Ben Tanzer's Blog, page 178

These Curbside Splendor Chapbooks Will Change Your Life - The Chapbook: Poems by Charles Bane, Jr. and Piano Rats by Franki Elliot.

We suppose we could have done separate posts on the current Curbside Splendor releases, Piano Rats by Franki Elliot and The Chapbook: Poems by Charles Bane, Jr., but there is something inherently fascinating to us about diving into work from a single source and trying to ascertain what the thinking or philosophy might be behind a growing body of work. What does it say about the press and can we ascribe some kind approach or method of selection to the decisionmaking before us? When asked then to read and blurb Piano Rats and its array of oozy, electric poems, we were struck by the transitions at play and how the writer and her characters had places to go, but really had no idea how to get there, so she kept looking back, for clues or guidance, better less confusing times maybe, something. Mainly though she is stuck in her all druggy, hopeful messiness and what has passed may be all that makes sense to her now, though even that is questionable. In The Chapbook the beautiful poems we encounter reflect a different kind of looking back, the looking back of someone who has lived a life, full of love and family, and there are no bridges to somewhere here, nor any transitions, those days and challenges, the messiness that youth is comprised of has become something else, the ability to clearly look back on what once was and has made us what we are now as we settle in and review a life still full of life but also moving along towards some kind of endpoint. All of which leads us back to where we started as well, but in reading these chaps, what does that it say about Curbside Splendor and what it has and will wrought? There is no doubt Curbside Splendor is about the urban and the cool, and yes we mean this is in a good, non-ironic way, see Sophomoric Philosophy by Curbside founder Victor David Giron, but as we mushed Sophomoric Philosophy in with Piano Rats and The Chapbook, we couldn't help but think Curbside is about something else as well, reflection, and taking measure of who we are, wherever we are, and how we try to figure out not how we got here as much as what happened along the way and what the meaning of those events and feelings are to the person we are right now.   
      

The Lion King. My Father's House hype. Dead dads. And massive Fathermucker love and appreciations to the Greg Olear.

Big thanks to TBWCYL, Inc. favorite and Fathermucker extraordinaire Greg Olear for running our new essay titled The Lion King at the Fathermucker blog. We honestly believe that we fulfilled our contractual obligations to talk parenting with the Lion King. We also want to own-up in advance to utilizing this most generous of opportunities to hype My Father's House, because we are shady, no stealthy, something anyway, like that. Regardless, big appreciations Greg, drinks on us for sure when next we meet, and for the rest of you, please do take a look and please do enjoy some excerpt.


Noah had never shown much interest in The Lion King. He had watched it with Myles when he was younger, but he's Pixar, not Disney; Pokemon and Ben Ten.

But even that changed, because they are always changing.

Noah wants to watch more musicals.

Myles likes musicals. Myles now stars in musicals. Myles played a hyena in a musical.  And Noah wants to be like him. Follow him. Understand him.

And Noah wanted to watch The Lion King again.

This Podcast Will Change Your Life, Episode Forty-One - Rub One Out.

This Podcast Will Change Your Life is new episode. It is also quite Brandon Tietz. Which rhymes with treats and we got to rub one out with the Tietz at the quite fine Two With Water reading last night. Big thanks to that crew. And big props to all the readers including but not limited to the Tietz, the Richard Thomas, the Gina Frangello and the Lindsay Hunter, as well.

My Father's House. Flooding. Buying books. And donations to MacArthur Elementary School.

We've been very shaken up this week reading about the massive flooding in our hometown of Binghamton, NY. We were especially upset though to learn that MacArthur Elementary School, the elementary school attended by TBWCYL, Inc. spokesperson Ben Tanzer was especially hard hit and that first floor classrooms and the library that Ben spent countless hours in as a child has lost all of its Pre-K through 5th grade books. Upstate writer and teacher Kevin Lucia has a long post on where you can send books to help the school replace its lost books and we hope you will take a look. While we plan to send books ourselves, starting at tonight Two With Water reading we are prepared to donate the sales from the next 10 copies of my new novella My Father's House that we sell directly from our stash to the purchase of more books for the school. When we reach that goal we will also add an additional $50. The book sells for $10 and so if you are interested in purchasing a copy, or even multiple copies for friends, neighbors and  libraries of your own, please let us know here at the blog, via FB or Twitter, or at the thiszinewillchangeyourlife@yahoo.com address, tell us your address and we will let you know where to send us the cash and then send you a signed copy of the book, or books, and cover the shipping charges as well. Cool? We think so. We also think participating will change some lives. So please help us do so, and please re-post this post wherever you usually do that kind of thing.

Jeff Tweedy channels the Black Eyed Peas at the The Fucking Epic Quest of @Mayor Emanuel release party and a rare sort of cosmic beauty erupts across the Chicago night.

This Book Will Change Your Life - Daddy's by Lindsay Hunter.

Where to begin with Daddy's by the Lindsay Hunter. The focus on bodily fluids, junk food, damaged dads, dented relationships and sexuality, be it burgeoning, sad or desperate? The always tight, if not taut, writing and craftsmanship? The singular voice? Maybe the latter, because voice is a big part of the Lindsay Hunter experience, but not just voice in terms of language, rhythm and realism, though that's all there, but Lindsay's actual voice, and live readings, which is not to brag or maybe imply you cannot enjoy her work if you have not seen her read, as much as to say, once you have seen Lindsay read, her voice, and all her crazy, smiling, funny, sexy energy haunts the words on the page like few other writers we have had the chance to see read, save the Scott McClanahan maybe, who's sexy as well, but more importantly inhabits his words, owning them and imbuing them with his very McClanahanness. Hunter is much the same, a gifted writer, and terrific performer, who's work can be thrilling on the page, but absolutely soars on stage, all unbound and frenetic.  

"Love the voice." And "really really funny." You Can Make Him Like You gets some more Goodreads love. And likes it. A lot.

Not one, but two blasts of much appreciated Goodreads love this week for the You Can Make Him Like You, one of which we could even print if we were so inclined. Either way big thanks to the Goodreads faithful and please do enjoy those reviews here and here. Word.

Experiments in Manhood meets God, Death, Love and The Fisk.

We couldn't be more excited to see This Podcast Will Change Your Life podcastee and This Zine Will Change Your Life contributor Jason Fisk  guest essaying at Experiments in Manhood, the brainchild of fellow TBWCYL, Inc. favorite and This Podcast Will Change Your Life podcastee Robert Duffer. It's heavy stuff, but we think you can handle it. We also think it just might change your life, so hit it, just do so softly and knowingly.

"A love song about both the running and the writing process." 99 Problems gets Goodreads'd. And likes it. A lot.

Always cool to get some love for the 99 Problems. Also nice for said love to come via not just the Goodreads, but from super supporter, way cool chick and TBWCYL, Inc. favorite Anna March. So, big thanks and big drinks, many, on us when next we meet. Which will be here, maybe, yes? Yes. Also, please enjoy some excerpt below and if you too have enjoyed the 99 Problems, but haven't yet Goodreads'd it yourself, please consider doing that as well. Thanks.

"There's nothing precious in this book -- and yet it is a love song about both the running and the writing process. that tanzer, he'll make you think, he'll make you lace up and head out for a run and he'll make you come in and write your guts out when you get back. a terrific book."

The Bee-Loud Glade has been Holic'd.

Geeked about this. Writer, comix dude and always cool TBWCYL, Inc. favorite Nathan Holic has done a comic adaptation of the quite cool The Bee-Loud Glade by Steve Himmer which if we may be so bold is way cool indeed. Meanwhile given the rampant coolness at play here, we are confident you know what to do next. Cool?