Dark Night of the Soul

The Oil and Rouge Affair

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 13:38:03 GMT

I never thought I'd have a great time taking a time travel trip back to the 40's and 50's but last night at the Oil and Rouge Affair, held at the Art and Light Gallery, I had an eye-opening time launched into the heyday of my mother's favorite decades.
Art, makeup, models, jewelry, vintage and newly designed mid-century clothing, swing dancing and music all brought together by the passion for this time period of a few highly visionary and creative individuals. What a night - the gowns, the tailored clothing, the cigarette holders! Fun stuff. And the swing dance performances - amazing. It's really rewarding seeing the Pendleton Street Arts District comming alive in such creative and far reaching ways.
My mom was an incredible and driven dancer (that's who she met both my dad and my step-dad) and I never realized she dressed in the height of the fashion of the 40's and 50's until I saw the clothing last night and it was her - every bit of it. I should have figured a person who drove a '55 Thunderbird (this was in the early 60's tho') and furnished her house with the most iconic 50's furniture, was into style. I was too little to know or care. The whole nmight made me appreciate who my mom was as a person so much more.
In honor of both the last night and my mother, I may even re-apply the red lipstick as I go work at the gallery today weaving purses.

Bargain shopping

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 17:58:44 GMT

Irresponsibly wonderful bargains at yard sales, massive bi-annual consignment sales, thrift store bag days, the library humongous book sale (couple of weeks ago - the line went all around McAlister Square), Mr. K's Used Books, fruit stands and flea markets. I'd be happy to never step foot in a mall again.

Morphes Tales features SC writers Brian Ladd and B. Miller

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 12:46:54 GMT

Just found out that issue number 6 of Morpheus Tales has arrived to the US from Britain.

This issue features the Atavist puzzle piece, "The Magos and the Mirror" by Brian K. Ladd and "Claddaugh" by B. Miller from members of our local writer's group, which I've secretly called for years -- The Reedy River Rats.

And to top it off, the cover art was designed by past Fissure cover artist, Marin Blanco of Spain.

You can read teaser excerpts of their stories and purchase your very own copy here:
http://www.morpheustales.com/

Our plan to take over the world one country at a time is working.

Writer's Block Going to Extremes

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:56:08 GMT

Implosion Surfing

Riding a 20-story Building to the Ground During its Demolition from a sceneic position on the rooftop, sitting in a wheeled office chair, wearing a bullet-proof vest and a multi-colored hand-woven silk ski-cap for a helmet (so rescuers can find me in the rubble)

Hush

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 21:54:06 GMT

It's been one of those days, like right after someone puts their finger to their lips and goes, "Hush," because a surprise is right around the corner.
I worked ridiculous hours like a slave on the press the past few days. It was imperative I finished AJ's chap with the extras surmounting many technical problems, And then there was Connie's chap and link to coincide with her interview with Clockwise Cat and her being named poet of the month at Outsider Writers Guild.
So first I ran away last night with Fissure friends and company to John Jeter booksigning for his book, "The Plunder Room" at the Handlebar. He's part owner of the Handlebar so the place was packed, free buffet, free Yingling. I ran into some old Howling folks and other Fissure folks which was cool.
But today after 6 hours of press work by 1 PM, I ran away into the garden. The temps were soothing, in the 60's and the wisteria was cracking like bones beneath my hands so I cleaned out even more scrub to make way for azaelas and other plants. Way back, against the rusted fence, I found a huge stash of awesome moss-covered rocks and very old handmade bricks so now I have a border for my orobouros bed! And then the sky became many shades of gray and there was a hush, even the crows and hawk and squirrels shushed. The daffodils are peeking out and have half-formed buds. The camellias are blooming profusely, still, even in this year of drought. It's a tease of a respite form winter, but it's enough. Sometimes wonderful things should come in very small doses...
So in I came to very sharp cheese and home mnade Sangria made with cherries, pomegranate jouice, and the clementines, nectarines anad oranges, Kendall and I squeezed. We cooked New York Strips on the grill with red potatoes in olive oil and spices, along with grilled squash, tomatoes, grapes and onions. And against the very dark glwoering sky on one side, out came the sun on the other as we cooked. It was eerie, a scene, that if ever painted, no one would believe.

A lovely day! And it still isn't over. I'm still to finish my poem "Absinthe Roundtable."
An astounding day!

drawing again

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:30:20 GMT

Thanks to flameelf, I'm drawing again. It's been hard to break away from working with words when there's so much to do with the press and magazine, but I needed the break. However, now that I'm not living or even working in a studio, I find it hard to stay devoted to creating art. Even though I attend the First Friday studio crawls, they're more like social occasions with little time to talk about the actual work or techniques and with Donna living in Beaufort, I don't have that daily art discussion.
But I'm so glad I'm going back to it. It is a very different kind of satisfaction than writing or publishing. Those are serious type satisfactions. I don't usually feel happy when a story, magazine, or chapbook is finished, but accomplished. Which I guess that field has now turned to work, as do most of my hobbies, eventually.
But art is entirely different, when I finish a piece (although they're never ever really finished, I always want to touch something up and half of them aren't signed yet) I feel happy. I smile. It's a more childlike reaction. I guess because art is still play for me.
And I'm really happy with the piece I did over the past two days, because it is drawing, which I find incredibly difficult. It's a portrait, about 14X18 of my character, Jean-Baptiste La Rocque, who is a 17th century Nova Scotian seaman who ends up in Hampton, NH, after his ship, La Miscoudine, from Port La Joye, Prince Edward Island, is washed ashore. at North Rocky Beach. It's part historical novel part magical realism.
I should have realized that I would be happier drawing like the Dutch painters with a lot of shadow and dark backgrounds.

Fissure #4 released

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:48:38 GMT

I've finally finished it! Fissure 4 released

Recognized for cutting-edge fiction; lauded for the scope of it's thought-provoking poetry, praised for bringing you remarkable new talent, this time from the UK, Sweden, Australia, Spain, Germany, New York, Virginia, California, North and South Carolina.... Fissure 4 now available from www.shadowarcherpress.com

80 jam-packed pages. Killer cover art by Kelly Lynch and so much more.

Short stories:

"Defacing Stonehenge" by Phil Clark Nostradamus at Stonehenge, and a glitch in the server, yup, that's right, you got it...right here;

"Circulating" by Darren Francis, Ever get the hankering to make crop circles? Here's a lesson plan.

"Be The Alien," by Will Sand, you haven't met this alien before...and you don't want to;

and

"Being For the Benefit of Mr Kite!," by Pablo Vision welcome to the circus of the macabre, by way of John Lennon, by way of a Victorian poster.

Also including poetry by:

George Anderson, Abigail Beadelle, Rob Cook, Anthony Hitchin, A.J. Kaufman, David McLean, Jaie Miller, Rob Plath, Tolu Ogunlesi, Will Sand, Felino Soriano, Connie Stadler

Art and photography by:

Phil Clark, Kelly Lynch, Liz Lynch, Avery Moore, Donna Nyzio, Will Sand

magazine releases on the small press front

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:45:11 GMT

and another great magazine out of Virginia:

Eviscerator Heaven 4
Category: Writing and Poetry

One of my poems, Shifting Luminaries is included in this issue of Eviscerator Heaven. Free download below:

ALIVE

Part One
http://rapidshare. com/files/154672776/Eviscerator4part1final. pdf. html

Part Two
http://rapidshare. com/files/154672777/Eviscerator4part2finalfinal. pdf. html

Part One

Jaie Miller
Felino Soriano
Eden
Craig Podmore
Gail Gray
Karl Koweski
Pablo Vision
Jacqui Corcoran
Petra Whitely
FEATURE POET: Duane Locke

Part Two

Duane Locke: Interview with a Legend
Isaac Seal
Melissa Hansen
Patricia Carragon
Christopher Nosnibor
Kaplowitz
Linda Washington
Alexandra Ryan
Misti Rainwater Lites
Brett Milstead
Gillian Prew
Bertrand Damien
Melanie Browne
Thomas L.

Vaultonburg
Andrew Taylor
Brittony Fay-Johnson
Dan Miles

The Gift of Ambiguity

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:57:50 GMT

...and a sideways nod to Neil Gaiman's, "The Graveyard" and Elliot Perlamn's "Seven Types of Ambiguity"

Neil Gaiman rang a bell in one of his talks when he spoke about how he started writing The Graveyard when his son was two years old. He was inspired by the graveyard in his neighborhood where he took his son to ride his bicycle because they had no garden where they lived. Back at his modest house, Neil didn’t finish developing the idea, stating, “I wasn’t a good enough writer to pull it off.”
He tried again when his son was eight or nine. Once again, the same feeling, “I’m not a good enough writer to pull this off.”
When he son was in his early twenties, he pulled out The Graveyard again. This time he said, “I’m still not a good enough writer but I’m not getting any better.” And so he finished it. It was released this year as a children’s book for 9-12 year-old readers (perhaps 9-120 year-olds as his juvenile fiction can be), to lots of acclaim and wonderful critiques.
It dawned on me after I’ve started at least ten short stories in the past few months, that there are two paradoxical torments facing the writer: the white page syndrome and the idea mill. Each is a difficult passage. In seeing Gaiman describe this and after reading the young Elliot Perlman’s rilliant first novel,“Seven Types of Ambiguity” I came to a conclusion regarding my own writing.
I’m not ready to develop some of these ideas. To try to rush to flesh them all out, inadequately, would be an act of arrogance as well as a failure of purpose.
When a new idea presents itself and as writers we rush to put it forth in either prose, poetry or non-fiction, we face the risk of coming off one-sided, opinionated, narrow minded, and judgmental. We can bludgeon the reader with our idea, which leaves them little room to think and at the same time, raises their hackles. It can force them rebel.So then, what is the good of your idea? No one wants (or needs) to be told what to think, only led to question and come to their own conclusions.
It’s not until an idea or concept percolates in both our conscious and subconscious minds that we can look at all its angles, develop all sides like a prism. Jotting an idea down, transfers it from the logical side of the brain to the creative side. Writing it down is the trick, rather than talking about it to friends or just keeping it in mind. If we have the strength to sublimate the ego and walk away from our idea for a while, when we come back, maybe years later as in Gaiman’s case, we’ll see a pearl has formed around the grain of sand. We discover the serendipitous gift of ambiguity. The black and white of the concept, the for and against, have dissipated and now all the grey areas, the vibrant strings, add depth and shadows, twists and turns to our original idea.
This is the point where we step away from the personal and move beyond to the universal. The two pivotal keys, the combination of which meets the criteria of a creation as ART.
Our concepts are precious to us. When we promote them the most, life has a way of turning them around, presenting the paradox, the yin and yang, and through circumstances we believe are not of our own making, we’re forced to consider the concept from the opposite side. Over the years, it fans out in fractals or spirals; the themes are repeated in different keys from different sides of the orchestra until we become aware of all the varying realities one theme can present.
As humans we live within the hub of our limited, self-described reality. We can’t speak to another’s, or even hope to comprehend it. There’s no way. But if we can embrace all realties, all angles in the concept and hope to weave them into the fabric of our existence, then we can begin to understand, to express empathy, to pass less judgment, while at the same time marveling at the richness and wonder which resides in the simplest of thoughts.
It’s only after returning to edit and rewrite some short stories I wrote over ten years ago, that I see how many nuances I left out. In hindsight, I see the events upon which the stories were based along with the concepts I wove around the events, were at first presented in a limited tunnel vision. Now, I believe I have more awareness to present them in all their varied richness, variability and paradox, even if these will be subtle hints beneath the surface. (One of the reasons I love both Gaiman and M. Night Shamalyn’s work).
So I’m going to try not to rush to put all ideas into written visions, but instead give them room to breath and interact with adventures, events, and experiences as they unfold. And, like Giaman, I hope, I’ll know when I make attempts to approach each idea, even if my skill is still not adequate enough, I can trust the idea to tell me when it’s ready.

working away

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 18:16:52 GMT

Shaggy and I got a lot finished on the mag. We worked the last two Fridays on printing, collating, stapling and trimming and then retired to Fitzpatrick's for beer and supper. And then today did more. We've also collected quotes and got ideas for the magnetic signs for my Saturn, Shaggy's making the new banner. Jason Scott is designing the new business cards, website is up to date, contributors copies are packaged and ready for mailing, so now all we need to do is plan the release date party.

Feels good to be doing teamwork again. Although I love my solitude form time to time, I really need the brainstorming, inspiration and motivation of a team, all exicted about the same goal. And that's certainly happening right now. The momentum picks up every day.

Hub Ub

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:57:42 GMT

The writer's group made a road trip last night instead of our usual critique section and it was an interesting experience. A bunch of us, Brian,Megan, Shaggy, Jessica, Avery and I attended the Artists in Residence show at the Hub Ub Gallery in Spartanburg. Amazing how Spartanburg has more to offer than Greenville on the community outreach arts programs. They also have a new huge 2 building cultural center in addition to Hub Ub which has a gorgeous gallery, 4 apartments for the 3 resident artists and the one resident poet, publishes a magazine, puts on art shows, poetry and fiction readings, concerts and other artsy type events.
The main reason we made the trip was to convince Shaggy to apply for an artist in residence position for next year (he missed this year's deadline). The residency program offers 8 months in their own apartment/studio, 2 well publicized art shows, a monthly stipend...all of this adding up to about $30,000 per resident artist or writer. All they have to do in return is man the bar at the events, help clean the gallery space and a couple of teaching events.
And this trip proved Shaggy should apply. We found the art to be not of the standard we expected. Mostly installations, a couple of films, one performance art piece. But none of them said much and most of the residents were MFA's. We were a little let down. Shaggy's work is so far superior and last year's show was great. The poet was pretty cool, I thought, but not over the top.
So Shaggy is now inspired to apply. Boy if I was in the age category they require, I'd apply and run away from home for 8 months and get paid to write and paint!
I think the trip cemented some of our personal and group goals as well. It shows what can be done. And we all felt better about our own artistic fields when we left. I can't speak for the other folks but it has me motivated now to plan the release date party because if the Hub Ub artists deserve a show and platform to showcase their talent, then the Fissure artists and writers certainly do!! I'm a wee bit slanted but I think our local contributors are way more talented than what we witnessed last night. So after we finish putting this issue and mailing out contributor copies, I'll start planning the show, get real business cards, get a sign for the truck and a banner to hang and get this show on the road.
Beth is doing much better so now I feel like I can divide my time and I'm committed to putting at least 8 hours a day into the mag maybe four days a week (leaving the rest of the time a chance for me to finish the second Shaman book).
We needed this kick in the butt and Megan was there to remind each of us. Plus I had a number of local folks ask where they could buy Fissure so now I need to find a way to market it. So off I go to organize what we'll need and put this plan into action.

Fiissure #3 is Ready!! Yay!

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:21:57 GMT

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Biggest issue yet - 86 page chapbook!

The Apocalypse Issue

From late Latin: Apocalypsis, from Greek apokalypsis "revelation, Apocalypse" from apokalyptein "to uncover, reveal."

Featuring short stories, "Avenue of Dust," by B. Miller, "The Wasteland" by Guido, and "When the Rains Come" by Mercy Manic.

Poetry by: Justin Blackburn, w.alt burns, Rob Cook, Keith Flynn, Blaire Johnson, A. J. Kaufman, Rob Plath

Art by Jason Scott, Danny Bagwell, Shaggy Randall

Also featuring a new section of book and music and indie film reviews. This issue: "Spell" by Darren Francis, "Songs for the Extinction of Winter" by Rob Cook, "The Rhythm Method, Razzmatazz, and Memory" by Keith Flynn, Zygote Abstract—the Liberine Anthology and music by Mankind is Obsolete.

To purchase via Paypal got to the Website: http://www.freewebs.com/shadowarcherpress/

Or mail your check for $6.95 to

Shadow Archer Press

P.O. Box 5772

Greenville, SC 29606

USA

Doing the happy dance...

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 18:30:35 GMT

Literally.
I've just finished my edits and rewrites on Shaman Circus, my first full length finished novel! Finis. Finis!! Yay!!!
Now I can send it off to the copy-editor for grammar and spelling repairs and then onto the agents.The list is getting quite long. I'm really amazed at the number of funky agents and genre agents out there. For the longest time all I ran into were literary agents of chick lit agents orpf, god, heaven forbid, southern writer agents. Not that my books fits in a genre unless Magical Realism is a genre these days. But the mroe oepn minded the better!
And it was a pretty good weekend. I spent lots of time in the garden cleaning up the overgrowth which grows every damn day - wisteria is a beautiful pain. And then also spent at least three days out and about town, finally back among the living for the first time, real;y since my surgery. I skipped writer's group the last two weeks which may have helped me to finish the edits because I didn't fell pressured by my own sense of guilt to write something for the meetings (although I did write two poems and started a new short story) but now I'm jonesing for the writing connection so will be there with bells on this week and hopefully something new in hand.
Okay, now back to work compiling potential agents.
This moment of self-gloating is now finally over...at least for the moment!

gifts from strange places

Fri, 30 May 2008 13:08:38 GMT

The best Mercury retrograde I've ever experienced!
Just at the times when you need it - strange treasures are dropped at your feet - or a finger beckons - or a song is sung - or you read a poem...and the veil is ripped, Maya dissolves and a whole new plateau of experience opens out before you in wondrous unbelievable detail...the light...just right, the colors so rich you are physically saturated and the sounds, the words....

Here you go guys:
Here’s a huge giftie.

I saw this band Mankind is Obsolete at a new heavy music club, the Cellar in Greenville last night and they were incredible. Riveting, explosive, profound, powerful, scary the way they get in your head, make you wanna do stuff...(you'll come up with your own stuff).... Very tight, very professional – way too good for Greenville. They’re on the level of arena type bands. More industrial than Coildwave, like Nine Inch Nails with a girl singer. Plus they were all really really humble and nice to talk to... check them out, go them if they come close to you – beg them to play close to you - you will not be disappointed.

http://www.mkio.com/

http://www.myspace.com/mankindisobsolete

Second giftie: James Hillman speaks about the gods at Mythic Journeys. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFkkQ9eq8qw

Third giftie: Okay and to tie it all together with the Mankind Is Obsolete lyrics of "Trapped Inside" and "Silent Killer" (not the best poetry but okay lyrics and a pivotal concept)...a must read book by all the seekers out there, one of the best I've read on the whole waking up experience written by a psychiatrist, professor of philosophy and anthropology who became a shaman in his own right:

"The World of Shamanism, New Views on an Ancient Tradiiton" by Roger, Walsh, M.D., Ph.D.

Have fun opening doors.

Jung on art and creativity

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:55:08 GMT

For those who requested: writers, artists, posts, musicians from Carl Jung's "Modern Man in Search of a Soul"

Jung on Art and Creative Persons

Every creative person is a duality or a synthesis of contradictory aptitudes. On the one side is a human being with a personal life, while on the other side he is an impersonal c, creative process.

What is essential in a work of art is that it should rise above the realm of the personal life and speak from the spirit and heart of the poet as a man to the spirit and heart of mankind.

The artist’s life cannot be otherwise than full of conflicts., for two forces are at war within him. – on the one hand the common longing for happiness, satisfaction and security in life, and on the other a ruthless passion for creation which may go so far as to override every personal desire. The lives of artists as a rule are wholly unsatisfactory – not to say tragic – because of their inferiority on the human and personal side, and not because of a sinister dispensation. There are hardly any exceptions to the rule that a person must [ay dearly for the divine gift of the creative fire. It is as though each of us were endowed at birth with a certain capital of energy. The strongest force in our make-up will seize

He is an artist – that is a man, who from his very birth has been called to a greater task than the ordinary mortal. A special ability means a heavy expenditure of energy in a particular direction , with a consequent drain from the other side of life. The specifically artistic disposition involves and overweight of the psychic life as against the personal. Art is a kind of innate drive that seizes a human being and makes him its instrument. The artist is not a person endowed with free will who seeks his own ends, but one who allows art to realize it6s purposes through him. As a human being he may have moods and a will and personal aims, but as an artist he is a “man” in a higher sense – he is collective man- o0ne who carries and shapes the unconscious psychic life of mankind. Top perform this difficult task it is sometimes necessary for him to sacrifice happiness and everything that makes life worth living for the ordinary human being.

The creative work arises from unconscious depths…

The secret of artistic creation and of the effectiveness of art is to be found in a r3turn to the state of participation mystique – to that level of experience at which is is man who liuves, not the individual, and at which the weal and woe of the single human beign does not count, but only human existence.

speeding up

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:32:49 GMT

I have no idea what's happened lately but things haver certainly sped up. The recession hasn't hit Shadow Archer Press, thats for sure. I've sold more books in January than I ever do and so many this week, I can't make them fast enough to meet orders. I'm also trying to finish my How To Start a Small Press book. These are all the How To books. Still have to figure out how to market the short story anthologies and poetry books. I have to find an office or studio. I'm shifting so many machines around to use the dining room tab le (just read that Virginia and Leonard Wolf ran their press (Hogarth) on their dining room table to so I'm in good company, but haven't had time to evne look at prospective places.
This week I'm applying up for an SAN number and then will be able to put ISBN numbers on the books which have the most promise (to start with). Also will have vinyl signs made for the truck, professional business cards designed and hoefully win at least one or two of the type sets for the foil printer on e-bay. They go fast and high.
Then last night, spent at least two hours on the phone with Frank in NJ. It's as if ten years hadn't gone by and he plans to come visit very soon (we're looking for weekends for First Fridays and some good concerts, maybe meet up for VAST in Charleston) and when I go visit him in NJ, we'll hit some gallery openings in Soho (yay - he's psyched about eh gallery openings) and he's already promised to come for the release date party (which will be two issues of Fissure by then and at least 4 new books from various authors, hopefully more). On Feb. 23rd and 24th I have the South Carolina Book Festival in Columbia. Research trip this time but will be an exhibitor next year.
So now I shall be up all night printing books which must be shipped tomorrow.

Contest and Links

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 13:14:33 GMT

I've added info on the rules of the Postcard Poems contest and links to more markets (very cool places) on the links page of the Shadow Archer Press website. http://www.freewebs.com/shadowarcherpress/

Mail stuff, e-mail stuff, no matter what spread your word!

sHADOW aRCHER pRESS P.O.

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 15:54:58 GMT

Shadow Archer Press and Fissure Magazine now have a PO box. Books and Fissure may be purchased via check or money order and submissions including Postcard Poems may be mailed to Shadow Archer Press, P.O. Box 5772, Greenville, SC 29606-5772.

post card poems

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 14:33:28 GMT

After being inspired by an idea form Tim Yu at Shampoo magazine, Shadow Archer Press is launching a book idea called SAP Postcard Poems. This so feeds my demented art journal and Griffin and Sabine fixation. Check out this link to get the idea
http://www.shampoopoetry.com/ShampooThirtyone/31issue.htm

I'll be getting a post office box and will post that address soon. Selected postcard poems will be published in a chapbook in 2008. Deadline to be announced with po box address. I'll cross post this too. Just giving you guys a heads up.

Beth's test results

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 19:23:14 GMT

While Beth is still very sick, after five weeks of testing, they've finally ruled out ovarian cancer. They're starting treatment to day for H. pylori infection, a severe bacterial infection of the small intestine and stomach which can lead to damage to the stomach lining, bleeding ulcers and stomach cancer. They think they've caught it early enough so if she's better in a couple days after starting the three supernova antibiotics she has to take (all astoundingly expensive as well) they won't need to do more tests. If she's not better, they schedule a CAT scan and the camera down the throat thing. So thanks fof bearing with us, our rants, our silences, our fears. She's not feeling physically better but she's in a much better mental state so hopefully we can get our lives back on track within a couple of weeks.

Keith Flynn's gift of his book on writing poetry (although ahistory of poetry could not have come at a better time). His overview of the poets through the ages, from many countries, their bios, their methods of coping, their spiritual seeking and finding has been incredibly comforting and inspirational. It's opened a lot of doors and it's remarkable how it echos so many of the themes I see going on with the people I love and care about.

I've been scribbling like mad, most of it is probably trash but maybe there's a gem in there somewhere. Speaking of gems, soon as Beth is better, we're going gemstone mining at this really cool sounding place in Hiddenite, NC where you can sluice for gemstones or even go into the mine and hammer away. That kind of thing was always Beth's favorite activiity all growing up and Kendall is just as addicted. Crazy little rock hounds that they are. Wonder where that came from? So that will be our celebratory trip.

fast paced and slow down

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 12:12:52 GMT

This will be the eighth day straight I've worked on the press, often late into the night so the break this weekend in Asheville is perfect timing. The sessions with Shaggy on his concept poetry/art book are amazing: brainstorming at it's quickest and he's come up with some ingeniuos quirky ideas which are actually doable. Gotta do his chart - there's Gemini and Virgo working together and although the ambivalence is always there, he grabs them both byt their collars and makes them work together. Exhilerating. So he's doing all of the layout, which helps me immenseley and it will be a visual treat when it's done. He works fast too under deadline. And I have a mneeting next week with the owner of the gallery we may use.
Donna breezed into town for one day and came and joined us so we had one of our infamous Italian nights. She regaled us with stories of Boston and her in person visits with many of my favorite Pre-Raph paintings in the Wilmington Museum of Art in Delaware and then brought me a book with paintings I never knew existed so we drooled. I cooked a five course meal with chicken cacciatore and we drank wine and beer and told stories and talked philosophy and art and tried to watch Apocalyotica and Picasso but got too immersed in conversation and had to keep pausing until they never came on again. Good stuff. Picasso would have been pissed to be slighted in such a way. The cello guys are too gracious to worry about it and I'm sure know where they stand. The rapid fire talk gave me lots of inspiration to keep the presses rolling (sorry for the cliche) and seeing that the press can go in extreme ways I didn't envision...a lot like the Howling but more. (Wendy - wish you'd been here - you would have loved it1) And now voices are coming back from the past that may play a part in the marketing so we may have to kick up the pace even more while the flow is flowing.
Today I'll slow down a tad and do proofreading and corrections.
Met with Brian, Crunchy and the Lumberjack as well and much progress and future planning there so things are falling into place with a precision that holds me a bit in awe, appreciation and a level of repsonisiblity to the muses who guide such things. Homage will be due and paid at the next firepit party.
Tomorrow start printing two finished editions. YAY! Now for more coffee...and those tedious corrections...

nervous morning

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 15:29:49 GMT

Wow - I've had the jitters all morning - but one thhing has turned out well. Shadow Archer Press will soon be in possession of a circa 1900 book binding press! I am so excited. It's in New Hampshire, almost on the Canadian border so I must make arrangements to either pick it up later this fall when I go up there or have Red Rocket or Donna pick it up. Donna will be living in Boston for Septenber while she caters another movie and siad she wouldn't mind at all. It's not one of the Art Nouvea beauties so it may be later around the '20's (same age as my house) but it's in good working orderand that's what I need. It will eveb press alrger books which will be great when I start publishing the artist portfolios.

I'm jumping up and down. It's one third the cost of the cheapest one I've seen and in much better condition. The fact he wouldn't ship it helped me win it. I don't blame him, the thing is damn heavy. 250 people looked at it! Wow, this dream will actually come together afterall. Now I need one more major piece of equipment and some very sturdy tables to hold this heavy stuff, and then a smattering of tools (on order - should be here next week) and my coil binding machine will arrive today according to the tracking. So we're in business. Then the road trip up north next week to get the rest of the signatures and it's time to put Fissure together.

Wish the rest of my life would go this smoothly.

the Hades Pit has opened

Sat, 25 Aug 2007 12:03:44 GMT

Shocking morning. I went out to clean up debris in my garden and stand things up again after yesterdays crazy storm and lo and behold my Hades pit has opened. Yup - I have a great sink hole in my yard which even swallowed a small tree. I knew I had a budding sinkhole there from when my neighbor tore down my stone wall to put up a plastic fence and I had been using it as a compost pit, throwing in old logs, cofee grounds, eggshells, dirt from old dead plants, vegetable matter, leaves, grass cuttings. I admit I wasn';t so good at turning it but it hasn';t gotten wet for the past two months so what would be th use.

Well today the pit goes at least four foot down and there are three huge concrete filled with little stone buttreses sticking up out of the warth behind my studio and you can see under them and you can't see the bottom! So it is either an old well house or perhaps a foundation for an old kitchen (back in the days they built my house, the cooking areas were separate so they wouldn't burn the house down if they caught on fire, or maybe it was an addition or shed they let rot away. The center is a sink hole. I cna't walk on it and can't get around the periphery. so now my New Orleans wrought iron gate and arbor, covered with wisteria and hibscus opens onto the sink hole which I had hoped to turn into my rose garden next spring. So now I must call an expert to see how to fill it and how far the damn thing goes down. It's quite dangerous looking and so I wonder what kind of underworld creatures escaped from it's yawning opening while I slept.

Curious.

I did write a good bit on shaman in Exile - pivotal scenes I'd been afraid to attack and they went very well, indeed, the metaphors easily at hand and scenes p[resenting themselves as fait accompli. Of course with four parallel realities going on at the same time, which I don't have time to go into here, I had way too much material to draw upon. My smudge people have been sighted. They are now in Charlotte. I heard about it on the radio so it must be true. Perhaps they were in my backyard last night recruiting or rescueing their friends from my Hades pit.

Even more curious.

book binding treasures

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 14:36:50 GMT

WEll, I've been awake all night. Made a lot of decisions, got up did more research. I've finally decided that I'm going to go with hand book binding. First because all the new equipment is computerized, digital, and will require lots of upkeep. The high end is so far out of my budget it's insane, the low end is made of plastic and won't last a year.

But I've found my options. I'm going to go with 19th century old book binding equipment. i found a press that was made in my home town of Lowell, Mass. It's not as Art Noveau and as intrinsically beautiful as some of the other presses. In fact it could be considered so ugly it's cute. But it's small and doesn't weigh 200 lbs and is fairly inexpensive compared to the larger, prettier Victorian ones. The fact that it was made in my home town sold me more than it's price and weight -although I need to consider weight due to maybe having to move out of studios and spaces when rents get all crazy. I also found two guillotine cutters, one built into it's own very solid wood table and huge and the other a portable table top model. The table top is more practical as far as moving, etc. But the larger one is an incredible price and will never shift when trimming. Now I'm even looking at foil stampers and missed a small hand held one on e-bay. But they'll come up again. These pieces don't even look like tools but works of art. The current commercial stuff is ugly and expensive and will need constant maintenance. So far all I'll need is WD-40 and a blade sharpener. I'm going to run these by Crunchy, my mechanical expert, and make sure they'll do the job I need. This means I can even bind leather cover books and it will be a breeze to produce the short runs of small poetry books, shirt story anthologies and Fissure. I'm so glad I found the website with the antique and still working order machinery. This is beyond my dreams!

Noxious

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 17:07:03 GMT

In just 5 DAYS, NOXIOUS will take the stage at The Handlebar with CALUS & HALOSCRIPT for what is going to be one of the BIGGEST local shows in the Upstate this year!! The new CD “REVILUTIA” will be on sale along with all-new NOXIOUS apparel for guys & girls, stickers, koozies, a DVD featuring videos and a behind the scenes look at the making of the new album! This show will also feature a premier screening of the “Paper King” video on the big screen at Handlebar!! Doors are @ 8pm, with the show starting @ 9pm. Tickets are $8 for 21+/ $10 under 21. Call the Handlebar @ 864-233-6173 or click on the link below to get your tickets in advance because this thing will be PACKED!!

In other news, you can tune into 96.7 The Buzzard this Friday at Noon to hear the boys in NOXIOUS live on the air with Craig DeBolt for a special acoustic performance along with a possible surprise guest!