with satisfying results.”
New review of I Didn’t Mean to be Kevin in Isssue 4 of Surreal Grotesque Magazine (pg. 43). Many, many thanks to Surreal Grotesque, and to the reviewer, Courtney Alsop, for taking the time.
“This novel is easily comparable in subject matter to Chuck Palahniuk and Kurt Vonnegut with satisfying results…Ross has crafted a splendid story of identity and validation when one has no roots or beginnings.”
Open publication – Free publishing – More bizarre
July 25, 2012
YouTube gets a facelift. Subscribe to Laugh.
Some of you might not know this, but I have a YouTube channel. A good one, at that. Well, good enough. Fewer of you might know that my last two videos look much different than all previous videos (I could use cool terms like gamma correction, rack focus, white balance, and adequate lighting, but I won’t). Fewer still might know that just yesterday I gave the channel a bit of a facelift.
While a visual update to a YouTube channel probably doesn’t constitute a blog post, it does, when paired with the aforementioned news of the new videos, mean that I can sneak by with a legitimate announcement.
So:
Head over to my channel and SUBSCRIBE to the damn thing. Please.
Watch a couple videos, and PLEASE GIVE A THUMBS UP OR TWO.
July 24, 2012
Video review of Room by Emma Donoghue (Video Blog Ep 020)
For some reason I tend to shy away from the BIG books, those being the books that rountinely make best of lists, fill the limited space in book review columns, and can generally be purchased at Wal-Mart (not that I have something against shopping at Wal-Mart…I went there just today, as a matter of fact…though, I only do so when hurting for money; see, I can’t agree with the business ethics of the company, and oh crap, I’m rambling). I don’t know if my aversion to widely-praised books can be simply diagnosed as hipsterism, or if there’s something more sinister at play. But none of that matters, as I recently read one such department store paperback, Room by Emma Donoghue, and I really, really liked it.
Click the image below to watch the video review (links to YouTube).
Click image to watch video
What did I buy during my Wal-Mart trip today? The Bedwetter by Sarah Silverman. Will my success rate be two for two?
July 23, 2012
Stranger Will to see a new life with a new publisher
Many people have been asking me if Stranger Will is to be reprinted following the news of it’s current/previous publisher closing down. The short answer is yes, Stranger Will is to see a new life. The longer answer–to the assumed question of “when?”–is that I’m not 100% sure. I do know who the publisher will be, and I do have a pretty good idea of when it will be published, but I’m a bit of a superstitious geek when it comes to revealing good news. Suffice it to say that the novel should come back even better and bigger than every before, toting extra materials not seen in any of the previous printings.
July 17, 2012
I’m not boring anymore, I swear. Wanna play Dominoes? (Video Blog Ep 019)
I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube videos lately. A lot. Too many. I think I’m falling in love. YouTube personalities (the ones I watch, mainly video blogs, or “vlogs” as those cooler than me can say) aren’t too concerned with polish and appearance (though again, qualifier, many appear quite polished). The personalities, generally, aren’t the focus and purpose of the videos. It’s the passion these people have for their subject matter that’s on display.
I admit, my watching began more as a study to learn how to bring people to my own author YouTube channel. It was a selfish endeavor. But something happened. Something amazing. I suddenly “got” what so many others have understood for a long, long time: YouTube (specifically the vlog aspect) is a grand, grand thing. I actually appreciate and truly enjoy everyday, non-famous people talking about books. I’ve long loved talking with my friends in person or chatting on forums about books, but when video comes into the picture (literally…ha!) I take on a new appreciation. I suddenly don’t mind listening to people harp on about Twilight or Harry Potter. I’ll never read those books, but the passion these people have (and their general articulateness) makes it somehow okay.
I’ve created a video that explains how I plan to use this new love to hopefully spread the word about the books I enjoy (yes, the books I’ve authored, but plenty of other books as well; just see my previous videos for proof).
Click the image to view the video
Oh, and before I go, a quick shout out to a few of the YouTube channels that have brought me ‘roud to the dark side (a Star Wars reference from me, a guy who has never seen the Star Wars movies; wow this YouTube thing is changing me).
About Ophelia Dagger
From YouTube: I have a Master’s degree in Film. Never going to use it. I can also name all 50 states in alphabetical order. I’ve used that a couple of times – mostly in pub quizzes and whilst wooing rudeboys.
Note: Definitely one of my new favorite things online. She’s quite intelligent, reads great books, and damn funny. Plus, the accent.
About Unleash This Book Reviews
From YouTube: 24-year-old English grad who couldn’t find a job after reading books for four years. Now I do this, for free.
July 16, 2012
Interviewed at Slit Your Wrists Magazine, bar tabs, story origins, and suicide – yours, not mine
The amazing Laurance Kitts interviews me for his Slit Your Wrists Magazine website, a site that frequent visitors may recognize; my story “Sebaceous” appeared there back in April. Laurance knows how to ask questions without bowing to a person’s ego, so you can read this Q&A without anticipating a pretentious me basking in the warmth of praise. I mean, sure, Laurance does feed me some softballs, but…those are easier to chew.
July 12, 2012
Wordless Book Reviews – Chuck Palahniuk, Don DeLillo, J.M. Coetzee, Gordon Highland (Video Blog Ep 018)
Another Wordless Book Reviews episode. Here I review four books using only sound effects and facial expressions. The books: Invisible Monsters: Remix by Chuck Palahniuk, Cosmopolis by Don DeLillo, Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee, and Flashover by Gordon Highland.
