Ben Tanzer's Blog, page 119
February 4, 2013
February 3, 2013
This Podcast - and Book - Will Change Your Life, Episode Fifty-Eight - Decisions by, and starring, the Neal Kitterlin.
DECISIONS we are. We are also Kitterlin. Which means we are read reminiscent of Jamie Iredell's prose poems, taut, imagery rich, riffs on elections old and new, love, communications, Steve Rogers, the Depression, Anne Frank, Al Davis, Jelly Bellies, and pop culture as vernacular. We are also podcast, where we talk not only Decisions of all kinds, but writing when we are dad, worker, and being seemingly everywhere at once and overnight at that. So, please do hit it, all of it, it just might change your life.February 2, 2013
February 1, 2013
Dang. R.I.P. Ed Koch.
"The art of creation is older than the art of killing." Ed Koch (1924-2013)
January 31, 2013
The new edition of This Zine Will Change Your Life is live. All Yellow. And full of Castle.
The new edition of This Zine Will Change Your Life is live. We have new piece from old friend, Yellow Dress by Chris Castle, which we are way excited about, and, (almost) as always, photo action from Adam Lawrence, music curation from Jason Behrends and confirmation hearing prose love from Pete Anderson. We hope you enjoy this edition and we appreciate all shout-outs and links. Finally, please note, we are hoping more of you will submit comix, and music, novel excerpts, and art, and video, yes, video, and combinations there of. And most finally, Dan Marino, dude?
January 30, 2013
Sparks. Kloss. Kish. Fischer. Oh my.
And then there was this. The cover for The Desert Places by Amber Sparks and Robert Kloss. Its a hybrid text pocket book that explores the evolution of evil in worlds both seen and unseen. There is illustration by Matt Kish, creator of the critically acclaimed Moby Dick in Pictures, and cover by Alban Fischer. And it is coming from the Curbside Splendor this October. More soon.
January 29, 2013
"So sadly beautiful." Repetition Patterns receives some Goodreads love. And likes it. A lot.
Quite like. So, big thanks, many, to the Miranda for that, and drinks, many, on us, when we next, and somehow meet. Excerpt? Word."These eight stories seduces one and grow sharper, more impressive with each turn of the pages. Tanzer deserves the 5 star rating for the last two stories alone: ´Life as he had known it´ and ´Shooting stick´. My favorites and one of the finest writing I have ever the pleasure to read. Subtle, with a nostalgic tear in the eye accompanied by melancholy they had me sobbing."
January 28, 2013
This Book Will Change Your Life - Fight Song by Joshua Mohr.
We are sitting here thinking it is time to become Joshua Mohr completists. And we say this not just because Mohr is one of our great storytellers. Though he is, and that alone would be reason enough. No, we say this because as we read his new release Fight Song we realized we haven't actually read one of his joints since Some Things That Mean The World To Me, and damn if these aren't some very different books. Things was all twisty and druggy and pain, and Fight Song is all mid-life and struggle and family. And yet both are quite trippy and full of searching characters who don't see that the answers they seek lie somewhere within. Which is to say that while thematically the stories aren't so very apart maybe, Mohr has dramatically changed the settings, context, and stakes, as all good storytellers do. Which is also to say that we are left wondering what happened in Mohr's Termite Parade and Damascus, and where, and now need to read them. Which when we do, will leave us as full-on Mohr completists. See what we did there? Nice. All that said, please do hit the Fight Song, it just might change your life.
January 27, 2013
This Podcast Will Change Your Life, Episode Fifty-Seven - As Good As Good Gets, starring the Nick Ostdick.
Wonderfully good it is. All of it. The Podcast. The Ostdick. And talking everything from running and MFAs to obsession and Hair Lit Vol. One. We should also note that Nick was one of several guests on the first ever edition of the Podcast - "Walt Whitman Means Delicious" - which we recorded almost five years ago to the day way back in the January 2008. So please do enjoy yourself some Ostdick love. It just might change you life. A lot. If only for a little while at that. January 26, 2013
We are Consumption. We are also Ginger Piglet. So please do hit that.
Go ahead. It just might change your life.
