The Torn Pages Show. 11 Chicago artists. 11 Chicago writers. Will be cool. Quite cool. Though some funding is needed. Are you in? Maybe?

The Torn Pages Show is coming, The Torn Pages Show is coming. No, we don't know exactly when, but we are excited to be participating. For this show the inestimable Josh Lucas is teaming with 11 Chicago writers, including many TBWCYL, Inc. favorites, including Jill Summers, Joe Meno, Tim Hall, Jamie Calder, Amy Guth, Zach Dodson and our very own spokesperson Ben Tanzer, and 11 Chicago artists, including among others the quite rocking Allison Dunne Burque and Dominique Holmes, to write and illustrate original children's stories that will be presented by the OhNo! Doom Collective in a gallery show. We think it will be quite cool, but If all that wasn't cool enough though for you, Josh is also hoping to collect the work in a perfect-bound, full color book and this is where you may or may not come in. Josh is using KICKSTARTER to raise the funds needed to produce the book and if you think you may want to support this effort please do take a look. Maybe you can take a look regardless, and maybe, just maybe, it will change your life, if only briefly.

Further proof that it is Jill Summers' world and we just live in it.

Writer and audio goddess Jill Summers is a long-time favorite of the staff here at TBWCYL, Inc. We have podcasted with her and ran a great piece of hers back in the early days of This Zine Will Change Your Life. Sometimes we even just follow her around. Frankly, we think she rocks, and so we were very excited to see that she not only won the Pilcrow edition of Opium's Literary Death Match series this past Saturday night, representing the Orange Alert no less, but that she also got a really nice write-up on the Ninth Letter blog this week. It's good stuff all around, well-deserved and we hope this will prompt you to check Jill out if you haven't already, because it will certainly change your life, even if only briefly.

So, hit it.

So VAIN, so geeked.

Are we so geeked that the Fall 2008 issue of VAIN magazine that we here at TBWCYL, Inc. had the opportunity to guest edit is like totally available? Yes we are. Are we thrilled that the whole crew from This Zine Will Change Your Life had the chance to participate in this project as well? Way. Are we especially happy that there is work published in this issue by many of our favorite writers at the zine - J.A. Tyler, S. Craig Renfroe, Jr., Jill Summers, Corey Mesler, Chad Halliday? Totally. And is there anything else to say? Yes, many thanks VAIN, working on this was a lot of fun and we are very grateful for the opportunity.

In The Curious Hold of the Demeter: Count Orlock at Sea.

We realized today that with all of our travels as of late we have been highly bereft at hyping TBWCYL, Inc. and This Zine Will Change Your Life favorite Jill Summer's new play In The Curious Hold of the Demeter: Count Orlock at Sea. The show combines puppetry, masks, live actors, shadowplay, and projections into a unique production inspired by F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent film Nosferatu, is playing at the Chicago DCA Theater and can be seen until October 25th. So we think you should go see it, cool? Cool. Enjoy.

So, did we rock the Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine DvA Gallery book release and reading? We think so.

We are quite happy to report that the Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine book release and reading at the DvA Gallery on Saturday night rocked it hard. Many thanks to the other readers - Jill Summers, Nick Ostdick and Jason Fisk - who were quite awesome, as well as our killer music acts - Brendan Losch, Venna and good friend Other World. For a more detailed account of the night please visit the Orange Alert Press blog and for some video and photo documentation love please look above and below.

Audio love and a Pete Lit shout-out.

Most excited to report that the abbreviated audio version of Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine which is being released on the Orange Alert Press blog, has been divided into seven sections or scenes and Scene One: The Party is available now. As written previously we had a lot of fun with this project and want to once again thank not only Jason Orange for organizing this, but Tim Hall, Jill Summers, Nick Volkert and Amy Guth for pitching in. We also want to thank the endlessly and effortlessly rocking Pete Anderson for the under-pressure "Go Your Way..." shout-out he gave us on his very kind Pete Lit blog. Much appreciated sir.

Readings - both a reminder and a heads-up.

We wanted to take a moment to remind you that TBWCYL, Inc. spokesperson Ben Tanzer has been invited to read at this week's Sunday Salon Chicago along with the inestimable Jill Summers, La Guth and Black Flies author Shannon Burke. He is very definitely thinking of reading a new piece, but to know for sure you will probably need to come and find out for yourself. We also wanted to let you know that it is looking quite likely that Orange Alert Press will be holding the book release party for Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine on Saturday, September 6th. The location is still being locked-in, but you can definitely expect much reading, live music, jugglers, crazy string, flame throwers, a lizard man, board games, water balloons and at least one member of Nelson or Wilson Philips, so we do hope you will pencil it in and then you know, maybe join us. Cool?

The new edition of This Zine Will Change Your Life is tricked-out, multi-photoed and way, way live.

Yo, check it out the new edition of This Zine Will Change Your Life is so awesomely live with a new story called Excerpts from a Woman's History of Dunholt by the most rocking Jill Summers, photos, yes, we went with the multi-photage this time, by Adam Lawrence, music selected by Jason Behrends and spiritual guidance and prose love by Pete Anderson. We hope you enjoy it, link to us, provide mass shout-outs, submit and let us know what you think. We also want to thank you for your support, monetary, physical, yes we're talking to you Eric Spitznagel, and otherwise.

Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine audio love.

So we had a very, very cool time yesterday recording sections of Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine. Jason Orange our fearless leader from Orange Alert Press recruited Tim Hall, Amy Guth and Jill Summers to help us out and the five of us, plus surprise ringer Nick Volkert knocked it out at the quite awesome Stray Dog Recording Co. It couldn't have been more fun and we cannot thank all involved more for their time, enthusiasm and support for the book. Jason will be releasing the recordings on the Orange Alert Press blog over the coming weeks and we hope you will find it to be as cool as we think it will be.

How freaking cool is this?

Following a quite appreciated recommendation by La Guth we are pleased to announce that TBWCYL, Inc. spokesperson Ben Tanzer has been invited to read at the most awesome Sunday Salon Chicago on July 27th mere days before "Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine" goes live online. Not only will Ms. Guth be reading, but we will also be on the bill with none other This Blog Will Change Your Life favorite Jill Summers and Shannon Burke author of the newly released Black Flies from Soft Skull Press. Pretty freaking cool, yes? Yes, and did we mention that they hold the readings at The Charleston Bar? No, well then, even cooler still, right? Indeed.

This Podcast Will Change Your Life, Episode Eight - A God-Awful Hellhole.

We are quite pleased to share the new episode of This Podcast Will Change Your Life with you. It is Episode Eight, it is titled A God-Awful Hellhole and it stars none other than Jill Summers the featured writer in the next edition of This Zine Will Change Your Life. As promised we ask Jill what a "shadow show" is, but we also cover what she's currently reading, a somewhat short discussion to be honest, and why it may not be best to read at Ronny's during the summer. Please note that we do not cover book-binding or political cartoons, but we hope you will listen anyway.

The Fixx. The2NDHAND. The love. And the madness.

Competing readings. Writers we love. And all tomorrow night. It's literary madness.

First, we have The Fixx Reading Series which stars among others the bard-like Nick Ostdick. Which is not bad, right? No, not at all. And second, THE2NDHAND is at Ronny's where the quite awesome Jill Summers is previewing her new shadow show HOTEL with Susie Kirkwood. And no we're not sure exactly what a shadow show is, but we promise to find out. No really, we will, because Jill and TBWCYL, Inc. spokesperson Ben Tanzer are recording a podcast on Friday and he plans to ask.

Meet the Author - The Orange Alert Press interview.

Our most generous publisher and good friend Orange Alert Press has reached out to interview "Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine" author and TBWCYL, Inc. spokesperson Ben Tanzer about the new book, the Chicago literary scene and what the future holds for said spokesperson. We think you may find this interview interesting and we think you may even find yourself name-dropped, especially, though not only, if you happen to be named Elizabeth Crane. Of course we think a lot of things. That said, if you are so inclined you are invited to take a look at the interview on the Orange Alert Press blog. Will it change your life? It might. Either way though, we hope you enjoy it.

So not quick, or how not to rock QUICKIES! Chicago.

We so didn't rock the QUICKIES! Chicago last night. We really wanted to and when we read "Daddie Dreariest" during lunch yesterday it only seemed to take about five minutes, the time limit for all QUICKIES! readers. Apparently though we horribly miscalculated because with one page still to go we were viciously whistled off of the stage by our otherwise awesome QUICKIES! co-hosts Mary Hamilton and Lindsay Hunter. While it was quite embarrassing to say the least, we persevered with the support and love of a number of friends populating the reading, including but not limited to Nick Ostdick, who read his excellent THE2NDHAND horoscope piece, Horoscope for the Morning After, Amy Guth, Spencer Dew and Jill Summers. Having recovered we went on to record the latest episode of This Podcast Will Change Your Life, Salsa Music and Smoke, with Mary and Lindsay, who way rocked it to say the least. And then late night we hit the Beachwood with La Guth and Dr. Ostdick to talk Lucky Man with new best friend Kelly, a.k.a Salsa Switchblade, who stumbled onto a copy of the book there and had some questions. Overall, it was quite a good night, right? Way right.

Crazy awesome Orange Pulp madness.

We wanted to be sure to draw your attention to the first ever What To Wear During An Orange Alert mix tape. It is titled Orange Pulp and it is a fantastic compilation of Orange Alert's favorite writers and musicians. While we are thrilled to have been involved in this project, we are especially excited to see so many writers on this CD that we so absolutely love and admire - Jill Summers, Nick Ostdick, and Spencer Dew just to name a few. Orange Alert will be passing these out in Chicago and New York City throughout the summer, but if you cannot wait, or cannot get to these fine cities, please visit the link above and let them know that you need a copy now, right now, and we have no doubt that they will be happy to take care of you.

A 50 word story, six questions and more RAGAD reading love.

The venerable Nick Ostdick invited TBWCYL, Inc. spokesperson Ben Tanzer to write a 50 word story and then answer six terribly revealing questions for a new segment he's doing on his blog In The Nick of Time called the 50 Word Story Segment. We did our best to make you all proud and we now invite you to take a look.

We also want to take this opportunity to remind you that next Saturday, April 26th, at 7:00pm we will be participating in a very cool Ostdick-led RAGAD reading at The Book Cellar. The theme of the reading is BOOZING: STORIES ABOUT ALCOHOL and there will be a most stellar line-up including Nick himself, Jill Summers, Amy Guth and Jason Jordan. It should be killer and we hope to see you there.