Friday, June 10, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
CONGRATS. SUKANYA ROY. SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE CHAMPION 2011
"Cymotrichous" is defined as "having wavy hair." But for 14-year-old Sukanya Roy—the winner of this year's Scripps National Spelling Bee, which just wrapped up outside Washington, DC—it means $25,000 cash, a $5,000 scholarship, a $2,500 bond, a Barnes & Noble Nook, and the title of the best middle school speller in the country.
- Matt Cherette
ARTIST INTERVIEW: SARAH SELLERS
SARAH SELLERS
Musician, American Idol Season 10 Contestant, Foodie, and blogger at Sarah's Musical Kitchen
BG: I think when we were kids, our first exposure to music, for better or worse, was whatever our parents were listening too. I came up on classic country from both sides, Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, Ricky Skaggs. And a part of me still loves that genre very much. Is it the same for you? What music were you first exposed to and how did that exposure come? Do you still love it now? Do you find yourself returning to it for comfort, listening to it or singing it?
SS: Yes yes and yes! Ha it’s funny because I grew up in a pretty strict household until I was a young teenager. My parents were ordained ministers and my mother was a preacher’s kid and choir director. So, needless to say, my exposure to anything that wasn’t Christian music was pretty much limited to Whitney Houston.
During the audition process we had to do a quick interview for the Idol website at the end of a very long day. The last question was, who is your favorite performer of all time, I don’t know why my mind went so far back, but the words, Whitney Houston came out of my mouth. Not a single one of my favorite singers of today, but one of the very first artists I was exposed to. He must have asked a question earlier that triggered my inner most childhood memories, because all I could think about was time spent dancing in the living room to “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” when I was about 4 years old.
So in my usual long winded fashion, Gospel and R&B music will always strike a chord with me and bring back some amazing childhood memories. It definitely had a huge influence on how I sing to this day.
BG: Tell me something about American Idol that someone watching at home wouldn't know.
SS: Well to some this might be fairly obvious because they talked about it so much in the news this year, but the audition rounds you see on TV are not the first initial rounds. It’s actually the fourth round. You have to go through a huge cattle call audition followed by a few producer auditions before you even meet the judges. So to make it even that far is quite an accomplishment.
BG: On your blog, Sarah's Musical Kitchen, you said "Do you have that one genre of food that hits every inch of your taste buds?" For me, growing up in Amish Country, I'm a sucker for simple foods, beef and potatoes, chicken and buttered noodles. You answered "Well, I do, and it’s Mexican food. Throw some chiles, cumin, cilantro, avocados…etc etc…into any dish and I’m immediately comforted." How did that happen? What is your connection to Mexican food and how/why has it become an annual birthday feast in your household?
SS: Chicken and buttered noodles are delicious by the way. I am completely and utterly obsessed with Mexican food. There really is never a time that I get sick of it because it has all of the flavor combinations I crave. My first connection with Mexican Food is my family’s obsession with it as well. It’s pretty unhealthy actually, I think we all need to seek help. When I was little it was our weekly tradition to go out and eat Mexican Food. My dad is also an amazing Cajun cook who has cooked with a lot of spice ever since I could remember. So now, if I don’t have some level of heat in my food I almost don’t enjoy it.
I moved to Texas about 8 years ago and the Tex-Mex down here is unlike any other Mexican Food in the country (strongly opinionated about this subject if you can’t tell). If I ever move away from Texas I know I’ll be okay because I’ve eaten so much Tex-Mex that little bits of inspiration make its way into practically everything I cook, and I can make some mean Mexican Food.
BG: Who's sexier: Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, or Randy Jackson?
SS: Jennifer Lopez, I swear she glowed in person.
BG: Being a Blues and Soul singer / songwriter from Dallas, TX, what artists from those respective genres do you admire most? How has that particular region of the country affected your music?
SS: There are so many amazing artists throughout the years that have inspired me. Right now the artists that have inspired me the most, musically, have been Erykah Badu, Alicia Keys, Joss Stone, Etta James, Johnny Lang, John Legend, and of course Whitney Houston, Anita Baker, Aretha…and on and on. Blues and Soul music strikes the biggest chord with me and it’s always what I turn to when I need a little soul pick me up.
BG: If you could steal anyone's voice who's would it be?
SS: Right now I would have to say Beyonce. That woman is flawless and as a vocalist I listen to what she can do, and the notes she hits with such ease yet with so much power, and I’m amazed. Like her music or not, that girl has some impressive pipes on her and she’s amazing live.
BG: As an artist, what is the appeal of being on a show like American Idol? Other than winning, what do you hope to accomplish by auditioning / making it to Hollywood, etc?
SS: Definitely the exposure more than anything. It’s a great platform that propels you in front of millions of people so quickly. Someone like me living so far from New York or LA, sometimes it’s hard to get out there and make a dent in such a huge industry. American Idol definitely gives people like me an amazing opportunity, and I’ve always just loved the show.
BG: As artists, I think we all have that one song, that one book, that one painting, that one really great dish, that we wished we would have gotten to first. As a fiction writer, I really really wish I wrote The Cat in The Hat. What about you? What do you wish you would have gotten to first?
SS: Flautas. I wish I would have invented Flautas. Those simple, crispy, and delicious golden corn tortillas stuffed with cheesy goodness. Perfection.
BG: Who's your favorite musician that nobody's ever heard of?
SS: I don’t really listen to a lot of bands that are that unknown. I’ve been a huge fan of Ellie Goulding for the last few years and am happy to see she’s starting to make an impact here in the states. Her voice is so unique and refreshing, love her.
BG: What instruments do you play and what originally inspired you to learn them? What's your favorite? Which are you best at?
SS: I’ve been playing the piano for about 23 years now and was classically trained for 12 of those years. I started taking vocal lessons when I was 6 and learning the piano just fell right in with it. I stop playing for a few years and have finally made my way back to the keys over the last year or so and it feels better than ever. I definitely have a new found respect for the piano that I’ve never had before.
BG: Who's sexier: Bobby Flay, Rachel Ray, Anthony Bourdain?
SS: Um Bobby Flay!! He whips up some Southwest Cuisine like no other, and that is pretty sexy.
BG: What is your favorite cooking show?
SS: I really can’t pick a favorite but I would say my top 3 are Giada at Home, Chopped, and Iron Chef America.
BG: Where does your inspiration come from to write lyrics? What song have you written that you are most proud of? Why?
SS: I pull a lot of inspiration from the people around me and what they’ve gone through. I’m surprised at how dark most of my music is because I’m such an upbeat person. But I’m specifically drawn to different minor and inverted chord structures and their darker overtones. So I tend to create stories in my mind to match the melody I write on the piano. I’m working on writing up beat songs more often and my husband has definitely been the inspiration for the happy songs.
My latest original, What’s it Like, I’m very proud of because it’s the most personal and honest song I’ve ever written. It’s just about my dreams and the fears that keep me from them. When I started writing it the words just came out so quickly. I’m trying to tap into that inspiration again for some new tunes I’m working on.
BG: Where did your love for food come from and what is your earliest memory of you cooking? What dish are you most proud of? Why?
SS: My love for food started with my dad. I remember sitting on the counter and helping him put the seafood in the gumbo when I was a little girl. He was never afraid to cook with exotic ingredients and lots of spice when we were young, and it definitely had an impact on my love for food.
The dish I’m most proud of would have to be my Southwest Chicken Spring Rolls. I made them just the other day and they were sooo good. They have the perfect blend of spice and southwest flavors and were so simple. I like simple and delicious.
BG: Who is your favorite person to cook for? Why?
SS: My husband hands down. He has the best ideas for dishes and he’s not picky at all. Even when some of my best cooking attempts have gone so horribly wrong, he can still find something positive in the dish. When I’m stumped and have run out of ideas I always turn to him and he’ll give me 10.
BG: Who's the best American Idol contestant from any season not to make the Top 12? Who is the best Top 12 contestant not to win? Who is the best American idol of all-time? Who deserved to win the least?
SS: My favorite contestant not to make it to the Top 12, I have to say Kendra Chantelle of this last season. That girl was cut way too soon. She has amazing vocal skill and is absolutely gorgeous.
For the best non winning top 12 contestant I have to say Adam Lambert because he was the first person to pop in my mind. He’s one of those, love him or hate him, but you can’t deny the skill.
I would have said Kelly Clarkson was the best American Idol of all time, but I’m leaning towards Carrie Underwood now. Every time I see her perform she sounds better and better and she’s flawless live.
I hate to say that someone didn’t deserve to win it because you had to have worked your ass off to make it that far, so props to all of the winners and non-winners.
BG: What are your three favorite books of all-time?
SS: My two favorites growing up were A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Great Expectations. For some of my recent favorites, I think I’ll have to keep those to myself (blushing).
BG: What do you love more, singing or cooking? Why?
SS: They are both my two biggest passions, but singing will always be my first. I’ve always been a foodie but have just discovered my love of cooking within the past 5 years. I’ve been singing my whole life and it’s definitely what brings me the most joy.
BG: McDonald's. Love it or hate it?
SS: Oh no, I’m going to make some enemies here…um, no comment.
BG: What will be going on in Sarah's life 10 years from now?
SS: Hopefully lots of cooking, lots of singing, and raising a family that I can cook for and sing to!
BG: If you could sing a duet with anyone, past or present, who would it be?
SS: Joss Stone because she’s a recent artist that has influenced me the most in the last few years. The soul in her voice and the way she moves on stage reels me in every time I listen to her or watch her perform.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
NEW BLUESTEM. JUNE 2011
THE LIT PUB
New site for literary goodness and fellowship. THE LIT PUB.
From the website:
MISSION
Our mission is to promote a sustainable literary community by introducing readers to authors we know and love. By providing a public gathering place for ongoing conversations, we aim to connect readers, authors, publishers, and other independent artists of all creative disciplines.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
DECOMP. JUNE 2011
decomP: a literary magazine
From the Editor-in-Chief
By Jason Jordan
Welcome to our June 2011 issue, featuring new work from Erica W. Adams, James Best, Peter Kispert, Harmony Neal, C. J. Opperthauser, Patricia McKernon Runkle, Richard Jay Shelton, Gary J. Shipley, Tristan Silverman, Parker Tettleton, and Cassandra Troyan. Additionally, we have reviews of Blake Butler's There Is No Year, Justin Taylor's The Gospel of Anarchy, and Laura Yes Yes's How to Seduce a White Boy in Ten Easy Steps. Thanks for reading!
PRIZE WINNERS. RYAN BRADLEY. ARTISTICALLY DECLINED
New from ARTISTICALLY DECLINED PRESS:
"So, here it is. Prize Winners, stories by Ryan W. Bradley. 112 page collection of stories "not for the faint of heart... or loins." There are 18 stories in the book, 3 of which are unpublished, 5 of which have previously only been available in print. The collection includes the mildly infamous "Every Time A Fairy Gets Laid," a story that will forever change the way you see Tinkerbell. You can read some of Bradley's thoughts on the collection HERE.
Bradley is more than an intrepid editor and designer for ADP, he's putting himself on the line as our guinea pig for this "pop-up release" project, a series we hope will prove a new way for us to be able to publish a few more books a year.
Over the next few weeks a few reviews will appear, as per the "pop-up release" guidelines we set for ourselves. Until then: GO FORTH AND PREORDER "
FAB 5. ADAM ROBINSON & MARY MILLER
ADAM ROBINSON
"The Last Book I Loved" at The Rumpus
"My Point of View" at Otoliths
"I'm Going to Have SEX with These People" at Lamination Colony
"Curtis Ebbesmeyer" at We Are Champion
"Well That's Interesting: Boats" at HTMLGiant
MARY MILLER
Girls/Paper & Tassels
Angel
South Dakota
Fast Trains
Little Brass House
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
STORYGLOSSIA 44. DIAPER BAGS PACKED WITH BEER
STORYGLOSSIA 44
Shame
Valerie O'Riordan
Benjamin Buchholz
Donna D. Vitucci
Eric Beeny
Michelle Reale
Matthew Salesses
Ashley Cowger
Mather Schneider
Sunday, May 22, 2011
NEW SITE TO REVIEW BOOKS. MERRY ANDREW REVIEW
About MERRY ANDREW REVIEW
Really? Another review site. Yup. Why are we doing this? Why not?
We don't actually write reviews so don't send us books.
If you are a writer, reviewer, editor, publisher, etc, and you've written a review or have had one written we will post it here.
Novels, novellas, magazines, anthologies, poetry, journals, whatever. It's all welcome. Previously published is fine as well. Just send it here and if it looks good, we'll post it.
Cool? Cool.
DEAR TECUMSEH DISTRICT LIBRARY PATRON 92110275
On 11/28/2009 you checked out Papa Bear's Islands In the Stream. Good choice. I checked it out a year and a half later. I'm curious though, why your library slip was sticking out as a book mark from page 168. Is that where you stopped? Before the accident? Before Paris or Cuba? Before the Sea? Why? I know The Sun Also Rises, For Whom the Bells Tolls, Old Man and the Sea, they get all the credit, but this is his masterpiece. The forgotten testament of a man who knew he was destined for suicide. It's all in these pages. I'm not gonna give away any details because I'm hoping somehow, by fate or by chance, you see this and return to the islands and give it a proper go through. I have faith.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
NEW ISSUE OF THE NORTHVILLE REVIEW. NOT BEING SHOT
KIRSTY LOGAN
KENNETH POBO
ERIC BEENY
JEN MICHALSKI
THOMAS MUNDT
CEZARIJA ABARTIS
DEVON MILLER-DUGGAN
Read it, love it, embrace it.
Friday, May 13, 2011
DOGZPLOT FLASH FICTION REVIEWED @ SMALL PRESS REVIEWS
Thanks to MARC SCHUSTER for this short and sweet review of the 2011 DOGZPLOT FLASH FICTION anthology. Here's an excerpt:
"Indeed, if Dogzplot excels at anything (and it does!), it’s bending and warping and re-shuffling the English language in order to reinvent the art of storytelling one page at a time."
Read the rest here:
THE SINGULAR EXPLOITS OF WONDER MOM AND PARTY GIRL. MARC SCHUSTER
From MARC SCHUSTER of SMALL PRESS REVIEWS fame. One of the hardest working guys in the game. Here's a bit about his new book:
Dear Friends of Small Press Reviews,
Just a quick note to say that the new, blue edition of my novel, The Singular Exploits of Wonder Mom and Party Girl, is now available at Amazon. If you bought the pink edition in 2009 and are wondering how the blue edition is different, check out this article by Stephen J. Gertz: One Novel. Two First Editions, Different Book. Huh? And if you haven’t read either, now’s your chance...
Needless to say, I appreciate all of the interest you've shown in Small Press Reviews in the past, and if you're curious to see the kind of stuff I write when I'm not writing book reviews, I'd love for you to check out a copy of my book.
Thanks!
--Marc Schuster
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
INTERVIEW. FICTION WRITERS REVIEW. MARY GAITSKILL
I really like this interview for a few reasons. One, Mary is representing Michigan. Two, she isn't afraid to say that she wasn't a very good writer in school and a certain professor didn't think she was even good enough to give her a recommendation, and also, because she admits that just because she doesn't like something doesn't mean it isn't good. Certainly a refreshing attitude coming from the world of MFA's, overly saturated with ego. Here's a bit from the interview.
There are so many students who want to write. As a teacher, do you ever believe in telling any of them, “Maybe you should try something else, this isn’t for you”?
No, I’ve never said that because I don’t think I know that. As a teacher, you just don’t know enough, especially if you are only with them for a semester. Someone can write twenty bad stories and then they write a good one; people can potentially develop very fast when they’re young. On top of that, my idea of what’s good or not may be irrelevant—a lot gets published that I don’t like at all.
Read the interview in full: http://fictionwritersreview.com/interviews/woman-to-woman-an-interview-with-mary-gaitskill
CIRCE. LOWBROW PRESS. 2011
The film is a compliment to the book Circe, which will be released in fall 2011 with Lowbrow Press.
NOTHING OR NEXT TO NOTHING. REVIEW. PLUMB. LAVINIA LUDLOW
Thanks so much to LAVINIA LUDLOW for reviewing my novel at PLUMB MAGAZINE. Here's an excerpt or three from the review:
"...a distinctive contemporary voice that makes me laugh at how blatantly offensive his choice of words is, and yet, I am compelled to feel certain tenderness at the same time..."
"...I think there’s a closet romantic lurking inside Graham’s rough-around-the-edges-tough-guy façade and it definitely bubbles up from the caverns of his subconscious and emerges in his writing. Though the protagonist could be graphically describing intimacy of the most perverse nature, woven in between the obscene are gentle reminders that he really wants to find someone to love..."
"Some of his scenes made me shiver and crave a scalding hot bath with many bars of soap, maybe, to just wash out my eyes."
Read the review in its entirety here:
Sunday, May 8, 2011
FAB 5. DREW KALBACH & JEN MICHALSKI
DREW KALBACH
NATIONAL MOVEMENT
JEN MICHALSKI
(You have to click on my entry because it's a PDF issue)
Killing Rabbits
Killing Rabbits
http://www.conteonline.net/issue0102/prose05_6.html
Cagarese la Leche
Cagarese la Leche
Saturday, May 7, 2011
WIGLEAF TOP 50. 2011
It's back bitches. SCOTT GARSON and company put together another amazing list of TOP 50 flash fictions under 1000 words. I haven't checked it out yet, but I feel like I need a Mickey D's peach pie before I crack it. Who's with me?
Editor - SCOTT GARSON
Associate Series Editor - RAVI MANGLA
Guest Editor - LILY HOANG
Monday, May 2, 2011
The Podiatrist’s Foot
“Who’s not allowed to?” is why “What?” must be asked. It’s a passionate way to ignore privacy. At least that’s the argument.
You don’t want anyone to know you’re barefoot. Recent polls among podiatrists show passion accounts only for 7.998% of a compelling argument. Size does matter.
Your fear of elegance tastes like diet Coke served by Donald Trump’s Hawaiian investigator in a Jamaican resort surrounded by
You get there by airplane. The pilot’s joystick goes limp in your hand. He seems happy when his parachute pops. “What?”
You’ve duct-taped two seashells to your ears. It looks nice. You're listening to the ocean's soundtrack. You gesture to say you can’t hear me. Nevermind me.
Your sneakers are made out of old bibles and you can almost make out the word ‘Barabbas’ on one of your soles. You want to save them for nostalgic purposes. Children made them far away.
We nickname you ‘Pontius’. “Who’s not allowed to?”
When your plane goes down you’re 7.998% passionate about surviving the pilot’s privacy. You’re surrounded by parachutes, like an ant in a falling garden. On the island, sneakers hang from the power lines.
The local missionaries who invaded half a century ago give you a bible. The bible says something about diet Coke you swear is not a typo. This is not very compelling.
You decide you’ll go door-to-door in your neighborhood, absorb all your neighbors into your testicles through your urethra's straw, store them there until you die.
When you die their ghosts will seep out of your urethra in one big orgasm you’ll only be able to feel nostalgically.
It will feel like your whole body has become carbonated, like small, fizzing bubbles of diet Coke.
You'll feel around in the dark. The podiatrist’s foot will go limp in your hand.
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