Love from MSNBC

So I go out of town for a few days.  To my gram's cabin, nestled in an internet/mobile-phone free zone.  To breathe for a sec.  And look what happens!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

I've been waiting for this to go live for ages.  Very fun.  I'm honored to share this clip with David Erlewine and Robert Swartwood.  Humbled actually.  You guys ROCK!  To Ben White at Nanoism I say thanks for publishing the story that I read on camera.  And to Mel Bosworth I send a cyber-hug for having my back while I was out of range.

Cheers,
J.S.

September Slipped By

September. What a month. My head is still spinning. To the point that I can only think in bullets:

• My poem "He Asks" came out in the print-only Rattlesnake Review.
  
• Surprise Valley Writers Conference asked me to be their submissions chair for next year's conference.  I also (somehow) ended up as their "new media" administrator.  So come visit me on their page on Facebook and their stream on Twitter.  Let's get this party started!
• Nanoism nominated my serial-tweet story Dakar 1989 for Best of the Net.  SO jazzed about that.  Caught me way off guard, since I was busy nominating everyone else for Folded Word.
• I also have some lovely editing projects that got underway in September.  They're going to be my secret for just a little longer...
• I started a Folded Word group on Fictionaut.  So pop on by and join the conversation.

Each of these items deserves a post of its own, but I'm afraid I have to dash.  My gram has been neglected far too long.  It's Friday Lunch Date time!

Cheers,

J.S.

No Longer a (Pushcart) Virgin

I just nominated works for the Pushcart Prize for the first time. My identity as an editor is finally sinking in AND I LOVE IT. Maybe too much.

Some of you may have already read my post on the Folded Word blog giving the official announcement of what, who, and why I nominated. But here's the rest of the story:

I am a perfectionist. Not with housecleaning, but definitely with words. It took me hours to write and print my cover letter and the nominated works, stressing over every little formatting nuance. I finally printed it, but the regular paper wrinkled slightly in my laser printer. So I brought out the big guns: crisp sheets of 25% cotton watermarked paper. Mmmm, felt good to sign the cover letter on that with my fine-tipped art marker. Nice.

Then came the part I HATE--addressing the envelope. My laser printer makes a hash out of envelopes. So I pulled out my manual typewriter, but it was leaving smudges. I figured clean handwriting would be better than smudged typewriting, held my breath, and then used my calligraphic training to address the envelope in precise strokes. Trust me, it'll take some intern's breath away. The personal touch from an indie press. Right?

Lastly, the postage. Of course, my postal scale was out of battery power and the battery drawer was out of 9 volts. So I took the packet in to the post office. The envelope was right on the borderline between rates, so the clerk put one stamp on it to see if the weight of the stamp would change the rate. It was a Bob Hope stamp--slapped on sideways by the rushing clerk. Ordinarily, that kind of imperfection would drive me nuts. Except somehow the sight of that quirky man perched at a quirky angle on a VERY serious letter made me giggle--even after the extra postage got slapped on in an even quirkier angle.

Maybe you had to be there.

All I'm saying is that I've always tried not to take myself too seriously with Folded Word. To have fun with everything I do there. And even with the gravity of losing my editorial Pushcart virginity, I laughed.

So here's to you, Nathalie & Mel. May your pen always flow and your words forever dance. I'm so glad your works were my first;-)

Cheers,
J.S.

Lights. Camera. Question!

Yesterday I gave my first national news interview on camera. The topic was fiction on Twitter, both stories I've written (see links at right for Nanoism & escarp) and other writers' stories I've edited/published on PicFic. My interview was part of a larger story--they've been talking to loads of people. I'll post details later if/when it will air. But the whole experience has been surreal.

Going in to it, I wondered whether or not I would freeze in front of the camera. I wondered whether or not the interviewer would constantly dig for dirt. I even wondered whether I would break into nervous, hysterical laughter and blow out someone's ears.

But I needn't have worried. Since the team in charge of the news story is based in DC, I drove into my local affiliate. Instead of being interviewed in a studio, I was tucked quietly into a conference room. Junior watched from the end of the table. Cameraman Mike took a shine to him, so showed him how to use his camera (see photo above) and gave him a tour of the newsroom.

After the 40 minute interview, I also had to re-read some of my stories while the camera rested on my shoulder to view my notebook and then repositioned to focus close-in on my face (SCARY). They also filmed me navigating to this blog, PicFic's Twitter stream, and PicFic's archive.

I hope it went well. I feel like it did. Of course I'm dying to know where and when the story will run, but I'm not super-anxious about whether any of my footage will make it in.

Most of all I'm JAZZED that fiction on Twitter is getting some national attention. It will be a real boost for all the contributors to PicFic (and Thaumatrope and Outshine and Nanoism and escarp and 7x20 and Tweet the Meat and...)

Cheers,
J.S.

Hint Fiction

Caught this link to a call for submissions via Mel Bosworth's Twitter stream. It's an interesting concept: a story that hints at a larger story, all told in 25 words or less. As PicFic's editor, I insist on a distinct beginning, middle, and end to any tweets I accept. But Mr. Swartwood doesn't want such a closed loop. He wants a piece that grabs the imagination and doesn't let go until multiple scenarios have played out in the mind.

If anyone else is interested, you can find submission guidelines for the W. W. Norton hint fiction anthology here. I'm going to give it a shot. Will you?

Cheers,
J

Junior

I have a new best friend as of yesterday. I met him in Keene, NH. Junior doesn't say much, but he's extremely comfortable to be around. Apparently he liked me, too, because he agreed to come home with me and help me conquer my summer-break block. Armed with my years-old flannel shirt AND my new friend sitting in my lap this morning, I've now got TWO rough drafts begging to play in my journal. So I'm off. And I'll keep you posted...

Cheers,
J

Who Woulda Thunk It?

The world is truly a mysterious and crazy place. My proof? Flash Fire 500 just published their latest interview issue, Flash Fire 5. Featuring me! I'll be sending out a care package to the editors--filled with Tylenol, tea, and smelling salts. Anything to snap them back into their right minds;-)

But seriously, thank you Itchy & Scratchy for my moment in the sun!

Cheers,
J.S.

Safety Goggle: Flash Fire 5 interview at Flash Fire 500

(think before you read)
my content = TV-PG
other content = TV-MA (D L S V)

Tasmanian Circles

I just posted Part 1 of my Folded Word interview, TEN with meika loofs-samorzewski. He's a Tasmanian bronze sculptor with an amazing mind. People tell me I'm fairly bright, but this guy could run circles around me with both his legs in casts. If you want to read something that will challenge you, definitely check out his interview. And check out his work on Twitter this week.

Time for a cuppa tea and a sit down!

Cheers,
J.S.

Love from One Night Stanzas

I enjoy dishing out compliments. Too much, I think, as a friend of mine recently threatened to throw a pie at me if I did it again. Did I stop? NO WAY. I'm not afraid of pies--boxed them, served them, chucked them for 2 years at Baker's Square.

What was I saying?

Compliments. Right. I'm always surprised when compliments are returned. But today, they were returned in a very big way from one of the poets I've worked with at Form.Reborn. Claire Askew hosts a lovely blog called One Night Stanzas and works as Editor in Chief of Read This. Today she bestowed the honor of Featured Magazines #12 on Form.Reborn--going so far as to say, "Jessi (the aforementioned editor) is a very cool customer: incredibly friendly and running a seriously tight ship." WOW.

Think I'll dust my tap shoes off & do a jig!

Cheers,
J.S.

My James Lipton Impersonation

Every Monday on Folded Word I post an interview with one of our authors. For the most part all the questions are the same. But the answers are so very different every time. For this week I interviewed Ellaraine Lockie, a poet that I've actually met in person. So this one was especially fun. Even more fun was feeding carrots to her free-range rabbits when I spent the night at her house. So cute to see them hopping 'round the yard and making her cat yield the right-of-way!

Cheers,
J.S.

Folding Words, Playing Editor

Got very lucky in 2009 when I landed a gig at Folded Word Press as Managing Editor. Now I get to play with authors and learn the ropes from the lovely Jessie Carty. The projects I'm currently editing are:

• Form.Reborn - publishing extremely short poems on Twitter


• PicFic - publishing extremely short fiction on Twitter

Jessie and I are currently developing new projects, so this list will grow by the end of summer. I LOVE SITTING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DESK. Come by for a visit. My door's always open;-)