Valya and me, photo by Andy Duncan

March was a month of traveling madness, first to NYC for the Armory Arts fairs and then to Orlando for the International Conference on the Fantastic in Arts. The first night there, I got to see Amanda Palmer play her ukulele and serenade the bar with Radiohead’s “Creep.” Very decent way to begin a writer’s conference.

My reading/panel “Transforming Fact into Fiction” with Greg Bechtel lost two members to the flu, but the amazing Valya Lupescu, author of The Silence of the Trees, stepped in as our third panelist. It was only on the plane to the Florida that I suddenly realized I hadn’t told her it was a reading, too. But Valya was amazing, and read from her novel, and we had a great panel, despite the unforgivable hour (8:30 a.m.) on Thursday. The wondrous Sofia Samatar even got up early to hear us talk about about the intersection of memoir/fiction/myth/and history. It was my first time reading my work at a conference, and it was my first time coming as a writer as opposed to a scholar, so it was really a rather special ICFA.

Sofia Samatar, Valya Lupescu, me and Kat Howard. Photo by Jim Kelly

I also heard the lovely Kat Howard read part of the script from her collaborative project with Megan and Shannon Kurashige, “A Thousand Natural Shocks.” And then saw Dora Goss read (no! perform is a more accurate word) an excerpt from her work in Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling’s anthology, Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells.

I also wore a lot of cute dresses, if you can’t already tell by the pics. I’m an academic. I’m mostly covered in chalk and hidden away in a classroom, but this conference is held in Orlando, and so I worshipped the sun gods as every writer should when they get the chance.

Sofia and me

One of the highlights of this trip was finally meeting Sofia Samatar, author of the forthcoming A Stranger in Olondria, whom I had recently found on Facebook. But I knew I had found soul mate, when, at last call on our second night of the con, she turned to me and was like, “We need to buy a bottle of wine. What is up with this last call nonsense?” We, of course, closed down the bar that night. And the night after, and the night after. We also went to war for S’mores and bought magic rings our last night in town. Conferences such as this are made for adventures. 

Kat, Maria, me, Sofia at the Saturday night banquet. Photo by Andy Duncan

Speaking of which, included a possible tornado our last day there. Liz Gorinsky, Maria Dahvanna Headley, Dora, Sofia, and Lara Donnelly and I hunkered down in the Tavern (not for drinks, really, but to get away from the windows). The hotel was nice enough to bring us complimentary champagne and chips while the storm blew over. But it was Jeff and Ann VanderMeer, who rescued Sofia and I since they took the Weird Fiction Review team out to dinner in Winter Park. 

Jeff VanderMeer, me, Sofia, Ann VanderMeer, Edward Gauvin

Lovely dinner with good wine, laughter, excellent port, and snippets of conversation about a possible future conference on the Weird and Grotesque. It was so fabulous finally getting to meet Edward Gauvin, whose articles I have read over the past year. What a wonderful crew to be a part of, and I can’t wait to see what the next year for Weird Fiction Review brings. And serious kudos to Jeff for his book and movies deals!

Francesca, Valya, me, and Sophia. This was pre-S’more us

Now, there were all other sorts of glorious people I got to hang out with, including Chris Barzak, who also has a new book and a movie coming out (but this gang totally rocks). It was lovely to see Liz Gorinksy, KeffyKehrli, Liza Trombi, Francesca Myman, Ellen Datlow and a whole gang of folk that I only get to visit with once or twice a year (the NYC folk, a bit more). Hearing Andy Duncan and Neil Gaiman read was nothing short of sublime (oh yeah, did I mention Neil Gaiman was guest of honor there? And that he read from his new novel? Jealous?). So, quite the trip, and I am leaving out all sorts of grotesque stories about possums and placentas. And perhaps you are being quite thankful that I have left them out. 

One last thing is that I came home and packed up the rest of my beautiful house. I closed on Thursday, and so beautiful house is no longer mine. But I now have the means to go to NYC, starting in July, for about 8 months and write like a motherfucker. What shall I write, you ask? The sequel to Elementarí Rising, for one. A proposal to write a book on the Grotesque, too. I am hopefully going to get more stories and poems published. There are  Weird Fiction Review Articles to write, and art exhibits and KGB reading to attend. We shall then see where this path leads. All I know is that I’ve finally found the rabbit hole. And I’m ready to jump in.

I start teaching again in a few days, and there is already too much to do! But oh, wonderful readers and teachers and writers and artists, I’ve got plenty of visual delights for you while keeping you updated on book news, reviews, and interviews soon to appear.

First lovely thing: I caught a glimpse of my book cover by the wonderful Siolo Thompson, a fine artist who lives in Seattle. This is a portrait of the amazing Morgan, one of the fiercest water spirits that you get to meet in Elementarí Rising.  I hope to have a book trailer done by May that I can post here as well.

Speaking of epic fantasy, I get the chance to interview the fabulous Blake Charlton for Fantasy Matters and will be reviewing his novel Spellwright. I wish I could make every student who has struggled with writing read this book. There is something so lovely about watching the magical way that actual words come alive and erupt from the very sinews of the body in this story.

Since you will have to wait a couple of weeks for that interview to appear, I’m making it up to you by giving you an interview with Neil Gaiman, now out in Origin Magazine. You can purchase a print copy at most Whole Foods or Barnes and Noble, or get a digital version of the January/February issue here. Neil talks about Twitter, social media, the audio adaptation of Neverwhere, and the influence of Joel Peter Witkin. Go. Get. It.

For Weird Fiction Review, I’ll be writing on two fabulous artists: Digital artist and sculptor Micheal Rees and Jessica Joslin, a brass and bone sculptor. Articles will go live on the 15th and 29th. Watch the video! 

8 Legs from Michael Rees on Vimeo.

Also, my latest review of Margo Lanagan’s Tender Morsels is up at Fantasy Matters. It’s rare when a fantasy book full of magic refuses to stay in its proper place and burrows into the realm of the grotesque, but I think this slim novel does it.

Last, but not least, I would like to bring your attention to A Thousand Natural Shocks, an interstitial production of dance and words created by fiction writer Kat Howard and choreographers Megan and Shannon Kurashige. I love productions that challenge genres and take us into the slipstream of word, image, and performance.

Sparrow, Kate MacDowell

I really have to start making my titles catchier, but alas, all creative powers are going into teaching my summer class on the grotesque, and writing articles, reviews, and stories. So first, some great news: my story “Unleashed Beauty,” which was published in an art catalogue in 2009 will be reprinted next summer in Gargoyle Magazine. I love the momentum I’m building with this writing gig–even when I get rejection notices now, they are personalized, with the editors requesting to see more work.

Also, a new article up at Weird Fiction Review on the stunning sculptures of Kate MacDowell. I’ll have a review of Margo Lanagan’s Tender Morsels over at Fantasy Matters this Friday. And, I will be interviewing a very cool writer for a very cool magazine later in July. I’ll not say more lest I jinx it all.

Me and Atlanta artist Nikita Gale, after Kianga Ellis’s Art Under the Influence show.

Ah, me. Am back from NYC and furiously trying to grade. I will be posting a recap of my New York trip in serial format this week, since I failed to do give updates while there. But let’s just say I had the adventure of my life, meeting artists, musicians, playwrights, and poets.

But first, some fun news: just found out my story, “Come to the Table” was accepted in Prime Number Magazine. And my story Merea was recommended by Lois Tilton in Locus. Scroll to the last entry and you can see a snippet of the story.

While in New York, I got the chance to see Cynthia von Buhler’s immersive play Speakeasy Dollhouse. If you are in NYC this summer or fall, you really need to go see it.

Alright. Back to grading–I’m racing against the clock with nothing but coffee, chocolate, and an iron will to finish.

Given that, it’s only appropriate for me to introduce you to the stunning work of Jonas Burgert over at Weird Fiction Review. Intoxicating, lurid colors will bring viewers into a strange dreamscape that chronicles the exhilaration and isolation so many of us experience in this post-modern society. Paradoxically, these surreal conglomerations of pseudo-zombies, children, and monsters also create a desire for deeper community, a reconnection to the self and Other. My friend Creston Davis talks more about how to survive this “weight of the world” over at his blog. Go have a read.

Other news: My short story, “The Four Horsemen” will be reprinted in Danse Macabre for their May issue! I originally wrote and published the story with Plus Gallery here in Denver for their “Apocalypse? How!” show in January. I love and am devoted to this beautiful, wondrous intersection of word and image. To that end, I’ll be going back to NYC in early May to attend the Frieze Art Fair. If you are in the city between the 4th and the 16, let’s get coffee!

And a few weeks ago, I was interviewed by one of my former students concerning the story I wrote for the Apocalypse? How!  I had the chance to talk a bit more about the grotesque in art and literature and how this once ornamental aesthetic now functions as rhetoric. Go to the Westword blog for the article.

A reminder that “Apocalypse? How!” is this Friday (Feb 27, 6  p.m.) at Plus Gallery, featuring the works of Donald Fodness, Drew Englander, Paul Nudd, and Larry Bob Phillips.  My short story, “The Four Horsemen” will accompany the show.