January/early February has sorta been my month of print. Several things I still haven't bothered posting (several of which have been posted a ton of other places, so it felt sort-of redundant):
~"Terr-Bear Loves Jimmy" in Ampersand Review. One of my oldest stories. Not sure I still sound or write like this?? This can be read in its entirety online, but I recommend purchasing the issue/supporting small presses. Includes writing by Jamie Iredell, Spencer Dew, Meg Pokrass and others.
~"Bathhouse in 5 Senses" in Sleepingfish. Issue co-edited by Gary Lutz. Contributor list is pretty incredible and humbling. Check out Derek White's badass "linear narrative sequence" constructed w/ excerpts from each piece.
~My story "The Lawn Guard" in Pank 4. This story placed second in Pank's 1,001 Awesome Words Contest. This issue is stuffed with shiny sparklies.
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I will admit to being sad my nominated story was not selected for Best of the Web. Kinda taking it a little harder than I've taken anything writing-related in a while. I rarely personalize things. Still processing why this feels a little rougher. I usually try to keep shit to myself, but I feel comfortable being a little vulnerable re: this one, because I think sometimes that kind of openness can be helpful to others. I think we sometimes assume folks are impervious and more confident/well-adjusted than ourselves until we witness otherwise. That said, this is the only space in which I will exhibit said vulnerability, because this is the only space that is exclusively mine. I think it's tacky to do it elsewhere, as I'd more or less be shitting on other people I think are awesome. Please be clear this abt my own emotional state and has nothing to do w/ anybody else, esp. awesome selecting editors who decision-making processes I do not envy one iota.
All that said... I am excited to see some of the great stuff that was chosen, and especially happy to see recognition for strong younger publications like Everyday Genius, Necessary Fiction, Wigleaf, all of whose support I've seriously valued.
All that said... I am excited to see some of the great stuff that was chosen, and especially happy to see recognition for strong younger publications like Everyday Genius, Necessary Fiction, Wigleaf, all of whose support I've seriously valued.
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One more bit of news. My chapbook "Evan's House and the Other Boys who Live There," a finalist in both Pank's first chapbook contest and Rose Metal Press's chapbook contest, will be published in Spring 2011 by Rose Metal as one-fifth of a multi-author volume. This volume will feature fellow finalists Mary Miller, Elizabeth Colen and John Jodzio, as well as a reprint of Sean Lovelace's fantastic "How Some People Like Their Eggs."
I got the go-ahead to tell people abt this early last week, but have been very hesitant to do so... in part because several of this year's semi-finalists were good friends and/or friendly acquaintances of mine, which made me feel a little uncomfortable, and in part because to my knowledge, none of the other folks have mentioned it publicly yet, and I felt weird about being the first.
But mostly because I couldn't think of any good reason to announce it. There's no preorder link, nothing to help promote yet, so it feels like announcing it serves little function beyond attracting attention.
Am I announcing it now because this week has felt a little shittier than last week? Yeah, that's maybe one reason. I am perhaps not as grown-up as I'd like to think. But still pretty mature. Hopefully.
I am excited and humbled by the book, and especially by the opportunity to appear alongside Mary and Sean, who are two of my favorites, and to discover Elizabeth and John, who are new to me.
I got the go-ahead to tell people abt this early last week, but have been very hesitant to do so... in part because several of this year's semi-finalists were good friends and/or friendly acquaintances of mine, which made me feel a little uncomfortable, and in part because to my knowledge, none of the other folks have mentioned it publicly yet, and I felt weird about being the first.
But mostly because I couldn't think of any good reason to announce it. There's no preorder link, nothing to help promote yet, so it feels like announcing it serves little function beyond attracting attention.
Am I announcing it now because this week has felt a little shittier than last week? Yeah, that's maybe one reason. I am perhaps not as grown-up as I'd like to think. But still pretty mature. Hopefully.
I am excited and humbled by the book, and especially by the opportunity to appear alongside Mary and Sean, who are two of my favorites, and to discover Elizabeth and John, who are new to me.
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13 comments:
Congratulations on your forthcoming chapbook from Rose Metal Press. That is awesome news. You will be in excellent company. I love the number five. How great to be a one-fifth of this publication. Enjoy, celebrate and share. That's what this community is for. And I agree: your honesty and openness does help others. I've often allowed myself to be vulnerable and exposed in my blog posts. It gives me a lot of anxiety. But it is exactly those kinds of posts that people most respond to. We are all connected and grapple with much of the same. Congratulations again, Tim.
Can't wait for the RMP collective! Cheer up, love.
So excited about the chapbook, Tim! You should shout this from the rooftops. It is grand, grand news.
Congratulations on all the recent publications, Tim, and the forthcoming edition from Rose Metal! I recently read your story in Sleepingfish and have been meaning to tell you I really loved it. I think when it comes to certain things like the Best of the Web, or, more generally, selections for respected compilations of that kind, ones which in some way not only do you the honour of picking out your work as good work but in some way resolve you as a writer, it can be harder to take in stride because, knocked back, you face more directly that elusive sense that you're still missing something you don't quite understand. And, later, you look at some of the entries that won and you think privately, and sincerely, though not egotistically, really, just as yourself to yourself, is this really better than what I do? Or what I can do? Did these guys not get it, do I hold the course? What do I change if I change? And so on. Of course, we all know that editorial decisions like this are abstract things that encompass a process that extends beyond anything so discriminating as a choice against you. It's much more relative than that. But it burns a bit all the same and the burning is sort of natural in as much as you care about your writing. I think it's a mistake to look down on desiring the odd outside validation of the impersonal process for your writing. That's not to say slavish approval seeking is a plus but rather that having certain implicit benchmarks and wishes for yourself makes you more seriously devoted a writer, in my personal opinion. Not more a writer than any other writer: more you, as writer. It means you have your writing's extension into the future in hope and on your mind. And that's not a bad thing at all.
major congrats on everything, Tim. i'll be looking forward to the chap!
and i appreciate your honesty regarding the non-selection. i think i go through a period of feeling that way with every rejection i get, haha. there are always ones that sting a little more than others, but that's the game, and it makes the eventual successes that much sweeter.
Thanks everyone.
Slatted Light: Thank you, you totally nailed it. I was thinking to myself on the way home from work that emotionally speaking, this feels less like one particular piece of writing not being a good fit at a particular time for one particular publication (something that phases me very little at this point), and more like being excluded from a club, which also involves that ridiculously self-centered paranoia that people in said club are talking about/laughing abt you and your audacity behind your back.
In general, I am well aware "that editorial decisions like this are abstract things that encompass a process that extends beyond anything so discriminating as a choice against [me]," and actually pretty actively celebrate this as a reader and lover of lit who thinks editors and what they do is pretty friggin awesome, most especially when they have a distinctive editorial vision they use to really deliberately curate their publications in some interesting way.
I am reminded that desires for external validation never go away completely, that engaged selectively, they can be productive, and I need not feel shamed by their recurrence. Thank you.
Congratulations and this is so well deserved, Tim. I can't wait until it is out!
Re: not getting selected for the anthology, it is really hard, I am going through the same thing - and I appreciate your honesty. It makes me feel so much less alone.
For me it touches on some very old sadness.
Thank you.
I think that honesty in our writing blogs is a valuable communication. Writing can be a lonely business, it's good to reach out and say, ouch, that hurts.
Course, It's even better to say "My chapbook "Evan's House and the Other Boys who Live There"...will be published..." Big congratulations.
yay tim! i love your work and i'm so happy about the RMP collection!
Congrats on the chapbook. That's awesome!
So happy about Rose Metal. So sorry about Dzanc. But so aware that these feelings (exhilaration, or not re: goals achieved/missed) are fleeting for a writer, and then it's on to the next thing. So long as we get to read you, that's the main thing.
Yeah, that'll be a great chap. Kudos. I'm also sad that nothing from decomP made it in, but there's no accounting for personal tastes.
Tim, wow, dude you are on fire. So nice to see. Loved your PANK 4 story.
Yeah, re the Best of the Web, walk outside and go tell the first 300 people you see that you didn't get in. If one of them knows what Best of the Web is then I'll be shocked.
I'm speaking to myself as much as you here. There are so many amazing stories out there every day on the web that we can only write our best stuff and hope they find readers and make an impact. Barry Graham always told me to try and focus on the writing and let the rest take care of itself. I'm finally coming to grips with that. Dude, you are kicking all sorts of doors down. I'm really proud and happy for you. Look where you were barely over a year ago...getting a couple of pieces in mud l and monkeybicycle and now look! fuck, man, you have to try to keep perspective of how much you've accomplished. this is rushed and fast b/c it's 6 a.m. and gotta get my kids up for school and then take trash out. i'm fired up for you, brother. rose metal is huge!!!!
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