Explaining myself, Explaining my Elvis

Anne Valente interviewed me about "Karaoke People are Happy People" for the Storyglossia blog. It felt pretty good.

"Karaoke People are Happy People" --new story at Storyglossia

So after a 4 month dry spell, I have a new story out! "Karaoke" is another Elvis thing from my novel, Social Aid & Pleasure. I'd submitted it for the Music Obsession issue (#36), but Steven didn't think it quite fit, so he held on to it for #37.

I'm very excited. Thanks Steven and Anne!!

"Suspicious person on Finch Drive"

. . . would be a great title for a story, but I can't be arsing arsed to write it. You can have it if you want. Comes from the Sheriff's report as printed in the Morgan Messenger, a genuine independent small town newspaper that comes out of the lovely spa and antique tourist destination of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. Our cabin is the next "town" over, in Great Cacapon. One of the things about this newspaper that makes it so great is that the letters to the editor section shows a real community discussion, whether it be about health care, zoning, or anti-chaining legislation. You can't get the letters online, but you can get a taste of an uneasy pastoral by monitoring the editorials and police reports: drugs, uttering, lock-outs, and roaming livestock.

Too many great things to read out there, especially over the past few days. I haven''t even scratched the surface, but already I recommend Ravi Mangla's "Arrgh Luxury Cruises: An Authentic Pirate Adventure" from the current Storyglossia. Like Berkely Springs, Ravi's story is all about the dangerous romance of nostalgia.

While I wasn't looking

The amazing Steven J. McDermott posted this about my story, "Do you know what it means to miss" from Juked. I'm a happy writer, he totally gets what I'm going for emotionally, even if doesn't think I have a plot.

rock. rock. rock.

New Story up at Storyglossia!!!

"Felly Stories"

sooooo excited!!

Why I Miss My Beagle

I'm not a portents and omens gal, but this is not a good start to the morning. And if chihuahuas were proper dogs,
I wouldn't have had time to take a picture of my nitwittedness. Just heard that my story will appear in the Nov 15 issue of Storyglossia, which was what I was thinking about when I held the egg carton by the lid, extracted one egg, and dumped the remaining four to the floor. It's as if I had never encountered an egg carton before, and I was unprepared for its physics.

But enough of this grieving over lost breakfast and competence. Go read Paula Bomer's brilliant story, "Reading to the Blind Girl." That'll fix everything.

WOO HOO! Barrelhouse Future! And Storyglossia!

Barrelhouse Invitational: The Future
The "contest" ended today, and I just got word that one of the stories from my Louisiana novel made it!!! When S read a draft he commented: "What a fun way to examine the grotesque desires of humanity"

And while I'm being undignified I might as well spill it--I placed a story in a future issue of Storyglossia as well. It has been a BRILLIANT week for me.