Caleb J. Ross's Blog, page 94

…but they don't say what should be read.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I'll be one of a great group of writers to read at Leela European Café on April 9th in Denver. I've done a few readings in the past, despite the live aspect being something writers don't often get to experience. I've been lucky, I guess.

I am perhaps more excited to see and meet these people more than I am to actually read some of my own work. That's natural. I'm humble by nature. Humble and handsome.

The unwritten rule is that writers should r...

I probably don't do enough promoting other writers here. I don't know why. Perhaps I fear that any writers I mention will feel obligated to reciprocate kind words, while not necessarily having justification for such. So, for all the writers I mention here, you are free to slander my name without fear of any hostilities on my part.

Though too early really to benefit my good man Richard Thomas as far as direct...

I read somewhere (or maybe I didn't; reading is for suckers) that the author/promoter divide is a 70/30 ratio. I'd go further, and flip those numbers, giving the promoter hat a 70% weight. If I've learned anything with pushing Charactered Pieces these last few months it's this: writing is a dirty, dirty game.

The dream of churning out books, leaving the advertising and promotion to the publisher, is more a point of Norman Rockwell Nostalgia than a truth. Or at least my experience of it is. Of ...

Mlaz Corbier, well-read crazy man and all-around glorious inbastard, offered to translate my story, "The Camel of Morocco," into Dutch (mainly for a university class, but I like to pretend my work is so captivating that it demands translation). I don't read Dutch, so it is entirely possible that Mlaz may have turned this story into a space operatic porn, and if so, I would be equally as impressed and grateful. And considering Mr. Corbier's reputation, one of wise-crackery, I am actually...

Lauren Conrad, of The Hills fame, is reading Craig Clevenger's The Contortionist's Handbook. Let me repeat…no, just read that sentence again; this is text, not audio, you lazy bastard.

What does this mean to those of us who have long been in the know about Clevenger's amazing writing? The optimist in me says, "great, maybe good literature will catch on to the reality TV addicted masses." The pessimist in me, one admittedly self-interested, says, "there goes my dirty little hipster secret."

This...

A couple fellow Cutlies (www.chuckpalahniuk.net members are called Culties, the site is called The Cult; I'm not at risk of drinking tainted Kool-Aid, I promise) very recently started a new online lit mag site called Lobster Cult. It's too early to tell what sort of material will become their foundation, but if my personal knowledge of these guys, Phil Jourdan and Jack Joslin, is an indicator, stories will be transgressive, brutal, dark, with bits of humor tossed in.

The "bits of humor" part i...

@ What to Wear During an Orange Alert, my story "Sarah Palin, 12 Strikes for Workers" is on the Watch List. You should read, too (Note: I know, taking a shot at Sarah Palin is easy…maybe that's why I did it.)

@ Deckfight Mel Bosworth names Charactered Pieces as one of the five best things he's read recently. I share the list with Ben Tanzer, not bad company at all.

@ Goodreads and Amazon the positive reviews of Charactered Pieces keep coming in.

@ Full of Crow Charactered Pieces gets a great...

Though the official Blog Orgy Tour has sadly passed, I'm still shaking off the effects. Today, I introduce the hangover post, a guest post that could have been part of the Blog Orgy Tour if only I weren't so busy with groupies and drugs (truth: books and dominoes).

Today, at Michael Paul Gonzalez's blog, I talk a bit about the true purpose of a blog. My post acts as a ribbon-cutting ceremony of sorts, as this is the first post in Michael's revamped blog. I'm honored.

And if you still want, all ...