Stockpiling the Avant-garde: John M. Bennett
For decades John M. Bennett has been producing and collecting modern avant-garde, experimental and/or unclassifiable literature in the belief that future generations will one day reap the rewards of his efforts: “It is important to collect these writers because, as has been the case over and over in the history of literature, the best and most innovative writing, the writing that advances the art and that in the future becomes the classic and defining work of a period, is almost always the work of outsiders.”
By David F. Hoenigman.
Three Poems
death is in the ears, the winnowing
of music, poetry, machine clogging whirs
in appendages too obscure, filling the canals
as from a sweating, then crumbling dam…
Now I see my own father is washed under,
and this daunting, yet galloping haste, the mud–
how errored and unexcelled my filament seems
when my father’s matter is settled so abruptly,
when his reservations are called on so sharply,
and even his greatest loves nod him down…
By Ray Succre.
Eastern Promises
Tony White writes with news of an interesting series of events at the School of Slavonic and Eastern European Studies, University College London: Destination London: Writing Cities from Eastern Europe 19 October – 7 November 2009. More details here, but Tony will be doing a writing workshop (Balkanising Bloomsbury) and a panel discussion (Destination London: […]
Eucharist
I flaked rust off the mailbox flag and pressed it between my fingers until it was soft as a fresh scab. Wayne shuffled down the driveway, gravel flying like epithets, nudged my elbow. He smelled like the background of a Tom Waits song. ‘Come back to the house.’ Dried brown splotches on his nose. I thought of a pig snout. His lips were like rice paper, rice paper ringed with foil burns. I wanted to touch them, but stopped myself.
By Nik Korpon.
ampere’s and
Today’s quick lit [& alt.cult] links from around the web: Toby Litt on how Raymond Carver‘s editor formed his pared-down style (see also, Raymond Carver, the kindest cut) & The Quietus interview Kevin Cummins & The surface of things, The Rumpus interview Tao Lin & Roman Polanski at the uncomfortable intersection of art & life […]
Five for: Shannon Lark
By Alan Kelly. 1) How does one become a Spooksmodel? To become Fangoria Entertainment’s Spooksmodel one has to compete in an online photos contest, then in front of a live audience and panel of judges. Basically, you have to be talented, in whatever you do. You have to be funny, and smart, and not just […]