Ben Tanzer's Blog, page 156
February 23, 2012
TNBBC's The Next Best Book Blog Literary Love, Part One.
Yes, geeked we are to see the TNBBC showing the Ryan W. Bradley's eagerly anticipated new novel Code for Failure some literary review love. The TNBBC is also organizing a Code for Failure blog tour, Ryan W. Bradley Fails The Internet, which yes, we are quite geeked to be participating in and so much more on that soon. Like totally soon. 
February 22, 2012
When David met Tim.
Very happy to see this. One of our favorite social and literary critics writing about one of our favorite authors. Very nice that. And full of goodness. Lots.[image error]
February 21, 2012
Wherein we take a moment to recognize that today would have been David Foster Wallace's 50th birthday.
And do so by directing you to the poem we published in This Zine Will Change Your Life on the occasion of his death - Girl With Curious Hair (for mister foster wallace) by Lisa Zaran. 
February 20, 2012
This American Life is happening now.
Like totally happening. And we are most geeked to be joining the stellar line-up of Achilles Chapbook Press releases. This American Life is a collection of humor essays published over the last five years in a variety of publications including decomP, THE2NDHAND, Opium.net, Curbside Splendor and Knee-Jerk. Please do take a look, please spread the word and if you have a moment please consider adding it to Goodreads and letting us know what you think. Cool? Nice. 
February 19, 2012
"So it's sorta social. Demented and sad, but social, right?" We are Dogzplot Flash Fiction - Ben Tanzer issue.
Quite sad. And totally demented. But yes social for sure and very wonderful as well. The always awesome Barry Graham and Dogzplot has gone all Tanzer for its new edition and vast embarrassment aside, it is humbling in its sheer terrificness and we are thrilled about the line-up of contributors, all of whom we find freakishly attractive and sort of love - BL Pawelek, David Tomaloff, Ryan Bradley, Dave Housley, Tom Williams, and yes, even Ben Tanzer himself. Mass appreciations everyone and big love all around. 
February 18, 2012
This Book Will Change Your Life - SOLACE in So Many Words Edited by Ellen Wade Beals.
Struck we are that solace is a tricky thing to articulate as we seek to define it, illuminate it and ultimately try to capture it in the written word with the idea that someone will read it knowing to some extent what our intent is. Are we asking the writer to focus on how we find solace or why we need it? Is the mere act of absorbing oneself in stories and poems fraught with pain, the discovery of it, trying to make sense of it, managing it and ultimately making peace with it a kind of solace in and of itself? We're not sure we have any answers to these questions, but it would be impossible not to lose oneself in these questions and all the permutations contained therein as one reads SOLACE in So Many Words edited by Ellen Wade Beals, which is often times moving, and very often sad, sad to us anyway, and something which is tricky in its own way as well. As readers and consumers of art, and not just writing, though it is always first and foremost about writing regardless, we are drawn to joy and ebullience, but it is pain and sadness that we are most likely to lose ourselves in, hence even with a collection such as this which uniformly achieves its goals, no minor accomplishment that, and is filled with fine writing, it is the stories that are most painful to us that linger, A Strange Episode of Aqua Voyage by Joe Meno, because we are fans certainly, but also because he writes about confusion and isolation as well as anyone, Details by Joan Corwin, whose piece on aging hit close to home in ways we would not have anticipated, Stops and Starts by Kathleene Donahoo, which frankly left us briefly paralyzed at points, Alleys by Michael Constantine McConell, a slice of childhood that just hums with life and Heartbeat by J. Scott Smith which is at times crippling and other times triumphant. Which in its own way we suppose is as good a description of this collection as any we could have hoped to come up with otherwise. 
February 17, 2012
"This novel reads like a sitcom. It's a litcom about you and your friends. A fun, quick read." You Can Make Him Like You gets some year-end best of list love from the William Walsh at the Big Other. And likes it. A lot.
Most true that. Most appreciated. And most thrilled to be included on such a kick-ass list. Drinks on us for sure sir when next we meet.
February 16, 2012
This Podcast Will Change Your Life Rumpus Lit-Link Round-up thing.
We are loving this. Good friend terrific writer former This Podcast Will Change Your Life podcastee chick Gina Frangello has included This Podcast Will Change Your Life among her Rumpus list of literary podcasts you should be listening to and while we would be most appreciative for that regardless of who else might appear on said list, to be mentioned along with The Bat Segundo Show and Other People, well, that's just loveliness.
February 15, 2012
"A good glimpse into the cityscape ca. 1985, like Bright Lights, Big City, or something by Bret Easton Ellis, but without the evil." The Terminator of Love receives some Smashwords review love. And likes it. A lot.
Big thanks that. Please do check out the full review. And if you have read it, or plan to do so, and both options are quite excellent we think, please know that your reviews are endlessly appreciated. 
