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2010 Flatmancrooked Fiction Prize

Saturday, May 1st, 2010

The guest judge for the 2010 Flatmancrooked Fiction Prize is author Benjamin Percy and thepurse for the prize recipient is $1,000.00. The prize opens for submissions on Monday, May 3rd, 2010.

About the author/guest judge:

Benjamin Percy is the author of a novel, The Wilding (forthcoming from Graywolf Press in fall 2010), and two books of short stories, Refresh, Refresh and The Language of Elk. His fiction and nonfiction have been read on National Public Radio (click to listen), performed at Symphony Space, and published by Esquire (click to read) , Men’s Journal, Outside, the Paris Review (click to read or listen), the Chicago Tribune, Glimmer Train, and many other magazines and journals. His honors include the Whiting Writers’ Award, the Plimpton Prize, the Pushcart Prize, and inclusion in Best American Short Stories. In 2009, First Second Books (a division of Macmillan) published a graphic novel adaptation of Refresh, Refresh, illustrated by Eisner-nominated artist Danica Novgorodoff and co-authored by filmmaker James Ponsoldt. He teaches in the MFA program in creative writing and environment at Iowa State University.

About the prize:

1st Place/Prize Recipient receives a $1,000.00 stipend, print publication in Flatmancrooked 4 (to be published winter 10/11), designation as the 2010 Flatmancrooked Prize Recipient, online feature, and invitation to Flatmancrooked 2nd Annual Night One Party at AWP 2011 in Washington DC.
10 finalists will receive print publication in Flatmancrooked 4, designation as a 2010 Flatmancrooked Prize Finalist, and online feature.
$15.00 for a single entry
$40.00 for a triple entry

click here for complete rules and details

Posted in Flatmancrooked News, Online, Prizes, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

DIRTY SECRET: 4 “Genre” Novels Worth Your Time

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

I’m not entirely sure why I was asked to write this or to generate this list. I haven’t read a lot of what is considered “genre” fiction although I’m gaining greater breadth in this area these days. It’s probably because I’m less snooty about books than is the venerable editor. There’s also the possibility that I simply know more about various types of writing than he does - but that’s a question for another time. In no particular order, and having made a vow not to type the name of a famous character whose initials are “H.P.,” I give you my four favorite “genre” works. One of the best things about these books is that half of them have at least one sequel; there’s nothing like seeing a character get juicier the longer you know her!

1. Outlander (and its sequels) by Diana Gabaldon. First of all, Gabaldon’s protagonist, a young British woman fresh out of nursing on the battlefields of World War II, is one of the most complex heroines I’ve ever met. She’s bold and brave, smart and sassy, but not to the point of being a caricature, which is rare. Gabaldon writes solid fiction that moves at a perfect pace most of the time and she has fewer annoying writers’ foibles than most. The historical part of the storyline tends to drag a bit around the fourth and fifth works in the series (particularly The Fiery Cross, which I didn’t finish) but the pace picks up again in the sixth novel. I like these books so much that I’m actually re-reading the first one right now even though it’s been only six or seven months since I read it the first time!

2. White As Snow by Tanith Lee. Fans of fantasy and sci-fi have altars built to Tanith Lee and I can see why after reading this book! Her storytelling is vivid yet surreal and the darkness of the tale just gets deeper and deeper until you begin to wonder how much darker it can get. The happily-ever-after isn’t a given in this story - not just because the original Snow White story didn’t have a happy ending but also because the characters are far too interesting - lurid, even - to allow something so trite.

3. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith. Somehow I imagine that Jane Austen would appreciate this story were she living today. I have tried to read Jane Austen and the only one of her novels I’ve been able to slog my way through was Mansfield Park. I’ve watched the BBC movie version of Pride and Prejudice, though, and Grahame-Smith has hit on every key point with such exactitude that I kept laughing out loud while I was reading. The illustrations enhance the experience. It’s fantastic to see Miss Elizabeth Bennett kicking a little ass.

4. The Golden Compass (first in a trilogy - published in the UK as Northern Lights) by Phillip Pullman. Preadolescent Lyra Belacqua, our recalcitrant heroine, is one of the greatest characters in all of fiction. She makes mousy Meg Murray of A Wrinkle in Time appear spineless. Pullman has garnered acclaim for this trilogy because the writing is vibrant, the theme compelling - and he has been the target of religious groups who dislike his portrayal of religion. I find his secular message to be a beautiful paean to humanism.

Genre gets a lot of heat, which is peculiar considering such literary travesties as The Confederacy of Dunces not only being published but winning prizes. Seriously? As the great Chabon might say, “Don’t genre hate, congratulate.” I mean, reading Beckett is well and good, but it just isn’t any fun.

If I've got to choose one of these, it'd have to be . . .

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith (40%, 55 Votes)
The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman (39%, 54 Votes)
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (9%, 13 Votes)
Watt by Samuel Beckett (6%, 9 Votes)
White as Snow by Tanith Lee (6%, 8 Votes)

Total Voters: 139

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Posted in Flatmancrooked News, Reviews, book reviews | No Comments »

SEXY BRAINS: Bad decisions with Hot Authors?

Sunday, April 25th, 2010

Who’s the Sexiest Author Under 35?

So, we’re all very impressed with books. Writing, intelligence, blah, blah, blah. But, let’s talk carnal needs. Say, you find yourself at AWP, the LA Times Book Festival, or, heaven help you, Frankfurt. You’ve just hopped from the HTML Giant Bonanza, to the Granta Party, to the New Yorker Drink-Fest at some upscale bar. It’s 1 AM. Coats are off. Personal space is a thing of the past. The room, dark and warm, is filled with sexy brainiacs and you certainly don’t want to curl up with just a book tonight. So, you’re gonna make your move. Which author do you aim for?

UZODINMA IWEALA

Author of Beasts of No Nation, Uzodinma represents all things sexy about the best the ivy league has to offer. He was named one of Granta’s Best Young Novelists and now, one of Flatmancrooked’s Sexiest. Admit it. You want to be the one to whom he says, “Just call me Uzo.”

AMELIA GRAY

Amelia is a writer living in the heat of Austin, TX. She authored AM/PM, published by Featherproof Books, and Museum of the Weird, due Summer 2010 through Fiction Collective 2. She has a heartbreaking smile, is a soul-shaking talent, and eyes that hurt to look at.

JOSH WEIL

Josh is the author of The New Valley, and has a rugged handsomeness that make knees knock. He was named one of the “5 under 35″ by the National Book Foundation and named “Spokesperson for All Things Great about Strong Jawlines” by Flatmancrooked.

JUDY BUDNITZ

Nice Big American Baby is Judy’s most recently collection. “American Babe” is Judy’s most recently received title, as bestowed upon her by yours truly. She is also on the coveted Granta’s Best Young Novelists list and on our, “Girls are Extra Sexy when they Write High-Brow Horror” list.

TAO LIN

Best known for his novel Shoplifting From American Apparel and his impressive ability to self-market, Tao will now be known as the face of all things sexy-and-criminal in the literary world. Eeeeeeee Eeeee Eeeeeeee indeed.

NELL FREUDENBERGER

The sweet heart of Travel + Leisure, Salon, and the New Yorker, Nell’s Lucky Girls is a collection comprised of stories about American’s in foreign lands. Nell herself embodies a mystique somewhat foreign, making lucky men of those who catch a glimpse of this risen star.

So, the party is coming to close. You’ve taken what you can from this lovely fluff piece. Let’s pretend you’ve got a shot with these prize-authors. Time to let us know which one of them you’d like to be stuck in a Marriott with for a weekend, nursing bourbon, pretending to want to talk about Raymond Carver between . . . “exchanges.” What’s your flavor?

What's your flavor?

AMELIA GRAY (49%, 59 Votes)

JOSH WEIL (27%, 33 Votes)

UZODINMA IWEALA (14%, 17 Votes)

NELL FREUDENBERGER (6%, 7 Votes)

JUDY BUDNITZ (2%, 3 Votes)

TAO LIN (2%, 2 Votes)

Total Voters: 121

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Posted in Flatmancrooked News, Publishing Industry News | 1 Comment »

Let the press begin!

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

Here is some of the press so far. Thank you to all the media outlets and journalists who’ve been kind enough to do everything from blurb to write reviews and article about this project and this book.

At TheRumpus.com, Evan Karp reviews We’re Getting On as part of The Last Book I Loved Series:

Is this the apocalypse? Maybe. It could just be a personal problem.

James Kaelan’s We’re Getting On was the last book to remind me why I love books so much. A collection of 2 long and 2 short interconnected stories, this text challenges the very notion of progress by evaluating the roles of technology and imagination in a modern, ecologically unsustainable society. The vision is undaunted and as clear as skies must have been before the industrial age.

The first story, “A Deliberate Life,” provides a vivid snapshot of the kind of hipster life where “you’re only allowed to worry about things that don’t matter, like bands and trials and fashion,” where, due to a lack of funds … well. I’ll let the no-nonsense protagonist Josh tell you about it:

“I should explain that in Midtown, because none of us can afford the cover charge at The Park (though none of us could go there if we could), we have to settle for the second string girls who’re willing to put up with fruit flies in their vermouth. (read more)

Monkey Bicycle says some absolutely grand things about the project!

One of the things I’ve always wanted to try with Monkeybicycle is to manufacture its print issues on recycled paper, using soy-based inks. Environmentalism is something that I’m very heavily involved in, and I want to do my part. Publishing books isn’t exactly the best way to do that, so I did a bit of research on how to lower Monkeybicycle’s impact on the earth and it definitely seems feasible to lower it. I’ve wanted to do this from issue one, but have never had the money-it’s slightly more expensive to use environmentally friendly materials-but I think costs are coming down a bit as more people look into these possibilities, so I’m giving it some hard thought for future issues. Of course, I wouldn’t be able to make the books completely carbon-free because of shipping, so maybe I’ll find a way to plant some trees to make up for that. (read more).

Then there’s Roxanne Gay’s piece over at HMTL Giant, a plug over at The Millions, and over at Annalemma.

LAUNCH

You receive . . .

We’re Getting On (Novella) 1st Ed

_____________by James Kaelan

This first edition of We’re Getting On is made of 100% post-consumer paper, is biodegradable, and the cover contains birch seeds that, we’re this book to be planted, would grow into trees.

SUPER-LAUNCH

You receive . . .

We’re Getting On (Novella) 1st Ed

_____________by James Kaelan

We’re Getting On (Novel) 2nd Ed

_____________by James Kaelan

Your Name (or a name of your choosing) printed in the 2nd Ed. of We’re Getting On under the section “This book was made possible by-”
Postcard: James will send you a handwritten postcard from the 1900 mile book tour, by bike.
Limited Ed. Zero Emission Book Project Tour Poster
Instant download of ‘The Murderous Cowboys’ live album, written about in We’re Getting On, 2nd Ed.

You choose your price, starting at $60.00

Price

$15.00

______________________________________________________________

Press Inquries and Interview Requests can be directed to Goldest Egg c/o Jessi Hector
jessi [ at ] goldestegg [ dot ] com

Posted in Flatmancrooked News, Reviews, book reviews | No Comments »

Here’s your chance to participate!

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

James Kaelan’s We’re Getting On

1) We’re Getting On first editions are 100% green, recycled, and super-post-consumer. The interiors are 100% recycled paper. But what’s crazy is that the covers are made of seed paper that, upon burial, germinate and grow into spruce trees. That’s right! This book offsets its own carbon footprint 10X over.

2) The Zero Emission Book Tour will begin on July 2nd, 2010. James will pass through more than 20 West Coast cities in 8 weeks between Los Angeles and Vancouver — on a BIKE! Provided you live in California, Oregon, Washington, or southwestern Canada, you’ll just have to stop by and see him read.

3) We at Flatmancrooked have a couple great sponsors on board, but this is a grassroots project with a host of very amazing volunteers. Through this project we aim to prove to the literary community that indie publishing is a force to be reckoned with.

LAUNCH

You receive . . .

We’re Getting On (Novella) 1st Ed

_____________by James Kaelan

This first edition of We’re Getting On is made of 100% post-consumer paper, is biodegradable, and the cover contains spruce seeds that, we’re this book to be planted, would grow into trees.

SUPER-LAUNCH

You receive . . .

We’re Getting On (Novella) 1st Ed

_____________by James Kaelan

We’re Getting On (Novel) 2nd Ed

_____________by James Kaelan

Your Name (or a name of your choosing) printed in the 2nd Ed. of We’re Getting On under the section “This book was made possible by-”
Postcard: James will send you a handwritten postcard from the 1900 mile book tour, by bike.
Limited Ed. Zero Emission Book Project Tour Poster
Instant download of ‘The Murderous Cowboys’ live album, written about in We’re Getting On, 2nd Ed.

You choose your price, starting at $60.00

Price

$15.00

______________________________________________________________

Press Inquries and Interview Requests can be directed to Goldest Egg c/o Jessi Hector
jessi [ at ] goldestegg [ dot ] com

Posted in Flatmancrooked News, Publishing Industry News | No Comments »

The LAUNCH has begun!

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

Here’s you chance to make the Zero Emission Book Project a success.

James Kaelan’s We’re Getting On

LAUNCH

You receive . . .

We’re Getting On (Novella) 1st Ed

_____________by James Kaelan

This first edition of We’re Getting On is made of 100% post-consumer paper, is biodegradable, and the cover contains spruce seeds that, we’re this book to be planted, would grow into trees.

SUPER-LAUNCH

You receive . . .

We’re Getting On (Novella) 1st Ed

_____________by James Kaelan

We’re Getting On (Novel) 2nd Ed

_____________by James Kaelan

Your Name (or a name of your choosing) printed in the 2nd Ed. of We’re Getting On under the section “This book was made possible by-”
Postcard: James will send you a handwritten postcard from the 1900 mile book tour, by bike.
Limited Ed. Zero Emission Book Project Tour Poster
Instant download of ‘The Murderous Cowboys’ live album, written about in We’re Getting On, 2nd Ed.

You choose your price, starting at $60.00

Price

$15.00

______________________________________________________________

Press Inquries and Interview Requests can be directed to Goldest Egg c/o Jessi Hector
jessi [ at ] goldestegg [ dot ] com

Posted in Flatmancrooked News, Online | No Comments »

AWP Highlights

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

For those of you who were unable to attend AWP in Denver this year, you were missed. Flatmancrooked was a hit, the authors were a hit, the entire experience was absolutely amazing. Here are some highlights, in video form, thanks to Hudson Design.

Posted in Flatmancrooked News | No Comments »

FMC Poetry Prize Recipients

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

The 2010 Poetry Prize was Flatmancrooked’s first venture into the land of poetics and, thus far, it’s been extremely rewarding. So, the process went something like this. We opened for submissions in November, 2009. We closed in January, 2010, and received about ten-times the entries we were expecting. With the guidance of this project’s editor, Josh Neely, and publisher, Steve Owen, we read thousands of entries and whittle (not to be confused with “widdle,” and for good reason) them down first to the semi-finalists (these poets will all be included in Flatmancrooked’s Slim Anthology of Contemporary Poetics - 2010, to be released this summer), and then the finalists. Those poems were then sent to our guest judge, author Mary Karr. After careful deliberation, she has chosen our top three, and the recipients of the various honorariums. And the winners are . . .

2nd Runner Up - Sarah Stripling, for her poem ‘Stories’
Sarah’s poem will be published in the forthcoming Flatmancrooked Slim Anthology of Contemporary Poetics and she will be noted as the 2nd Runner-Up for the 2010 Flatmancrooked Poetry Prize. She will also be awarded a $100 honorarium. She is currently at work on a manuscript and can be reached here.

1st Runner Up - Rebecca van Laer, for her poem ‘Dorothy Comes Home From Work’
Rebecca’s poem will be published in the forthcoming Flatmancrooked Slim Anthology of Contemporary Poetics and she will be noted as the 1st Runner-Up for the 2010 Flatmancrooked Poetry Prize. She will also be awarded a $300 honorarium. More of Rebecca’s work can be found in a chapbook of her work to be published by Amsterdam Press in late 2010.

2010 Flatmancrooked Poetry Prize Recipient

Emily Pulfer-Terino

‘Tracks’

Listen to Emily receiving the news.

Emily Pulfer-Terino grew up in the Berkshire Hills of Western Massachusetts, where she currently lives and teaches English at a girls boarding school. She holds a BA from Sarah Lawrence College and an MFA in Creative Writing from Syracuse University. This is her first publication, outside university. As the recipient of the 2010 Flatmancrooked Poetry Prize Emily’s poem will be published in the forthcoming Flatmancrooked Slim Anthology of Contemporary Poetics and she will be noted as the 2010 Flatmancrooked Poetry Prize winner. She will also be awarded a $500 honorarium, and receive an invitation to Flatmancrooked and Opium Magazine’s Night One Party at AWP Denver (a private industry party for editors and publishing industry executives).

Posted in Flatmancrooked News, Uncategorized | No Comments »

And the Finalists are!!!

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

Flatmancrooked’s First Annual Poetry Prize ended at the close of January. The response was enthusiastic and a bit overwhelming. The editors read thousands of poems, then reread, and read again, whittling them down to this list of semi-finalists that will be included in Flatmancrooked’s Slim Volume of Contemporary Poetry, due out this summer. The editors then read and reviewed some more, read again, had night sweats, and chose these 24 finalists to go off to Mary Karr for the prize selection. These extraordinarily gifted poets will be listed as Finalists for the FMC Poetry Prize 2010 in the forthcoming anthology.

“O Time Thy Pyramids” by James Benton

“On the First Cold Morning in October, My Cat Kills Another Starling” by Heather Lynne Mercer

“WALDEN” by Will Dowd

“Oceanus Pacificus” by James Benton

“Bridges” by Theo Schell-Lambert

“Role Models” by Kimberly Olsen

“Zoology #1″ by Jilly Dreadful

“Crush” by Marina Pruna

“Americanism” by Diego Baez

“Two Dot, Montana” by Micah Ling

“How I Never Want to Have Coffee with You” by Anna Clarke

“Wormwood” by Marissa Bell Toffoli

“Petrichor” by Shideh Etaat

“The Fistulated Cow” by Katie Cappello

“When You Told me You were From Sierra Leone” by Sara Stripling

“Dorothy Comes Home From Work” by Rebecca van Laer

“Tracks” by Emily Pulfer-Terino

“LA Confidences” by Cami Park

“Cape Hatteras” by Ali Shapiro

“Konstantin Wakes Up Fifty” by Ronald Jackson

“September ” by Caitlin Gildrien

“The Replacement” by Megan Moriarty

“A Condensed History of Parachutes” by Megan Moriarty

“Stories ” by Sara Stripling

These poems will be available for your reading pleasure, along with work from poetry giants such as Eleni Sikelianos, Forest Gander, Mathew Dickman, Andy Jones, Christopher Erickson, and Kevin Prufer in Flatmancrooked’s Slim Volume of Contemporary Poetics, available Summer 2010.

Posted in Flatmancrooked News, Journalism, Non-fiction, and Essay, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Flatmancrooked / MLP reading at AWP

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

Apr

4:00 pm

If you are going to be in Denver for AWP in April, come over to our booth around 4pm on Friday to see AUTHORS VS PUPPETS: A Guerrilla Reading! Featuring Joanna Ruocco, Alyssa Knickerbocker, Molly Gaudry, Emma Straub, Elizabeth Ellen, Edan Lepucki, Jac Jemc, Aaron Burch and Bradley Sands. Oh, and puppets.

Posted in Events, Flatmancrooked News | 1 Comment »

2010 Flatmancrooked Fiction Prize

DIRTY SECRET: 4 “Genre” Novels Worth Your Time

SEXY BRAINS: Bad decisions with Hot Authors?