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April 29, 2007
MUST READ - NEW SLEEPING FISH
From Derek White - an email - I can't wait to get my copy of this issue. What a fabulous cover!
There are some online features and samplings from the issue viewable at Sleeping Fish. You can get yourself a copy there for $14 or wait till it hits places like Powells.
From Derek's email: The new issue of Sleepingfish is packed with works of text and art by Irana Douer, Blake Butler, Matthew Simmons, Minju Pak, Girija Tropp, Deb Olin Unferth, Amira Hanafi, Annie Clarkson, Salvatore Difalco, Terese Svoboda, Noah Eli Gordon & Joshua Marie Wilkinson, Jesse Reno, Pedro Ponce, J. Asher Lynch, Tim Horvath, Andrew Richmond, Jackson Taylor, translations by Toshiya Kamei of Rogelio Ramos Signes and Julia Otxoa, Chris Lawson, Sean Thomas Dougherty, Rob Walsh, Samuel Ligon, Eva Talmadge, Joris Vanpoucke, Oliver Rohe translated by Laird Hunt, James Wagner, Peter Conners, Kevin Sampsell, Ron Klassnik, Jason Porter, Robert Darry, Labrini Yassine, Cal Freeman, Rosana Fernandez , Sara Veglahn, J'Lyn Chapman, Erik Anderson, David Alexander McFarland, Peter Markus, Adam Golaski, Forrest Roth, Debra Di Blasi, duncan barlow, Daniel Borzutzky, Elizabeth Albert, and a 5 cent interview w/ Gary Lutz.
To celebrate its release, there will be two launch events:
-- May 20 at 6 PM in Brooklyn at Magnetic Field
-- May 26 in Denver at a vintage furniture store called Fancy Tiger.
Posted by girija tropp at 11:23 AM | Permalink
April 21, 2007
GLORY BE TO THOSE WHO FINALLY FINISH THEIR STORIES
Today was my day to put together a story that had been sitting around in bits. Inspiration came in the form of glue. This is how I feel and I hope the gloss of brand-new will not wear off.
When I finished I treated myself to a bit of surfing around. Catch a whiff of Jeff Landon at the Writers Profile Project who was with us at the Atlanta AWP reading his wonderful story, Dolls. Also, Darlin Neal's story POP is up at elimae. 3 Stories by Myfanwy Collins up at Frigg.
Truly enjoyed a Korean film on DVD, UNTOLD SCANDAL - even thought I didn't expect to - another adaptation of the French Novel Dangerous Liasions. No one needed another version of Dangerous Liasions but I found this movie visually arresting. I wouldn't be surprised to find a Hollywood borrowing of the elegance in this film at some future Oscar, the way Departed borrowed so closely from a Chinese film. I saw a review which said that the leading character should have had more verve and expression -- but then it would have been an American film?
Posted by girija tropp at 04:01 PM | Permalink
April 20, 2007
READING & MOVIE RECOMMENDATIONS
My husband (at his computer) pointed out that Borders was closing its Australian operation. I used to love going to Carlton to the Borders bookshop, maybe seeing a movie. It used to be a treat. I don't know what has changed. I think it started with the introduction of Gloria Jeans... for me, that is. It no longer feels romantic.
Anyway, here are some books to devour.
Ed Falco - WOLF POINT
I got this book at the Atlanta AWP, read and loved this novel. Feels like a small world when I am back in Melbourne and Falco is mentioned as the playwrighting professor of the run-amok student at Virginia Tech. I'd read short fiction by him in the Missouri Review the September before and was on the lookout for his work. The hardback books by Unbridled Press are real keepers, lovely paper format and type. Another writer has recommended from this press - SABBATH NIGHT IN THE CHURCH OF THE PIRANHA also by Falco. As well as: M. Allen Cunningham's THE GREEN AGE OF ASHER WITHEROW, Nancy Zafris' LUCKY STRIKE, the re-release of Marc Estrin's INSECT DREAMS, and the forthcoming HICK by Andrea Portes.
And a funny funny article by fellow writer Roy Kesey at the OV Blog: From A Distance - What he is missing out on by choosing to reside so far away from the living, breathing scene of Contemporary American Literature (In China for the last 4 years).
... And back to Book Recommendations:
Larry McMurty - WHEN THE LIGHT GOES
Got this one at the airport in Los Angeles, on my way home, seduced by the larger print for on-flight reading and the opening paragraph: the narrator has just got back from the Middle East. But it is wonderful reading. And I figured out why it made it to the airport bookshelves - sexual themes that are written about well.
SIMPLIFY by Tod Golberg
I bought this from the OTHER VOICES table at AWP. Gina Frangello was a super saleswoman with this book and parted me from my money, telling me that I would not regret my decision. And I didn't. This is a Wonderful Short Story Collection.
Another short story collection that I have been meaning to read is Haruki Murakami's - BLIND WILLOW, SLEEPING WOMAN. I got it from my local library and my husband has sunk his fangs inside. And since he does not normally read SSCs, this is a very good sign.
... And now for Films and DVDs
This week, we've seen some lovely DVDs. Fernando Leon de Aranoa's THE TIGER AND THE SNOW ( La Tigre e la Neve) - but reviews on the internet seem damning.
Last week, a friend wanted to see WILD HOGS which we saw on the big screen (cheap Tuesdays) and it turned out to be nice entertainment and funny - it is hard to turn out film that makes us laugh so any that do so, are worthy of mention. Another good comedy is PRICELESS with Audrey Tautou in a lead role (with a male lead who is NOT Gerard Depardieu -- superb acting in the THE SINGER that I enjoyed it inspite of a bored husband)
On the Monday we saw THE GOOD GERMAN at the Nova (alternative cinema)- my husband said he could have walked out anytime... but I enjoyed (sort of) the stylized drama... but I was always too-aware of the homage Soderberg was playing to classic movies... the Casablanca ending was too much.
MORE DVDs: ALL THE KINGS MEN - Good for some light entertainment.
Saw RAZZLE DAZZLE (Australian film) yesterday and was not dazzled at all. Similar theme to LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE which was wonderful.
Posted by girija tropp at 05:08 PM | Permalink
April 19, 2007
SMART PDF - TERRIBLE SOFTWARE
I have been wanting to get some PDF to Word document converters for a while but I've been reluctant to spend the money. It is so so dissappointing to have downloaded this software last night so that I could change my novel PDF into Word for editing.
The PDF was created in InDesign 2 which has been 'buggy' for me with paragraph and character styles being inconsistent. Besides, when I edit, it was a pest to go back to the individual chapters that fed into the master document.
I've contacted the software company requesting my money back. I hope this works out. It will teach me to be patient - I had orginally been meaning to buy the latest ScanSoft from Amazon but been unwilling to wait for delivery of the CD.
Posted by girija tropp at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
April 13, 2007
VONNEGUT, MORE AND LESS
Sad news this. I've been meaning to post on my blog for some days. My personal geographical history has meant that he is not a writer of MY time--I've been introduced to his work--and learnt a lot from others.
Writers I know have been posting links.
Here's an Interview - Vonnegut and Heller
Excerpt: VONNEGUT: The big difference between conservatives and liberals is that killing doesn't seem to bother the conservatives at all. The liberals are chickenhearted about people dying. Conservatives thought that the massacre, the killing, of so many people in Panama was OK. I think they're really Darwinians. It's all right that people are starving to death on the streets because that's the nature of work.
Interview from The Paris Review Interviews: The Art of Fiction No. 64
Vonnegut's death - New York Times
Also you ought to know about Pia Eardhart's book Famous Fathers and check out her tour dates (check out April 11 entry)
And Pia recommended Miranda July's website.
Soon, I'll say more about being back home! Soon, I said.
Posted by girija tropp at 01:10 PM | Permalink