Aside: Now that was a good book! The Pleasures of Reading Dilapidated Books

Finished the novel at the local Tim Horton's & took a snapshot. It'll soon be in my recycling bin.

Recently I've been rummaging through books I've been hanging onto only because I want to read them. Most of these I've obtained as rejects from an annual book fair at which I volunteer, while others came from odd, random sources, including found lying in the streets. These books are so beaten I have no wish to keep them, nor to pass them along, no matter how rare they might be. (With the exception of Joan Samson's The Auctioneer, which, despite its dilapidated condition, I gave to a colleague I knew would appreciate the read and not mind the state of the book. A rare quality.)

In some cases I tear off and keep the cover. Either the cover is in surprisingly good condition (as was the case with The Other), or the edition is an old one, or I simply like the cover. Years ago a friend confided that she tore the covers she liked off old paperbacks in order to make boxes. At the time I was appalled: why would someone willingly ruin a book? But in cases where the book is already ruined beyond repair, I have come to realize that keeping the cover is, in its own way, a continuation of the use and memory of that book.

Besides the logical reasoning of this practice of hoarding torn books, keeping covers and recycling the rest, there exists a guilty pleasure I have recently come to acknowledge.

Since I was a child I was taught (rightfully) to respect books and treat them well. "Books are among my best friends," my lovely mother used to say. No matter their age, current state or to whom they belonged, I treated books with respect. I have always been careful even with library and school books. I do not eat while reading and am very careful with my coffee or tea, which I enjoy in the evenings while I read at home or in coffee shops.

Yet this recent practice of reading torn books has come with an unexpected sense of relief. Being  careless with these books, I feel that I am somehow letting go, dropping that rigid, near obsessive care with which I have always treated all books. Instead of the book itself, I can focus on the content. (Actually, I genuinely enjoy the combination and frequently a good edition can enhance the reading experience.) Rather than feeling guilt in damaging these already damaged books, I am instead receiving pleasure from stuffing a paperback into my back pocket, folding pages over as I read, and even carry a pencil with me as a threat of underlining! In short, I have become mad.

Yet before handling these books with careless abandon, I had already decided they were slated to leave me via a blue plastic sac, properly sorted with other paper products. Not as useless, perhaps, as that torn envelope, but like a cracked glass, they have served their usefulness and can continue being useful by being transformed back into pulp.

Not to mention I own too many books, and looking into moving soon, need to begin clearing out the house.

Other recent crumpled, coverless books read:

The Auctioneer, Joan Samson
Shogun, James Clavell
Digits and Dastards, Frederik Pohl

Aside: Funding Publications

Without the various publications now available, the struggling writer concept would quickly metamorphose into the incidental writer, a writer who writes for self but has utterly given up on the dream of print. Publications need support, often financial, and the best way to support any publication is to purchase or subscribe.

At the age of thirteen I asked my parents, near Christmas, to gift me a subscription to Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, which they happily did. That excitement each month of receiving a collection of stories has remained with me ever since, though I've long since stopped that subscription. Since then I've held subscriptions to Prairie Fire, Riddle Fence, Prism International, Exile Quarterly, Grain Magazine, Dark Moon Digest, Glimmer Train, current favourite The Fiction Desk, and many others. Receiving a package from any publication, whether a journal, an advanced copy for review or a book via Book Depository or Bookmooch is a treat equalled by little else. In return for a subscription I receive not only fiction and articles, but  excitement and pleasure. Also, I am happy to know I am helping to keep the publication in print and the writers employed.

There are also funding projects available at times for both journals and one-off publications, and there are terrific ways in which readers can feel as though they are in some small way part of the publication. The first actual donation I gave was to Riddle Fence through a Rockethub campaign granting special subscription offers to those generous enough to support financially, and just the other day I was enticed to support Dark Regions Press for a shared world anthology project titled Madhouse. This particular campaign was attractively set up via indiegogo, and promised additional artwork and authors by offering "perks" to those helping fund the project. These perks range from copied of the final product to having a character named after the funder, or having a particular author kill off the funder in some creative way. I happily purchased a Madhouse Grab Bag, and having done so am suddenly quite excited about the project, which is to be delivered April 2015. (Though I'll likely forget about the entire thing until I receive a package from DRP.)

The recent publication Pulp Literature recently launched a kickstarter campaign in order to fund their second year as a paying print publication. I will soon familiarize myself with the publication (beginning tonight) and will likely make a donation/purchase to help them out as well.

There is still plenty of time to help fund Madhouse or Pulp Literature, if you're so inclined. Otherwise I would urge any reader and writer to support a publication with a subscription. A year subscription to most journals is equivalent to a meal or two (or three, depending on how you like your meals). They make excellent and unique gift ideas and generally look nice on a bookshelf. Moreover, in this age of electronic communication, it gives us something to look forward to in our mailboxes.

If you do decide to support a publication via a new subscription, let me know which one you've selected. Or let me know of others campaigns currently underway.

Aside: 100,000+ visitors

A little over four years and a hundred thousand visitors, humans and bots alike. Perhaps other creatures as well.

At a young age I started taking notes on my readings, writing synopses and collecting publication data. I started reading serious short stories at the age of ten, and quickly developed a compulsive need to record. This has stayed with me in varying degrees, and a blog was just a part of the evolution of my compulsion. Having an avid reader as a mother, who introduced my to Alfred Hitchcock at an early age and other story-telling influences, not to mention a house full of books, has helped feed this inclination.

Thank you for encouraging this irrational need, with your comments, emails and simply by reading or even just glancing at the semi-random thoughts I've jotted down on this site.

aside: Hard copy of Shimmer 16

Recently I received an email requesting a copy of Shimmer #16. Because I collect periodicals and because I like to keep a copy of anything I review, I am not willing to give mine up. The issue is sold out over at shimmerzine and other than suggesting The Book Depository and other online vendors, I am absolutely of no help.

Anyone with any ideas on how to obtain a copy, or willing to part with their copy, feel free to drop me an email.

Shimmer Magazine Screwed Up

Shimmer Magazine website
My review of Shimmer 15


It was when I received their last newsletter, featuring their latest volume, Shimmer 16, that I suspected an oversight. While others were raving about the issue, I was without a copy. As a subscriber I felt I should have had my copy in hand, but knowing that in this chaotic post-modern age nothing is reliable, I was prepared to be patient and gave myself one week before inquiring. During that week I considered possible reasons why my issue was not in my hand.

Perhaps it was due to that heavy snow storm wreaking havoc along the Canada-US border. Perhaps Montreal, foreign soil as it is, lies legions away from Salt Lake City, and the shimmery carrier pigeon was too worn out to make it to my mailbox on time (the two are 3,119 kilometres, or 1938 miles, apart). Maybe it had to do with the Canadian dollar once again falling below that of the US. Or maybe, just maybe the shimmery staff simply forgot about little insignificant me.

A week passed and I wrote them a polite (I am Canadian) note, kindly inquiring about the delay. This was a Friday. On Monday I received this reply.



It looks like we screwed up your address when we entered it in our database -- so your copy has been returned to us. Woe!

I'll put another copy in the mail right away -- meanwhile, here's the electronic edition for you to read while you wait for it to arrive. I'll also extend your subscription by an issue to make up for the inconvenience!

I'm so sorry.


The term "screwed up" was theirs. A little harsh, I think. Excellent customer service though, particularly that "I'm so sorry" at the end. Something about it, either the "so" or its position at the bottom somehow managed to touch my cynical heart. I'm prepared to renew my subscription on the strength of this prompt response alone. I still have a couple of issues to go, however, and in the meantime I can only hope that the fine people at Shimmer screw up again.

You can support Shimmer Magazine via their subscription page.

Aside: Inaugural Cinefessions Summer Screams Challenge

[Update: I've added the thirty challenge items below.]
[Update 14 June: A little behind in updating the list. I'll be out of town until Monday with a little time off afterwards, and some movies lined up specifically for this challenge.]
[Update 26 June: I've started adding my films. Can Sunset Boulevard be considered horror?]

My email box has been unusually busy these past two weeks, and though I normally check my email regularly I've fallen behind due to that age-old excuse "I've just been too busy." I opened my mail a half hour ago to find a hundred new messages. Before my ego could blossom I saw that ninety of these bolded messages were alerts to a silly forum I've recently joined (and just spent me ten minutes figuring out how to shut down those annoying auto-emails).

Among the more interesting epistles was one by Psymin from over at Cinefessions: Confessions of a Cinefile, inviting me to a horror/scif- movie challenge for June. I was sincerely touched to have been considered for this event over the often impersonal world of the internet. (Sadly, many emails I receive are along the lines of "Please visit my blog" or "I'll follow you if you follow me!" This wreaks havoc on the ego; is this why I am being "followed"? Is being followed not the same as being read? Why is this following even important? It's just as nonsensical as Facebook's "Like" feature. But I digress.)

Even though I won't have too much time to watch too many films, and even though the first week of June has already passed us by, I've decided to take up that challenge despite my reliable prediction of a comfortable last-place finish. I'll skip the Weekly Themes part of the challenge since I won't have time for it, but will see if I can be creative with any other topic. So far all I've been able to watch in June is three episodes of Harper's Island (though I have season two of Rod Serling's Night Gallery and some The 4400 waiting in the wings).

(I'm also intimidated by Branden's already expansive list; how can anyone have that much free time?)

For now I'll begin my list in this post which I'll update as I watch (if I become more active than expected I'll create a separate page).

The 2012 Summer Screams Challenge List:

Harper's Island: Episode 11
Harper's Island: Episode 12
Harper's Island: Episode 13
The 4400: "Wake-Up Call" (Episode 2.1)
The 4400: "Voices Carry" (Episode 2.2)
The 4400: "Weight of the World" (Episode 2.3)
The 4400: "Suffer the Children" (Episode 2.4)
The 4400: "As Fate Would Have It" (Episode 2.5)
The 4400: "Life Interrupted" (Episode 2.6)
The 4400: "Carrier" (Episode 2.7)
The 4400: "Rebirth" (Episode 2.8)
Nosferatu (1922)
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Murder Party (2007)
Djinns (2011)
A Horrible Way to Die (2010)


Watch a sci-fi or horror film from each specific sub-genre:
X Comedic Horror (Murder Party, 2007)
— Comedic Sci-Fi (Film, Year)
— Cyberpunk Film (Film, Year)
— Dystopian Film (Film, Year)
— Giallo Film (Film, Year)
X Psychological Horror (Sunset Boulevard, 1950)
— Space Opera (Film, Year)
X Splatter Film (A Horrible Way to Die, 2010)
— Supernatural Horror/Ghost Film (Film, Year)
— Time Travel Film (Film, Year)
Watch a sci-fi or horror film that falls into each of the following years:
X 1900 – 1939 (Nosferatu, 1922)
— 1940 – 1959 (Film, Year)
— 1960 – 1979 (Film, Year)
X 1980 – 1999 (Soldier, 1998)
X 2000 – 2012 (Captain America: The First Avenger, 2011)
Watch a sci-fi or horror film that fits into the following categories:
— Watch a Documentary (Film, Year)
— Watch a Film Based on a Novel (Film, Year)
— Watch a Film Based on a Video Game (Film, Year)
— Watch a Film that Appears on the Video Nasties List (Film, Year)
— Watch a Film that Contains an Evil Animal (Film, Year)
— Watch a Film that Contains an Evil Child (Film, Year)
— Watch a Film that Contains an Evil Doll/Puppet (Film, Year)
— Watch a Film that is Currently in the Criterion Collection (Film, Year)
— Watch a Film that is “Not Rated” or “Unrated” (Film, Year)
— Watch a Film that is Rated “X” or “NC-17” (Film, Year)
— Watch a Film that was Nominated for an Academy Award (Film, Year)
X Watch a Foreign Film with Subtitles (Djinns, 2011)
— Watch an Animated Film (Film, Year)
—Watch an Anthology Film (Film, Year)
— Watch a Remake or a Reboot (Film, Year)


[If only we were doing this in July during the awesome Fantasia festival here in Montreal.]

2012: The Year of the Forgotten Book?

The recent announcement that this year's Pulitzer Prize fiction committee has declined to grant a winner this year left me feeling quite angered. In an era when the arts are being threatened by cuts, and when serious fiction seems to be ignored in favour of trends, people need to be motivated to read, and the Pulitzer, among other popular prizes, normally helps generate excitement in literature. This act sends a number of uninspiring messages to the public, most prominently that 2012 has given us plenty of material for future articles on "forgotten books." I was infinitely pleased to see Ann Patchett's article in The New York Times, "And the Winner Isn't...", which I found not only thoughtful but quite impassioned, and her article made me more excited about this past year's American fiction than the entire industry known as Pulitzer.

Thoughts lead to thoughts lead to thoughts, and among the many thoughts blaring noisily in my head is the idea that perhaps there might have been a year more deserving of not having a prize presented. Every year every single award bestowed can lure appropriate criticism for or against the selection, and while I disagree with many (most) award choices, the winners themselves are not generally utterly undeserving. My favourite example is the awarding of the Man Booker Prize to Ian McEwan for his satire Amsterdam. I admire McEwan's work, but there were far better books that year, and McEwan himself wrote FAR better books, including Black Dogs, Enduring Love and Atonement. It doesn't make the book undeserving, however, and there is certainly a large divergence between the tastes of prize judges and the reasons they select any particular book. Prizes are notorious also in that winners are frequently the result of a compromise between judges. Three judges have each their single favourite, but since their own tastes and selection logic differ vastly from one another, they agree to go with the fourth book, which, while nobody's favourite, is a safe bet, and at least this way they can all stop bickering and go home to their families.

My vote for the year the Pulitzer board should have declared no award is 1975. The award recipient that has always boggled my senses is Michael Shaara'a The Killer Angels. I understand that the novel represents much of the Pulitzer's mandate (yet doesn't David Foster Wallace's The Pale King in its own right?), and I also understand the novel has led historians to re-examine the roles of certain players in the Battle of Gettysburg. This is wonderful for historians and Civil War enthusiasts, but not necessarily for literature. The selection committee was likely influenced by the fact that there was a resurgence in interest in the American Civil War in the early 1970s, not too long after the event's centennial, and likely the Pulitzer board has been waiting a long time for the next Red Badge of Courage.

The Killer Angels was written by a struggling pulp writer after visiting the historic Gettysburg site. The novel is somewhat passionate, yet it is written as though it were for a small-time pulp rag of the 1960s. The author's sentiments are clear, without any objectivity toward character and events, except perhaps for the detailed military stratagem. Much of the novel is detailed fighting, which got tired early on. The novel lacks proper pacing, developed characters (regardless that its peopled by historical figures alongside the fictional) and most importantly it lacks good writing.

Among notable 1974 American fiction we have Joseph Heller's Something Happened, Ursula K. Le Guin's The Dispossessed, Robert Stone's Dog Soldiers, Peter Benchley's Jaws, and the small press Arkham House posthumous collection of Mary E. Wilkins Freeman Collected Ghost Stories. There were many more, of course.


Let me know what year you think the Pulitzer, or any other major fiction award, should have abstained from selecting a winner.

For a list of other books forgotten this week by Pulitzer, and most others, do yourself a favour and visit Patti Abbot's site.

[Edit: someone reminded me that Richard Adams is British, and hence Shardik is not a "notable American fiction." Thanks for the note.]

Aside: On Hiatus... No Longer

Two months, three continents, five countries and over a dozen cities.

It's great to be back home :)

Aside: On Hiatus

My posts have been infrequent due to some life events, not because I've lost interest in posting.

I will be out of the country for two months, returning in mid-November.

I do have many posts in progress so it's not entirely unlikely that nothing will appear at all.

(Notice the double negative.)

Internet access will be sporadic, and hence my replies to posts and to emails will be delayed.

Thank you all for visiting.