Mel Bosworth

revisorderganizing

2012-01-25T13:36:00.001-05:00

stayed tuned, 2012.

I'm big in Japan

2012-01-24T17:11:00.000-05:00

"Bosworth has a kind of silent, delicate selection in his peripatetic prose, an under-stated supplication to the innate power of words. And it's this familiar staccato rhythm of repetition and yearning, delivered casually, that makes this technique of skipping back and forth feasible, and very readable."

Declan Tan on my novel FREIGHT in The Huffington Post UK. Read the entire article HERE.

(click for good sounds)

hi

2012-01-24T09:00:00.001-05:00

one time all you wanted was one time all i wanted. it's true. HERE.

Limbs Bin. Huh? HERE. Scorched vocal cords never sounded so good in the morning.

Have some tea.

Iggy

2012-01-23T12:47:00.001-05:00

a bit o' snow

2012-01-21T12:58:00.001-05:00

erasure #1

2012-01-19T09:29:00.000-05:00

erasure #2

2012-01-18T18:59:00.000-05:00

Safety Third Enterprises brings us a bundle of joy

2012-01-18T10:13:00.000-05:00

You missed them the first time around because you were just too busy. Don't miss them this time.

The 2nd pressing of xTx's He Is Talking To The Fat Lady and Frank Hinton's I Don't Respect Female Expression awaits your pre-order.

Bundle up this baby and it's only $9.

Go HERE.

good EMA binge

2012-01-17T19:20:00.000-05:00

Happy birthday to people who have birthdays today.

2012-01-16T15:37:00.000-05:00

Whoopie pie cake is great.

dirty snow dirty sky

2012-01-12T07:27:00.001-05:00

it'll turn to rain soon and then it'll go away. it's nice now.

BURNAWAY

2012-01-11T18:25:00.001-05:00

Thanks to the wonderful team at BURNAWAY for being super cool to work with, and thanks to Blake Butler for being curator extraordinaire. Check out my little article about the artwork of Captain Awesome himself, Edward Mullany, HERE.

red lightbulbs #6

2012-01-03T17:30:00.000-05:00

happy to be in here. lots of great folks. lots of new treats for a new year.

Everything you do is Zen.

2012-01-01T17:07:00.001-05:00

Bodhidharma

good things slip through the closing seam

2011-12-30T14:43:00.000-05:00

2011 is nearly over, and today two great folks offer up bouquets of kindness and generosity.

Thanks to Robert Vaughan of JMWW for putting together his Best Of list HERE, and for giving my novel Freight a tip of the cap.

Thanks also to the amazing Ethel Rohan for her kind words about my novel HERE.

If I don't catch you before the end of 2011, I'm sure I'll see you next year. Be safe out there, wherever you are, and thanks for stopping by.

M83 in my ears when i run in the cold

2011-12-26T15:15:00.000-05:00

winter solstice

2011-12-22T15:15:00.004-05:00

Some Things

2011-12-21T20:25:00.000-05:00

I take a look at the forthcoming Omicron Ceti III by Thomas P. Balázs HERE.

The mighty Seth Berg, author of Muted Lines from Someone Else's Memory, takes a look at my novel Freight HERE.

Nicolle Elizabeth's One Time All I Wanted is coming soon from Dark Sky Books. Learn more HERE.

my seven thousandth tweet

2011-12-21T15:36:00.000-05:00

triple nipple grub lure or three great lists that taste great together

2011-12-15T10:23:00.000-05:00

We all work really hard. It's true. And so I'm humbled and honored to have my novel appear on three outstanding lists compiled by some really outstanding writers/readers/hardhat worker mothergrabbers. This little land we inhabit can be thrilling and exhausting, and today I happily collapse.

Thanks to Amber Sparks for including my novel on her Best Of list at Big Other HERE.

Thanks to the beautiful team at Dark Sky Magazine for including my novel on their Best Of list HERE.

And thanks to Mr. Jason Jordan, author and E-I-C of decomP Magazine, for giving my novel a most gracious nod HERE.

Okay, break is over. Get back to work.

An End of Year YES List

2011-12-12T12:58:00.000-05:00

Alist of 33 YES things I experienced, in no particular order, in the year 2011.

*Note:some of these YES things may not be from the year 2011, but it’s my list and IYES what I want to.

1) PJHarvey’s LetEngland Shake

2) Short Bus by Brian AllenCarr

3) NormallySpecialby xTx

4) Ambient FloridaPositionby Josh Spilker

5) Apollo Grill

6) The IndefiniteState of Imaginary Morals by Rae Bryant

7) Season4 of BreakingBad

8) TheBee-Loud Gladeby Steve Himmer

9) My Father’s House by Ben Tanzer

10) Popcorn Noir

11) If I Falter at the Gallows by EdwardMullany

12) StoriesV!by Scott McClanahan

13) CowboyMaloney’s Electric City by Michael Bible

14) White Square Books

15) Hunters &Gamblersby Ryan Ridge

16) Grow Up by Ben Brooks

17) TomWaits’ Bad as Me

18) This video by Rubblebucket

19) Us by MichaelKimball

20) Rawmilk from Upinngil Farm

21) TheCrutchfield half of The Five LostSenses of Carl

22) AScanner Darklyby Philip K. Dick

23) Stories for Nighttime andSome for the Day byBen Loory

24) ROKU!

25) This video by Lake Street Dive

26) Therelease of my book

27) This review of mybook that made me feel insane for a while

28) Flying Object

29) Justa Little Piece of Heartburn by Tom Cheshire

30) Hot Chocolate Run

31) Tru Beer

32) Allkinds of delicious local food from SimpleGifts Farm

33) Quittingsmoking after 16 years (I’ve been smoke-free for 8+ months and I’m feelinggood. Smokers: When you really want to quit, you will.)

10 Things I hope to YES before too long:

1) Ayiti by Roxane Gay

2) Lepersand Mannequinsby Eric Beeny

3) There isNo Yearby Blake Butler

4) Girl with Oars& Man Dyingby J.A. Tyler

5) Beforethe Great Troubling by Corey Mesler

6) A Visit fromthe Goon Squadby Jennifer Egan

7) OnceUpon a Riverby Bonnie Jo Campbell

8) AbbottAwaitsby Chris Bachelder

9) FamilyFangby Kevin Wilson

10) DeathWishingby Laura Ellen Scott

Thank you and goodnight.

an average gallon of milk costs about $3.50 to $3.99

2011-12-11T18:09:00.001-05:00

a good amount of natural light

2011-12-09T11:05:00.001-05:00

tomorrow night at flying object there will be mullany, collins, crutchfield, and me. come by and say hello.

raining outside

2011-12-07T19:03:00.001-05:00

ho ho ho hot chocolate run & jubilat yay

2011-12-04T14:57:00.001-05:00

Hot Chocolate Run.
jubilat.
yay to both.
yay to you.

42°F and All is Well

2011-12-03T10:36:00.001-05:00

November Exits, Stage Left

2011-11-30T12:47:00.001-05:00

I take a look at Garrett Socol's short story collection Gathered Here Together over at OWC. Check it HERE.

I also spit the words of Mr. Josh Spilker over at the glorious Dark Sky Magazine. Peep that HERE.

Then come back for the jam.

found Zen: edward mullany

2011-11-27T21:43:00.001-05:00

Carl Catches the Spotlight at OA

2011-11-25T16:46:00.001-05:00

happy black friday, happy belated turkey day, well hello there.

sending goodness and thanks to jason behrends of Orange Alert for shining the spotlight on The Five Lost Senses of Carl this week. Check it HERE.

New at Headquarters

2011-11-22T19:21:00.001-05:00

Threshold Songs by Peter Gizzi

All Hands On, a reader edited by Todd Dills

¿Dónde está la biblioteca?

2011-11-20T16:28:00.001-05:00

More Freight. More library. This time The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Big thanks to Sal Pane for snapping the photo. And for being awesome.

found Zen: matthew salesses

2011-11-17T14:42:00.001-05:00

Getting The Lit Pub Treatment

2011-11-16T16:14:00.001-05:00

Huge thanks to Alex Pruteanu & The Lit Pub crew. Check it HERE.

found Zen: brooks sterritt

2011-11-15T08:23:00.001-05:00

the autumn, library look

2011-11-15T08:10:00.001-05:00

very big thanks to mr. mark rushton, and, of course, to the Iowa City Public Library.

found Zen: kathy fish

2011-11-14T10:44:00.000-05:00

Q & A

2011-11-12T20:17:00.001-05:00

Big thanks to Josh Spilker & Impose Magazine for the Q & A funtimes. Read it all HERE.

Round Up & 2005 YU55

2011-11-08T19:35:00.000-05:00

SOME THINGS:

The new print issue of Dark Sky Magazine.

Pre-order Jason Jordan's new novella The Dying Horse.

elimae. hey, lady.

decomP. hey, lady.

New PANGUR BAN PARTY.

This amazing compilation by Sam Rasnake. Thanks, Sam.

Lavinia Ludlow reviews my novel Freight at Small Doggies. Thanks, Lavinia.

WorldCat + Freight = More Freight.

There are other things I'm missing.

Thanks, Great

2011-11-06T20:15:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the Mullany's for hosting a fantastic release party in NYC for Edward's book If I Falter at the Gallows. His book is amazing, and it was an honor to be on the reader roster along with him and greats Lily Ladewig, Stephanie Barber, and Robert Lopez. It was also nice to meet some new friends and see some new old friends. The pizza was pretty good, too. Also, catching a bit of the New York Marathon at mile 24 was kind of sweet.

And hey, check out this poem from the new issue of H_NGM_N.

Nice Sloth & Stuff

2011-11-03T11:21:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Beach Sloth for THIS thoughtful and fun review of The Five Lost Senses of Carl, the ebook by me and Christy Crutchfield.

Thanks also to Jason Pettus of CCLaP for his kind words HERE.

Snow Won

2011-11-01T18:57:00.001-04:00

Trees toppled. Limbs peeled away. The heads of power lines were torn off. We lost power for a few days. Candles burned. Impromptu refrigerators were made from buckets and snowbanks. We learned what it meant to dread the night, to be scared of what the darkness might bring. In the end, we got off pretty easy. Now we're back. Life goes on. Roku.

French Press V Snow

2011-10-29T15:24:00.000-04:00

It's a lovely battle.Thanks to Orange Alert for the Watch List love today.

V.I.P. Popcorn Noir

2011-10-28T19:22:00.000-04:00

That's right.

Easthampton got movies, yo.

And I got my V.I.P. pass.

Cool Hand Luke coming soon to my eyeballs.

Learn more HERE.

White Square Books

2011-10-27T16:38:00.001-04:00

A few miles down the road from Northampton, Massachusetts you'll find its neighbor Easthampton, and in Easthampton you'll find a great little bookstore called White Square Books. And in that great little bookstore you'll find a bit of counter space reserved for local authors, and on that bit of counter space reserved for local authors you'll find my novel Freight chilling beside Rachel Glaser's Pee on Water.

I like that.

You live here or close to here.

You'll like White Square Books.

Maybe I'll see you there.

Maybe I'll see you here.

Pushcart Nom Nom Nom

2011-10-26T10:01:00.000-04:00

"I Fixed," a chapter from my novel Freight, has been nominated for a Pushcart.

Many thanks to the folks at Folded Word Press, and congrats to my fellow nominees.Read the announcement HERE.

1-2-3-4-5! The Five Lost Senses of Carl

2011-10-24T22:08:00.000-04:00

Carl is finally here and he wants to lose his senses with you. Very big thanks to Deckfight Press for taking the project on, and, of course, endless thanks to my co-author, the glam-tastic & wonderful Christy Crutchfield.

Get some Carl HERE.

5K for Farmland

2011-10-23T12:58:00.000-04:00

Good times running the 5K for Farmland. Weather was nice and crisp, a little cloud cover, the colors were popping, the feet were slapping the pavement alongside the Hadley common and then they were slapping the hard-pack alongside Hadley farmland. Superstar Christy Crutchfield (who also rocked the spot at Monkeybicycle recently) tore up the course with me. We walked away with our bag filled with fresh vegetables, a pound of grass-fed beef, and delicious cookies. I think everybody won today. Mmmmm, grass-fed. Get outside.

dosh

2011-10-22T15:27:00.001-04:00

More Library. More Fun.

2011-10-19T15:23:00.001-04:00

Freight has now made a home for itself at the Worthington Public Library in Worthington, OH. I think that's awesome. I think you should go check my book out. CHECK IT OUT.

hello we are painting is good yes

2011-10-16T22:03:00.001-04:00

Library

2011-10-14T19:27:00.000-04:00

Freight is slowly making its way toward a library near you (hopefully). Right now it's at the Monroe County Public Library in Bloomington, Indiana.

You live there or near there?

You should go check my book out.

Ha. Get it?

CHECK IT OUT, YO.

Bye.

good bad

2011-10-12T21:39:00.001-04:00

Coming Soon

2011-10-09T20:13:00.000-04:00

from Deckfight Press, the folks who brought you Jordan Castro's Supercomputer, Josh Spilker's Firehouse Neckbrace, J. Bradley's A Patchwork of Rooms Furnished by Mistakes, and more.

Stayed tuned HERE, HERE, and HERE.

'Freight' review at Specter Literary Magazine

2011-10-07T18:47:00.000-04:00

Many thanks to Mr. Martin McCaulay for his generous and thoughtful review of my novel Freight at Specter Literary Magazine. Here's a snippet:

"Beautifully told, heartfelt and funny. Some parts go straight for the heart but never in sentimental or melodramatic way. And we can learn from its wisdom. David Hume said 'Be a philosopher; but, amidst all your philosophy, be still a man.' This is that story."

Read his full review HERE.

An additional thanks also goes out to Martin for catching (and appreciating) the sneaky Grease Stains reference in Freight. Good eyes.

between the chocolate milk & the earl gray

2011-10-06T18:56:00.001-04:00

you'll find the lady killigrew & montague bookmill. autumntimes is nice.

...it's on the table, the fire's cooking...

2011-10-04T21:14:00.002-04:00

Freight cozies up next to Andrew Scott's Naked Summer on the Vouched table. It feels good. Give some love to Vouched HERE.

october

2011-10-01T21:51:00.000-04:00

Withmy light striking

the bike path in front of me, he looks like analien

atmy side, strange nose and haircut. He looks like a mad scientist

atmy side, springs and cranks

jigglingand popping. He looks pale at my side. He looks

happy.His breathing is hard.

Iwish him a happy October, then press on,

crushingthe colorful and crunchy underfoot,

lightslashing the evening, a blade

offearless

ninja.

slipping it in on friday

2011-09-30T11:08:00.001-04:00

very large thanks to Morowa Yejidé for her lovely review of my novel Freight at the PANK blog:

"Freight may be one of the few books where there is plenty of room to bring in one’s own baggage, have a seat, and enjoy the ride."

Also, Flying Object in Hadley, Massachusetts is having an awesome book sale. Check out more details HERE.

Lastly, the KUBOA Press edition of my novella Grease Stains, Kismet, and Maternal Wisdom makes friends at the local laundromat.

The G3 Giveaway Contest Thing

2011-09-29T21:04:00.000-04:00

Purchase a copy of my new novel Freight. Prove to me that you bought it. Take a screen shot of your receipt or something. Then email it to me at eddiesocko[at]gmail[dot]com.

The contest will end on October 2nd, which is this Sunday. That night or sometime the next day I'll randomly select an entrant's name from a hat. It could be your name.

And then you'll win all 3 editions (Aqueous Books, Brown Paper Publishing, KUBOA Press) of my novella Grease Stains, Kismet, and Maternal Wisdom.

Pretty simple.

Good luck.
Thanks for playing.

the foliage cometh

2011-09-28T21:10:00.001-04:00

also, this.

you are a glorious butterfly

2011-09-27T20:58:00.000-04:00

Congrats to Anne Cecelia Holmes, Gale Thompson, and Lily Ladewig, Pioneer Valley representatives and hardcore book deal getters. Anne's work is forthcoming from Dancing Girl Press, Gale's from Tupelo Press, and Lily's from Spring Gun Press.

Auspicious autumn news, to be sure.

Keep your eyes open for future now moments.

Monday Burn

2011-09-26T09:38:00.000-04:00

Christy Crutchfield adds gas to the Housefire. Read the burn HERE.

The re-print series has begun at Safety Third Enterprises with the chapbook that started it all by Mr. Matt DeBenedictis. Learn more HERE.

Sometime during the late night or early morning this past Friday, Autumn began choke-loving the trees in the front yard.

Hello, old friend.

3 imaginary boys

2011-09-24T22:45:00.001-04:00

The Lit Pub is Back, Rested & Refreshed

2011-09-20T19:37:00.002-04:00

Grab a pint. Get to know your friendly neighborhood pub. Pull up a stool HERE.

my fren extie

2011-09-19T22:59:00.000-04:00

my fren has a cool thing at a cool place. see the cool thing HERE. congrats to my fren who is (i'm fighting the urge to say dumb) pretty (which means dumb in some circles).

i jest.

xTx is my awesome smart friend, and I am a fan.

Visit the Safety Pin Review HERE.

Visit xTx HERE.

So long.

You Save $6.23 (45%)

2011-09-17T21:50:00.000-04:00

When you order my novel Freight from Amazon.

You can do it HERE.

It's only $7.77.

Just wanted to let you know that.

Now go take a shower for me please.

Wish Tank

2011-09-16T13:41:00.000-04:00

Laura Ellen Scott is pretty awesome.

She has a forthcoming book called Death Wishing.

She also has a collection of wishes in her Wish Tank.

Read my wish HERE.

Then read some other wishes.

Then think about maybe sending her a wish of your own.

Then think about autumn.

Then think about how good her book would look on your table in autumn.

love thy post office

2011-09-15T22:03:00.000-04:00

recent arrivals i am very excited to have:

if i falter at the gallows by edward mullany

ambient florida position by josh spilker

nothing or next to nothing by barry graham

fame & madness in america by garrett socol

nouns of assemblage by housefire

...what good mail cometh your way these days?

The fall issue of jmww carries some Freight

2011-09-14T09:47:00.001-04:00

Many, many thanks to M. Thompson, Jen Michalski, and the entire crew of jmww. Check out the new issue HERE. Read the review of my novel Freight HERE.

"...Bosworth refuses to present a one-dimensional, doomed version of existence. His understanding is far subtler than that, more elegant."

Have a great day.

New Newses

2011-09-12T10:00:00.001-04:00

The first news, the BIG BIG news, is that Dark Sky is now a university-affiliated press. BAM BOOM BOOM BOOM! Read all about it HERE. The second bit of news is that I have a little thing over at HOUSEFIRE. Check it HERE.Oh yeah and my novel was officially released this past Friday. You can purchase it HERE.

Freight & Monkeybicycle

2011-09-09T12:06:00.000-04:00

Endless thanks to J.A. Tyler & Monkeybicycle for the review + interview of/about my officially released today novel Freight. Read it all HERE.

Then dance, you sexy little thing.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-09-09T00:00:00.001-04:00

PUBLISHER DIRECT

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

POWELLS

KINDLE

NOOK

REVIEWS

THANK YOU, ALL AND EVERYONE

banana bread

2011-09-08T18:24:00.000-04:00

enjoy some while sitting down near a warm window.

matt d gets awful interviewed but it ain't bad at all.

the KUBOA catalog awaits you.

tomorrow your life will change.

Devastatingly Kind

2011-09-07T22:23:00.002-04:00

Jessie Carty, author of Paper House and the forthcoming Fat Girl, calls my novel Freight, "devastatingly beautiful."

Read her full review HERE.

Nice!

ambient Florida position by Josh Spilker

2011-09-05T21:18:00.000-04:00

from KUBOA Press.

$4.95 (mass market paperback) PRE-ORDER NOW (ships 9/7/11)

Click HERE for Free Ebook versions of this title via Smashwords

It's dope. Yes.

eHo

2011-09-02T12:38:00.001-04:00

sometimes i don't mind being sprayed with silly stuff
when i'm not ready for it life
is a snake in a can spring loaded
tongue wagging friendly

happy september, all

McCreesh Carries Freight

2011-08-31T17:25:00.003-04:00

McCreesh shoulders Freight and likes what he carries:

"...the kind of book we might've seen from Brautigan had he written a choose-your-own-adventure book and, of course, stayed sober. It's got all the inventiveness and charm of a Brautigan, but the center of it never comes apart. It's an insightful rumination on the things we carry, and how those things impact our lives."

Read Hosho's entire review HERE.

Visit Mr. McCreesh, author of For All These Wretched, Beautiful, & Insignificant Things So Uselessly & Carelessly Destroyed... HERE because you should and need to.

*eyemovedtomorrow

Moon Milk Review

2011-08-31T17:17:00.000-04:00

YES.

summer slipping by

2011-08-30T23:12:00.000-04:00

ode to irene

2011-08-28T11:36:00.000-04:00

clear of debris
and branches and
cars and cats
and roads and toads
and teachers and doctors
and
boats and towers
naked but for a spiral
of wind and wet
i stand and tilt and kick
and push and rush and jolt
against and with
the curling swirly whirl
of irene
irene
irene
irene
irene
irene
this bar of soap
my partner my suds
my cleanliness
my, my my
my oh my

i love the romance of crime

2011-08-27T08:58:00.000-04:00

Grease's New Lease

2011-08-25T17:42:00.000-04:00

Coming soon from a new publisher.

Same great Grease.

Still available HERE.

HOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH.

Okay, This is Awesome. If You've Got the Scratch, You Should Buy It.

2011-08-24T18:54:00.001-04:00

HOUSEFIRE PRESENTS: NOUNS OF ASSEMBLAGE from Riley Michael Parker on Vimeo.

Info HERE.

Purchase HERE.

Friends Who Carry

2011-08-22T21:50:00.001-04:00

xTx, author of the outstanding Normally Special, wrote a thoughtful and wonderful review of my novel Freight. Here's a sample:

"I loved Freight. I ate it up. Fast. I wanted to. It was easy. Such a tenderness. Such a way of looking at life in terms of carrying. Of putting down. Of throwing up. Boxcars and boxcars of everything we experience in this life trailing behind us like the heaviest of ants. Invisible, but so very there."

Read it all HERE.

Thank you, friendo.

Publishers Weekly + Freight = Yes, My Friends Oh Yes

2011-08-20T07:26:00.001-04:00

"...subtle and delightful...fantastically innovative..."

Read the entire Publishers Weekly review of my novel Freight HERE.

Learn more about Freight HERE or HERE.

VHS by Pablo D'Stair

2011-08-19T22:41:00.000-04:00

The following is an excerpt from VHS, a literary novel by Pablo D’Stair being released in various e-formats, absolutely free-of-charge (and in limited edition print-editions-by-part through giveaways). Information on the project, including links to what is currently available, can be found at www.vhsbook.wordpress.com.

"all I did on my break"

On my break, I didn’t do anything but walk down to the corner, turn, get to the front of the McGruder’s supermarket, stand there, look at the soda machine for what seemed a very very very very very long time, reading the names of the sodas off of the buttons and trying to think of a way I might put them to a tune that would be celebrated and found wickedly clever by anyone who ever learned that I done it, and then went into the supermarket for absolutely no reason, this being a supermarket I had a deep disdain for because it was so grossly different from the supermarket I went to and had gone to all my life, the supermarket which had imprinted on me as Supermarket—or rather as “the market”—and I got to an aisle where shoelaces were on sale only to have it hit me that yes yes Christ God I did need shoelaces for both of my pairs of shoes but being
a dunce I’d left all my money at the store in the back room, so it was a loss and then I looked at cookies and tried to remember about some cookies I’d once had when I was a kid, distracted from this train of thought by my noticing there were women in every single aisle—every single aisle, no aisle didn’t have a woman in it—and by the fact that I could taste the back of my throat which made me think of lepers and leprosy and how lepers got shipped off someplace else and I wondered if lepers who were artists were forever seen through the pigeonhole of “leper artists,” if just because they would rot until they died and rot on more from there it would be generally considered in the critical community of whichever art they as individuals expressed that this expression of theirs was an expression “of leprosy” and then I fundamentally decided to take the point-of-view that something like leprosy would, indeed, alter everything about a person, even the abstractions they access, so a leper could not write about “love” without also writing about “leprosy”—then I found myself countering my argument by pointing out that this held the distinctly frightening implication that to express art that actually had to do with some abstract like Love or Soul or Identity one would, in fact, have to be devoid of any characteristic because otherwise this characteristic would, like leprosy, define them, be the slant of their “love”, to take just that example, though, being fair, I mentioned to myself that perhaps the beauty of art was that it could not be an expression of the abstracts—which by definition I, supposed, may or may not have any substantive definition, actually—but could only be a light shown through a filter meant to keep the light from getting to the other side and I checked the prices on beefsteak out of a vague curiosity of how much money my family spent on food when I’d been a kid, subtracting from the price of the beefsteak I looked at what I thought was an appropriate amount to account for inflation and general changes in the marketing of “meat” and particularly of “beefsteak”—I didn’t want to generalize my remembered childhood meals to just “meat” or even just “food” because that seemed ugly and personally affronting to the decisions my parents had made and which had shaped my mentality into what it was, a mentality I neither blamed them for or felt it appropriate to wholly credit them with, after all I’d been in contact with other people and the residues of even more people in the form of literature and cinema and public policy and historical evidences etc.—and then I went back out of the supermarket and was going to buy one of those soda’s from the machine but (one) there was a line for the machine I didn’t want to wait in and probably didn’t have the time to and (two) I still didn’t have my money on me and I peeked into the shop windows and the Chinese restaurant windows I passed and did a karate kick—not a Chinese thing, so I did a Kung-Fu kick, too—and then made a grimace at the overcast of the early night sky and as soon I was in the door Roscoe wanted to know if we were still honoring coupons even if they were clearly outdated by more than two years, to which I shrugged, said it would be a matter I’d contemplate and to take the customer’s name, address, and number and if I’d come up with a decision before it got to be too late to politely telephone them—also depending on where they lived in relation to the video store, because I wouldn’t want to tell them, for example “Yes we will honor the coupon” only to have them drive out to find we had closed for the night—I would call and the customer, though this wasn’t how they’d wanted things to turn out, explained that “it didn’t matter,” I agreed, Roscoe agreed and the matter ended in me shaking Roscoe’s hand arbitrarily and the customer not having enough money to rent their video without the coupon, short fifteen cents, so they said they actually would appreciate the call and would appreciate it if I made up my mind quickly, to which I said “Hey, I’ll do my best, if all goes well things’ll work out to your advantage and it might even be better that it happened this way, though only the final analysis can tell us that” and then I spent just two minutes in the back office—technically punched back in to shift—during which I made up my mind we could honor the coupon so I used the office phone to call up to Roscoe to get the customer’s number and then, without even hanging up the receiver, just resetting the phone, called and left a message with the customers young daughter that “could she tell her father it would be alright to use the coupon at the video store and that we couldn’t hold the film for him, out of fairness to others who enjoyed cinema as much as him, but since it was lousy film, actually, the chances were good it would be in when he got back” she said “Okay” but in a half awake kind of way and told me that she liked my voice and I told her that my voice was deathly attractive but not to get so excited as people might be listening and then try to imitate my voice in order to seduce her—specifically people who were very physically attractive, thinking if they had phenomenal bodies and my voice, to boot, it would a sure thing to get at her and likely convince her of their political philosophies while she was in the post sex euphoria—to which she said it was “alright”, that she “wouldn’t fall for an imitation”, but I could tell she’d taken what I’d said to mean “I have an ugly body” hung up without saying Goodbye and so I didn’t say Goodbye, either, even to myself, waited a minute until my erection had subsided enough to not be considered vulgar, calling the door stupid as I shouldered it open and went back out onto the sales floor.

happy

2011-08-19T21:25:00.000-04:00

here, coming

2011-08-18T19:14:00.004-04:00

nouns of assemblage
stoked vol. ii
i'm here right?

MK The Countertop Poet

2011-08-17T22:52:00.001-04:00

the truck died
on my way up hill
then died in parking lot.
here is a new planet for you.
see you later.

Basking in the Glow of Tanzer

2011-08-16T11:30:00.000-04:00

rest stop chair is good

Ben Tanzer, author of My Father's House, wrote some very kind words recently about Barry Graham's Nothing or Next to Nothing, Harry Potter, and my novel Freight. Here's a snippet:

"...Freight, a novel that reflects Bosworth's ongoing search for answers, completeness and love, and yes as always the Bosworth is love."

Read the entire swirl HERE.

Also, in truly awesome Tanzer fashion, he's hosting a giveaway of my novel as well. Learn more HERE. However, you'll have to move quickly because he's picking a winner today. WHOOT!

Big thanks, Ben.

Two Bones & Anonymosity Press

2011-08-12T08:22:00.000-04:00

Support your local BONES.

Pseudo-Masochism by Eric Beeny. Visit HERE.

How Much the Jaw Weighs by Eric Beeny. Visit HERE.

Read the author's press release HERE.

You'll be glad you did. August marches on.

The Rhythm is Gonna Get You

2011-08-10T17:39:00.000-04:00

Over at OA, Jason Behrends reviews my novel Freight. Here's a snippet:

"The way Mel describes this freight is so physical, so real, so vivid that you can also begin to feel the weight, the movement, the churning of the bits and pieces of our past loves, hates, tears, and smiles. This book allows you to attempt to quantify your baggage."

Read the entire review HERE. Very big thanks to Jason & Orange Alert. Also, check out this recent post about Lollapalooza 2011 HERE.

OA OA!

rodman

2011-08-08T20:27:00.001-04:00

From The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts:

"This year’s Enshrinement Ceremony will take place at Springfield’s Symphony Hall on Friday, August 12 at 8 pm ET. Over 50 Hall of Famers are once again expected to attend this year’s ceremony to honor the Class of 2011, which includes former NBA star and 1992 Dream Team member Chris Mullin; five-time NBA champion Dennis Rodman; ABA/NBA legend Artis Gilmore; four-time NCAA women’s coach of the year Tara VanDerveer; four-time Olympic gold medalist Teresa Edwards; European star Arvydas Sabonis; all-time NCAA wins leader Herb Magee; eight-time NBA champion Tom “Satch” Sanders; coaching legend Tex Winter; and former Harlem Globetrotter Reece “Goose” Tatum, who will be honored posthumously."

I loved watching Rodman play. I miss basketball. I want to play.

up and at them

2011-08-02T20:52:00.000-04:00

new elimae.

new Dark Sky Magazine.

old made new at the reprint.

it's august. summer scorching right along. damn.

are you experienced?

2011-08-01T19:23:00.002-04:00

i will be, shortly.

available from vagabondage press, in print and digital format, HERE.

edited by roland goity & john ottey.

(jimi time)

Come Get Tanzer

2011-07-29T12:57:00.002-04:00

I'm giving away a copy of Ben Tanzer's glorious new novella My Father's House. ~~Simply email me at eddiesocko[at]gmail[dot]com with the subject line "I WANT TANZER."~~ You can write other stuff too in the email if you want. I'll pick a winner tomorrow morning, and if that winner gets back to me quick enough with their mailing address, the book will go out tomorrow as well.

Thanks for playing, and good luck.

Update 7/30/2011: Winner chosen, contest closed. Thanks, all.

FREIGHT love at The Open End

2011-07-25T22:06:00.000-04:00

"FREIGHT...gives everything and takes nothing. It shines brightly."

Huge thanks to Michael Davidson for his wonderful review of my novel FREIGHT. Read the entire review at The Open End HERE.

CC Be Good

2011-07-24T10:19:00.000-04:00

Christy Crutchfield leaves a permanent mark on The Good Men Project with an excerpt from her in-search-of-a-great-home-come-and-get-some-amazing-novel How to Catch a Coyote. Read her contribution HERE.

Also, Wild Wolves gets another nice nod, this time from the folks at Full Stop. Much appreciated.

Take care, Amy.

99°F Wind: NW at 14 mph Humidity: 21%

2011-07-22T15:42:00.000-04:00

it's a wonderful day in the neighborhood

2011-07-21T13:56:00.000-04:00

sure things get slow in the summertime, or maybe busy, who knows, but it's always nice to take some time out to visit your friendly neighborhood OWC. there's stuff there, like book reviews and cool videos and other stuff too. it's a nice place. recently i reviewed Tiff Holland's forthcoming Rose Metal Press book Betty Superman there.

you should go check it out. drink lots of water. it's summertime. it's hot out there.