Monday, January 31, 2011

illegible undecipherable


is Curio story number 10. It suggests the essence of horror for me, but I'm not sure it will strike anyone else the same way. I mean, it's not even a story. Wednesday will be a real story, regular length, too.

Tomorrow, if class isn't canceled by the ice storm, we discuss chapter one of Steve Himmer's The Bee-Loud Glade, which is available for preorder now.

I feel really privileged to have been a bit on the inside as Steve was writing this book and seeking a publisher, and it seems like I've been teaching aspects of TBLG for a couple of semesters now. Because we’re tight, internet-style, I probably won’t do an official review of the novel (not my ethics, Steve’s, okay?). But I can write about it here and probably goodreads if I ever remember to go there. TBLG is a dreamy yet unnerving pastoral with the focused energy and attention of a novella, and it hits about 16 points on my "Write me this" wishlist.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Onions

Numba Nine went live yesterday, and it's one of the stories from Curio that I was unsure of, along with "Spoon and Blade," but it turns out that those two stories have gotten really great responses.

I have a good excuse for posting notice late--Thursday was my birthday and because of the storm our power was out for 21 hours. We didn't do anything, but waiting for light and heat is exhausting. I still don't feel settled yet.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

A Fish Story

"Spoon and Blade"

it's getting too real with the novel. looks like I'm reading with Ig Publishing stable-mate Mark Yakich at City Lights next November. Dean just keeps blinking at me like I grew a new arm.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Bun Fun

Bun likes to watch.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

great weekend

got my advance check

got my birthday ipad

got my syllabus done (garson/"captions", denza/"soap", mangla/"retention", and call&call/"snowstorm. . ." will be read in-class tuesday)

got to hear the waitress say to her co-workers: "anyone here see a black book? you know, a book for reading?"

Friday, January 21, 2011

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Drownded Demonds

The fifth story from Curio is live. "Drownded Demonds" comes from two thoughts I couldn't shake--the fact that Dean kept finding broken knives in the woods, and my friend's mother talking about how they would use a chicken to get a septic tank started. This is one of three or four stories featuring Bun, a mountain man psychopath who has found his level.

Recently James Robison did one of those Fictionaut Five questionnaires, offering an elegant answer to the question, How do you come up with ideas for stories?
He said, "A story must have three ingredients, like, oral surgery, Puccini’s Turandot, and divorce. Or. Hurricane science, a niece, and physics. If I have three large thoughts, intuitions or detections about three varied things, I’ll launch a story."

Monday, January 17, 2011

"Christmas Eve" in Curio


Up today is "Christmas Eve," the first of several West Virginia inspired stories.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Ravi Mangla's Visiting Writers & Uncanny Valley

Very excited by the news that Ravi's Visiting Writers series is slated for serialization by the great folks at Uncanny Valley. Back in March 2010, I was guest ed for Everyday Genius, and I launched my month with five pieces from the series because it was so special.

Ravi's one of my favorite writers, and I've just decided to put him on the syllabus.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Curio Week One, Three Stories Up/Down


Today Uncanny Valley Press posted "TheBrewsters," originally published in Moon Milk Review # 9, October 2010. The image here is Mike Meginnis' hilarious/ appalling interpretation of the Brewster children--I hope you love it as much as I do. Wednesday's post was "Bog Redaction," from last January's Wigleaf, and the first post on Monday was "The Second Prettiest of the Daughters," a new story. For the next two weeks plus, the stories will all be previously unpublished in any form. Seeing as the postings will continue through the beginning of March, I'm not sure how I will avoid seeming spammy with my updates, especially since the novel situation is developing very quickly: Death Wishing is slated for an October 2011 release by Ig Publishing, and right now I'm doing some final but substantial edits, gathering blurbers (you won't believe who I got), and eating lots of celebratory dinners with my friends.

Somehow I'm supposed to put my syllabus together for my first class on the 25th, but I think I'm going to mess up my blog first. I know, I know. I should get a Big Girl's blog soon, along with a douchey author site and a douchey author pic. (The word "douchey" is brought to you by my 15 yr old nephew. I think it's hilarious, seeing as he probably knows as much about douches as he does merkins).

Monday, January 10, 2011

Laura's Big Day


Curio is here at last!
If you think you'd like to review it, lemme know.

I've written a review of Erin Kelly's debut thriller, The Poison Tree.

I go back to work today. Haven't seen the old place sine the 23rd.

Friday, January 7, 2011

CURIO is coming

My collection of creepy little stories is due to launch Monday, January 10. Don't worry, I'll remind you. But just so you know what you're getting, there are 21 stories, and one will be posted each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until they run out. There will also be downloadable versions of the entire collection, with illustrations and design by Mike Meginnis.

The whole shebang is coming at you from Uncanny Valley Press as their debut publication.

ps. I own January.