I got hardcopies of the new issue of Fact-Simile in the mail today and am thoroughly enjoying the innovative poetry and prose within its pages. 

Check out a free pdf verion here to read new work from Michelle Disler, Cralan Kelder, Shanna Miller McNair, Andrew Wessels, Mark Cunningham, Tim Roberts, Derek Henderson, Elizabeth Robinson, Roxanne Carter, Mary Kasimor, David Brennan, Charles Freeland, Richard Schwass, Peter Grieco, John Tway Zackel, Matt Reeck, Rich Murphy, Ryan Ridge, Dan Ruhrmanty, John Kearns, Scott Bentley, Jennifer Karmin and yours truly.

The issue’s feature is particularly noteworthy: an interview with Brian Evenson along with his short story “Hurlock’s Law” (reprinted from The Lifted Brow).  Yesterday, I just wrapped up a creative writing workshop that ended with a look at Evenson’s fiction, so it was great to linger a bit longer over his always striking prose.  I found “Hurlock’s Law” to be an intriguing investigation into the meandering maze of referential mania, a mysterious fable — for our contemporary age of Reality TV and digital surveillance — of how meaning eludes both our psychic and technological apparatuses.

And the interview has some choice nuggets…here are some of my favorites…

BE on perception:

When I was a teenager, I thought Dennis Hopper was Dennis Hooper.

BE on literary theft:

I have no problem with stealing, but once I steal something, I want to repaint it and kind of bend it around and make it my own…I’m more interested in stealing something that I can use to help make a new machine…

And BE on mutilation:

…before I had an interest in mutilation, I had kind of an obsessive interest in axes…

Overall, a great issue from a great small press — I suggest taking a look and subscribing!