My neighbor Jon Cotner just shared this video of his recent appearance, with his writing partner Andy Fitch, on Emily Gould’s Cooking the Books. In the vein of Adam Robinson’s rumored, but yet-to-be-aired, Culinary Genius, Gould’s show features writers in her kitchen. (She assures us the writers are famous, though, unlike Robinson.) Jon and Andy look to Basho as a literary model, and Jon also relies on his culinary advice: “Eat vegetable soup rather than duck stew.” After Jon and Andy discuss theories of skin degradation, Jon makes a vegetable juice (with lemon). Andy seems unimpressed, while Emily apparently enjoys it. The real highlight, though, is a montage-set-to-music of Jon shoving radiant vegetables into a food processor.
Author: John Dermot Woods
I’ve got a composition primer for you!
Three years ago the final issue of Todd Hignite’s COMIC ART Magazine, was published and shrink-wrapped along with it was a little book called Cartooning:Philosophy and Practice, by the venerable Ivan Brunetti. This book, a result of Brunetti’s own destruction and rebuilding of his life’s work and working method, is a deconstructive masterpiece of a narrative composition manual. It is, of course, described through the construction of comics (and passed through the metaphor of cooking pasta alio e olio), but when you read this pamphlet, it quickly becomes obvious that Brunetti’s observations are not limited to his preferred medium alone. The slim guide is a distillation of narrative. Brunetti isolates the parts and considers their arrangements and adjustments. (I’d go as far to say taht Scott McCloud and Will Eisner’s texts act as supporting works for Brunetti’s.)
I’ve wanted to distribute Brunetti’s book to my students (poetry workshops, composition 101s, comics seminars), but it’s never been available on it’s own. So, here’s why I’m talking about Cartooning today: Yale University Press has just announced that they will publish and sell the guide as a stand-alone book. This is big news in my world. Get one, read it, give it to someone else.
J.A. Tyler’s letting it ride
J.A. Tyler’s second novel was just published by Fugue State. And he’s making you, the reader, a deal. Read his book. If you don’t like it, send it back and he’ll write you a new one. (I wouldn’t trust this offer from anyone, but J.A. doesn’t require sleep, so I completely believe he’s good for it.)
Here’s the deal from JA:
“If you don’t like my book I’ll write you another book on the inside of that book. Order it, read it. If you don’t like it, ship it back to me & I’ll write a new book for you on the inside of that book. Yes. This is how much I believe in these words.” A MAN OF GLASS & ALL THE WAYS WE HAVE FAILED.
If you don’t like the second book he gives you, then you’re S.O.L.
DAS DING – Jinx!
Okay, John and I unknowingly just posted about the exact same thing. Instead of taking down my redundant post, I’ll let the two of them serve as an overwhelming recommendation that you should go buy Luca’s DAS DING.
Luca Dipierro’s DAS DING
Just got a note that Luca Dipierro has released the first issue of his art zine, DAS DING. This is very good news. I’ve already ordered a copy. Looks like there may be some letterpress involved. Easily worth the the eight bucks.
Here’s his description of it:
“DAS DING is an object made of paper.
DAS DING contains drawings of acrobats, trees, heads on fire, buildings, flowers, birds, bones, words.
DAS DING 1 will be followed by DAS DING 2 and by DAS DING 3 and by DAS DING 4 and so on until DAS DING 100.”
Fix It Broken
Greg Dybec has launched a new online magazine called Fix It Broken. The first issue is up. It’s the place where fiction meets fashion. Why story-inspired t-shirt will be created for each issue.
Here’s Greg’s description of the project:
“Issue #1 of Fix it Broken is a successful first representation of the site’s main objective: an aesthetic mesh of fiction, fashion, and artwork. Issue #1 displays great writing by both new and established authors, crisp artwork by John Dermot Woods, and a fun yet haunting shirt design by Kristian Woodmansee. The idea of such a dynamic fiction magazine may be conceptually new, though the end product is something to be seen, showcasing the individual talents of so many creative individuals, coming together as something that ultimately would not exist without the enthusiasm and resourcefulness of each party involved. With fiction at its core, there are powerful stories to be read in Issue #1, which prove the quality of writing that exists out there.”
Go here for stories and a t-shirt.
A Reading … with Food
James Yeh, the hungry genius behind Gigantic, put these two ideas together. I don’t know why this doesn’t happen more often. Gigantic will be sponsoring one Brooklyn leg of this weekend’s nationwide Indie Lit Roadshow (check that link for all of the other cool stuff happening). I’ll be reading along with John Haskell and Anelise Chen, and cheap tacos will be served (beside cheap drinks). Black bean tacos from Bouwerie (James vouches for them). It happens Friday – taco start at 6, words at 7:30. Info after the jump:
