Write with Fire, Anomalous Appetites

Novelist, nonfiction writer, and poet Charles Gramlich has just published Write with Fire: Thoughts on the Craft of Writing. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but it looks to be an interesting read and a very helpful guide to writing. Gramlich has been writing for 20 years, and I'm sure he has quite a few pearls of wisdom to share. The book is currently available from Amazon (click on the link above) and Barnes & Noble.

In other book news, speculative poet and reviewer extraordinaire Tony Bernstein has written a very favorable review of Anomalous Appetites for an upcoming issue of Star*Line. The book is a giant collection of poems and artwork, and even if I wasn't one of the contributors I would highly recommend getting a copy.

For all of you who have already had enough of summer, here's a haiku by Patricia Benedict.

Black Ink Horror & some more stuff to read

I just got a copy of Black Ink Horror #5 in the mail from the awesome team of Tom and Billie Moran. I gotta say, it's an amazing issue. "Twas the Night" by MontiLee Stormer is a great story, a twisted take on Christmas way different than anything I've ever seen before. "A Hand-Made Christmas" is another good story, by David E. Greske. There are plenty more stories and poems, including two short poems, "Mimic" and "Reap," by Kristine Ong Muslim. It's 158 pages of horror, nicely bound and printed, for only $10.75 (in the U.S.). If you've never read Black Ink Horror, this is a great issue to start with.

The new issue of NewMyths.com is now online, featuring a poem each by Josh Gage and Marge Simon.

If you're more in the mood for senryu, check out these two poems about veterans by bear creek haiku editor Ayaz Daryl Nielson.

And if you've heard of the massive spec poetry anthology Anomalous Appetites but haven't bought your copy yet, here's a review from New Zealand that can hopefully change your mind. (I think the price has gone down recently, but I could be wrong.)

busy busy busy

Sorry everyone, it's been very busy in Schwartzville lately. I'll try to post more soon.

Here are two books I've gotten recently, both of which are amazing and I'll devote more time and space to them in a future post:

- Basho Haiku Challenge Chapbook: This little anthology, published by Modern Proposal Chapbooks, contains the best haiku from Don Wentworth's first annual Basho Haiku Challenge, including the winning poem by Roberta Beary. There are some great haiku in this book, and it's only $3.

- Anomalous Appetites: John Irvine started this project last year, and it's just given birth in the form of a mammoth collection of speculative poetry and art. The book is just under 200 pages, and you'll find dark and bizarre poems by names you recognize, like Aurelio Rico Lopez III (whose cinquain, "Alone," is my favorite so far), Kristin Ong Muslim, Marge Simon, Kurt Newton, and Ken Goldman. The illustrations complement the poems perfectly. The book has a somewhat-hefty price tag, but it's a huge book and it's worth it.

Just a couple other things to note:

Fans of Lunch Hour Stories probably already know this, but the magazine has recently folded. Another casualty in this unending war.

American Tanka is currently reading for issue #19, and will remain open to submissions through August.

I recently finished reading Empire by David Dunwoody, and posted my review of it here. I would recommend it, and if you're gonna read it, read it soon, because the author's already working on the sequel.

Two anthologies

Here are two speculative anthologies -- maybe not brand spanking new but good markets nonetheless.

Anomalous Appetites: Editor John Irvine hopes to make this the first in an annual series of speculative poetry anthologies. Submit 5-10 short poems by email (artists needed, also) before December 7th. There is a whole message board set up for the anthology here, but you can also find the complete guidelines at HorrorScope. Pays $10 per poet.

Malpractice: The fine folks who bring you Necrotic Tissue are looking for submissions to their hospital horror anthology, Malpractice: An Anthology of Bedside Terror. All submissions must relate to the hospital described in the guidelines, Bloom Memorial Hospital. More information is available in this forum thread. The editors are looking for stories 2000 to 4000 words in length (and also 100 word drabbles). Pay is 1 cent per word plus a contributor's copy. The submission deadline is September 30th or until filled.

Speaking of anthologies, Niteblade's 1-year anniversary anthology, Lost Innocence, will be coming out soon, and editor Rhonda Parrish is holding an online contest to promote it. Winner gets a free copy of the book, which from the line-up looks to be pretty good.