A new tactic in the war between rejected writer and editor came to my attention yesterday. In the following video, one Josh Smith of Buffalo, NY calls out myself, fiction editor of Artvoice, (a Buffalo publication) and former editor Forrest Roth. From the details below the video:
At an reading in 2009, Josh Smith spotted then-Artvoice Flash Fiction editor Forrest Roth in attendance. Having just submitted his set’s first piece to Roth just days earlier, Smith implored the audience to put intense pressure on Roth to accept the piece for publication.
In response to this, Greg Gerke, also in attendance, put a “finger gun” to Roth’s head, insisting, “Do it! Do it!”.
Shortly after this event, Gerke became Roth’s replacement for Artvoice’s flash fiction department.
Despite a favorable reaction to the piece’s reading, Roth did not publish it.
Ironically, the piece was submitted again to Gerke, who also passed on it, as well as eighteen other pieces sent to him by Josh.
If you’re a fan of Josh Smith’s work, and agree that, “There’s nothing wrong with Smith”, write, call, or email Artvoice, and let them know!
Josh’s video bricolage is impressive, even comic, including his using one of the least flattering pictures of myself. I applaud him.