Ben Tanzer's Blog, page 182
July 31, 2011
July 30, 2011
New piece. "We Were All Here." In the Fix it Broken.
Very excited to have a new piece "We Were All Here" in the Fix it Broken. The line-up is most kind including the xTx and Heather Fowler among others. And the Fashionable Fiction T-shirt designer is none other than the Ryan W. Bradley. The story is also one of a series of loosely connected Chicago stories we've been working on including "The Guy" in Smalldoggies, "Arousal" in decomP and "Taking Flight" in Metazen. Big happiness and some excerpt. Enjoy. "We were all here, in Chicago at the dawn of a new decade, with a new president from our city. A president we had all watched march triumphantly into Grant Park after his victory was assured and briefly turn our second city into the center of the universe.
Obama was gone now though. Off to Washington to change the world. He hadn't really ended any wars yet, however, and the economy was better, but what of the lack of real jobs, not to mention gay rights?
We didn't talk about these things, he was gone, and we were all here, standing around the island in Frank and Bonnie's kitchen."
July 29, 2011
My Father's House. Blurb goodness from the Michael A. FitzGerald.
Few things remind us we're utterly alone in this universe like our dads dying. At the same time, few things can remind us we're all in this together like great literature. In My Father's House, Tanzer took the first and made the latter. It's a sincere and important book full of grace, beauty, and… I'm happy to report…a delicious humor. I can't recommend it highly enough. Michael A. FitzGerald
July 28, 2011
My Father's House. Blurb goodness from the David Masciotra.
"Ben Tanzer writes with such empathy, vulnerability, and humanity that it hurts. My side hurt from laughing when I read his charming and insightful sophomore novel, Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine. Now my face hurts from fighting back tears after reading My Father's House. This novel is instructive and inspiring. First, it teaches you what it is like to face the pain and challenges of losing a parent to an awful disease. Then, it shows you an example of a graceful, beautiful, and redemptive recovery in the face of that loss. Tanzer writes movingly, insightfully, and bracingly." David Masciotra
July 27, 2011
July 26, 2011
"Vibrant." My Father's House gets Pank'd. And likes it. A lot.
Big thanks to the always stellarific [PANK] and long-time TBWCYL, Inc. favorite J.A. Tyler for the My Father's House review goodness and kind words. Drinks on us for all you kids when next we meet. Now, how about some excerpt? Sweet."This is a book that thrives on sadness and intimacy, following a father's journey to death and his son's somewhat reluctant trailing behind, putting both cancer and relationships on vibrant display. And while Tanzer is best known for his pop-culture references and quirky dialogue, My Father's House is much more straight-laced in its approach, more refined in its handling of a narrative that is entirely genuine."
July 25, 2011
July 24, 2011
The new edition of This Zine Will Change Your Life is live. Full of lightning. And Giron.
The new edition of This Zine Will Change Your Life is live. We have a new story Ride the Lightning by Victor David Giron, which we are way excited about, and, (almost) as always, photo action from Adam Lawrence, music curation from Jason Behrends and ongoing debt ceiling 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, where did July go, we mean really?
July 22, 2011
WTF With Marc Maron.
WTF With Marc Maron is our current obsession and everything we aspire to with This Podcast Will Change Your Life. Check it out. It will most definitely change your life.
