Ben Tanzer's Blog, page 210

"I can relate to this book...as a creative person, and as a fellow runner." 99 Problems gets Self Employment for Bohemians'd. And likes it. A lot.

Big thanks to TBWCYL, Inc. favorite Steve Lafler for his kind words and 99 Problems shout out over at Self Employment for Bohemians. Drinks on us next time we get together for sure.


"I can relate to this book, both as a creative person, and as a fellow runner. I'm the target audience here! Plus, Ben and I have the same high school PR in the 880 yard run of 2:01, knocking on the door of the two minute barrier, always a worthy goal for a high school kid."

There is Two With Water reading. Beauty Bar. November 21st. Join us won't you?

Quite excited we are to participate in the upcoming Two With Water Rx Reading at Beauty Bar on November 21. We will be joining Miranda Barnes and Luis Humberto Valadez and while we think it is likely to change your life, at a minimum there will be literature, beauty and spirits, so really what more could you ask for? Nothing, we know.[image error]

A splendiferous Curbside Splendor Drehmer mash-up.

We are always geeked when we see our friends coming together, especially new ones, and so quite geeked we are to see a new joint by TBWCYL, Inc. favorite Aleathia Drehmer at Curbside Splendor titled The Fight. Please do take a look and for a brief excerpt feel free to read on below.

"Sometimes I am invisible, unnoticed and adrift like an island in the sea of city people. This is the only place I learn about the world as I watch it unfold like a map. Fingers point to destinations, travel is arranged, and landings are often not what I expected."[image error]

A most cool Sententia 3 call for submissions.

Artistically Declined, in partnership with Guest Editor and TBWCYL, Inc. favorite Shya Scanlon, has opened submissions for Sententia 3 and what they're up to is very cool indeed.

"Issue 3 of Sententia will be themed around the pitch, and therefore against the notion of "self-contained" excerpts. It will be a collection of novel excerpts whose purpose is to leave the reader not with an artificial feeling of completion, but actively wanting more.

We will be considering excerpts of three chapters or ten thousand words—whichever comes first. In addition to an excerpt and bio, authors are required to submit a one-page synopsis of the full work, to be printed along with each excerpt. The novel need not be finished at the time of submission.

Submissions will be read as might an agent or editor looking to publish, and in this spirit, 60 copies of the resulting collection will be sent to presses and agents we consider most likely to use the work therein as a resource during their own search for talent."

As we said, coolness.
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Vermin action.

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Barry Graham is having a week.

TBWCYL, Inc. favorite and This Podcast Will Change Your Life podcastee Barry Graham is having a quite fine week indeed.

First, a quite piece at JMWW on the origins of his story "The Cigarette Story."

"Anyone who's ever worked a fast food joint knows that the world that exists behind the counter is far different than the one taking place, simultaneously, though perhaps in a separate, alternate, universe, on the other side of it. On one side, customers order and wait, eat then go home. We've all done it. But things aren't so simple on the other side of the counter. I won't give details here because that information is private, sacred, meant only for the select few who've been blessed enough to belong in that world, even if temporarily. And fortunately I have..."

And second, a quite fine interview at Flash Fiction.

What inspires you to write?

The self deprecating feeling that I otherwise have no valuable work skills that will allow me to contribute positively to society.

Pretty cool, right? Way.

Vote. A shout-out. And some Renfroe goodness for your election day reading pleasure.

After you vote how about some McSweeney's election day reading pleasure goodness from long-time TBWCYL, Inc. favorite, This Zine Will Change Your Life contributor and This Podcast Will Change Your Life podcastee S. Craig Renfroe Jr., titled "A Disgraced Congressman Apologizes For His Recent Poor Choices in Costumes." Nice.
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Barrelhouse. Housley. DCist. Explosions and Dark Skies. It feels good doesn't it?

Very nice to see TBWCYL, Inc. favorite Dave Housley and the Barrelhouse crew being interviewed at DCist on the occasion of their 5th Anniversary. Also nice to see the Housley's new piece Seven Clowns Before The Explosion at Dark Sky Magazine. It is quite fine indeed, and yes, we've gone all Housley this post, it feels good doesn't it? We agree.

When you got the idea to start Barrelhouse, were you trying to fill a void/niche/need in the writing community? Or was it more impulsive than that?

Dave Housley: I think the one void we were trying to fill was something that published serious writing but didn't take itself so seriously. Also, a literary magazine that recognized that pop culture was real and important to lots of people. So many of the literary magazines out there, especially the ones connected to academic programs, seemed like they were run by the kind of people who would brag to you at a cocktail party that they didn't own a television. We felt like we were the kind of people who would throw a beer on those people, so in the early stages, Barrelhouse definitely grew out of that kind of impulse. We also wanted to fill that community void a bit, so we always said, let's have readings, but let's make them fun, non-academic. Let's have them in bars, with music, or with a pub quiz, something to make it loose and fun.

Aaron Pease: Our decision to start a journal was impulsive and beer-fueled, but I think we were trying to fill a niche in producing a journal that could back up its good looks with high-quality content. Kind of like a hooker, but with a heart of gold.

Dan Brady: We wanted to put out a magazine that published the kind of writing we liked—smart, funny, maybe a little edgy, but also engaged with real life, writing that wasn't afraid to name drop Real Housewives of D.C. or Magnum P.I. We wanted something less stuffy than most of the literary magazines we saw out there, but that maintained a high standard of writing. The whole venture was pretty impulsive. Now, five years later, we still keep things pretty loose, but we've learned a lot along the way.

This Podcast Will Change Your Life, Episode Thirty - Two - Raw.

We are This Podcast Will Change Your Life. We are Episode Thirty-Two. We are Kate Duva. And we are raw. Sort of.

ACM 50. The Chicago Issue. Photo shoot. Vogueing. Punching. And outtakes.

The quite stellar ACM - Another Chicago Magazine is celebrating its 50th issue, with not one, but two volumes focused on Chicago writers and their work, some of which is based in Chicago and some not, and we are way honored, and humbled, to have a story appearing in Volume Two. We are also thrilled to have participated in the ongoing ACM 50 photo shoot being led by TBWCYL, Inc. favorite, This Podcast Will Change Your Life quasi-double podcastee and ACM editor Jacob S. Knabb, a.k.a, Harold Ray, and today we thought we would share some of the outtakes from TBWCYL, Inc. spokesperson Ben Tanzer's shoot with you. Please do enjoy them and if they change your life, awesome, we're always thrilled to be of assistance in that capacity.