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Angles of Disorder by Zachary C. Bush (BlazeVOX, July, 2009)

"There are children trapped inside my face!"

I have had this collection/novel by Zachary C. Bush on my desk for awhile, and it took me some time to figure out why I hadn't picked it up and read it. I think it was the word disorder that keep me from cracking the cover. The distance between order and disorder is extremely slim, and one I feel closing in on me often. Yet, I recently cracked the cover and beneath it found a world chaos that was not as scary as I had anticipated.

In Angles of Disorder, Bush creates through poetry what ultimately feels like a novel. Well, a novel in the loosest sense of the word. These poems link together through references to "The Others", and through the act of assigning feelings to object (Or maybe it's objects to feelings). This is the deconstruction of life. Days become objects or animals, dysfunction is everywhere, and it seems like the process of recoding it all was painful. Just as the poems connect there is also a connecting stick figure drawing that slowly disappears through out the book. It further stresses the breakdown of thought and humanity.

Listening:
1. MillionYoung: A dynamo from Florida, MillionYoung has been tearing it up. I recently received a great remix of his song "Cynthia" from Letting Up Despite Great Faults. Listen to: "Cynthia" (Letting Up Despite Great Faults Remix) (mp3)
2. Young Sinclairs: This Roanoke, VA band is releasing a new vinyl only album next month. Listen to: Tribe (mp3)
3. Sonoi: A Chicago band with an experimental flare. Listen to: Sherry Falls (mp3)

Reading:

Shaw "Pretending We're Not Animals EP" (Feb. 1st, Swordfish)

"Pretending We're Not Animals" (mp3) 'This ship can't sink forever'... An anthem for the touring and struggling musician.

"Lion In A Cage" A troubadour mentality mixed with a good dose of electronics.

"Hey, Mama Wolf" Banhart cover that explodes with a sense of urgency. You can tell shaw has been affected by the current state of the economy and this is his outlet.

"After The Flood" Creative DIY art-pop and a beautifully unexpected gem. A sign of the musical brilliance we can expect from musicians tried of the struggle in 2010.

"Sometimes" A little Ben Gibbard influence but Shaw is a distinct talent and someone to watch this year.

The more involved I get in the world of publishing the more I find that there is an order or progression to things. Your career and opportunities grow as you gain knowledge, experience, and respect. A writer and publisher that I really respect is Cynthia Reeser. She recently announced the arrival of her new press Aqueous Books. This comes in a addition to her literary site Prick of The Spindle, and her productive career as writer. She is a very busy women, but recently took time to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): You recently announced the arrival of Aqueous Books on your blog. What prompted you to start a press and are there any details that you can share about the upcoming plans?

It is not too often that the viewer can look at a piece of art and have the word precision come to mind, but that is the exact I thought when I first looked at the work of Ola Wikstrom. Based in Stockholm, the process for his creations is fascinating. In his words, "I cut them into 1x1cm pieces which I paste on cardboard" or "Jag klipper upp dem i 1x1cm stora rutor som jag klistrar p' kartong", but it is so much more than that. He creates intricate landscapes, mangled scenes, fragmented realities, from these precisely cut squares. I see it as a way to force order in a world of chaos. So when looking at a piece of artwork through that lens, there is an inherent amount of peacefulness that is associated.

Recently, Ola was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): Your process, unlike other collage artists, seems very percise. How did your work evolve into what it is today?

Scott McClanahan "Stories II" (Six Gallery Press)

"Quit checking your goddamn e-mail so much. Flush that cell phone down the toilet. There's a whole world outside. Let's break into blossom."

The more I read from Scott McClahanhan the deeper I find myself slipping into his world. It may be the way his characters seem to be consistent, be it his parents, Kim, or himself for that matter, but he writes in a way that draws you in. I cracked his his latest collection, Stories II, at the start of a 4 hour flight to Phoenix and finished well before we landed. I was consumed by stories of everyday life with a slightly deranged twist. I soon found that I was no longer on a plane, but working the phones as a telemarketer or watching "The Couple" implode as I ate from above, or teaching English in prison. Scott's stories were vibrantly flowing through out my thoughts.

February marks the official two year anniversary of Orange Alert Press. It was two years ago this month that Ben Tanzer approached my with his second novel Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine. To celebrate that spark of genius and to clear my closet of the 60+ copies I have left I am announcing a FIRE SALE! For the month of February I will be selling copies of Ben's book for just $6 (plus $3 shipping). They will be available on-line, but also at a few select events this month including The Torn Pages Event on Feb. 13th and the Orange Alert Reading on Feb 21st at The Whistler. Also, the first person to name six writers in the above video will receive a free book (put your guesses in the comments section).

This week we have a special edition of The Watch List courtesy of Gabe Durham. Gabe has been kind enough to give away three copies of his chapbook "The Complete Genealogy of Everyone, Ever," to the first three people to e-mail him at gabe.durham@gmail.com. Just put "OA Giveaway" in the subject line. (Congrats to the WINNERS... Mel Bosworth, Ben Segal, and Pete Anderson!)

Listening:
1. Vampire Weekend - Contra - hey, I like them now! track 4 makes incredible use of autotune
2. David Bazan - Curse Your Branches - his best-produced album in awhile. still spiritually pissed
3. The Rolling Stones - Let it Bleed - not just for bar jukeboxes and Martin Scorsese movies anymore

Reading:
1. Sam Lipsyte - Homeland - hilarious, devastating

It's not easy to put yourself out there and submit your work to a lit zine or a publisher. I find myself becoming increasingly interested in what prompts a writer to submit to a specific publisher over another. I was recently talking with local writer Brandon Will, and he mentioned a list he had created of journals he is going to submit to. I had never pictured it that way, but I image more writers operate that way. So, when I find a writer like Kathryn Regina who has already been published by two of my favorite presses it makes wonder what press may be next.

Kathryn has released two chapbooks, I Am In The Air Right Now (Greying Ghost Press)and As I Said (Publishing Genus Press. Recently, she was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): I really enjoyed the video you and Greg Lytle did for I Am In The Air Right Now. How did that come about and do you feel it helped promote the chap?