November 2011
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Five Questions with Danny Goodman
The delightful Bryan Jay Ibeas, editor of Found Press, asked me about the background for my short novella, "Somehow There Was More Here." Answers range from a discussion of New York City, to Stars, Nada Surf, and Joss Whedon. That's right, it has it all.
BJI: Is there any particular inspiration for Somehow There Was More Here?
DG: These characters appear in several other stories in my collection, and through those pieces, hopefully, this pseudo-family goes through changes, both positive and negative. With this story, I wanted to bring all of them together one last time and let each of them make sense of things. (They’re all coming back in the novel, though, so the adventure continues…)
BJI: Your story feels very much like a ‘New York City’ story – that is, it wouldn’t feel quite the same if it was set anywhere else. Why do you suppose that is? Was this something you consciously tried to evoke?
DG: Ben and this cast of characters embody a lot of New York City for me. It’s fucked up and beautiful and destructive and resurrecting, this city, and I believe Ben feeds off this energy.
BJI: There’s one sequence in the story that was inspired by a pretty darn good song. Do you listen to music a lot when you write? If so, what’s on your playlist?
DG: The song had a lot to do with inspiring this story, with Ben’s fear of moving forward. Music, yes, is always present in my writing; within the short story collection, there are pieces inspired, heavily or otherwise, by songs from Nada Surf, Stars, The Verve Pipe, Death Cab for Cutie, The Beatles, Kelcy Mae, and Simon and Garfunkel, amongst many others. (Television, too, plays a large role, most notably the delightful works of Chris Carter and Joss Whedon.)
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“New York is merely a reflection of her residents. When the city is raw and...”
– from “New York, I love you” by Kurt Wong, a response to my short novella, “Somehow There Was More Here,” published by Found Press (via dannygoodmanwriting)
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“When you reach a certain age, you realize the things that crushed you then don’t...”
– Peace to fellow Specter and PANKster J. Bradley for sharing this on his blog, a post inspired by (?) my latest PANK column. (via mensahdemary)
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“He’ll turn out all right in the end, you wait and see.”
– Eugene O’Neill, ‘Long Day’s Journey Into Night’
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“In his books, the narrator and the characters, regardless of education or social...”
– Chris Andrews on César Aira (via kelsfjord)
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fwriction : review - Nothing to Fear, by Pat... →
fwrictionreview:
FADE IN:
INT. BEDROOM - MORNING
MAX, 20s, big and muscular, thrashes in bed, tangled in the sheets, tormented by a nightmare.
The alarm clock BUZZES, and Max jumps bolt upright, eyes wide, GASPING. He clutches a pillow to his chest, cowering.
SHRINK (V.O.) Are you taking your medications…
Stop by the Waffle-Rocking Playlist for Pat Rushin’s choice for...
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“But Thanksgiving is more than eating, Chuck. You heard what Linus was saying out...”
– Marcie, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
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Pure Slush: Volume One - Now in Print!
Pure Slush has released its first print anthology: SLUT! Packed with gorgeous writing—including work from former and future fwriction : review contributors Len Kuntz, Matt Potter, Karen Eileen Sikola, Susan Tepper, Nathaniel Tower, and Meg Tuite—the anthology is available here!
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“I had no idea what I was listening to, but
that’s just another way to fail to...”
– Bill Yarrow, “Babble”
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Ann Beattie's 7 Truths About Writers
scribnerbooks:
5. Poets go to bed earliest, followed by short story writers, then novelists. The habits of playwrights are unknown.
[via Book Bench blog]
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Every Writer’s Resource - fwriction : review →
fwriction : review has been listed on the wonderful site, Every Writer’s Resource. Stop by and check it out!
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fwriction : review: Three Poems, by Bill Yarrow →
fwrictionreview:
Babble
We had a family copy of Isaac Babel’s stories out of which my dad would read aloud when he was home, which owing to his employment issues was very often. I had no idea what I was listening to, but that’s just another way to fail to define childhood, I guess. Anyway, the stories were…
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“But that’s not what this is about. What it’s about is the slow drift...”
– Ron Currie Jr., Everything Matters!
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Little Fiction: "It's a tremendous time to be a... →
little-fiction:
Dragnet, Fwriction, Five Chapters, Found Press, Wigleaf, Joyland, and of course, Little Fiction, are just a few that are doing great things for the short story, and the short story writer. And then there’s the countless online contests and numerous journals from universities across North America, and the writers like Sarah Selecky, who are doing more for the short story than...
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“It’s a fleeting moment but she knows it won’t work, it can’t work, and her baby...”
– Kari Nguyen, “Star Anise”
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Another Typewriter Takeover →
tetw :
Articles chosen by fwriction
Once again, we’ve handed over controls of The Electric Typewriter to a guest editor. For the next three days all the articles on the site are the recommendations of Danny Goodman, founder and editor of the stellar online lit journal fwriction : review. For more from the man himself, check out his personal tumblr here.
I’m guest-editing a few...
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“I’m finishing up a collection of short stories. They are all linked by the fact...”
– Sam Lipsyte : The New Yorker (via peterwknox)
Good gimmick.
(via mcnallyjackson)
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fwriction : review: Star Anise, by Kari Nguyen →
fwrictionreview:
I
It is hot. Her black hair, like everyone else’s, is fraught with steam. Sweat collects at her hairline and sits above her lip. They need hats, she thinks. Hats would help.
It is the first hot day, and the third at sea. The wind has stopped, for the moment, but the boats carry on.
Listen to Kari Nguyen’s song choice for the Waffle-Rocking Playlist!
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Former fwriction : review contributor Róbert Gál (from “Waxing”) has some amazing work in the Best European Fiction 2012 anthology, edited by Aleksandar Hemon
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“He is the father and you are the son, and even in this weakened and vulnerable...”
– Ron Currie, Jr., Everything Matters!
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“When the hangman’s bored he turns dangerous.
The burning sky rolls up....”
– Tomas Tranströmer, “November”
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This Just In! fwriction : review Contributors Kick...
In addition to the exciting news earlier this week regarding contributors Meg Tuite and Howie Good, it’s been announced that fwriction : review contributor Julie Innis and fwriction-favorite Sara Lippmann have both been nominated for Pushcart Prizes by WomenArts Quarterly Journal!
A big congratulations to both of these writers, who are, quite simply, two of the best writers I’ve...
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fwriction : review Authors Are Awesomeface!
Congratulations to fwriction : review contributors Meg Tuite and Howie Good, who have received Pushcart Prize nominations from Short, Fast, and Deadly and The Single Hound, respectively.
Here are the nominated pieces:
Meg Tuite: “Irreversible Rupture,” in Short, Fast, and Deadly
Howie Good: “Undertow,” in The Single Hound
We have the best contributors. It’s...
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“she undresses in my karmic bed
for a while
remains naked in a veil”
– Igor Ursenco, “fortuna labilis”
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Lost Children: A Charity Anthology →
This is a pretty wonderful thing, with some damn fine writers behind it (including former and future fwriction : review contributors Sam Rasnake, Susan Tepper, and Nicolette Wong). Please, check it out.
Thirty powerful stories from around the world to benefit two children’s charities: PROTECT: The National Association to Protect Children (www.protect.org) and Children 1st Scotland...