At Least Two People Have Taken Photos of Their Betty Boop Pumpkins and This Is One

Kirsty Logan's sort-of Halloween story, "All-Night Cartoon Party," is up @Wigleaf.

If after reading that you want more seasonal fiction, there's always Thomas Cooper's "The House on the End of the Street" in the archive.

Why the Betty Boop pumpkin? A.) Why not? B) There's a B. Boop mention in the K. Logan story.....

Anudder I-ivew

Fictionaut has just opened the curtain.

Nicolle E. interviewed me RE: the Wigleaf group for the f-naut blog last week. Here it is. (Two for the price of one: Barry G. is interviewed too).

Let me know if you want an invite (so's you can join the Wigleaf group).

Matt Bell's Dark Sky Interview

Recently I offered some considerations on lit on the net (for the note to accompany my upcoming thing in matchbook).

But I like Matt Bell's thoughts on this better.

Newly

Craig Snyder's "Death City" is just up @ Wigleaf.

This story is delicious. Have seconds.

Speaking of CS, the September Rumble is out, with stuff by Dawn Corrigan, Roxane Gay and others.

This Week @ the ASF Blog: On Ritual

The photo is of the new issue, which is just out (get it get it get it).

But this is about the blog: I've got some small # of words up today about writing ritual/routine. Stephanie Austin's (w/ a nice bit about candles) was up yesterday, and these people come later this week, one a day, i think: Amelia Gray * Matthew Salesses * Melissa Swantkowski * Josh Weil....

Nibbiteshitu

This is where you get on and off the antique roller coaster on the lake in Arnold's Park, Iowa. I hadn't ridden this thing in years until this summer. This summer my kid turned 7 and was tall enough to ride finally. She's high strung, and I didn't expect her to want to ride more than once. Because like I said the thing is antique. The cars fly all over the place on the tracks--back and forth, up and down. All that keeps you from rocketing out is a single worn drop bar. No harnesses. No belts.

But my girl did want to ride again. And again and again.

I'd never gone so many times in a row. In the old days they didn't have day passes.

So I had occasion to notice: the ride ends without warning. You're flying, you're spun, and they slam on the brakes. So you're sitting there--right there where you see in the picture. Inside you all is still turmoil, but you're sitting perfectly still.

Spin Your Head on this Shit

1. The aesthetic is political
2. Your subject position tends to influence your aesthetics.
3. The boiling in your blood -- as you work some of this out -- is a pretty good sign that you're a fool.

Call for Subs: Southern Review Baseball Issue

Just heard about this.

I guess I'm excited because I actually have one to try them w/.

Les Nouvelles du Leaf

* No, we're not going print, but we're IN print--or Gary Moshimer is. On the back page of the new issue of Two One Five Magazine, an arts and culture glossy distributed for free in Philadelphia, is a "Wigleaf Presents" section, and Gary Moshimer's story "Birds" from this past spring. Looks like a strong possibility that we'll be working w/ the editors there on another tie-in story for the next issue.

* For a while I've been thinking about the possibility of starting a Wigleaf group/community platform. No place ever seemed quite right until now: we've just launched one on Fictionaut. The only problem: for a short while, anyway, Fictionaut is still in testing, which is to say you can't get in without a contact. Let me know (by comment or email) if you'd like to check it out right away: I've been given some 'invites' for this purpose.