Ben Tanzer's Blog, page 209

"Cool, Not Removed" is The Watch List. Wonderbar.

It's true. "Cool, Not Removed," is The Watch List and we are most happiness. We are also most appreciative. Big thanks to Jason and the crew at Orange Alert.

We are having ourselves a most musical week here at TBWCYL, Inc. headquarters. Today, all day, The Promise by Bruce Springsteen. Joyousness.

We are Barrelhouse Blog. The Empire Strikes Back. And teachable moments.

It's true, we are Barrelhouse Blog. We are also The Empire Strikes Back. And yes, we feel fine.

We have been listening to Girl Talk's All Day, well, all day, and we just may do so tomorrow as well.

Mad geeked we are. Our new ebook "Cool, Not Removed" from the Artistically Declined is live, quite live, and so ready for your reading pleasure.

It is mad geekery indeed. Our new ebook "Cool, Not Removed" from the quite sublime Artistically Declined is live and all pdf and downloadable for your reading and life changing pleasure. We want to thank Ryan and Paula for the interest, support and care they have provided to this piece and we hope you will dig it, love it, hug it and hype it, here, there, anywhere, not to mention your blogs, the Facebook and Goodreads, because that too would be sublime. And now some excerpt:

"My therapist is what you might expect. Tweed jackets, year-round; sweater vests; corduroys; and a thatch of brown, parted, college professor hair."


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A CCLaP Rabin Tanzer Stage 773 event. November 29th. Chicago. Goodness.

Humbled and excited and nervous we are, totally so, to be reading at the upcoming CCLaP event - An Evening With Nathan Rabin on November 29th at Stage 773 here in the Chicago. Rabin is head writer of the A.V. Club and author of the new book My Year of Flops. This event is going to be goodness all around and we are pretty much absolutely sure it will change your life, a lot, so please do join us. More details here. Yes there, right there, nice.


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You Can Make Him Like You. Artistically Declined. So soon. For reals.

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This Book Will Change Your Life - Ryan Seacrest is Famous by Dave Housley.

One time we were talking to the esteemed cultural critic and TBWCYL, Inc. favorite David Masciotra and he said something to affect of, "people today talk about pop culture like they once spoke about trees." We thought about this as we read the short story collection Ryan Seacrest is Famous by Dave Housley. It would be reasonable to focus on his deft and humorous touch as he skewers, and even celebrates, the banalities of pop culture, but there is something else going here as well, the use of pop culture to engage people in a larger conversation about pain, the pain of break-ups and falling short of your own expectations, of knowing this may be as good as it gets and the realization that knowing this is nearly unbearable, that we are damaged, and we may not be able to fix ourselves, even if we cared to try or somehow fought past the denial and self-delusion that allows us to make it through the day and that ultimately no matter what we do or try the world is likely to collapse around us, little by little, because that's what it does, and because life isn't fair and no one ever said it would be. [image error]

"99 Problems is a gem of a book." 99 Problems gets Baby Got Books'd. And likes it. A lot.

One thing we have been quite digging with the reaction to 99 Problems is not just the positivity, though that's awesome, and humbling, but the personal reactions to the work, both from those we know and those we do not. In the case of Baby Got Books we do know the crew there, but it certainly doesn't change how much we appreciate their kind words or the highly intimate response to the work. Many thanks, and in this case, drinks for sure, and as usual, when next we are there.

"99 Problems is a gem of a book. You'll learn a lot about the author and his creative processes, which highlights the level of introspection that can come from time alone pounding the pavement. Of course, my favorite essay is about a run that Tanzer takes in Atlanta. I met up with Ben and some literary scenesters that he assembled at Twain's Tavern after the run, and we talked over beers about books and bad TV. Here's how Ben characterizes the book scene in Atlanta:

It is a city that loves words and stories and the people who tangle with them, and these people are my people.

I'm proud to have been named as one of those people, and I hope that the Chamber of Commerce picks up on the description of our city. And because I'm also one of those people that has Veteran's day off, I'm lacing up my running shoes and going for a run on this beautiful day."
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The new edition of This Zine Will Change Your Life is live, full of Bradley and all about quality control. Or something like that.

The new edition of This Zine Will Change Your Life is live and all about quality control. Or something like that. In fact, we have a new story titled Quality Control by J. Bradley , which we are way excited about, and, (almost) as always, photo action from Adam Lawrence, music curation from Jason Behrends and post-midterm election 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, and combinations there of. And most finally, we are not witches. For real. [image error]