A Depository for Author Peter Farris

Some kind words from author John Rector

2012-02-20T11:38:00.002-05:00

"With one novel, Peter Farris has cemented his place as one of the best new voices in the crime/noir genre. Tough, tense, and always heartfelt, Last Call for the Living left me breathless. An absolutely stunning debut."

- John Rector, author of The Cold Kiss, Already Gone and The Grove

Live: Nate Hall, Eugene Robinson & Scott Kelly

2012-02-17T02:07:00.001-05:00

You don't have to spend more than five minutes chatting with Eugene S. Robinson to learn that he a) is a wonderful anecdotalist b) is staggeringly articulate and c) is in possession of that extra gear that all great performers (and criminal sociopaths) have. More on that in a bit. Robinson was in town for the first date of a month-long tour with fellow Bay Area legend Scott Kelly, the pair trading the volume of their respective bands for an evening of spoken word and acoustic music at 529 in East Atlanta.

Opening the show was North Carolinian Nate Hall, the man behind U.S. Christmas aka USX--a band that has soundtracked many late nights in front of a computer. In fact, I had e-mailed Nate a few months ago, asking permission to use a lyric of his as an epigram in my next novel, which he kindly granted me permission to do. Not only was it nice to thank Nate in person, but I was excited to see his upcoming solo effort A Great River (Neurot Recordings) available a few months ahead of its release date. Didn't take but a few spins to know AGR will be one of my favorite records of the year, a collection of songs that channels Neil Young at his most psychedelic, Townes Van Zandt at his most somber, and the influence of life in Appalachia into something wholly spiritual and authentic.

Having dedicated his life to the written word, mixed martial arts, his band Oxbow and probably a healthy amount of fucking, it's safe to say there isn't a person drawing a breath quite like Eugene Robinson. I was surprised to discover A Long Slow Screw was the accomplished writer's first work of fiction, and even more intrigued by the fact it was a crime novel set in 1970's New York.

Needless to say, I can't wait to read it.

This was not your typical author "reading" either, but very much a performance, with Robinson delivering dialogue from A Long Slow Screw with the verve of a method actor. You simply can't take your eyes off Robinson, especially as he alternated between mumbling low-level leg breakers, hustlers, goons, his gutsy protagonist and a sadistic mob boss ruling over the fiefdom that is his Brooklyn scrapyard. That was when that extra gear I referenced above became particularly evident. By the time Robinson hit the stage, the amicable fella behind the merch table had checked out completely, and been replaced not only by the characters that inhabit his novel, but an Artist barely able to contain himself. No wonder when I did a quick scan of the crowd after Eugene's talk I noticed a few folks looking slightly sodomized.

As a founding member of my all-time favorite band (Neurosis), Scott Kelly's music has meant a hell of a lot to me over the years. In fact, getting to tell the man as much Wednesday night was one of those things I can check off the bucket list (that and asking about his beloved Oakland Raiders playoff chances next year). Kelly, 48 hours removed from an Australian tour and admittedly jetlagged within an inch of his life, still delivered an hour of from-the-gut acoustic material from his three solo outings, austere and deeply personal songs including recently "reclaimed" crusher We Let The Hell Come, a track last heard being performed by underground supergroup Shrinebuilder.

And much like after the dozen or so times I've seen Neurosis perform, I left 529 feeling inspired...and grateful. The reverence and respect I have for Scott Kelly and his band is profound. There is not much more I can think to say.

But I'll end this post with my favorite moment of the night:

An exhausted but pleased-looking Kelly, halfway through a set that began about 1 a.m., watching a few folks head for the door when he deadpanned to those of us who remained: "The process of weeding out is complete."

UPGUNNED by David J. Schow

2012-02-13T20:53:00.000-05:00

My pal David Schow's new novel UPGUNNED is out 2.14.12

Fitting, as UG is a love story...of sorts. It most certainly is a ferocious read, staggeringly smart, superhumanly stylish and in my opinion one of David's best long players. In fact, I think with UPGUNNED DJS has achieved that rarefied air of becoming his own genre. I can assure you any fan of Donald Westlake, Hollywood satire, L.A.-centric thrillers and GUNS (Jesus the fucking guns!) will dig what David's got under the hood on this one.

By the way, that gorgeous jacket was designed by world renowned artist and illustrator Tim Bradstreet. You can read a little more about the title wars and cover art here.

Some kind words from author Duane Swierczynski

2012-02-01T00:38:00.001-05:00

5.22.2012

"With LAST CALL FOR THE LIVING, Peter Farris sticks a shotgun in your face, cracks you a beer, works you over with a meat tenderizer, insults your mama, punches your junk, and otherwise gives you the wildest Southern vacation you've ever had. Farris has just announced himself as a major new talent in crime fiction, and he ain't telling us politely."

- Duane Swierczynski, Anthony Award-winning author of Expiration Date and Fun & Games

KILL THAT CAT Video Archive

2012-01-29T01:45:00.000-05:00

Here is some great footage from the heavy music underground circa 1991-2001 (one of the best decades the genre has ever seen in my opinion). Back when bands were still scary, dudes with neck tattoos didn't look like total pussies, nobody was "checking in" or "tagging" or "tweeting" and energy drinks and car companies didn't sponsor tours. Check out KILL THAT CAT and see for yourself. A few favorites:

Where I Write

2012-01-16T18:07:00.000-05:00

Inspired by author John Hornor Jacobs' pics of his writing space (which you can view here), I thought I'd get in on the action...

I've always thought every writer needs a) a window to stare out of b) a good dictionary and c) a friend in law enforcement

The Great Accumulator

Some kind words from author Frank Bill

2012-01-13T00:12:00.000-05:00

5.22.2012

"Last Call for the Living left blisters on my eyelids and teeth marks on my soul. Combining razor sharp prose, a tight plot and characters I could relate to, the narrative tension bites down and doesn't let go. I felt as though I was part of a robbery in progress--guns pointed, money taken--and I couldn't stop turning the pages. Peter Farris has delivered his watermark on the world of crime, noir and storytelling with guts."

- Frank Bill, author of Crimes in Southern Indiana

Hardboiled Desk

2012-01-11T22:18:00.002-05:00

Just your standard noir desk:

Thanks to DJS for this one

My Top Ten Albums of 2011

2012-01-11T00:07:00.005-05:00

If there is such a thing as heaven and contrary to a popular proverb you're actually allowed to bring stuff, then I'd insist on having this German jazz outfit's discography handy...something suitably gloomy to listen to in such a shiny happy place, especially around all those Tim Tebow jerseys. Beileid is another devastating release, and a reminder to us all that the band scoring that late night Ross MacDonald reading binge is Bohren & Der Club of Gore.

With a muddied, menacing production that captures the spirit of some classic late 90's Billy Anderson engine-eared albums like Neurosis' Through Silver In Blood and High On Fire's The Art of Self Defense, this Eugene, OR trio delivered one of the most crushingly psychedelic doom albums of 2011. Some troglodyte in a Disturbed shirt hoping to catch Maynard's sweat from the front row has no idea what's in store when YOB opens for yoga metallers TOOL on their upcoming tour.

Trends be damned, I love Wolves In The Throne Room's earthy and uniquely Cascadian take on Norwegian black metal. Celestial Lineage was one of the most dynamic, lush-sounding records I heard all year, and perfect company this Fall while hiking nearby Kennesaw Mountain.

Without commenting on Jef Whitehead's ongoing legal issues, I have no doubt in my mind the Leviathan mastermind is a musical genius. True Traitor, True Whore is sonically so despairing, so claustrophobic and so anguished I actually felt ill after repeated listens. A perfect soundtrack for the worst moment of your life and surely the feel good record of 2011.

So yeah, Jeff Caxide is a dear friend and you can hear my voice on Endless Midnight, but don't let that stop you from checking out one of the best ambient records of the past ten years.

I've written two novels while listening to U.S. Christmas. Think harvest moons, burning leaves, Hawkwind, Neil Young, Neurosis and The FoxFire Book. The fact their band name is a reference to Sam Peckinpah's Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid is a major plus. If you ever wanted to know what Outer Dark sounds like, look no further than The Valley Path.

A warm, intimate set from legendary songwriter Guy Clark, the man sounding comfortably weathered and performing his most beloved songs. Best enjoyed with some cold beer, a back deck and the setting sun.

Featuring stunning art from John Dyer Baizley and some of the finest instrumentation I've heard on any of her albums, Gillian Welch's The Harrow & The Harvest might be the one compact disc I didn't regret buying this year. And Lord how I can't wait for the vinyl edition. If the pages of Dorothy Allison's Bastard Out Of Carolina could sing, they'd be singing these songs.

Since his days in the Drive-By Truckers, Jason Isbell has had an uncanny talent for writing smart, soulful southern music with hooks galore. Here We Rest is by far my favorite of his solo efforts. It is both somber and uplifting, and a record I most remember as one that got heavy play when my fiance's grandfather passed last summer. Without sounding sappy or sentimental, Isbell's latest proved a comfort on that melancholic drive to and from the funeral in south Georgia, the countryside and brutal heat, nothing to do but reflect in ways a death in the family can allow you to do. Here We Rest has special meaning to us for that reason alone.

The hometown heroes delivered arguably their catchiest album to date...and I fucking loved it. Those tips of the hat to Neurosis and Melvins are still evident, but if you'd told me The Hunter had been recorded in Joshua Tree I wouldn't have been surprised. I mean, there is some outright Kyuss-Queens of the Stone Age worship on this record, along with a dash of proggy Soundgarden-ness and an epic Pink Floyd tribute at album's end. We may be hearing them soundtrack a Super Bowl highlight reel before long, or spot some celebutard rocking one of their tees, but Mastodon long ago earned my respect and deserve all their success. Modern rock never sounded so good.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

EARTH - ANGELS OF DARKNESS, DEMONS OF LIGHT

GRAVITON - MASSLESS

TOMBS - PATH OF TOTALITY

BRUTAL TRUTH - END TIME

INDIAN - GUILTLESS

MERLE HAGGARD - WORKING IN TENNESSEE

SCOTT H. BIRAM - BAD INGREDIENTS

SANNHET - EP

WEEDEATER - JASON...THE DRAGON

TODAY IS THE DAY - PAIN IS A WARNING

MOGWAI - HARDCORE WILL NEVER DIE, BUT YOU WILL

TRENT REZNOR/ATTICUS ROSS - THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

THE TWILIGHT SINGERS - DYNAMITE STEPS

BLACKBERRY WINTER - IN THESE OZARK HILLS

THE WHISKEY GENTRY - PLEASE MAKE WELCOME

RED FANG - MURDER THE MOUNTAINS

RWAKE - REST

STEVE EARLE - I'LL NEVER GET OUT OF THIS WORLD ALIVE

The 2011 Music Roundup: Part Three

2012-01-06T22:45:00.001-05:00

And we are back after a brief interruption, including a trip to Los Angeles so I could propose to my girlfriend on New Year's Eve while Gotham, er, Hollywood burned. In this last installment, we've got my favorite Montanan (and one helluva writer in Chris LaTray), two parts of Brooklyn noise outfit Sannhet and bandmate and earth partner Randy Larsen. Up next...as if anybody gives a shit...my top ten albums of 2011.

Chris La Tray hasbeen playing hard rock music in various bands since 198-fucking-3, none ofwhich you ever heard of (except maybe the mighty LAZERWOLFS, who existed for 10years and were a steady freebie option in the All That’s Heavy store for anumber of years). He now sings and plays bass for the dreaded AMERICAN FALCON,whose first release has been slowly moving forward since August and may, godswilling and sacrifices pending, eventually even be completed.

His nonfictionwriting has appeared in the Missoula Independent, VintageGuitar magazine, and World Explorer magazine. His short fiction has appearedat Beat to a Pulp, PulpModern, Crimefactory's Kung Fu Factory, Offthe Record, and Noir at the Bar. His story “Run for the Roses” was thewinner of the 2011 Watery Graves Invitational story competition. He can bestalked at http://www.chrislatray.com.He lives in Missoula, MT.

I used to buy waymore records in a given year than I do now. That insatiable lust has beenovercome by books these days. So it makes it difficult to choose any kind of“best of” list because, since I’m very selective with my purchases, I’m prettyconfident I’ll like everything I buy. So that said, here, in no particularorder, is a list of stuff that came out in 2011 that I dug more than most. . ..

Premonition 13-- 13

http://www.premonition13.com

I’m going to ape (Kent) Gowran right out of the gate on this one. Wino is a dude who, whenever it seemshe’s on the verge of hanging up the Les Paul, suddenly explodes with an entirenew round of creative awesomeness. This is no exception, and probably myfavorite thing he’s done in recentyears (of course I’ll say that about just about anything of his I happen to betalking about at a given moment). This stuff reminds me most of his Obsessedyears, which is excellent. Heavy, driving, multi-tempo riffage that never wearsme out. I could have lumped this one in with my indie metal choices below, but Winomust stand alone.

Scott H. Biram-- BadIngredients

http://theconnextion.com/scotthbiram/shb_index.cfm?ArtistID=336

2011 is, amazingly,the year I “discovered” Biram. I’d heard of him but never paid attention. Ipaid attention this year, though, BIG time. While I don’t know that Bad Ingredients is his best record, I still play thebejeezus out of it, love it, and it’s on here just because I want to tip my hatto the man for being a huge part of my musical year. For bluesy/country/rockone-man-band excellence one really need look no further. Plus he and I share abirthday with Muddy Waters. That’s pretty awesome.

The Black Keys-- El Camino

http://www.theblackkeys.com/store

Yeah, everyone whogoes to college (excuse me, goes to “university”) loves The Black Keys and wehear their music on TV ads and all that shit that is supposed to make us hatethem. Fuck that. I’ve been digging these guys since Thickfreakness came out, which gives me all the hipstercred I need, and I think they are still one of the better things going. I stilllike their stuff from Attackand Release earlier (or evenRubber Factory and earlier) the best, but this one is abig step forward for me when measured against their last couple records. It hasmore of a rock n’ roll, garagey feel to it that would be right there with thoseearlier records if the songs were recorded in the same stripped-down, basementstudio format that the early ones were. One great thing about these guys isthey stretch out differently with every record, and I admire that. Plus theyare loud and kind of sloppy live. Fantastic.

Saviours -- Death’s Procession

http://www.hellridemusic.com/saviours-deaths-procession-limited-edition-vinyl-12/

Red Fang -- Murder the Mountains

http://www.allthatisheavy.com/search.asp?SearchTerm=red+fang

Black Pyramid -- II

http://www.allthatisheavy.com/info.asp?item_num=ATH-8999

Elder -- Dead Roots Stirring

http://www.allthatisheavy.com/search.asp?SearchTerm=elder

Toxic Holocaust-- Conjure andCommand

http://www.indiemerchstore.com/b/toxic-holocaust/

These are all themetal bands I most dug this year, lumped together in one loud pile ofskull-smashing mayhem. Not to say they are all alike, not by any means. Theyare just bands, fiercely independent, that I’ve really come to enjoy over thepast couple years. Their styles all touch the elements of metal -- the kind Igrew up on that bares little resemblance to what passes for “metal” on yourClear Channel radio station -- that I still identify most with in the world ofmusic, from thrash to doom to stoner riffage. If I was forced to pick only one,I’d probably go with Red Fang because it’s the one I’ve listened to most. Butthey are all excellent, and any one of them is well worth your time.

Beastie Boys -- Hot Sauce Committee Part Two

http://hotsaucecommittee.com/

Most of the people mywife and I hang out with are significantly younger, and throwing on some of themore obscure Beastie Boys stuff from back in the day is unrecognizable to themin its awesomeness. This record, a brand new release, proves that they stilldeliver better than just about anyone. We’ve played the hell out of this one.Even typing this out I realize I need to get it back in the rotation again. Justa hell of a good time record.

RichmondFontaine -- TheHigh Country

http://richmondfontaine.com/merchandise

Willy Vlautin thewriter (The MotelLife, Northline, Leanon Pete, all essential readsif you like books at all) is what led me to this band, which he basicallyfronts. They are kind of an alt-country/Americana thing, if you insist on alabel, but their records veer from place to place. This one is a kind ofconcept album, like a short story on vinyl. Good stuff, excellentdriving-in-the-dark material. Plus I love the design of the thing, done bylegendary Man of Size Aaron Draplin of the Draplin Design Company (http://draplin.com/),another kick-fucking-ass piece of indie awesomeness of which I am a HUGE fan.

Randy Larsen is a founding member of the Connecticut noise rock outfit CABLE and co-founder of Waylon Recordings. His latest project The Empty Flowers is set to record its debut extended play later this month.

TOMBS - PATH OF TOTALITY

Mike Hill is a part animal/part machine and he's created the perfect machine in the form of Path of Totality. A tastefull mix of Mayhem and Death In June or: think Joy Division meets Neurosis. You're left with nothing but sonic bliss. Far and away my favorite "heavy" record of 2011! Mike has been at this game for as long as I can remember and victory is his. CHAOS REIGNS!

EARTH - ANGELS OF DARKNESS, DEMONS OF LIGHT 1

Everytime EARTH puts out a record I think its their best, at least dating back to 2005's Hex and there's no exception this time. This one took a few weeks to really sink in but when it did I was more than along for the ride. Seeing them live earlier in the year only nailed the coffin shut that this is my favorite EARTH record. At least until they release the next monolithic gem in Feb. of 2012. Buy the ticket, take the ride.

CRONE - ENDLESS MIDNIGHT

Jeff Caxide has been a fiend of mine since 1994 and we played ina few bands together through the years, not to mention this record came out on Waylon Recording--the label I run with a friend of mine C.A. McKenna (Translation Loss Recordings). That being said this record is a solid journey into the Lynchian abyss, a spine tingling mindfuck of bad dreams. I read somewhere that Endless Midnight is a perfect movie score for a movie that hasn't been made yet...that rings 100% true.

Grouper - AIA

I got turned onto this one late in the game but wish I got it earlier. Absolutly beautiful soundscapes soaked in the blissful voice of Liz Harris. I've spent the last two days engulfed in this masterpiece.

YOB - ATMA

Crushing end of the world doom! These Eugene, Oregon monsters have created there best record to date period!

Other gems of 2011:

Gillian Welch - The Harrow and the Harvest

Circle of Ouroborus - Eleven Fingers

Bohren & Der Club of Gore - Beileid

Leviathan - True Traitor True Whore

Dale Cooper Quartet - Metamanoir

The Twilight Singers - Dynamite Steps

Russian Circles - Empros

Christopher Todd hails from Brooklyn, NY. He is a drummer and an experimental artist. He currently makes up 1/3 of Brooklyn's experimental/instrumental metal act Sannhet. While also releasing solo experimental ambient field recordings on various US and Euro compilations.

Altar of Plagues - Mammal

Hailing from Ireland, this is a band that I have been following for some time now. And with every release, seem to fall deeper and deeper into their sound. The haunting yet paralyzing drone of their overall sound, is certainly crushing in it's own right. Definitely my top favorite of the year and tops for Profound Lore's great year as well in my opinion.

Leviathan - True Traitor, True Whore

What can I say, I am a fan of everything that he releases. I draw a huge amount of inspiration out of every Leviathan record, as well as his other releases as well. Definitely a breath of the "new" fresh air with this album. Similarity's and a familiar approach, yet very different as a whole compared to Massive Conspiracy Against All Life. However, from the complex riffing of every song structure, to the off timing of the rhythm, and the chills that I get with every word spoken..definitely gets my BRUTAL recommendation.

Prurient - Bermuda Drain

Was very very surprised by this album. Love Prurient and everything that he has done over the past several years. But, this album caught me off guard..in an awesome way. Not your typical Prurient release. This album teleports my ears with an easing sensation of Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works 85-92. While destroying my brain with the colossal devastation of past Prurient records. This combination is way too good and I hope that there is more to come in the future.

Deafheaven - Roads to Judah

Took me a few listens and had to get passed a few nay sayer's. But, this album really caught me and took a hold after each listen. I just love the overall sound and writing style of each and every guitar track, along with the insanely tight (mainly blasting) drumming. I expect a good full length to follow this release in the near future.

Tim Hecker - Ravedeath, 1972

Big Big fan of this man. I am pretty much bias to all of Tim Hecker's releases, with my favorites of course. And his sound has been a huge inspiration of mine for some time now. But, there is seriously nothing like putting on a good pair of headphones, while lying in a dark room, and listening to a Tim Hecker record from start to finish. This is his latest, yet another release that fits that statement to a T.

Marsen Jules- Nostalgia

With his previous releases such as Herbstlaub and Les Fleurs being my favorites. It had been a while since I actually revisited some of Marsen Jules newer workings. With Nostalgia, I feel as if he had gone back to his roots in creating another beautiful piece of music. His crystal clear recordings and calculated looping with every measure, make for a new sound scape that was definitely a welcoming release for many ears whom enjoy this sound.

Young Widows - In and Out of Youth and Lightness

Loved everything about Old Wounds. Yet, in a different vein, have as much respect for this album as well. Call it darker or whatever, but the approach to this album panned out in a good way. Can't wait to see some of these tracks performed live.

Thou - The Archer & The Owle

It wasn't until I had the chance to check them out live, that I could fully appreciate these guys. Their live sound and performance is awesome. Which led me to this release. Which then led me to breaking out my archive folder of every passed Robotic Empire release that I loved! Which led to pissing off my neighbors and spending an entire weekend night in doors..oh well.

Deaf Center - Owl Splinters

Neon City, Pale Ravine, Vintage Well..now Owl Splinters. Another group that I had the honor of seeing live and made me appreciate their work even more. great stuff.

Ulcerate - The Destroyers of All

I like and enjoy this release for what it is. Nothing over the top, just straight up and in your face. New Zealand shreds.

John Refano is a web developer based in Brooklyn, NY and a founding member of experimental noise-metal act Sannhet.

Prurient: Bermuda Drain

Grouper: A I A: Dream Loss / Alien Observer

Altar of Plagues: Mammal

Oneohtrix Point Never: Replica

Leviathan: True Traitor, True Whore

Deaf Center: Owl Splinters

Gang Gang Dance: Eye Contact

Tim Hecker: Ravedeath, 1972 / Dropped Pianos

Indian: Guiltless

Lamb Death - Sea Death

The 2011 Music Roundup: Part Two

2011-12-29T20:32:00.001-05:00

And the picks keep coming in. For Part Two of my music review I've got some dear friends contributing...including a fella that has toured the world a couple times over, a beloved guitar player who happens to be part bicycle, and a family man with a beard that belongs in the Smithsonian.

Jeff Caxide played bass for legendary post-metal band ISIS. This year he released his first solo album, Endless Midnight, to wide acclaim. In February he plans to record new material with former ISIS drummer Aaron Harris and multi-instrumentalist Cliff Meyer in as-yet-unnamed new project.

Bohren & Der Club of Gore - Beileid

I'm not sure how to express how much I love Bohren & Der Club of Gore, but I can say Beileid is 37 minutes of perfection. Slow, dark and haunting their music is like a funeral march in Twin Peaks. Mike Patton's vocal contribution to the track "Catch My Heart" (a Warlock cover) is the highlight to my favorite album of 2011.

Fennesz and Ryuichi Sakamoto - Flumina

Minimal piano pieces from Ryuichi Sakamoto with electronics from Fennesz. Minimal and haunting. This is what winter in New England sounds like.

The Twilight Singers - Dynamite Steps

At this point I don't think Greg Dulli can make a bad album. His latest with "The Twilight Singers" is among his best. While still soulful and dark this album feels more uplifting than most of his output. It took a few spins to really get into Dynamite Steps but when it finally clicked I couldn't stop listening to it for months.

Obake - S/T

Debut album from this Italian band. Great mix of heavy down tuned riffs and avant garde rock with some ambient elements as well. Not much heavy music interests me these days but Obake puts a unique spin on it and I look forward to hearing what these guys are going to do next.

Cliff Martinez- Drive OST

One of my favorite film composers working today. Mostly Ambient textures with a retro 80's vibe that fit the film perfectly.

Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will

After 16 years together Mogwai still show no signs of slowing down. This album is the most '"rocking" since their debut. It's also one of their best. It goes without saying that it's the best album title of the year. Or the decade for that matter.

Tim Hecker - Ravedeth 1972

Deconstuction music from Canada. Chopped up instrument sounds formed into a beautiful soundscape that alway held my attention and never faded into the background.

Russian Circles - Empros

I've always enjoyed Russian Circles live but never listened to their albums that much. That changed with Empros. Probably the bands most "metal" album to date and one of the most satisfying rock albums I've heard in some time. Every song is an epic without running into the usual instrumental music cliches.

Grouper - A I A

Haunting double album from Portland's Liz Harris. A mix of guitars, keys,and ghostly vocals. I love driving around LA at night with this as my companion.

Dale Cooper Quartet & the Dictaphones - Metamanoir

Dark jazz crossed with Porstished like sounds from France. Images of dark smoky rooms lit with blue light come to mind when listening to this. This band seems to be grossly

overlooked but any who hears this album will soon be singing their praise.

Bernie Romanowski: A northern Massachusetts resident who is endlessly searching for a landing spot. I was the guitar player for Cable and am currently one for Empty Flowers. I climbed a tree 2 weeks ago. I regularly spend time alone on islands. I’m a naturalist who is interested in the things that I can’t actually do, like rock climbing and scuba diving. A social worker by trade, I would ride my bike cross-country if life didn’t demand other responsibilities from me. I still record loud music on my analog 4-track machine, I don’t have a Mac, I use a badger-hair shaving brush, I’m learning how to be a man by visiting the woods and ocean often, and I only cook with cast iron pans. 2011’s top five records:

Chris Connellly Artificial Madness

Artificial Madness is a late-year album that my friend Drew gave me 2 weeks ago. I haven’t stopped listening to it since. This is also easily the most simple, straightforward record on my list, and it’s the best record on my list. Writing about Chris Connelly, I suppose his resume should appear somewhere in the review, but you can Google that shit if you need a context to understand why you should like this record. The large, driving sounds of the late-80’s and mid-90’s just dominate EVERY song. I won’t make the Joy Division reference that everyone else makes when they talk about Chris Connelly’s music. Nurse-era Therapy? and early Jawbox are better references. The monotony of his vocals is hypnotizing, and it’s not until the end of the record that you realize that the drumming was stripped down to just the kick-drum, snare, and hi-hat. There might only be 20 cymbal crashes on this entire record, so maybe there is a Joy Division reference here somewhere. Huh. The bass just hammers non-stop single notes, so, um I guess that’s a Joy Division influence, too. Anyway, most of Connelly’s guitar playing is minimal and repetitive, but I consider it evidence of the confidence he has developed after a lifetime of making loud music. And the influence of Joy Division. But trust me, there is no post-industrial, pop eating, derivative bullshit here. The highlight song is “Cold Blood in Present Company.” My advice for 2011: Throw out your fucking Interpol records, stop combing your hair like a Nazi weirdo, ditch your clever girlfriend (she hates you anyway), and go buy this record. It’s not too late.

Wild Flag Wild Flag

The International Noise Conspiracy could cover the songs this album and easily call them their own. But here’s the newsflash, you skinny Swedish pricks: A bunch of GIRLS beat you to it!! This is a loud, funky, and mature record that I’ve been playing the hell out of in the second half of this year. The guitars make nice vintage, analog that were probably recorded on the same amplifiers that contributed to the awesome loudness of Sleater-Kinney’s last album, The Woods. Most of the guitar solos are double and triple overdubbed, making for walls of noise that I’m not used to hearing from the member’s past bands. On “Black Tiles,” the solos are downright J. Mascis-good. I’m happy to say that for a record made by old people, the volume mostly stays high and loud on this record. Somehow the lo-fi keyboard aren’t annoying, even though they are a bit overused on “Future Crimes.” The non-stop snare tempo and downright sad lyrics make this song more than alright. This is a record I would play even more often if I did things like read the Huffington Post or protest bad shit. Oh, and I might be the only guy I know that doesn’t have a crush on Carrie -- you IFC jerk-offs can have her.

EMA Past Life Martyred Saints

A few years ago, I saw Gowns play in Austin, TX. Fucking snooze-fest 2008, for REAL. Awful band. Then I read that their singer “moved on” to a solo career. She’s only 22 years old, so why the hype about a solo career? By the time I was 22, I had already quit my band about 9 times. Well, it was clear that Erika M. Anderson (EMA) had shown no hint at how talented and likely prolific she would be while in Gowns. Past Life Martyred Saints blew my mind for this entire summer. It soundtracked all my outdoor hang-out time, and someone always stopped the conversation to ask “what the hell is this?” The songs are all simple, mid-tempo adventures that you could probably learn on your Casio in 30 minutes. She’s just a singer and there’s usually only a keyboard and some sequenced drums. But the drums are huge and full of echo, and the guitar is usually just a bunch of feedback and simple chords. EMA's vocal phrasing and lyrics are captivating. From “California” (the best song on the record): “I've bled all my blood out, but these red pants they don't show that.” From “Coda”: “I wish I had another hole to give…” I wanted to dismiss EMA as some H&M soundtrack pop-wannabe, but I just can’t do it.

Real Estate Days

Since I landed a hot wife and therefore no longer need to impress girls with my faux-sensitive side, I’ve pretty much moved on from the jangly pop stuff that dominated my mid-20’s, but Days somehow captured my increasingly wandering attention. This album borrows heavily from Ryan Adams, Sunny Day Real Estate and the Shins, but it still sounds like something original. Days is the record that you listen to while staring out the train window, stuck between melancholy and euphoria. The song “Green Aisles” is the most patient song on the album, with the most wait-for-it chorus of the year.

Archers of Loaf Icky Mettle (2011 reissue)

This is my desert island, Arctic prison camp, solo canoe navigation of the Mississippi River album. I was introduced to this band in my last year of high school (1994), and the fact it this album was reissued this year shows that I’m not crazy for still obsessing over this band. Of all the Archers’ records, Icky Mettle most accurately captures the band’s guitar madness and unlikely harmonies. Unlike many of their contemporaries at the time, (Jawbox, Nada Surf, Seaweed), Archers never made the mistake of jumping onto a major label. They were happy to wallow in obscurity and survive off playing college shows, before colleges were filled with the high-fiving white Facebook assholes that attend colleges today. The songs “Web In Front” and “Plumb Line” are still better than anything that’s come out since. Sure, the guitar playing was better on All the Nation’s Airports, and the songwriting was better on White Trash Heroes, but Icky Mettle captures all the guitar feedback, cracked voices, and missed snare hits that made the 90’s the best era for loud guitar music.

Christian McKenna is the singer for EMPTY FLOWERS, EXVOTOS, SLACKS, ZODIAK and co-founder of Translation Loss Records / Waylon Recordings.

Desertshore - Drawing of Threes

Their last record was in my top ten for 2010... The big difference with this record is that there is vocals on 6 of the 10 songs and they are handled by my favorite singer/songwriter of all time, Mark Kozelek. I really like the sequence of Drawing of Threes. It's different by leading off with 6 vocal songs then dropping off the table with 4 instrumentals that are much more in the vein of their previous venture. A beautifully recorded record... very organic sounding with stunning tones..

Earth - Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light: I

Another record with amazing tone... It didn't grab me right away like their last effort but a lot of my favorite records take a while to get into. This is a "live" record with a very loose improvisational feel to it.. not as dense and layered as The Bees Made Honey In The Lions Skull. The instrumentation has also shifted by replacing keys with cello. I'm eagerly awaiting Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light: 2... the 2nd part that was conceived at the same time... both recorded by Stuart Hallerman (responsible for the mind fuck that Earth2 is).

PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

Graphic and violent Bolt Thrower type lyrics about old England strung across these amazing songs... super catchy and bizarre at the same time. This record sounds much more like a band, a drastic switch from the sparse piano driven, White Chalk.

Jesu - Ascension

The best Jesu record yet.

Heirlooms of August - Forever the Moon

Beautiful record.. my sunday morning record of 2011.

Alison Krauss & Union Station - Paper Airplane

These guys can play! I saw them over the summer and it was a great evening. Paper Airplane isn't really that much of a change from the last couple but I do think this record is a little darker lyrically.

Mastodon - The Hunter

Great songs.. this record rocks.. very uplifting sounding.. a more straightforward Mastodon... I got no problem with straightforward.

Leviathan - True Traitor, True Whore

I'm not a huge black metal fan... I guess these guys are considered black metal but to me this music is really indescribable. I like how the drums sound like they are about to fall apart at all times but they never do... this stuff is super original and weird... it has lots of conviction to it.. really ballistic sounding.

Gillian Welch - The Harrow & The Harvest

Another one that took a while to get.. some of these songs are just insanely sad and depressing... this shit aches.

Crone - Endless Midnight

Dreamscape David Lynch movie score type stuff... good for bedtime.

The 2011 Music Round-Up: Part One

2011-12-28T23:41:00.000-05:00

I'm a sucker for best-of lists, and although I read an abundance of fantastic fiction, saw a few good films, went on a couple great drunks and had a stellar argument or two inside an area Wal-mart, this year I thought I'd keep it simple. I reached out to some pals, authors and musicians, curious what records got the most play. From the avant-garde and underground to the mainstream, there are some great recommendations here. Hopefully you get turned on to some new tunes. I know I did.

John Hornor Jacobs has worked in advertising for the last fifteen years, played in bands, and pursued art in various forms. He is also, in his copious spare time, a novelist, represented by Stacia Decker of the Donald Maass Literary Agency. His first novel, Southern Gods (ed. note: One of my favorite novels of 2011), will be published by Night Shade Books and released nationally in August, 2011. His second novel, This Dark Earth, will be published in July, 2012, by Gallery/Pocket Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. His young adult series, The Incarcerado Trilogy comprised of The Twelve Fingered Boy, Incarcerado, and The End of All Things, will be published by Carolrhoda Labs, an imprint of Lerner Publishing.

Tom Waits - BAD AS ME

No, BAD AS ME isn't as good as REAL GONE, or HEART ATTACK AND VINE but it's a shitload better than the rest of the crap that was released this year.

Kanye West - MY BEAUTIFUL DARK TWISTED FANTASY

Despite the fact that Kanye is fucking shithouse rat crazy AND despite the fact that Nicki Minaj spouts stupid faux British-accent rapid fire rhymes, this album is remarkably brilliant in the deepness of its lyrics, the cacophonous layers of sound and its deep ass rhythyms. Favored tracks, "Power" and "Blame Game."

Yes, I'm a middle-aged white man with kids - comfortably middle class - and I like rap music. Deal with it.

EASTBOUND & DOWN SOUNDTRACK

Great, quirky soundtrack, rougish and unkempt (much like Kenny Fucking Powers) but a shitload of fun. "Neighborhood Pharmacist" by the Dynamite Brothers and "Kiss the Sky" by Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra are two fantastic discoveries.

WYNTON MARSALIS & ERIC CLAPTON PLAY THE BLUES

I've played in big horn bands, but nothing compared to Wynton and his cadre of New Orleans musicians. These tracks are fantastic, ranging from funerary dirges to second line romps. The only missteps on this album occur when Wynton gives Clapton his lead and he gallops off, doing his Derek and the Dominoes schtick of widdly-iddlies. Still, Clapton's musical flutterings are still more endearing than obnoxious and the majority of this album resembles The Preservation Jazz Hall Band rather than Clapton's musical career in the seventies. The biggest culprit of and subject of Clapton's widdlies is their rendition of "Layla" which should be listened to just for the horn arrangement.

Drive-by Truckers - GO-GO BOOTS | Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit HERE WE REST

Gonna give these two a tie here because it seems appropriate. Separate from DBT, Isbell makes great music, but nothing as raw, demanding, and inspired as his tracks off of 2004's THE DIRTY SOUTH when he was still among the fold. And DBT creates great tracks, dirty and crunchy and full of southern pathos, yet they're missing the pop sensibilities of Isbell's writing and have to import that rare commodity by covering Muscle Shoal's legends on this album. Doubtful they'll ever get back together,

but I think they've both diminished some without the other (Isbell not so much as DBT, in all honesty).

Grant Jerkins is the author of A Very Simple Crime and At The End Of The Road (ed. note: another favorite novel of 2011).

“Music’s the first handhold you lose in growing old.” JamesSallis, Cypress Grove

When Peter Farris asked me to contribute a list of my tenfavorite albums of 2011, I was deeply ashamed to realize that not only did Inot have any favorites, but I couldn’t even name ten CD’s that were releasedlast year. Sad, but true.

So with that in mind, what I have cobbled together here is alist of ten songs that somehow penetrated my consciousness in 2011. This listshould most rightfully be called “Shit I Heard Last Year on the Radio.”

1) Pumped Up Kicks – Foster the People: When I first heardthis one, I thought, oh wow, somebody discovered an unreleased Kinks song. It’scatchy as hell, and the lyrics are wonderfully warped.

2) Teenage Dream – Katy Perry: While I really prefer thevideo where she’s shooting sparks out of her tits, I have to admit that Ialways turn this song up when it comes on. I find the lyrics really disturbing.“Let’s go all the way tonight. No regrets, just love.” Really? Are you kiddingme? It makes me wonder how many unwanted pregnancies resulted from horny kidsgrooving on this song.

3) Rolling in the Deep - Adele: I’m sick of this one too bynow, but it was a great song. And what exactly does rolling in the deep mean?

4) Paradise – Coldplay: Actually, I hate this fucking song.What is wrong with people that they would listen to anything by Coldplay? Thissong is just awful. I would rather be para-para-paralyzed than have to hearthis garbage ever again.

5) Circuital – My Morning Jacket: Great driving song. Dude,it’s epic.

6) Man Down – Rihanna: This song is bad ass. Rihanna is badass. Some artists don’t have to shoot sparks out of their tits to get a songacross.

7) Price Tag – Jessie J. Ft. B.o.B: I should be embarrassedto say how much I like this song, but they play it where I take my kidrollerskating and I always get into it. Cha-ching cha-ching.

8) You Are a Tourist – Death Cab For Cutie: Another gooddriving song.

What is that? Eight? I’m tapped out. Honestly, I was even onthe fence about the Death Cab for Cutie song. Frankly, it’s not all that. Notlike they shoot sparks out of their tits or anything. Kind of boring really.Not sure what else to do here. When I told Peter that I didn’t think I couldcome up with a best-of list of current music, Mr. Yale suggested that instead Ijust comprise a list of songs that were inspirational or otherwise connected tomy new book, AT THE END OF THE ROAD, which is a great idea, but I already didit. If you’re interested, you can check those songs out right here.

That said, there actually are two albums that I listened toover and over during the writing of the book. They didn’t make the playlist onmy website because they’re anachronistic to the book’s setting. They areactually anachronistic in this instance as well. Neither was released in 2011,but it’ll be okay. You will be okay. So:

9) Death Magnetic - Metallica: I listened to this CD almost dailylast year, to unwind after a writing session and as inspiration for the next. Ilove every song on it. In particular, the song “Broken, Beat & Scarred”captures Kyle and Grace, my child protagonists who emerge from the summer of 1976quite a bit the worse for wear, and who learn that “what don’t kill ya make yamore strong.” James Hetfield &Co. might need to cut Friedrich Nietzsche in for some of the publishingroyalties on this one. Of course, I might need to cut Stephen King in for apiece of my book too. We should all probably just let it go.

10) Flick of the Switch - AC/DC: I seldom listen to music while actually writing, because Itend to want focus on the lyrics as much as the riffs. This particular disc I reallydid listen to during writing. No need to pay attention to the lyrics with thisone. There are only so many levels to “Deep in the Hole,” but the guitarscrunch and the beat never slows. It propels your fingers over the keyboard.

And there you have it, the best of 2011.

Kent Gowran lives and works in Chicago. His stories have appeared in NEEDLE: A Magazine of Noir Fiction, PLOTS WITH GUNS, HORROR GARAGE, the anthology BEAT TO A PULP: HARDBOILED and other wild venues. He currently edits the flash fiction site with two nefarious cohorts, and keeps a poor excuse for a blog at: http://www.kentgowran.com

CRONE - Endless Midnight: I've lost track of how many times I've listened to this since it came out. Not that I was actually counting. Deep, layered, beautiful, and haunting. This is the release that I have suggested to people the most this year, in part because, according to me, it holds the widest potential appeal of the music I enjoyed in 2011.

YOB - Atma: How many bands call it a day, then reform with mostly new members, and absolutely bury their prior work? I have no idea. But with their last two albums, Yob have done just that.

WEEDEATER - Jason... The Dragon: It's Weedeater and I dig Weedeater. A huge part for me is the sound Dixie gets out of his bass. And their song titles.

TOMBS - Path of Totality: Yeah, most everyone seems to have this on their lists. Know why? Because it's good. If what these guys and, say, Enslaved are doing is where black metal is going, I'm on for the ride.

KRALLICE - Diotima: More or less what I said about Tombs. I like it!

SKELETONWITCH - Forever Abomination: They shoulda called this record FUN!!! because that's what it is. Chance's vocals have improved ten-fold, the riffs are bigger and better, the leads ring like never before, and the rhythm section rolls with big beats that are almost surprising to find on a Skeletonwitch album. It's a good time.

INDIAN - Guiltless: The first time I put this on the stereo, my wife said, "It sounds evil." and that nails it.

PREMONITION 13 - 13: If Wino has a record out in a given year, that record will make my list of favorites. The man simply does not disappoint. With this outfit, he's very much in a "classic rock" kind of mode, and Premonition 13 carry that off better than anyone else you might care to name, and they make it sound new. Perfect.

THE GATES OF SLUMBER - The Wretch: The Indiana masters of doom leave their swords and their sorcery behind and go full-on Vitus/Trouble/Pentagram style doom on this one, and come up with their best album to date. I don't mean to imply they sound like those bands I just mentioned, but they get that 80s doom feel which, to this guy, is the very best sound when it comes to rocknroll music of this kind.

Some kind words from author Grant Jerkins

2011-12-11T16:28:00.001-05:00

5.22.12

"Sam Peckinpah meets Flannery O’Connor in Peter Farris’s astonishingly good debut. The veracity of violence, the beauty of brutality, and the majesty of the marginalized all align like malignant stars in this disturbing, literate, and authentic novel. Last Call for the Living is the manifesto of a talent who deserves your attention."

- Grant Jerkins, author of A Very Simple Crime and At the End of the Road

A Conversation with Monte Dutton

2011-12-01T22:10:00.001-05:00

Monte Dutton and I met like most folks I suppose...I had written a violent satire set in the world of NASCAR and having admired Monte's non-fiction and reporting, decided to send the journalist an e-mail and ask if he'd be interested in reading my manuscript. Not only did Monte's enthusiastic reply surprise me, but so did his subsequent appreciation for the still unpublished novel. We've since become great friends and when Monte told me he was working on a book after years mulling a stab at fiction, I became his biggest cheerleader.

With another season behind us, Monte was kind enough to chat with me about his debut novel, music, craft, the day job and of course...Cannabis.

The Audacity of Dope is out now. And for news of acoustic gigs, humorous observations under 140 characters and some of the finest reportage on the world of stock car racing, be sure to follow Monte on Twitter (twitter/hmdutton)

Amazon

PJF: So why a novel? Why now?

MD: I've wanted to write novels since shortly after I started reading them. I've got a fiction manuscript -- somewhere! -- that I wrote nearly 25 years ago. When I was unable get anyone remotely interested in it, I made a plan. By specializing in one sport, stock car racing, I got enough attention and visibility that it led to writing books about NASCAR. After several such books, I managed to find a publisher for a book on music, True to the Roots: Americana Music Revealed. That's where the main character of The Audacity of Dope, Riley Mansfield, originated. Before then, I was writing the occasional short story and abortive novel. I had a basic outline. Getting Riley Mansfield in my mind was what brought it to life.

PJF: I've always been fascinated by a writer's work habits. Considering the demands of your day job, how "regular" were you chipping away at the first draft of Audacity?

MD: That has really changed. In the beginning, I was brainstorming. I'd write several thousand words during one of those occasional travel disasters, pecking away at my laptop in an airport. Coincidentally, of course, airport security was on my mind. I used to be prone to staying up half the night and writing. That changed -- I can't really explain why -- and I became this morning person who started getting up early and writing before dawn. Maybe it's because it facilitated keeping the novel going amid the demands of writing about NASCAR for a living. Maybe it's just hindsight. When I'm home, I generally do work from about 6 in the morning to 1 or 2 in the afternoon. Then I run errands or work around the house in the afternoon. I watch TV, read and play my guitar at night. I might've written 15 percent of Audacity in hotel rooms, five percent in airports and the rest at home, mostly in the morning.

PJF: Your novel begins (more or less) with your main character Riley Mansfield thwarting a terrorist attack on a small commercial airliner between one regional airport and another. It's the kind of localized (albeit no less frightening) brand of terrorism I expected after 9/11--the pipe bomb in a midwestern food court or commuter hijacking--that we fortunately haven't seen yet in this country. What was the inspiration behind that opening scene? It was one of the first chapters you wrote, correct?

MD: After 9/11, I started paying attention to airport security. In fact, I started paying attention to security in general. The first stab was a story about a terrorist attack on a major stock car race. I scrapped that when the idea of Riley Mansfield began taking shape in my mind. Having the incident occur on a small plane added a conspiratorial element to the story. The evolving plot came alive. The characters were more interesting. I made Riley an ex-college athlete because he needed to be brave and decisive. I made him a musician because he needed to have an attitude. He needed to be independent and rebellious. He made the story come alive and gave me the incentive to see it through.

PJF: Speaking of Riley Mansfield, I know you've had concerns (or maybe just plain old curiosity) regarding how folks will react to your main character. He's far from a mouthpiece, but like all great characters I think there is always more of the writer in them then they would care to admit. So let's set the record straight: Riley is partly truth, partly fiction, right?

MD: This is one of the little revelations that occurred during the writing of Audacity. Riley is kind of based in me in that he lives in a town similar to mine, travels a lot and goes to places I've been. As I wrote about him, though, it seemed kind of the reverse. As the author, I kind of became based on him. I had to get inside him, think the way he'd think. Lots of incidents were at least inspired by real ones, but not very much is literally true. The typical consideration was "what would happen if it was Riley?" and, I guess, by extension, "what would Riley do?"

PJF: It would be hard to talk about Audacity and not mention the music--yours, Riley's, others--that permeate the novel. As a singer-songwriter, was it a challenge to "pen" Riley's tunes and lyrics? Was it your intention from the beginning to write about a musician? And did your experience working on True to the Roots inform how you approached musician characters in fiction?

MD: Some of the songs were mine, and it happened to make sense to insert the lyrics at appopriate places in the narrative. Some were written specifically for Riley. True to the Roots is what created Riley Mansfield. I hung out with musicians, learned a lot about them, started occasionally performing myself, and all this made me relate to the character of Riley. The main character became a musician because I thought the Riley who formed in my mind could plausibly do what was necessary in The Audacity of Dope. I didn't really have a novel until I found a character to be the foundation of the story. Riley was the trigger that fired it.

PJF: Most filmmakers acknowledge there is the film you write, the film you shoot, and the film you edit. I think many novelists would agree they either have a tendency to underwrite first drafts or overwrite them, then find the novel in the editing process. How did you approach subsequent drafts? And did you enjoy the process as much as I do?

MD: The first draft was much larger than the finished product. The second draft was even longer. In a lot of ways, I didn't know what I was doing. In the editing process, first I cut lots of the extraneous material. A lot of what was eliminated was humorous and entertaining; it just wasn't crucial to the story. I had to find a balance between character development and moving the narrative alone. The next stage was fleshing some of it back out, with the assistance of my editor, Donna Font, and adding a wrap-up chapter at the end. The next novel is going to be less painful. I learned a lot.

PJF: I'd be remiss not to discuss politics so I won't. Okay, just kidding. From the title to the blue and red plots converging on Riley in the novel, was it difficult to tell the story "straight" for lack of a better word? Knowing your politics I have to admit I thought Audacity was a remarkably fair and balanced satire. Care to elaborate?

MD: Riley is interested in politics. He's just not political. He cares, but he doesn't want to participate. He gradually comes to believe that he has to, but his cynicism still comes in handy.

PJF: In researching your main character's affinity for pot, did it occur to you that marijuana should absolutely be legalized?

MD: I think that almost goes without saying. I don't think marijuana is good. It's a vice. It's just not as bad as alcohol. My father and grandfather were both alcoholics. I knew people in college who smoked too much weed. But I can scarcely imagine any pothead who wouldn't be worse off if he instead drank to excess. If marijuana is a "gateway drug," then so, too, is alcohol. I think propensity for addiction is rooted in a person's character, environment and genetic code. Some people are compulsive by nature. Some become successful as a result. Riley isn't compulsive. He just likes to get high. He also likes to write songs and play them in front of people. His is a pursuit of happiness. Being a hero doesn't make him happy. He wants his life back. When he can't get it, it pisses him off. Without ever realizing it, he grows from being an unintentional hero to being an intentional one.

PJF: I would like to talk influences for a moment. Who would you consider the five writers that influenced your own work the most?

MD: Larry McMurtry doesn't intimidate me. His is an understated brilliance. John Steinbeck does intimidate me and is sort of an unattainable ideal. Elmore Leonard is a master of dialogue and simplicity. Tom Wolfe is the great detached observer, capturing the absurdity of his subjects without getting personally immersed in it. I've been reading Pat Conroy since I was in the eighth or ninth grade, and I think my tastes have advanced somewhat in tandem with his level of sophistication. I admire Larry Brown for his ability to make dirt-poor, uneducated characters more compelling than the prominent, the wealthy and the educated.

PJF: You've told me on several occasions about how NASCAR has changed since you were a boy. I'm fascinated by those self-made men, the David Pearsons and Cale Yarboroughs and Dale Earnhardts that today are (save for the guys at your local dirt track) a thing of the past. I think it's a telling observation that could reveal to people who might normally scoff at stock car racing just what the appeal was to previous generations.

MD: I think what originally attracted me to race-car drivers and musicians was that so many of them fell through life's cracks, yet somehow, against all odds, made something of themselves. They make me realize how weak the correlation is between the intelligent and the educated. Money has gentrified NASCAR. It's probably an unavoidable consequence of success. NASCAR still has more than its share of self-made men, but I liked it better when it didn't have as much air of respectability.

Monte Dutton lives in Clinton, South Carolina. In high school, he played football for a state championship team, then attended Furman University, Greenville, S.C., graduating in 1980, B.A., cum laude, political science/history. He has written regularly about NASCAR since 1993, and has written for the Gaston Gazette (Gastonia, NC) since 1996. He was named Writer of the Year by the Eastern Motorsports Press Association (Frank Blunk Award) in 2003 and Writer of the Year by the National Motorsports Press Association (George Cunningham Award) in 2008. His NASCAR writing has been syndicated by King Feature Syndicate in the form of a weekly page, NASCAR This Week. Monte Dutton is also the author of Pride of Clinton, a history of high school football in his hometown, 1986; At Speed, 2000 (Potomac Books); Rebel with a Cause: A Season with NASCAR s Tony Stewart, 2001 (Potomac Books); Jeff Gordon: The Racer, 2001 (Thomas Nelson); Postcards from Pit Road, 2003 (Potomac Books); Haul A** and Turn Left, 2005 (Warner Books), True to the Roots: Americana Music Revealed, 2006. (Bison Books); and is an Editor/Contributor of Taking Stock: Life in NASCAR s Fast Lane, 2004 (Potomac Books).The Audacity of Dope, 2011 (Neverland Publishing) is his first novel, and he is hard at work on his second.

Last Call for the Living Pre-Order

2011-11-23T22:51:00.001-05:00

Author Tom Piccirilli recently commented that publishing a novel wasn't a quick jab to the nose but a slow, constricting choke-out of joy. He remarked (on Facebook I believe) that a writer conceived an idea, wrote it, sold it...then waited as step by step his or her work came into being. Jacket copy and art and so on until that one day the book is available for pre-order. Eventually you get a box full of 'em at your doorstep, a few decent reviews (we can only pray) and hopefully the opportunity to sign one for somebody other than Ma.

Experiencing that slow burn now, I'm happy to report my debut novel Last Call for the Living will be published by Forge on 5.22.2012. I don't know how long it will last, but you can pre-order the hardcover from Amazon and Barnes & Noble for the staggeringly low price of $13.91.

If your'e curious, you can click the tabs above for jacket copy, teasers and some kind words from David J. Schow.

Speaking of Tom Piccirilli and kind words (along with books I hope you buy next summer) his next novel The Last Kind Words is also available for pre-order. Considering Tom is a modern master across multiple genres, you can add it to my list of 2012's most anticipated.

Another must-have coming early next year is the autobiography of Alabama's most famous siblings (next to Bobby & Donnie Allison of course): The Louvin Brothers!

Co-authored by Denver author Benjamin Whitmer (Pike), any serious fan of country music is going to want Satan Is Real: The Ballad of the Louvin Brothers in their collection. And while you're at it, be sure to check out Light in the Attic for righteous reissues of Satan Is Real and Tragic Songs of Life on vinyl.

And now for two recently published novels that floored me:

I'm convinced John Rector is the second coming of James M. Cain and Already Gone is his Postman Rings Twice. It's a lean, paranoid thriller filled with subtext, and a plot that unfolds so brilliantly I couldn't help examining the simplest sentence for clues as to what was coming next. If this novel had been written in the 1950's it would be in its 12th pressing and Hollywood would be remaking the classic film adaptation...and probably screwing it all up to hell.

With all due respect to Flannery O'Connor, James Dickey, Erskine Caldwell and Karin Slaughter, I'd wager that Grant Jerkins' At The End of The Road is one of the finest novels ever set in the state of Georgia. It's also a literary mystery that rivals anything by Dennis Lehane or Richard Price, a coming of age tale as potent as Stephen King's The Body (later made into the film Stand By Me) and a tragedy so profound even Daniel Woodrell might wince after reading the final sentence. The book also features a sociopath so artfully drawn it makes me fucking jealous. Find Grant online here.

I'm hoping to cram recent releases by Duane Swierczynski and Christa Faust, as well as Megan Abbott's latest and door stoppers by Stephen King and Dan Simmons before years end. Then again, I might just drool on myself while staring at Cabela's epic Christmas catalog.

And coming soon...a Q&A with award-winning reporter, musician and novelist Monte Dutton.

BLACK SABBATH

2011-11-11T23:48:00.001-05:00

HAIL.

Six Tabs, Six Teasers...

2011-11-04T10:08:00.001-04:00

Including the jacket copy for my novel Last Call for the Living and some kind words from David J. Schow...

A HORROR MOVIE A DAY WITH JEFF CAXIDE: PART TWO

2011-11-01T01:12:00.006-04:00

My Gawd we have a tradition in the making! Here is the second installment of my dear friend Jeff Caxide's Horror Movie Marathon. 31 days, 31 films and 31 Facebook posts. Go here to read the first fifteen and when you're done be sure to check out Jeff's new solo album Endless Midnight. You. Will. Dig. It.

10.16

Today's horror movie was "Rubber", about a killer tire that can blow up living creatures with the power of it's mind. This came highly recommended from a few friends and It sounded like it was going to be fun. It wasn't. It would be hard to find a movie I hate more than this one. Writer/director Quentin Dupieux thinks he has something clever to say about movies and even has actors in the movie commenting on the action while it's happening but in the end it seems to serve no purpose at all. It's not scary, it's not funny and it's not smart. If this film was a person it would wear skinny jeans, have a funny mustache and rent an apartment in Williamsburg. Dreadful.

10.17

Today's horror movie was Roman Polanski's "Repulsion". The film follows Carol a young emotionally disturbed french woman living in a flat in London with her sister. When her sister leaves for holiday her fragile state is weakened and her seemingly deep seeded fear of men erupts in violence.The only clue as to what led Carol to this state is an ambiguos shot of a photograph at the end. It's hard to find a decent psychological horror movie much less a great one but Polanski is a master and this film is incredible. It's influence can be seen in "Black Swan" and countless others. A must see.

10.18

Today's horror movie was the British min-series "Dead Set". Taking place on the set of reality TV show "Big Brother", where it's occupants are cut off from the real world. So cut off that they don't know that a global zombie apocalypse is going down. Giving the subject matter and setting I was expecting more of a biting satire but instead what we have is a "28 Days Later style movie" with lots of shaky cam and fast zombies. It may not be the most original thing I've seen but it's still highly entertaining and very gory. Any zombie fan would go nuts over this. It's well made and fast paced and dare I say, it's probably better than "The Walking Dead".

10.19

Today's horror movie was Kevin Smith's "Red State", a film that mocks Fred Phelps and the Westboro Church (AKA the "god hates fags" people) a movie, I'm surprised to say, I liked quite a bit. I'm not a fan of Smith's work. I think he's a hack director and his dialog usually feels forced and juvenile. While this movie does have some of Smith's short comings it's a huge leap for him both in writing and directing. All the leads are great in their rolls and the action set pieces actually have a good amount of suspense to them. I went in wanting to hate this movie but its ended up being one of my favorites I watched all month. The last line is hilarious too.

10.20

Today's horror movie dates all the way back to 1921. The Swedish film "The Phantom Carriage" tells the story of David Holm a drunk who dies at the stroke of midnight on New Years Eve thus damning him to take over duties as the collector of souls for a full year. Most of the story is told in flashbacks (unusual for it's time) and slowly reveals itself more as a morality tale than a ghost story. On the Criterion blu-ray you have the option of two different scores, one more traditional from Matti Bye and a more experimental one from KTL (featuring Stephen O'Malley of Sunn). I highly recommend watching with the KTL score for a more intense experience. The period and format in which it was made (it's a silent film) may alienate some, but this is a great film and film buffs will love it.

10.21

Today's horror movie is Jan Svankmajer's "Faust" a unique and nightmarish take on the classic tale of Dr. Faust, a man who offers his soul to the devil in return for whatever he wants. This is far from a straight adaptation. Combining live action with stop motion animation and (something I have always found disturbing) marionette puppets this is a truly bizarre experience, one that's hard to forget like a nightmare lingering in your thoughts all day. If you are unfamiliar with Svankmajer's work but are a fan of The Brothers Quay or Adam Jones (he directs all of Tool's videos) this brilliant film would be a great introduction to him.

10.22

Today's horror movie, from Belgium, was "Left Bank", an occult thriller about a young woman who impulsively moves in with her new boyfriend and discovers that her new home hides many secrets. She soon becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to a previous tenant that went missing, leading her to the brink of madness and to a mysterious black hole in the basement of her building. While the premise is nothing new this film is incredibly well made and filled with unnerving moments and disturbing atmosphere. Owing a lot to "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Wicker Man" this is one of the better occult movies I have seen in sometime. It builds it's suspense slowly but more patient horror fans should find this to be a real hidden gem.

10.23

Today's horror movie was Paul W.S. Anderson's "Event Horizon". The crew of a rescue ship is called upon to answer a distress signal from the Event Horizon, a spaceship that had disappeared seven years ago. Once the crew finds and boards the ship they learn of its horrible voyage. The movie starts out strong as a sort of science fiction version of "The Shining" and even has a few touches of "Solaris" but unfortunately the second half of the movie abandons any interesting ideas in favor of dumb action scenes and ridiculous dialog. Anderson is known for making crap (Resident Evil) so it should come as no surprise that he took what could have been a smart, cerebral story and turned it into a dumbed down action movie. It's worth seeing for the first half but it's ultimately a frustrating experience.

10.24

Today's horror movie was John D. Hancock's "Let's Scare Jessica To Death". Jessica has just been released from a mental institution and moves to farmhouse in Connecticut with her husband and a friend. On arriving they find Emily who has been squatting at the house for some time and invite her to stay with them. Jessica soon believes that Emily is some kind of supernatural being with a grip over the entire town but then again she could just be having another nervous breakdown. This is a quiet, subtle film that's full of dreary New England atmosphere and a low budget 70's feel that adds to it's creepiness. It's surprising that it doesn't seem to have even a cult following. It's well worth tracking down and proof that if you look hard enough there are still great horror movies out there waiting to be seen.

10.25

Today's horror movie was "Rare Exports" a Christmas tale of sorts from Finland. Up in the mountains of Northern Finland a group of archeologists are looking to dig up the real Santa Claus. After an explosion at the dig site strange things start happening around town. The village's reindeer have been killed and all the children are missing. One young boy believes Santa is to blame and that he's not jolly St. Nick but a murderous, evil being. It's a great premise but one the movie never lives up to. The movie is over just when it starts to get interesting. It's not a bad film at all and it is a lot of fun but the idea of an evil Santa just had me hoping for more.

10.26

Today's horror movie was Jeff Nichols' "Take Shelter". A man (Michael Shannon) in a small Ohio town begins having dreams of some sort of an apocalyptic storm. Believing his dreams to be true he starts to build a shelter, alienating friends and loved ones in the process. This is a terrific dark psychological drama and Michael Shannon gives an incredible understated performance as a man slowly succumbing to his anxieties. It's still in theaters I highly recommend everyone go see it.

10.27

Today's horror movie was Carl Theodor Dreyer's impressionistic "Vampyr". Made in 1932 this film follows Allan Gray a student of the occult who rents a room in a town that is under the curse of a vampyr. The movie has a real fever dream quality to it like something you would hallucinate after too much cough medicine. It's filled with bizarre images and the story moves along much more like a nightmare would than a typical film. Although made almost 80 years ago it never feels dated but more like low budget experimental art film. Fans of David Lynch should take note as should all film lovers. This is essential viewing and is genuinely spooky and odd. Watch it as late in the night if you can.

10.28

Today's horror movie was Andrzej Zulawski's director's cut of "Possession". Explaining this film is not easy but at the core it's about a married couple (Sam Neill & Isabelle Adjani) splitting up. As their animosity grows into madness things start to get violent. It sounds straight forward enough but it's anything but. Involving shadowy governments, doppelgangers, a squid monster, the apocalypse, and performances so odd they would be laughable if they weren't intentional, this is easily one of the oddest horror movies I have ever seen. The film could be seen as a metaphor for the emotional stress and destruction a divorce can cause but much of what is seen is open to interpretation. This is a film best watched with someone else as it will no doubt spark some kind of discussion. I think it's a masterpiece not to be missed and worth tracking down.

10.29

Today's horror movie was Tobe Hooper's "Poltergeist". I loved this movie as a kid but watching it as an adult I'm surprised to say that it doesn't hold up at all. The films tone feels too light for this subject matter and the music too whimsical, thus draining the movie of any real sense of danger. The script also fails to provide any boundaries for what the poltergeist can and can't do. Some of these inconsistencies could be blamed on producer Stephen Spielberg who was rumored to have been the real director of the movie. I suppose it's fun to watch for nostalgia purposes, but this is one movie I won't be revisiting soon.

10.30*

Today's horror movie was Wes Craven's "Scream 4". Making the overrated original into a trilogy was reaching to begin with but bringing this franchise back ten years later was just completely unnecessary. It feels like everyone involved is just going through the motions, from the lazy writing and directing to the awful acting. It has a few decent ideas, commenting on the remake craze and our celebrity obsessed culture, but it's points never go beyond the obvious. I hope Wes Craven is done with this series, but then again he hasn't had much luck outside of it either lately either.

10.31

For my last horror movie of the day I went with one of my all time favorites "The Woman In Black" a made for the BBC movie based on the book by Susan Hill. Set in the early 1900's a young lawyer travels from London to a small town to settle the estate of a recently deceased woman. During his time in town and at the old marsh house he becomes plagued by the sight of a woman in black who holds a curse on the small town. This is a classic ghost story with almost no blood and very little violence. It's just good story telling with and incredibly grey, foggy atmosphere. A remake is due out early next year but see this one first. That's it. It was fun talking horror with you all. We'll do it again next year.

Legalize Drugs & Murder.

*(ed. note - Scream IV - originally watched on Oct. 7th but not accounted for in Part One is included in this list on Oct. 30th)

An Introduction to Cthulhu

2011-10-28T23:00:00.000-04:00

“White Ship 3” by Paul Romano

Courtesy of Adult Swim.

Beast Wishes: The Bob and Kathy Burns Movie

2011-10-24T12:26:00.002-04:00

I had the pleasure of meeting Bob & Kathy Burns while in California for Monsterpalooza last March. I wrote about seeing their amazing collection here, and still look back on that afternoon with great enthusiasm. It was one of those special experiences I hope to tell a grandkid or two about someday. Later this summer when Producers Frank Dietz and Trish Geiger launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund a film about Bob and Kathy, I didn't hesitate to contribute.

BEAST WISHES is a documentary about Bob and Kathy Burns, the goodwill ambassadors for sci-fi film fandom. Known for their fabulous collection of original movie props, Bob and Kathy have brought joy to fans throughout the world by sharing their treasures and experiences with everyone. It is a story of love and inspiration that has lasted over five decades. This film will present the two real treasures that reside in "Bob's Basement." Produced and directed by Trish Geiger and Frank Dietz, this film is the maiden project for their production company, Benevolent Monster Productions.

The new teaser for Beast Wishes:

Horror Movie A Day with Jeff Caxide: Part One

2011-10-18T12:54:00.002-04:00

We are just past halfway.

Time again to archive my pal Jeff Caxide's annual Facebook Horror Movie Marathon. Caxide's radar for the genre is vast, his taste eclectic, and his opinions often (brutally) honest--several reasons why come October I turn to him for recommendations...or just call to hear why Scream 4 was a cinematic abortion.

And if you're a fan of ambient music, film scores or the sound of my speaking voice, be sure to check out Jeff's debut solo project CRONE. Endless Midnight is available on iTunes and Amazon.

10.1

It's October. Time to watch a horror movie a day starting with the director's cut of Guillermo Del Toro's "Mimic". It's not a huge improvement over the theatrical version and I was hoping he would do away with its Hollywood ending, but it's still a fun creature feature from a visionary director.

10.2

Today's horror movie is Nacho Vigalondo's "Timecrimes", a clever, smart film about a man who travels just a few minutes back in time but it's enough to cause total chaos in his life. It's really more of a black comedy with sci-fi and horror elements but it's suspenseful enough to satisfy a horror fan.

10.3

Today's horror movie was Kiyoshi Kurosawa's "Kairo"(aka Pulse). It's a bleak, apocalyptic film set in Tokyo about ghosts wanting to leave their lonely spirit word behind and come back to ours and have found a way through via the internet. There are many creepy moments but it's the movies visual metaphors about how our increasing dependence on technology isolates us that gives the movie it's real punch.

10.4

Today's horror movie was "Lake Mungo", An Aussie faux documentary that feels every bit as convincing as "The Blair Witch Project". The plot revolves around the drowning of 16 year old Alice Palmer and her grief stricken family who detect a ghostly presence in their home shortly after her death. As the film progresses the mysteries deepen and we come to find that Alice kept many secrets. This is a great eerie ghost story that keeps you guessing as to what's real and what isn't till the very end. Shamefully underrated, it's perfect for a cold October night.

10.5

Today's horror movie was "To The Devil A Daughter", the last film released by the beloved Hammer studios, about a satanic priest's plot to bring a demon into the world through an innocent girl. Like most films from the studio it's slower paced with a focus on atmosphere and has some great moments (the demon child is effectively grotesque) but unfortunately I found it just a bit too slow. Not bad by any means but not one of the better occult horror films.

10.6

162 years ago today Edgar Allan Poe died. To honor that today's horror movie was Stuart Gordon's Masters of Horror episode "The Black Cat". Easily the best episode in an uneven series, it shows the madness and despair Poe went through to write one of his more famous tales. Jeffrey Combs' performance as Poe is unrivaled as anyone who saw his one man stage play can attest. Here are some highlights from the play:

10.7

Today's horror movie is one my wife picked out. It's Mike Mendez's "The Gravedancers", a movie we caught in the theater a few years ago that has us rolling in the aisles with howling laughter. Every October needs a movie that's so bad it's good and this incompetent story of three friends who anger some spirits by dancing on their graves fits that bill just fine. It seems like the filmmakers were trying to make a serious movie but the bad acting and ridiculous dialog mixed with cheesy FX bring the movie levels of camp that only a true fan of bad cinema (like myself) could enjoy.

10.8

Today's horror movie was Sergio Martino's "Torso", a murder mystery set on a collage campus in Rome. This is mostly a pretty typical 70's giallo with lots of gratuitous blood and nudity and figuring out who the killer is is far from difficult, but it's stylishly directed and the movie really pics up in its third act when action moves to an isolated country villa. If you are a fan of early Argento this should be right up your ally.

10.9

Today's horror movie was "The Last Exorcism" about how a cynical preacher who's been faking exorcisms for years may have come across something real. I caught this a few years back and didn't care much for it then and a second viewing did little to change my opinion. It's subject matter, with a southern gothic setting, combined with the "found footage" genre should have been a home run. It isn't. It's never scary nor does it build any real tension making it's grand finale rather dull. I've been in the mood for a good satanic horror movie. This was not it.

10.10

Today's horror movie was Phillip Ridley's "Heartless", a Faustian tale set in London about an insecure young man with a heart shaped birthmark on his face who makes a deal with the devil to rid himself of it. Add to that our hero's neighborhood is being terrorized by demons disguised as street hoods. Or is it the other way around? This was a great movie seamlessly combining more fantastical horror elements with a smart psychological thriller that in the end is more about dealing with loss and insecurity than it is about blood and guts. Highly recommended.

10.11

Today's horror movie was Dario Argento's "Deep Red". The story revolves around a British pianist living in Rome who is the sole witness to a brutal murder, putting him in the cross hairs of the police and the killer. Many consider this one Argento's very best and I agree. It's got all the hallmarks of a classic Argento film including a woefully out of place score from Goblin and some ultra stylish murder set pieces. Argento's always been more known for his visual sense rather than his story telling and that's no different here, but this is still required viewing for any horror fan.

10.12

Today's horror movie was the George A. Romero and Stephen King collaboration "Creepshow", an anthology film consisting of five stories done in the EC comics style. It's a highlight for both of them. There is something about the cartoonish humor mixed with horror that has always disturbed me about this film, especially the "Jordy Verrill" story which, when I saw it at ten, left me afraid to touch anything green. Tom Savini does some of his best FX work here as well rivaling anything done today with CGI and green screen. They don't make em' like this anymore. A classic.

10.13

Today's horror movie was John Carpenter's "The Thing", easily one of the best horror movies ever made. Filled with Lovecraftian imagery and some of the bleakest atmosphere ever put on film, this is Carpenter at his very best. Add to that some really gruesome FX and almost unbearable tension, is there any arguing that this film is just about perfect in every way? It's sad to think of this classic being tarnished with another unnecessary prequel/remake. Here's hoping the younger generations continue to seek this one out.

10.14

Today's horror movie was Lars Von Trier's "Melancholia". I realize it's a huge stretch to call the film horror, but there's no denying that it's a dark, frightening experience. The film is presented in two parts the first part follows Justine and her disastrous wedding while the second half focuses on her sister Claire and the planet Melancholia which some believe is on a collision course with earth. There is a tense uncomfortable feeling in this film that never lets up and Von Trier's pessimism seeps out of every frame. Leave it to him to make a statement like the world is evil and make its destruction a beautiful thing. One of the best of 2011.

10.15

Today's horror movie was "The Sentinel" a mostly forgotten thriller from the late 70's. The plot revolves around a model who rents an apartment in NY and comes to find that it was no accident she got the place and that other tenants have some sinister plans for her. The movie owes a lot to Polanski's "The Tenant" and "Rosemary's Baby" but doesn't come close to reaching those heights. That said, it's pretty good. To call it an overlooked gem would be overpraising it but still it's something every horror fan should check out.

Stay tuned for Part Two...

Hornady: Official Ammo of the Zombie Apocalypse

2011-10-16T00:45:00.004-04:00

I figured hoarding Winchester white box would be ideal for zombie-geddon, but respected ammunition manufacturer Hornady has upped the crazy with their new Z-Max line of bullets:

Be PREPARED – supply yourself for the Zombie Apocalypse with Zombie Max ammunition from Hornady Loaded with PROVEN Z-Max™ bullets… yes, PROVEN Z-Max™ bullets.

This interview over at Guns & Ammo reminds me why stuff that can kill you is absolutely a laughing matter. Now I've trusted Speer Gold Dot and Federal personal defense loads for years, but yeah...I'm totally buying a box of the Z-Max shit. Who wouldn't after watching this video?

Pumpkin Carving 2011

2011-10-15T14:12:00.003-04:00

And so continues the tradition of picking hard as hell stencils from Zombie Pumpkins and trying not to cut our throats in frustration. The significant other was kind enough to try the Misfits Crimson Ghost and I opted to carve actor Jeffrey Combs, er, I mean Edgar Allan Poe. Then, under a full moon, I sat with our creations--pumpkin ale, cigar and Electric Wizard for company.

I know, I know. I'm so goth I shit bats.

The Dead Ringers Carving Kit

Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale. It'll get ya drunk.

Dead cats hanging from poles...

Mommy? Can I go out and kill tonight?

Too much horror business

If you're gonna scream, scream with me...

She works at the Devil's whorehouse...

We Are 138

Brains for dinner, brains for lunch...

Fastest Show On Clay: Rome Speedway

2011-10-13T00:43:00.002-04:00

Just a few pics from Sunday night's race at Rome Speedway up in Floyd County. The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series was in town, bringing with it a tight points battle between resident good guy Jimmy "The Newport Nightmare" Owens and series bad boy Scott "Black Sunshine" Bloomquist. Bloomquist had the field covered in the feature, with Owens a distant second when Bloomquist's famed #0 blew up with about 20 laps to the checkered flag.

Owens inherited the points lead and left Georgia with a win. Bloomquist left in a sour mood.

The dirt and dust was thick. Goggles were in full force. I looked like a damn raccoon when I got home.

It was a righteous thing.

The Halloween Reading List

2011-10-06T16:07:00.013-04:00

Keep in mind I start celebrating Halloween just after Labor Day and stop around Thanksgiving, which should afford me plenty of time to finish these fine works of fiction...assuming I can keep the acts of arson and animal sacrifice to a minimum this year. My definition of horror is pretty broad, and I wouldn't dare bore anyone (including myself) with a blog post explaining what horror is or isn't. Let's just say if something bad happens, I'm interested. Now cue the dim lighting, Black Mass scented candles and background music that sounds like a sack of squirrels being thrown into a burn barrel.

I actually just finished this debut from Zuiker--the CSI guy--co-authored by the always dependable and frequently mind-blowing crime and comic book writer Duane Swierczynski. Level 26 took some shots from Amazon reviewers but I thoroughly enjoyed what is the first installment in a digi-novel trilogy. Dark Origins was a perfectly brutal, fast-paced and absurdly entertaining piece of serial killer crime fiction...with emphasis on the Entertainment. Hell, the web-based video installments even starred fucking Michael Ironside. How cool is that?

I've been sitting on Jacobs' debut novel since its pub date, waiting for just the right time to crack it. Now that the month of hooded sweatshirts, pumpkin ale and Danzig has arrived, so has the time to visit 1950's Arkansas. Any writer who adores H.P. Lovecraft and Flannery O'Connor in equal measure has to be operating on a wavelength I'm down with. When you're done ordering Southern Gods, check out John's knockout new website here.

In a perfect world all of Robert Bloch's output would be in print forever and ever, amen. This "unauthorized" autobiography has eluded me for years but I finally scored the mass market paperback from Abe Books. My Octobers never feel more right than when I'm reading this Mount Rushmore Master of the Macabre. In addition I'll be revisiting Bloch's early Cthulhu-inspired tales Mysteries of the Worm and Psycho II, a sequel that had absolutely nothing to do with the Tom Holland-scripted film of the same name.

One of a few pulp gems I scored at Bouchercon in St. Louis. A purist might not acknowledge After Dark, My Sweet or anything by Jim Thompson as horror, but considering this novel is narrated by an escaped mental patient, I think ADMS falls squarely in the only genre I give a damn about: good.

One of the most anticipated novels of the year. I'll let this endorsement do the talking:

"Swift and savage and smart, Rector's thriller delivers high tension with low-key ease, underscoring the way bad karma can disrupt a good life. Literary in the best, most unpretentious sense, ALREADY GONE is superior pulp in the grand James M. Cain tradition." -Max Allan Collins, author of ROAD TO PERDITION

Get Already Gone.

I love this series from Hogan and visionary director Guillermo Del Toro...and I can't fucking stand vampires. But I've gone out on each pub date to my local B&N and bought a hardcover, a testament to the writing and concepts at play in this trilogy more than anything else. The Strain series is absolutely cinematic in style, imaginative and perfectly gothic. A fun read in the way eating a CostoCo-sized bag of potato chips can be fun. I guess part of the charm for me has been the timing of these novels, and the strange nostalgia I felt reading books one and two. Reminds me of being thirteen again, discovering I Am Legend or Salem's Lot for the first time. Reading not with a purpose but just for the sheer enjoyment that a book can provide--a notion I think us readers and writers of serious fiction should never lose track of.

You had me at ice and darkness...

Now this one will no doubt be reserved for the November portion of my Samhain-ing. I've never read Simmons to be honest, only known that his latest novel stirred up quite a bit of controversy. From what I understand, he's an author that defies categorization and no less than five trusted friends have recommended his work to me.

I figure what better place to start than The Terror?

Dear October...

2011-10-01T01:19:00.001-04:00

Creature from the Black Lagoon: The Novel

2011-09-26T19:13:00.000-04:00

David J. Schow gave me the scoop on this Creature collectible coming soon from DreamHaven...

DreamHaven Books is proud to announce the first US publication of the novelization of the 1954 classic film, Creature From the Black Lagoon. Written by Vargo Statten (John Russell Fearn) in 1954, this book was published only in the UK and has become fantastically scarce, with original copies selling for as much as $6000. We are now offering an enhanced version of the original novel at a very affordable price.

The book will contain the original novel but we have added some new items:
Stills from the film.
A new introduction by David J. Schow. A new cover by Bob Eggleton.
Due around September, 2011.

Trade Paperback $20.00
Hardcover (Limited to 750 copies) $50.00
Limited Edition Hardcover (Limited to only 250 copies) - SIGNED by Ricou Browning (the original Creature actor) and Julie (Julia) Adams, star of the film. $125.00
Due around September, 2011.

Rearview: Bouchercon 2011

2011-09-22T16:43:00.006-04:00

Safe to say anyone who met me at this year's World Mystery Convention (aka Bouchercon aka #bcon11) could probably tell I was enjoying myself as evidenced by the stupid grin plastered on my face the entire weekend. It was one helluva an event (my first) and it didn't take but a few hours in St. Louis to realize why so many readers, writers and the folks who work behind the publishing curtain consider Bouchercon the can't-miss conference of the year.

Many thanks to Jon and Ruth Jordan and the many volunteers who make Bouchercon possible. You've made me an attendee for life and here's why:

I had some reservations to be honest, thinking I wasn't schooled enough in the crime/noir/pulp genres to mingle with this fraternity of book lovers. But I couldn't have been more wrong. This is an inclusive community, one where the word mystery is just the beginning of the conversation, not the end. You're just as likely to tumble into talk about Jim Thompson or Ross MacDonald as you are Flannery O'Connor or Charles Beaumont or William Gay or Larry Brown. I've always thought there are two kinds of people in this world...the ones who relish being elitist snobs and then those that get a thrill from turning others on to great art. Certainly the folks I met at Bcon 2011 fall squarely in the latter group.

(For the record: the other two types of people in this world are those that can only eat one slice of pizza versus an entire pie and the weirdos that think The Exorcist is funny.)

Which reminds me of one of the great shames about an event like Bouchercon. You can't see every panel, meet every writer, take home every book and read 'em...but you might as well try, right?

And now, in no particular order and yanked from a head drowning in products containing Acetaminophen, here's my random list of awesome from Bcon 2011:

Hanging with the Shotgun Honey crew and contributors, including Kent Gowran, the lovely Sabrina Ogden, Ron Earl Phillips, Tommy Pluck (There's a stinger in my bum!), Josh Stallings, Neliza Drew, Chad Rohrbacher and Peter Andrew Leonard. We saw a few "ladies" of the evening, riffed on new genres (Beekeeper Noir anyone?) and planned a trip to next year's Gathering of the Juggalos...among other things.

Doomclaw w/ Kent Gowran

Meeting Arizona writer-editor Keith Rawson and reader extraordinaire Michelle Isler. Rawson's collection The Chaos We Know was a personal fav of 2011, and although I haven't read it yet, I'm gonna tell you to buy Crime Factory: The First Shift for a sampling from some of the crime scene's rising stars and elder statesmen. And what can you say about Michelle Isler, whose passion for the written word is so infectious, so inspiring, it made me want to get back home to Georgia and write the best damn novel I was capable of.

w/ "Awesome" Keith Rawson (Photo by Michelle Isler)

Picking up Daniel Woodrell's new collection The Outlaw Album and snagging a photo with a man John Rector and I firmly believe is the greatest living American writer.

w/ Daniel Woodrell

Katharine Critchlow and I buying the one and only Scott Phillips a beer mere moments before his panel (Bad Seed) Thursday night...making him late but setting up one legendary entrance.

Meeting (again) Anthony Award winner Hilary Davidson, who may just be the nicest person in North America. Buy The Damage Done now.

Sara Paretsky amused by the tattooed trio of myself, Kent Gowran and author Chris Holm standing amidst a gaggle of Joyce Meyers devotees in the hotel lobby.

Talking Sam Peckinpah with Scott Montgomery of BookPeople fame.

Talking literary heroes with Matthew McBride.

Talking Georgia's infamous Alday murders with Thomas H. Cook.

Getting some St. Louis walking tour pointers from Jed Ayres. One day I will make a Noir @ the Bar event, but in the meantime this great collection from Subterranean Books will have to hold me over.

Dinner Friday night was a real treat, and I have to thank Kristin Sevick, Katharine Critchlow and all the kind folks from Tor/Forge for the invite and wonderful company.

Probably took a few months off my life...but it was worth it.

Talking fiction, film and music with author John Rector. His forthcoming novel Already Gone IS my most anticipated release of 2011. Go here to read why I thought Rector's novel The Cold Kiss was one of the best of 2010.

Would you buy a book from us? w/ John Rector (Photo by Stacia Decker)

And speaking of anticipated releases, having a chance to meet author Frank Bill and congratulate him on the success of his dynamite debut Crimes in Southern Indiana was another memorable moment. All I gotta say is me, Frank Bill and Benjamin Whitmer...Bcon 2012...the "Guns" panel...

While I'm on the topic of firearms, I should also thank Benjamin Whitmer for letting me talk his ear off about my new Springfield XD, a 9mm pistol I'm awfully fond of after years of owning and shooting only .45 caliber handguns. If anyone is carrying the torch lit by Harry Crews, it's Ben Whitmer, and his novel Pike is exhibit A.

And last but not least: Meeting Duane fucking Swierczynski.

Nuff said.

Last Call for the Living: The Cover

2011-09-20T15:00:00.000-04:00

Coming 6.2012 from Forge Books.

Nobody Asked You: 9.11.01

2011-09-11T12:30:00.013-04:00

Nobody cares where you were on September 11, 2001.

I was in a shithole apartment on the New Haven/West Haven line. Saw Mill Road Exit. Spit and I could hit I-95. Three months from college graduation. Degree in hand. A band. A plan. Plenty of time to fuck up. The world was wide open.

Up all Monday night applying for work. Monster. Hot Jobs. UPS. FedEx. First Union. Southern Connecticut Freightliner. 5am I called it quits. The living room was hot as hell. No A/C. Just floor fans acting like blow dryers. No cable TV either. Second hand furniture. I'm a chain-smoking sweat stain. Suburban kid doing the poverty row act.

Roommate was somewhere, class or student job I think. I was comatose. Phone ringing. Ringing. Ringing. Wall-mounted deal in the kitchen. It's 9 a.m. and I'm thinking somebody's dead. I'm 22. I have no idea.

I still knew people with pagers.

It's my aunt. Down the shore in Westport. Are you okay? Why not? Your mother's worried sick? Why? Have you seen the news? No I haven't. We're under attack. That's the refrain. I hang up. Call my mother in Georgia. Are you okay? I've been calling. Why wouldn't I be? We're under attack! What? I check my roommate's computer. CNN. Picture of a skyscraper. A black cross tattooed 80 stories up. Smoke. I read the breaking news, which is not much. I take a piss. Wash my face. Look at the tub and remind myself to clean the bathroom.

More phone calls. E-mails. Roommate's got a friend at Pace University taking photos. Columns of smoke. ABC is coming in Videodrome-style on the antenna. I watch those damn buildings collapse. Lots of people die before my eyes.

I can't remember much after that. Talk to the folks in Georgia. Talk to relatives in Connecticut. Info gets relayed. Everyone's okay. I'm going to Westport. Something. Something.

I grab some VHS tapes and feed them to a VCR. Remember VCR's? Grandma and I and my aunt and uncle watch Peter Jennings. It's bad and real and serious and nobody's safe. Expecting the big white light will appear on the horizon any moment. Our shadows burned onto the ground. A few seconds to think something trivial before you're vaporized.

Heavy shit going down and you lose your nerve. Whether you mean to or not. It's an awful prospect.

But I'm happy to be with family and we're not reduced to particles afterall. My aunt and uncle feed me. Remind me I've got a sanctuary. Plenty of gossip about the nuclear reactors nearby. Plenty of fear. Long Island. Chernobyl. A quick look around and thinking this is who I'll die with. It is as good a place as any.

More phone calls to Georgia.

Mom. I love you said.

Dad. I love you implied.

Thankfully my grandma is still with it. But barely. I remember holding her hand that evening. She's happy I'm recording the newscast. Told me it would be important one day. Valuable even. She wasn't hip to YouTube. None of us were.

But there is a shopping bag in storage and I bet those tapes are in there. The VHS cassettes. Remember those? Remember VCR's?

Now I'm trying like hell to remember my grandmother's voice before her brain turned to mush.

Just like I'm trying to remember those people on TV. But that's not hard actually. Those distressed faces. Covered in soot. Those cops and firemen and first responders.

The avalanche of debris.

I can't imagine panic like that.

Or imagine bravery. Or selflessness. Not under those circumstances. Not at that level.

The folks who thought you first.

They are special.

And I am grateful.

LAST CALL FOR THE LIVING

2011-08-26T13:14:00.000-04:00

6.2012

Larry Brown: A Writer's Life

2011-08-20T01:48:00.022-04:00

I've been anticipating Jean W. Cash's biography of Larry Brown for some time, and the fact that I almost read the damn thing in one sitting is not only a testament to my own enthusiasm but also the scope and quality of her efforts. A Writer's Life is an inspired examination of Brown's life and work, exhaustively researched, meticulous and academic but compulsively readable. It's the perfect bookend for one of my Mount Rushmore writers.

There are plenty of interesting revelations in A Writer's Life, from the who and where of his early submissions (including a flirtation with Gordon Lish), to Brown's advances (about 300K for The Rabbit Factory) and book sales, the existence of a detective novel, interest in the theater, traction (or lack thereof) in Hollywood, the fact Brown wrote Cormac McCarthy and actually got a reply...and we readers should be much obliged to Dr. Cash for the appendix which includes one helluva recipe for chicken stew.

But the biography's real strength is the portrait it paints of the late writer, one that is far more complicated than was hinted at in Gary Hawkin's 2002 documentary The Rough South of Larry Brown. Thanks to a bonanza of letters penned by Brown, including his correspondence with longtime editor Shannon Ravenel of Algonquin Books, we're afforded a peek behind the curtain courtesy A Writer's Life.

I guess it's not surprising that a writer counting the months to the publication of his first novel would take a keen interest in the second half of the book, covering Brown's flash fire launch and the career that garnered tremendous critical (and modest commercial) success after years of rejection. During a blue collar life full of major moments (Marines, Marriage, Losing a Father and Infant, Children, Career #1, The Apprenticeship), one could argue the single most life-altering was Brown's decision to quit his job at the Oxford Fire Department--giving up a supplementary but steady income and probably more important a regular schedule--to write full time, a gig that eventually led to book tours, conferences, teaching opportunities, erratic income and plenty of time...to pursue a good time.

Could the job and vocation have co-existed?

In letters to editor Ravenel and close friend, confidant, mentor and fellow writer Clyde Edgerton, we see over the arc of his career Brown's humility but ambitious artistic aspirations giving way to resignation about the business of book selling. Much like his ambivalence toward teaching, I think Brown's rise to Oxford celebrity and literary darling was both relished and despised, probably on the same night depending on the bar and the company. But beyond the profile and acclaim, A Writer's Life reveals how Brown grew dependent on advances, film options, speaking engagements, awards, fellowships and teaching invitations...the literary life he committed to becoming as they say about Hollywood screenwriting a hard way to make an easy living.

Thankfully A Writer's Life presents Larry Brown warts and all, as we hear from those closest to him and most revealing--from the man himself--about everything from his infidelity, financial problems and professional frustrations to the big bad shadow that was alcohol's dominance over his life. These admissions and introspections fascinated me, and compounded the paradoxes of Brown's life in my mind. Here was a man whose belief in family was profound, yet he engaged in an extra-marital affair while teaching in Ohio that almost tore his own family apart. Likewise, Brown cherished the time and opportunity afforded a full-time writer, but his propensity to drink almost compromised his career on several occasions, including a rolled pickup, DUI bust, a few regrettable promo appearances and a hospitalization, not to mention the terrible strain it put on his marriage. Sadly it was those bad habits Brown shared with his characters that got the best of him when he died of a heart attack at age 53.

It's something I wrote about in my appreciation of Brown in the early days of this blog...Larry Brown the husband and father versus the writer. If there is one telling aspect of Brown's career, it was that these roles weren't often compatible with one another. Similarly there was that ten-sided die marketed to the public (fireman-turned writer, working class hero, heir to Faulkner's throne, Grit Lit Genius, King of White Trash, etc.) and examined in Keith Perry's excellent essay Fireman-Writer, Bad Boy Novelist, King of Grit Lit (Larry Brown and the Blue Collar South), that adds to the myth of Brown--the simple, working-class man from Lafayette County with a rich interior life, who was well-reviewed, happiest when he didn't see his family but knew they were there, could sniff out a free drink or twelve in town and where behind that good-natured grin lurked myriad complexities. Like the most dynamic artists, Brown was many things to many people. Yet as Cash's biography suggests, he remained genuine and flawed and adored through it all.

Another remarkable series of events include Brown's discovery by Shannon Ravenel, a confluence of perseverance and chance that is as heart-warming as it is almost mystical. Hard to deny after reading A Writer's Life that there appeared to be a perfect storm of talent, timing and serendipity that launched Larry Brown, Cash thoroughly chronicling Algonquin's savvy strategies for marketing their author, citing promotional budgets that might be a thing of the past considering the state of the industry today.* Yet despite the unavoidable hook of Brown's journey, he and Ravenel seemed fated to work with one another, her letters revealing a thoughtful and deeply supportive relationship that helped nurture a volcanic talent. Although that relationship became strained and prompted Brown's move to Free Press for his final completed novel The Rabbit Factory, I can only speculate about the trajectory of his career if he'd landed at another house and with another editor.

A Writer's Life also got me curious if a novel now more than ever is perceived as more authentic simply by how the author is marketed? Does that perception somehow make the work more valid? Is a working class minority allowed to write about Ponzi schemes or espionage? Is a trust fund yuppie allowed to write about millet farmers?

I admit an author's story can be as compelling as the ones he or she writes, but should an artist's life influence how you perceive or appreciate their work? I don't know.**

And to be honest, I don't give a damn.

Larry Brown wrote about his land and people because he knew them intimately, but let us not forget he also had a fantastic imagination.

I suppose he would agree, too, if anything a writer's job regardless of who they are, where they come from or how they got in front of a keyboard, is to be brutally honest when they're making shit up.

Which reminds me why Brown was, is, and always will be my favorite writer. It's just my opinion, but I consider his fiction authentic not because he was the son of a sharecropper, or planted trees or sacked groceries or painted houses or pulped wood or worked at the fire department or chased his Peach Schnapps with Budweiser or knew when the topwater bite was good...

For me Brown's fiction is authentic because he learned how to make those words come alive on the page, sculpting narratives and characters that were distinctly southern but universal in their impact on the reader. Most of all Brown's fiction shows us an author working intuitively, writing by smell, by instinct.

Ain't easy. And the learning never stops.

It's the challenge for those of us obsessed with the written word--to learn the rules and work from the gut--and one of many reasons why A Writer's Life is essential reading for anyone who is serious about attempting fiction at a professional level. If anything, Brown taught us that much like his characters, those of us who choose to lead a creative life have to face the music from time to time.

And it isn't always pretty.

*I should mention one of the funnier notions from Perry's essay, regarding LB as something to the effect of a publicist's wet dream.
**Brown's journey isn't entirely unique, either, as many years before him Joseph Wambaugh was a marine-turned-cop-turned-writer and Eddie Bunker a con-turned-writer, both men from working-class families, self-taught, and receiving much acclaim while working opposite sides of the same street.

The Whiskey Gentry "Please Make Welcome"

2011-08-17T00:31:00.043-04:00

Buy Me

There's a comfort in seeing a favorite act around town, say a Friday night at my local Pabst dealer, that magic couple minutes when soundcheck is over, the lights dim, the talking stops and after a four-count the band rips into their set. Poise and greatness and outlaw spirit in their eyes.

Or maybe they're just happy folks keep bringing them free drinks.

Having recently caught country bluegrass favorites The Whiskey Gentry at just such a moment and relishing the release of their highly anticipated debut Please Make Welcome, I felt compelled to write about a band some of y'all haven't heard of...yet.

Now there have been a few comers and goers in the WG (contrary to popular opinion fiddle and dobro players do not grow on trees down here in Georgia) but the core group of Lauren Staley Morrow and Jason Morrow (vocals, guitars), banjo player Chesley Lowe, bassist Sammy Griffin and drummer Price Cannon have spent the past few years earning fans the old school way: one gig at a time. From the barrooms and clubs and fairs and barbecue jamborees to support slots with the likes of Old Crow Medicine Show, a few television gigs (finally a reason to watch those wretched affiliate morning shows) and a regional touring schedule that's been steadily pushing north and west, this band wasn't created on some reality show. They started with pen and paper and an acoustic, then dug themselves out of a practice space after obsessing over progressions and changes and leads and dynamics. Then came gas, vans, trailers, time off, conflicting schedules, no sleep, hard floors, lousy food, hauling gear, load-ins, load-outs, no-shows and running-laters and just wanting to throw your hands up and scream: FUCK!

I played in a band for ten years and know it's one of the hardest thing I'll ever do.

Yet what's refreshing about The Whiskey Gentry (besides the Hunter S. Thompson reference) is how easy it is to picture the band at ease in an arena, or at the Grand Ole Opry, or on a side stage at the Warped Tour. Hell, they'd play their asses off at a basement show for beer money. It's country bluegrass delivered with a punk rock sensibility--tight, professional, but with a DIY ethic and a complete lack of pretense. They've got that kind of appeal...a sound my 75-year-old Jimmie Rodgers-obsessed old man would love right alongside the kid in the Social D tee with the full sleeve tattoos.

On the first day, God made a woman

On the second, he made a big strong man

On the third, I swear he taught her how to break him

And that's something that we all understand

(from Such A Long Time Ago)

Now I've never had much critical sense, but just like my favorite novels and short stories, the songs on Please Make Welcome are alive in all the right ways. Part of the album's appeal is the formidable team of Lauren Staley and Jason Morrow, a husband and wife who write with an ear for authenticity without ever sounding forced or contrived. When the band is pickin' in high gear (banjo player Chesley Lowe and mandolin player Michael Smith can run with the best of 'em), I can just imagine Norman Blake or Earl Scruggs cracking an appreciative grin. But that doesn't mean Please Make Welcome lacks any sense of sorrow. Four Horsemen, a staple of their live set and one of the most plaintive songs on the record, isn't recommended for any recent recipients of crushing heartbreak. It's a tune worthy of a wake...and I mean that as the highest compliment.

You'll come riding in on four horsemen

And bring the sound of thunder, rain, and wind

All the women crowd around to see who came to town

It's the Devil, he's your long lost friend

(from Four Horsemen)

Indeed Staley is one helluva frontwoman, with a voice as pure and expressive as Emmylou Harris and as sultry as Gillian Welch. She and husband Morrow possess an innate knack for phrasing and melody, rendering up-tempo shitkickers to somber ballads with a lyricism that rivals the work of Justin Townes Earle (or his Daddy) and kindred spirits Have Gun, Will Travel. You can tell they are students of the genre, and strive to write a catchy tune (Cost of Loving You and Till It Breaks are bonafide hits) with a depth and literacy not heard in country music since the goddamn seventies.

Cowboy Troy this is not.

I can only hope that when the inevitable corporate troll from Music Row comes around flashing his veneers and waving a Na$ville contract, well, he'll have the good sense to let the band be. Give 'em health insurance, tour support, studio time and get the hell out of the way.

But I'm not worried about losing my favorite local band to the pop music meat grinder.

All it takes is one spin of Please Make Welcome to know The Whiskey Gentry write for themselves first and foremost.

I'm just thankful they decided to share with the rest of us.

A Trip to Andalusia: Home of Flannery O'Connor

2011-08-12T00:35:00.019-04:00

A good obsession is hard to find...

My own snowballing obsession with Flannery O'Connor culminated in the spring with a reading of her collected letters and Brad Gooch's biography, followed by an umpteenth viewing of "Jonh" Huston's Wise Blood and an unhealthy interest in raising peafowl. I think I'm ready to claim groupie status now that I've trekked through the home state's lake country, grotesqueries and southern degeneracy heavy on my mind, all in the name of a pilgrimage to O'Connor's beloved home of Milledgeville, Georgia.

The picturesque farm complex at Andalusia would be worth the visit even if it wasn't listed on the National Register of Historic Places; or where Wise Blood, A Good Man Is Hard to Find, The Violent Bear It Away and Everything That Rises Must Converge were sculpted by the author each morning (health permitting) in the downstairs bedroom.

Although three hours were about O'Connor's limit before creative exhaustion set in, I'm astounded at what she was able to produce given the lupus and all its ancillary afflictions. The woman handled the illness with such grace this atheist is tempted to enter the church and take first communion if it'll guarantee me an afterlife audience with the writer--my first question being if she'd heard any good jokes lately?

"Just write every day whether you know what you're doing or not...Sit at yr machine." (from The Habit of Being)

I admit it was hard not to feel the weight of landmark literature lingering on the air at Andalusia. Anyone with an active imagination would've probably agreed. To close your eyes and hear the keys of a typewriter; or the labored thumps from those famous (and unfortunate) crutches she called aluminum legs; or the voice of farmer Jack Hill; maybe the squawk of peacocks in the yard; the clank of dishes in the kitchen as Flannery's mother Regina prepared dinner; or the floorboards in the upstairs guest room creaking just as they did when Robert Giroux or James Dickey or Madison Jones or John Hawkes or Betty Hester stopped to stay the night. For a dork like me the big WHOA! of history was ever-present, and I'm thankful the FOCA Foundation has worked so tirelessly to restore and manage the property. Andalusia is without a doubt one of the most serene pieces of land I've ever walked.

I wonder what O'Connor would think of Milledgeville now? The state's largest psychiatric hospital is still in town, with no shortage of occupants apparently, as is her alma mater Georgia College. The Piggly Wiggly is hanging by a thread and I can't imagine her reaction to the strip malls, car dealerships and the fact her library of more than 700 books would conveniently fit on a single electronic tablet. But what I'd really be curious about is her opinion of Andalusia's preservation. Imagine if O'Connor was privileged to be aware of all the academics, aspiring writers, admirers (and tattooed weirdos from Cobb County) traveling from near and far to visit the place she called home for thirteen years. What would she think of strangers gawking at her bedroom? They gawd.

I mean, there's even a gift shop.*

My hunch is O'Connor would be amused, probably a little creeped out, but grateful all the same. This was a gal who in life appreciated the irony of having a modest population of lunatics amongst her fans. She also loved visitors and ended many of her correspondences with an invitation.

"I suppose half of writing is overcoming the revulsion you feel when you sit down to it." (from The Habit of Being)

And 47 years after her death, she's still receiving visitors. Us folks interested in seeing where BIG art was created. Funny how any common thing--a door knob or appliance for example--assumes significance once you know it's been touched by talent. Everywhere you look a fetish. I was struck by the ridiculous notion there might be some residue of genius, as if you could run a finger along the bannister and collect some under your nail. Or take a deep breath and get a lung full of free-floating creative power...that sort of thing. Miss Flannery would no doubt be totally disturbed.

But I guarantee she'd be happy, too. To know the books continue to be mulled, critiqued, praised, heralded. And most importantly...sold. That ultimate writer's epitaph being: Keep Me In Print! Yet despite her profound faith, modesty, artistic guts and 39 years of righteous living with an eye toward salvation, I can't help but think O'Connor would find the humor in such a legacy.

As if life is nothing if not entertainment, and if you look at it as anything else, well...you might be missing the point.

Sacred Heart Catholic Church

"Mrs. Hood has just sent me a Professional Beer Can Opener. It looks like something that in medieval times they might have opened heads with, but it works. I am like to drink up all my beer with this." (from The Habit of Being)

"I watch the stock-car races sometimes but you don't see anything but cars. I know about Fireball Roberts though and I watched an interview with Tiny Lunn. He is a huge dead-serious innocent-faced boy who must have made it big, he had just won the one in Jacksonville when I saw him but he never smiled once." (from The Habit of Being)

Memory Hill Cemetery

*For the record I picked up two bumper stickers, a coffee mug, Flannery O'Connor: A Life by Jean W. Cash (U. of Tennessee Press), A Literary Guide to Flannery O'Connor's Georgia (U. of Georgia Press) and the recently published The Cartoons of Flannery O'Connor at Georgia College.

**Be sure to check out my Facebook page for more pics from the trip to Andalusia

Roundtable: Barry Hannah, William Gay & Ron Rash

2011-07-27T13:56:00.003-04:00

Stuck in a rut on the current novel, I turn to the Internet (and my bookshelf) for inspiration. And what better kick in the pants than to listen to three heavyweights talk craft for an hour?

I remember watching the video from this episode of Writers on Mississippi Public Broadcasting a few years ago, but only a link to the unedited audio remains. Featuring the late great Barry Hannah, William Gay and Ron Rash, these titans discuss the writing life for a good 90 minutes. Next to Don Swaim's 1989 interview with Larry Brown, it just doesn't get much better than this.

Click here to listen.

More Dirt Track Madness...

2011-07-24T16:16:00.000-04:00

Here's footage of a horrific crash from Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, PA. NASCAR star Kasey Kahne was racing in a World of Outlaws sprint car heat race last Friday when his car got clipped and was sent catapulting over the wall. Thankfully (and miraculously) the driver was fine. Now I'm not a Kahne fan, but the fact he earns a few million bucks a year racing stock cars and chooses to spend an off weekend on dirt definitely commands my respect.

(Crash is at 1:20)

and another look...

Date Night at the Dirt Track: A Trip to Dixie Speedway

2011-07-19T17:11:00.009-04:00

The famous bullring at Dixie Speedway was extra tacky Saturday night, a product of hit-or-miss rain showers and hours of preparation getting the track fit to race on. They truck in loads of water from a lake on the property, which softens the clay surface, causes it to stick together as the "Pack" trucks turn laps. Get there early enough and those pickups and wreckers are the first thing you'll see when you walk through the gates. That and a scattering of camping chairs, coolers, seat cushions...sometimes just a strip of drop cloth held in place by a few bricks.

Some folks show up the night before to stake a spot in the grandstands. It's Dixie's version of reserved seating.

Family-owned for 42 years, the speedway has been hosting full racing programs for regional and national touring series longer than I've been alive, along with demolition derby's, monster truck madness and even spectator racing if you're feeling frisky in Daddy's Lexus. No alcohol is permitted in the main grandstands and kids under eight years of age get in free. You can bring your own food or drink of course, Mountain Dew being the beverage of choice if you were to do a quick survey of nearby koozies, but I prefer one of those obnoxious energy drinks that keep gas stations in business. Some people pay a little extra for pit passes and trackside seating...the seat in question usually the tailgate of a Dually pulled up to the catch fence. The line at the concession stand forms before the first hot laps and doesn't dissipate until the last checkered flag. They serve everything from fried pickles to burgers that'll sit in your stomach for a week and let's not forget about the (in)famous Dixie corn dog.

I saw one couple dunking chicken fingers into a pond of nacho sauce.

Another fella was eating carrot sticks so I guess it evened out...

One of the track announcers has a verbal tic that grows hypnotic as the hours pass: "I'll tell you whut..."

The grime will inevitably find you, especially if the wind's blowing across the front stretch like it was Saturday night. Some regulars wear goggles, ear protection, and the kind of breathing masks you see in hospitals. As night falls and the heat races give way to the features, that dirt gets kicked up in the corners and washes over the crowd in waves. It's a righteous thing, that grit, along with the potpourri of exhaust and race rubber on the air.

My pal Craig Goldermann: Dirt Track enthusiast

A standard program will draw drivers from all over the state, if not the southeast, from a 77-year-old great-grandfather to a teenage girl still in braces. You'll no doubt encounter a lot of proud, working men that spend every free minute tweaking on their super-bomber or pony stock...maybe with a little help from the wife or son. Other drivers are well-funded, arriving with a small crew in matching uniforms, fancy tool trucks, polished body panels and shiny sponsor decals. Chassis and motors are expensive, though, and for most dedicated dirt racers those four or five thousand dollar prizes can be the difference between a track championship or a summer staring at credit card bills.

Around here you see the trailers and flatbeds everywhere on race day. Always good to have your camera handy because you never know who might be in line at the Taco Bell drive-thru.

A guy across the street races every weekend. I hear them turning wrenches at all hours, and sometimes I'll even catch them unloading that #9, a right front fender torn to hell, the owner circling his stock car as if it were about to speak.

The super late models weigh 2300 pounds, including an engine packing more than 800 horsepower. That type of power plant can turn over 9,000 rpm. They say you've gotta turn right to go left, and to watch those beasts in a controlled slide through the corners of a 3/8 mile oval, front tires cocked to the fence, two and sometimes three-wide, with that car in the high line right up against the cushion of dirt that serves as a demarcation between raceable surface and a rendezvous with the wall...well...it's a righteous thing.

The winged sprint cars were in town and although not a curiosity to most locals, they often play second-fiddle to their closed-wheel cousins. Sprint cars have no batteries or starters, and need a fleet of push trucks and ATV's to get 'em going, a peculiarity talked about by no less than seven gearheads in my immediate vicinity. But don't count out those Mini Sprints. Nothing compares to watching them uncoil like a pack of hornets down the front stretch.

They start 'em young and once you get past the space-age helmet and firesuit you realize most of these kids are barely out of middle school, having mastered a Go Kart or mini-bike before most of us got potty trained. Often a father or brother went before them. Entire families pinch pennies and schedule their lives around the next race. You see the moms and aunts and grandparents in the stands, wearing homemade tees, ears glued to the officials' radio frequency, watching how Cass or Jody or Danny or Landon is getting into the corner, their body language Go! Go! Go! but their thoughts a little more particular: Lord, I hope he's got enough forward bite because that #59 is beating him off the corner.

Racing on dirt is a labor of love for many, a hobby to be outgrown, a determinate amount of talent to be exhausted. But there are kids being groomed for the show, using alphabet-soup series like USCS or ASCS as a stepping stone to bigger and better things...USAC, World of Outlaws...maybe make the jump to asphalt on the Whelen Modified Tour...hundreds of hungry young wheelmen (and women) dreaming one day of a top ride in NASCAR or Indy. The odds are against even the most skillful drivers. But that doesn't stop them from trying.

Probably why racing at my local short track is so refreshing. There are no publicists, handlers, stylists or media consultants for miles. No perfect sound bytes delivered by a vanilla latte "racecar" driver whose only interest besides plugging his patchwork of corporate pimps after a five-hundred mile snoozer at Fontana is who might be in Saint Tropez next weekend.

We might lie and say we don't watch for the wrecks, but as my pal Monte Dutton says about the appeal, it's the "death-defying" aspect of automobile racing that marvels us fans. And we definitely saw some carnage Saturday under the lights...

One caution flag flew when a driver popped the clutch, got both front tires off the track and killed the wall coming out of turn one. A three-car pileup in one of the heat races resulted in an orphaned wheel bouncing down the banked corner and right into the infield.

The crowd was treated not only to spins, bruised egos and a big bad moon rising over the backstretch, but also a last lap pass for the win in the Sprint feature. The shaggy-haired sixteen-year-old even climbed the fence by the flag stand to celebrate.

We left before the Cruisers, but I've seen 'em before and I'll surely see them again. 2 drivers in each car, with the left side driver controlling the steering and brakes while the passenger controls the throttle.

I joke with my better half that we should build a Cruiser and race one night...

And she promptly reminds me that I suck at driving.

My First ThrillerFest

2011-07-14T14:36:00.012-04:00

So ThrillerFest VI has come and gone and I'm back south in the sweltering muck, minus a few million brain cells with my reputation hopefully still intact. I can't thank the folks at Tor/Forge enough for inviting me to the ITW Awards Banquet, and although I didn't make any of the panels or workshops this time around, I managed to learn a helluva lot about the publishing business from various locations inside the hotel bar. My head hurts trying to recall all the enormously talented agents, editors and writers I met but here are a few scatterbrained highlights:

with my editor Robert Gleason

Downing enough Budweiser to kill a baby mule...

Not spilling a drink or tripping...two important objectives of mine...

Trying to compliment Robert Crais' on his successful career in television and publishing but it coming out as "You're kinda old" (which he's not)...

Talking tattoos with Jeffery Deaver

Talking sex scenes with Doug Preston

R.L. Stine absolutely killing it during his ThrillerMaster Award acceptance speech...

Ex. "I think we all agree that there's not enough fear in the world." - R.L. Stine

Sharing pet photos and realizing I have more pics of the cats on my phone than I do my girlfriend...

Late night conversation that pinballed from nuclear Armageddon to Civil War history, favorite Bob Dylan songs, the films of Tony Scott and Keira Knightley's propensity for being a total babe...

Getting the shit scared out of me by a former government operative...

Watching the sun come up over the Hudson River with a cigar and The Allman Brothers for company...

Would you buy a book from these dudes? With Tor/Forge editor Eric Raab

Tarot readings...

Walking around Greenwich Village, something I'd never done before...

Thinking during the above-mentioned walk that I was the only person in Manhattan wearing a Dale Earnhardt, Sr. tee

A trip to Generation Records (which is worthy of its own post)...

Having a Gray's Papaya and taking a picture of it like a total tourist...

And last but not least, my sweet new Elvis lighter:

Oh, and this:

ThrillerFest, Why I'm Badass and another Flash Fiction sighting...

2011-07-06T23:05:00.007-04:00

So the head is shaved, the beard is trimmed and I packed the blazer my mother found for me on the clearance rack at Macy's (plus an additional 20% off if you used your Macy's card). A huge huge thanks to the folks at Tor/Forge for inviting me to the ThrillerFest awards banquet, my first "Con" of any kind...and I even got a seat at the grown-ups' table. Huzzah! I'm not sure how my first novel will be categorized upon publication (Thriller, Crime, Mystery, Literary, Awful?), but I'm ecstatic about the prospects of mingling with (and gawking at and possibly creeping out) so many talented people. If I have any brain cells left after this weekend I'll try and cobble together a recap.

Click to read about my fondness for cats, miter saws and drinking ribs.

Author John Hornor Jacobs was kind enough to let me participate in his wildly entertaining new blog feature Why I'm Badass. In Hollywood parlance, John's about to "happen" and anyone who loves Flannery O'Connor, H.P. Lovecraft and The Drive-by Truckers in equal measure is pretty damn badass in my book. I'm also very much looking forward to what should be an auspicious debut in Southern Gods. You can Pre-order Jacobs' first novel here.

I'm pretty new to flash fiction, but have found the form a welcome distraction from work on the next novel. My piece Suppertime will be published at the Flash Fiction Offensive in the near future. Thanks to editor David Barber for the consideration.

And now for the heartfelt PSA: To all the nice folks out there in the void who have checked out the blog, shared a link on Facebook and Twitter or offered comment, I really appreciate it. Some of you I know personally, some are Internet pals, and others just like-minded souls panhandling on the information superhighway. I look at this site as a place to earmark stuff--travels, appreciations, a short story or top ten list, etc--and hopefully use as another avenue to get the word out in the least obnoxious way possible when my first novel is published next year. The fact that any of y'all would give me the time of day means a lot.