Jazzy new to look to the site
You might’ve noticed a recent improvement to the website: a little more pop, a little more punch, and an adorable, cranky child gracing the banner. (I don’t know who that kid is, but he sure looks bitter. Probably trying to kick cigarettes.)
First, I’d like to express my thanks and gratitude to the good folk at dataLAB, Inc. Timely and efficient, they even sent a guy to my place to repossess the television when I was late on an invoice. 30 days, I now appreciate, truly and fully means 30 days.
Second, I’d like to direct readers to the Fiction page, which now boasts some content. (There’s a lawyer in Texas who’s been hounding me about that — I can only hope he’s deeply satisfied. And I’ll take a moment to remind him that he was the big stud in fantasy baseball until I came along. 2-for-2, chum. Next season I establish a Brooklyn dyannsty.) I would encourage everyone to download a story or novel/novella excerpt whenever I’m slow to provide new, non-fiction content. Fiction’s good for you.
The short stories date back to my days as a graduate student (so, approximately 1999-2001), a glorious time when I didn’t have agents and publishers screaming in my ear that no one reads — i.e., buys — short stories anymore. And — good fucking god — don’t even get them started on novellas; never mind that a reader doesn’t consider word-count, or the absence of unnecessary subplots, and never mind that we writers aren’t scheming, “Huh, I think I’ll mail this one in and write a novella, instead.” Seriously, ignore all that, and a novella has less chance of rendering you blind.
The novel excerpt — from These Conceits Aloud — dates back to 2003, and is the second novel I ever wrote. I’m not making the first one available because (a) it’s garbage, and (b) I could face potential legal issues if my previous agency realized I was distributing it. Conceits reflects my time spent working at US Weekly, and the histrionics of one troll of an editor in particular. I’ve been told that no one could suffer the character of Minsky for 300 pages, but I put up with that insufferable bastard for three months, so.
The novellas — The Escaped Goat, Scrimmage, and City Inimitable, respectively — represent a trilogy I wrote between 2004-5. I’m really very fond of these narratives, such that I’ve bucked every suggestion to condense them into a traditional novel, with its inherent, singular plot-line. Knowing that someone, anyone, is enjoying this material would do my heart good, so please feel free to contact me with comments and/or critique. If asked, I can even provide full manuscripts — if I believe that you’re a good and sincere person.
Finally, I’m debating uploading the prologue to the novel I’m working on, Mumbo Jumbo; I’m an absolute nut when it comes to revision, so I hesitate to share content before it’s 100% done … but I’m warming to the idea. Again, the repeated, indignant pleas of my fans might just sway me.
All the downloads fall in the range of 10-20 pages, and will appear — either on your desktop or in your browser — as a PDF. Please share with friends and any interested parties, either the hard copies or the Fiction page, itself. I need to periodically remind myself that fiction is my professional calling, and that all this blogging, bitching, and pontificating is just a fun distraction. Like masturbation.
And with that thought in mind, please enjoy the new and improved site. I should have a new post up in the next few days …
