April 30, 2009

Interview with Sam Cicero

Sam Cicero has a blog here. He is a writer, a photographer, a cartoonist and an educator. He started the zine, Lo-Fidelity, which is on temporary hold. His work has been seen in Venture, 6Sentences and The Abacot Journal, to name a few.




1. What do you want to be interviewed about?
I want to be interviewed about how great I am. Rather, I would like to hear about it, but you ask me questions about how great I am.

2. Too bad. How do you feel about your writing? What about your photography? You're also a very talented cartoonist [which you should start posting on your blog], what do you feel towards that, as well?
I feel like I need to improve my writing a lot. I have developed very little as a writer because I have only written for school and stuff. My photography I'm pretty proud of, but I probably need to develop more that way too. I don't feel like a cartoonist though, it's something I used to do all the time (and the first way that I learned to really express myself but lately I don't do it as much. It's also a bitch to put on blogs.)

3. Do you ever see yourself doing something in the future other than what you went to college for?
All the time.

4. Ideally, what is your ultimate fantasy?
To have statues made in my honor made of material that will withstand the apocalypse in 2012.

5. What have you been listening to lately? Any favorite bands or artists that have fueled any of your present work?
Good question. Andrew Kaspereen got me into the Knux and they're really cool rap/indie stuff. I've been into the Knife since last year but I just got into the Thermals, good indie rock. I am not a fan of bands that do not start with the.

6. Favorite book? Favorite author?
Favorite book right now is "No One Belongs Here More Than You" by Miranda July, but my favorite author is Franz Kafka and will be until I die.

7. If you had a super-power, what would it be?
Flight. Or the ability to look super sexy and influence people.

8. What are your plans for after graduation?
Dying, hopefully. Graduating is making me antsy and nervous.

9. Where do you see yourself in thirty years?
Dead, hopefully. Or having a nice teaching job with a wife and kids. If I don't have that I would like to be traveling as a photographer or something cool.

10. Where do you want to live?
These questions are really difficult. I think I would like to live in Boston soon, but somewhere on the West coast before I die. Something cool has to be going on over there.

11. Do you get any inspiration for your photography from your location?
Sometimes, but it's generally about the people I'm with. Cos I generally bring people that I really like to photograph and I want to show them as people.

12. When you started Lo-Fidelity, did you think twice about what it could turn into?
Yes. I wanted people to love me and my friends.

13. Why did you start Lo-Fi?
I was bored and wanted to read something new.

14. Is it ever going to be taken off hiatus? I know a lot of people are still waiting for Issue 3 to be mailed out. I guess I'm asking if you think there's going to be a future for Lo-Fidelity.
I would like there to be, but I don't know. It's a fuckin' recession out there.

15. If you had to choose between being a Jedi or a Sith Lord, which would you choose?
This might be the ultimate question. Probably a Jedi but practice Sith stuff on the side.

April 29, 2009

Excited yet sad

The One Minute Writer gave me an award for The Writer of the Day (on April 27) for my 'entry' to the prompt here. Thank you! A fun site, indeed.


Current stats on The Definition:

Word Count: 18, 044
Pages (single spaced): 34
Pages (double spaced): 69
Lines: 1, 548
Paragraphs: 782
Chapters: 8
# of times used word 'laugh': 71


Only one more chapter to write. I am excited for the outcome of this book. It is looking good.

In closure I will include a photo of the playoff beard I have been growing for the Devils' playoff presence, of which they lost last night in Game 7 against the Hurricanes. Sadness Ensues. It didn't even have a chance to grow in thick.

April 26, 2009

(Gmail Chat) Interview with DJ Berndt

DJ Berndt has a blog here. He runs Pangur Ban Party (which is soon releasing a print). He has super powers that allow him to melt things with heat vision, as well as, become invisible. Maybe he likes other things, too.




1:30 PM me: What brought you to the world of blogging?
DJ: A friend told me "EEE" and I really liked it. Then I found Tao's blog and it all kind of spilled from there.
1:31 PM me: How did you get into writing?
1:32 PM DJ: I don't even consider myself "into writing". It's more like a casual hobby or something. I've always been interested in poetry, and I think everyone who reads poetry just kind of happens to write a little, too.
me: What do you then consider yourself?
1:33 PM DJ: A guy who kind of likes to read and sometimes writes
1:34 PM me: Do you ever think about your future? What do you want to be - career-wise?
DJ: I already have a career. I work in an office building in the IT department. I try not to think too much about my future because it never looks good.
1:35 PM me: Do you hate it or love it?
DJ: Love it
1:36 PM me: That's good. What influenced you to start Pangur Ban Party?
1:38 PM DJ: bear parade and bearcreekfeed. I thought it was really cool that those sites existed. Then I thought about how I know of some blogs run by people who I think are good writers but probably aren't popular enough to be on bear parade or bearcreekfeed. Then I thought about how I know enough HTML to run a similar site.
1:39 PM me: Do you think about PBP's future? What are your plans for it? How do you see it unfolding?
1:40 PM DJ: I want PBP to be as big as possible. If it were one day as big as bearcreekfeed or bear parade, that would be amazing. I will just keep doing whatever I can to promote it and see where it goes.
1:41 PM me: Excellent. What is your favorite band?
1:42 PM DJ: I don't know. Maybe Radiohead.
1:43 PM me: Good choice. What about your favorite book and/or author?
1:44 PM DJ: Favorite book is Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis. Favorite author is tough. Sam Pink could very well become my favorite author once he has more out there.
1:46 PM me: Do you ever see yourself around the age of 45, married, with children thinking about how you only have half of your life left to live?
1:47 PM DJ: I can't imagine I'll live to see 45.
me: How do you think you're going to die?
1:48 PM DJ: Doing something stupid while drunk, liver disease or suicide.
me: That made me sad. Let's not think about death. If you were any color in the known world, what color would you be?
1:49 PM DJ: I like dark violet, I think.

April 24, 2009

Print up those blogs

So I googled my name and found this. It's a blog entry by someone I don't know talking about The Printed Blog. TPB is a relatively new printed newspaper that simply takes interesting things, or 'articles' as the random blogger calls them, from blogs across the nation. It is a neat concept but the random blogger has a point - who is going to pay for a compliation of things you can find on the internet for free.

I can't tell but I think he/she is talking shit about The Printed Blog. I mean, as I said, he/she has some valid points. But that doesn't mean it isn't a cool idea. I think I would pay for an issue or two. In my head, at least, its like a mixtape. Kind of like the NOW series.

But that isn't really what got me all BLAH. Like I said, I googled my name and this entry came up. The last paragraph of the entry has my story from 72words (which TPB somehow managaed to obtain without my knowledge - not that it matters, I like having more readers, I just wish I knew people in Chicago were possibly paying for the 2nd issue of TPB and reading my story) and I think he/she is insulting it? I could be wrong but I sense a hint of sarcasm in his/her statement; "Hey, hats off to The Printed Blog, this is the stuff Pulitzers are made of."

Obviously, I'm submitting to an online publication. I don't expect to be the next Pulitzer. Its not my fault you interpreted the concept of TPB wrong. But thanks for reading my flash fiction and thinking of it as an 'article' because that makes sense. Good work.

To oppose this random blogger, I will tip my hat to The Printed Blog. I think it's a cool idea and I hope its successful. (Next time you take my work though, please tell me so I can get excited. haha)

I suggest you check out The Printed Blog. They do have PDFs on their site you can read for free.

eNJoy.

April 20, 2009

Not Having A Computer Sucks

So I wrote a lil' sumtin sumtin for one of my last Writer's Block meetings last Thursday. It goes like this:

---
Worms

Barefoot in a patch of naked grass, I could feel the worms burrowing into my skin. They were timid worms, worms like the kind you see dried up on the sidewalk the day after a long rain. I thought to myself about squishing them between my toes, but I didn’t. I let them dig. Once they were consumed by my callused bald feet they swam. And they swam through my bloodstream until reaching my brain, tickling my senses, causing me to sneeze.

---

I might fool around with it some more and make it a story or something. The exercise was "just write six sentences about anything." So I just started writing whatever popped into my head. I thought it was pretty neat.

Anyway, check out PangurBanParty's new release "Go Ninja Go Ninja Go" - Crispin Best. It has all of your favorite TMNT characters in REAL LIFE situations. You're bound to think about how most of your life is made up of uneventful things. It's delightful.

Also - email me if you'd like to read a 3/4 finished edition of The Definition. I need some feedback.

And I almost forgot - DJ has recent poetry published. Check it out over at Read Some Words.

April 14, 2009

Like a boss

Remember how I said I was in a short film my buddy was doing? Well he posted it on YouTube.

Check it out.

I'm the boss in blue. But remember, in reality I'm not an asshole. I swear. Leave some kind words, too because I'm sure my buddy, Niko, would appreciate it.



Nothing too new in my writing. Very busy. Novella deadline is coming up. That's about it.

April 9, 2009

Tiger Style

I was accepted into the Fall 09 issue of Venture. Look for my story, "Road Trip." I'll post a link when available. I'll also explain it more so when its ready.

Today I was in my friend, Niko's, film that he is making for his film class. If he posts it on Youtube in the future, I'll link you.

I started listening to Citizen Cope and Shwayze more while writing The Definition. I wonder if it'll show.

Pangur Ban Party
has a new short fiction series up. Go check out Chris East's All In Together Now. Wu Tang, Wu Tang. Tiger Style. Wu Tang Clan ain't nothing to fuck wit. Submit to PBP - print issue is in the works.