Leonard Cohen: You’re Our Man

The Foundation for Public Poetry (Fondation Poésie Publique), in honor of Leonard Cohen's 75th birthday, has collected poetry from around the world (Leonard’s home town of Montreal and from across Canada, the U.S.A., the United Kingdom, Belgium, Australia, South Africa, Portugal, Israel, Cyprus, and France) in a book entitled "Leonard Cohen: You’re Our Man". Proceeds from the book will go to a Leonard Cohen Poet-In-Residence program at Westmount High, his old high school. Here is the Table of Contents:

ALLISON AKGUNGOR: LONGING FOR LEONARD
NICK APPLEYARD: AFTER DARK
MARGARET ATWOOD: SETTING LEONARD TO MUSIC
ELIZABETH BACHINSKY: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN…MR. LEONARD COHEN (II)
KATHARINE BEEMAN: LINEUP
FRANK ALAN BELLA: NOVUS CREDO
ROXANNA BENNETT: SO LONG LEONARD
DENIS BERTHOUD: UNTITLED
SUSAN BORGERSEN: SISTER OF NO MERCY
A. T. (ALISON)BRUNNER: FRUITION
JASON CAMLOT: UNKNOWN LEONARD COHEN
BRIAN CAMPBELL: TWO WENT TO SLEEP
J.R. CARPENTER: SNOW IS FALLING SOMEWHERE
STEVE DALACHINSKY: THE WIRED NUN
MEREDITH DARLING: LADY VAGABOND
RACHEL DELPH: GUIDED TOURS OF HELL
DESI DI NARDO: THE HOLY MAN
JOANNE FARYON: LC PART 1 & PART 2
SUSAN RUTH FITCH: MY LOVE’S ATTITUDE SOME FIND AUSTERE
MARIANNA FOKA: PARCHED WORDS
JOHN FRETZ: LEONARD COHEN’S 75TH BIRTHDAY
LAURIE FUHR: THE SHAPE OF YOUR LOVE TWISTED ME
RODGER GERBERDING: ONE OF ALL, OF MANY
MELISSA A. GODDARD: THE DREAMER
CATHERINE GRAHAM: NOW I WAS NOT IN THIS DREAM
LAURIE D. GRAHAM: REFUGE BAY, FLORIDA
MELISSA HANSEN: THE TINY HORROR
BRIAN J. HATCHER: TOMBSTONE MUSES
GILI HIRSCH: A TALE IN 20
TIFFANY HOWELL: MESSY BONES
HEATHER JESSUP: DEAR BREAVMAN
MYNA LEE JOHNSTONE: THIS AMERICAN MAN
MAARTJE KATZENBAUER : CRY FOR THE MOON
PENN KEMP: THE DREAM PERFORMANCE
MAX LAYTON: IN THE GARDEN OF I AM
KÉVIN LEHÉNAFF: SISTERS OF THE MOON
ANGELA LEUCK: GARDEN HAIKU; PILGRIMAGE; THE LATEST CRUSADE; LAMENT
ANN LLOYD: RESPONSE TO CLOSING TIME
EHAB LOTAYEF: BAGHDAD!
DIANA LOUREIRO: THIS NIGHT I WAS UNDRESSED BY THE SILENCE
JEFFREY MACKIE: RESPONSE TO COHEN
SEAN LABRADOR Y MANZANO: DEMOCRACY
GARTH MARTENS: JEALOUSY
MICHAEL MIROLLA: ALTERNATE UNIVERSES
GRACE MOORE: THE SERIOUS GOVERNANCE OF CANADA
BRIAN NOWLIN: INTELLECTUAL AND EROTIC ADVENTURES
TARN PAINTER-MACARTHUR: ST KILDA 1910
LESLEY PASQUIN: PROPHETESS
LYNN PATMALNEE: ON FIRST READING “CELEBRATION”
ROBERT PRIEST: THE LEONARD KOANS
SHAUNAGH DARLING ROBERTSON: LOOK AT ME, LEONARD
AIN ROOST: NOTES TO SELF: THE LOCATION OF JOY
CHANTEL ROSARIO: DESIRE
RYAN RUDDICK: SORRY ALL OVER
LORI RUNKLE: WHEN THIS AMERICAN MAN
JACOB SCHEIER: YOU’RE THE KIND OF WOMAN
NICOLINE SCHOR: LOVERS ON LOVERS(1)
FINN WHITE: LOVERS ON LOVERS(2)
DAVID W. SEAMAN: WAITING FOR BARBARA
RONA FELDMAN SHEFLER: PEDDLER
GORAN SIMIC: OLD MAN WAITING FOR THE LOST LETTER
SANDRA SJOLLEMA: LOST MY BODY
DAVID SOLWAY: LOVE
MARCEL SOULLIERE: UNTITLED
KAREN ELAINE SPENCER: I DREAMT LEONARD COHEN
ANI KUSMENOGLU TUNA: LIKE A MERMAID
INNA VEYTSMAN: THE FAITHLESS WIFE’S RESPONSE
MARCUS WATNEY: WE, THE GREEK
TOM WAYMAN: LEONARD COHEN DIDN’T GET ME LAID
ANN WEINSTEIN: RITES
ERIKA N. WHITE: I GO FOR NOTHING
LIEVEN WILLEMS: LEONARD’S PAGES
HAZEL WOODWARD: … SELF-INVESTIGATION WITHOUT SELF-INDULGENCE…
DONNA YATES-ADELMAN: BEFORE HE NEEDED ME
ELENI ZISIMATOS: NOT A CARE

More information on the book will available as the publication date gets nearer. Check back here for the latest.

New Rue Morgue

Check out the bottom right-hand corner:



The next issue of Rue Morgue, available August 1st, features an article on Writers Workshop of Horror, which is available now. Thanks to Monica Kuebler and everyone at Rue Morgue for spreading the love.

Book release party and writer’s contest to be held Saturday

The following is a press release from Woodland Press:

BARBOURSVILLE, WV - A brand new book, Writers Workshop of Horror—chock-full of expert advice from some of the most successful, nationally-known storytellers in the horror/fantasy genre—will be nationally released with a celebration at the Huntington (WV) Mall Borders Bookstore, this Sat., Aug. 1st, from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Mountain State author and editor Michael Knost will be signing copies during the event.

Contributors to this project include: Clive Barker, Joe R. Lansdale, F. Paul Wilson, Ramsey Campbell, Thomas F. Monteleone, Deborah LeBlanc, Gary A. Braunbeck, Brian Keene, Elizabeth Massie and others.

In addition to the book-signing activity and release party, a unique writing contest will also be held during the afternoon event.

Michael Knost will be accepting manuscript submissions (5,000 words or less,) preferably regional horror/fantasy/ghost tales—although any genre of fiction will be considered. There is no entry fee, and entries will only be accepted in person during the two-hour event. Each submission must include the author’s name, address, phone number, and email address, if available.

The contest winner will be announced at an upcoming Writers Workshop of Horror event at the Huntington Mall Borders, on Sat., Sept. 5th, at 2:00 p.m., although he/she does not have to be present to win.

If suitable, the winning entry will be published in an upcoming anthology edited by Michael Knost, and the writer will receive payment for the story at the time of publishing, as well as an autographed copy of Writers Workshop of Horror.

Writers Workshop of Horror focuses solely on honing the craft of writing. It includes solid advice—from professionals of every publishing level—on how to improve one’s writing skills. According to the publisher, Woodland Press LLC, the book is not just for horror writers—it contains practical tips for writers of all genres. Anyone who wants to learn the craft can benefit from these articles and interviews.

Contributors include several outstanding West Virginia writers, including Geoff Fuller and Brian J. Hatcher. For additional information, see www.writersworkshopofhorror.com/hatcher.

An Open Letter To My Friends

This has been and continues to be an exciting time in my career. My name is starting to get out there, and wonderful opportunities present themselves to me constantly. For the first time, I feel that I am starting to earn the title "writer".

I want to keep going forward. To do that means I have to keep writing. I can publish no poems, short stories, or books unless I sit down to write them. The work of a writer is very lonely and requires hours upon hours of dedication. For others, especially non-writers, it may be difficult to understand the sacrifices a writer has to make to hone their craft and grow their career. All they see is a friend who isn't around as much as they used to be, someone who doesn't seem to have time for them anymore.

To my friends who have sent me e-mails and text messages, who have called to see how I am, who have sent me their well-wishes and their love, please know how much that means to me. It would have been so easy to forget about me. I know I'm not as available to hang out as I used to be. That's not going to change. Thank you for understanding and know that as valuable as every scrap of time I have is, I am glad to make time for you when I can and how precious each moment I share with you is to me. Not everyone understands. That you do shows me just how good a friend you truly are, and I can not thank you enough.

Your friend,
Brian J. Hatcher

The Reviews Are Coming In

Check out these preliminary reviews for the "Writer's Workshop of Horror":

"A veritable treasure trove of information for aspiring writers-straight from the mouths of today's top horror scribes!" - Rue Morgue Magazine

"Packing more knowledge and sound advice than four years' worth of college courses . . . It's focused on the root of your evil, the writing itself." - Fangoria Magazine

"Entertaining, informative, and also plain old fun, this book will not only make you want to write more, it will give you the tools to write better. This should be mandatory reading in creative writing classes." - Horror World

So, yeah, you should probably preorder your copy.

New 'Brian With An Eye' - 6/21/09

NOTE: If you'd like to preorder a copy of the Writers Workshop of Horror, you can click the link below:

New 'Brian With An Eye' Coming Soon

This weekend, between writing projects, I'm going to try to have the editing done on the latest 'Brian With An Eye' video blog so I can have it posted. In it, I will talk about my trips to Hypericon and the Stoker Awards, and talk a little about the projects I have coming up.

I need to get this done soon, as apparently Woodland Press has already beaten me to the punch.

New Video Blog

Introducing: Brian, With An Eye

Mo*Con Memories

THE GOOD:

Mo*Con is always full of good. I enjoy hanging out with Maurice Broaddus and my other fellow writers. Pity that Gary Braunbeck and Lucy Snyder couldn't make it this year, but I'll see them both later this year, certainly at Context.

The poetry slam was new this year, and I read three of my pieces, including "The Monster with the Shape of Me", published last year in Weird Tales. I think it went pretty well, but Linda Addison would read first with each go-round. How do you follow Linda Addison? Answer: the best you can.

Also new was the art show, which allowed Grace Welch, AKA Grace the PA, to be Grace the Artist as well. Many happy Mo*Con attendees took home art, and Grace promoted her new website, http://www.rabbitmoonarts.com/.

THE BAD:

The hotel stay was not the best. The room didn't have working air conditioning or heat. A morning bath flooded the bathroom, part of the room, and the hall outside, thanks to a leaky bathtub, and required an early morning move to another room. A room that also didn't have working air conditioning or heat. At least the water stayed in the tub. It just never got above 50°F.

The staff was very understanding and helpful the whole time. I have no complaints with the human element of the hotel, but I don't believe I'll be staying there next year.

THE UGLY:

Doug Warrick and Kyle Johnson brought to Mo*Con a self-published book they found in the basement of a used bookstore. The fame of this tome spread, and various passages were read aloud over the course of the weekend. I can't bring myself to say more about this than the book was blatantly premeditated and therefore no plea of temporary insanity is possible, except by those of us who experienced it for ourselves. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. So I did both.

***

Thanks go to Maurice and the gang for another great Mo*Con, and I'm looking forward to attending next year as well.

Legends 3 & Mo*Con

1. News on Legends of the Mountain State 3, the last of the series, can be found online at the Huntington News website: http://www.huntingtonnews.net/columns/090514-kinchen-columnsbooknotes.html

2. I head out tomorrow morning to Indianapolis and to Mo*Con. I had a great time last year, and I look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones, as always. See you when I get back!

Book Signing

I will be at the Borders in Barboursville WV on Saturday. from 2 to 4 pm, signing copies of Legends of the Mountain State vols. 1 & 2. If you're nearby, stop in and say hi:

Borders
120 Huntington Mall
Barboursville, WV 25504

Get Me Cheap

My poem, "The Monster with the Shape of Me" was published in Weird Tales #351. This year, for the first time in its long history, Weird Tales has been nominated and is on the final ballot for the Hugo Award. Coincidence?

Well, yeah, actually. :)

Still, Wildside Press has decided to celebrate. Until April 30th, everything in their store is available at 25%, if you purchase two or more items. You can pick up Weird Tales #351, along with any of the other issues of the magazine, Wildside Press classics, Prime Books anthologies, and Juno Books novels. Just go to WildsidePress.com or WildsideBooks.com, place your order, then enter the coupon code "april" at checkout. You're all set.

Congratulations to Weird Tales and Wildside Press. It was an honor to be a part of their best year ever.

My First Video Blog

Brian J. Hatcher goes Radio Free

Thanks to Rudy Panucci of Radio Free Charleston for making me a part of the show: http://media.cnpapers.com/rfc061/

Coming soon...

Into the Heart of the Beast

This is what I've been up to for the last few weeks. Them's a whole lotta novel critiques. Tomorrow I go to Towson and the Borderlands Press Novel Boot Camp. I deliver these critiques and receive a few of my own, from all the "grunts" and the four instructors. Then, after I lick my wounds, I come home and get back to the work of writing.

More news when I get back home.

Tomorrow I will be… The Ultimate Answer To Life, The Universe, and Everything

Or, to be more specific, I will be 42.

Thank you, Douglas Adams.

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes. 41 has been very good to me, in a lot of ways. I couldn't possibly imagine everything that would come my way, both good and bad. 42 is going to be amazing. I can't wait.

On a side note, Rudy Panucci posted on the Gazz Blog 50 Cool Things About 2008, and I happen to be one of those cool things. I'm grateful for the mention, but I shall not rest upon my cool laurels, oh no. Time to whip up brand new cool for 2009.

Everyone have a happy and safe New Year's. See you on the other side.

So THAT'S the problem...

How To Tell If Your Girlfriend's a Psycho





How To Tell If Your Boyfriend's a Psycho

This explains everything.

Ouch!

Any test that starts with someone jamming this into your hand...

.. and you know you're in for a bad day. But I think I'll have some good news soon.

Early Xmas Gift

I have the best PA ever. :)