We are Mass 2012 Connotation Press Retrospective. So big thanks to the Meg Tuite for that.

We are also in some awfully fine company. And we are here.

We are Connotation Press. And Darger.

We are also much appreciative. There is new interview. And new piece, "Mass," a riff on Henry Darger. Big thanks to the Connotation Press and the endlessly awesome Meg Tuite. Now, how about some excerpt? Cool. 

"I loved this story, Mass. At first, I’m reading this exceptional inner dialogue of this magnificent OCD character. His every move must be methodical or the next move cannot happen.

“You make coffee. There can be no spilled grounds, grounds bring ants, ants bring pestilence and pestilence brings death. You drink your coffee, one cup, no milk, no sugar. If the coffee spills you start again. You make toast, one piece, butter, no jam, never jam, jam brings ants, ants bring pestilence and pestilence brings death.”

Then, as I’m reading on, I am sure that you have drawn an incredibly moving picture of a day in the life of Henry Darger. I saw the documentary on his life and was mesmerized by him. No question, the story of Henry’s life is inspirational, but how did you come to write this beautifully poetic and disturbing piece.

“You go to Mass. You absorb the words as they float across the pews, taking flight, changing shape, and color, nuanced and beautiful and bending in and around the light. You do not think about the asylum. You take this time to kill all thoughts of self-abuse, or pleasure. There can be no release of any kind until you are home again.”

First off, thank you for the invitation to submit a story, the kind words and your interest in doing an interview. And second, I had this story “I Am Richard Simmons” published by ML Press a couple of years ago and I initially thought it might be cool to try and write some similar pieces in that vein, first-person ruminations on obscure or somewhat inscrutable quasi-celebrities we think we know something about and how they cope with confusion, pain and their inability to wholly communicate what they struggle with. I didn’t pursue the idea because I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to capture the tone and vibe I had with that piece. More recently though I started thinking about this again and for a month or so just wrote down the names of people who I thought might fit what I was going for, including Henry Darger, who I have been alternately fascinated and repulsed by for years. I am also fascinated and repulsed by OCD and the crippling nature of it in the extreme is endlessly upsetting to me... I didn’t want to romanticize this, nor do I frankly know anything really about Darger, but that’s part of my goal with these pieces. They’re my impressions and reactions to people we think we sort of know, but don’t, and can’t, and if they turn out poetic or beautiful, I’m thrilled, that’s really wonderful and humbling.

Wherein the David Tomaloff gets most beautifully Stuck Between Stations and TBWCYL, Inc. spokesperson Ben Tanzer explodes on impact.

David Tomaloff from Connotation Press on Vimeo.

Much explosion. And a most beautifully rought live Connotation rendition of the Tomaloff's totally crackling Stuck Between Stations from the Dogzplot.  

AWP Readingness. Gettin' Our Read On. March 1st. Word.

Ink on the Tracks. California. And Estimated Prophet.

Quite cool this. The always awesome Anna March invited TBWCYL, Inc. spokesperson Ben Tanzer to submit a track and guest essay to her "Ink on the Tracks" music column at Connotation Press. The theme of this column was California and our contribution is a riff on "Estimated Prophet" by The Grateful Dead, what it meant to us once, and still does, so many years down the road. that I wasn't really into music then. Then being the early nineties. Then being before now and after that other time before this. I wasn't into anything really though. Okay, that isn't entirely true. I was really into abusing substances. Getting laid. And learning how to throw a forehand blade. But music not so much.

Connotation Press. The March. Quasi-self indulgence. And Interview Sundays. Part Two.

More, yes, more interview, more Connotation, more excerpt, and more terrificness from the Meg Tuite, this time talking with TBWCYL, Inc. favorite and big-time supporter, the Anna March. Enjoy. And word. Big word.

Who have been some major influences in your writing career?

Soooo many.......James Baldwin. Richard Russo.  John Irving.  Ann Beattie.  Tillie Olsen.  Zora Neale Hurston. Ray Carver.  Daphne Merkin.  Lois Lowry.   Alice Walker.  Marie Howe.  Jack Gilbert.  Dai Saijie. Bob Dylan. Ellen Gilchrist.  Quincy Troupe.  Faulkner.  Faulkner.  Faulkner.

I keep a little note on my computer that says:  "Where's the heart?" -- that's from Michael Stearns.   The other note I keep there says:  "Does it hurt yet?" -- that's from Pam Houston.  Those two questions guide me.

Connotation Press. The Bradley. Quasi-self indulgence. And Interview Sundays. Part One.

Yes, true, that, the quite terrific Meg Tuite and Connotation Press talked Prize Winners with the Ryan W. Bradley this week, which can only mean one thing, Interview Sundays are back, we are most geeked, we think you might want to take a look and we are even providing some excerpt because we are good like. 

The title story, “Prize Winners,” is the one we are publishing and quite a powerful and memorable story. What was your inspiration for this story?

To me it feels shamefully obvious that I was reading Aimee Bender when I wrote this story, but it probably wouldn’t necessarily come to mind for others, so I’ve ruined the romance of it now. I don’t remember much about what spurred the story other than that when I read something I really like I often have an urge to write my version of that story. So, in this case I had read some Aimee Bender and thought, “what would my version of an Aimee Bender story be?”

Originally it had a much more Bender-esque ending (which I just now re-read for the first time since it was changed), but in revisions the ending changed to its current version, which is much more consistent with my style, if I have what can be considered a style.