Dzanc's BOTW 2008
Matt Bell is the author of the forthcoming short-story collection, How They Were Found. He edits the literary journal The Collagist and is serving as the 2009 editor of Dzanc Books’ Best of the Web series. Matt took time from his busy schedule to talk with us about writing, literary magazines, and what his future has in store. We’d like to thank Matt — for this interview and his contribution to the literary community. Now, go on with ya and read this post. It’s the online equivalent of literary street cred.
Dark Sky Magazine: You are editing Dzanc Books’ Best of the Web series. Talk a little bit about this, about Dzanc Books and its purpose.
Matt Bell: Dzanc Books’ Best of the Web series is a yearly anthology compiling the best fiction, poetry, and non-fiction published in online literary journals. Now beginning its third year, the mission of the Best of the Web series is to promote and expand the reach and prestige of online literature by offering this annual glimpse into the best writing the internet has to offer.
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Tagged as:
Literature in the Media,
New Literature Online
We All Drink From The Same Cup
We all envy someone or something at some time or another. It’s natural. But what you envy, and your expression of it, sheds light on your person. It reveals your character. In this past week Dan Brown’s novel sold over a million copies. And that’s despite the book’s being lambasted by nearly every credible critic in the literary land. We are not defending Brown’s prose. Frankly, it’s rubbish. But we do question the motivation behind the more scathing denouncements. Is it envy of Brown’s ability to sell his work that stirs critics so, or are critics simply looking out for the good of the reading public? Either way, the Ethiopian Review has compiled a list of Brown’s 20 worst sentences. At the very least it gives fledgling writers hope. Envy is one thing. Death is another. It waits for us all. The Walrus examines the meaning of our fate. The Dayton Literary Peace Prize announced its winners yesterday. Euripides is the grandfather of macabre. But did his work inspire rock ‘n roll? Speaking of music, it’s Bruce Sprinsteen’s birthday. And the old troubadour is still at it. The New Yorker is blogging all of its archives, the poet C.P. Cavafy is reviewed in The Critical Flame, and Iowa City remains high on the literary totem pole. It’s enough to make you envious. But fear not, gentle reader. Dark Sky Magazine envies right along with you. — Kevin Murphy
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Tagged as:
Literature Contests,
Literature in the Media,
Wednesday's Writerly Happenings
