reader meet author

Despite how it may appear it is difficult to start a lit journal, make it quality, build a following, and keep it running. Chloe Caldwell has done all of those things with her site Sleep.Snort.F*ck. The way she sees the site is as a port of landing of those who may have been tossed away by other sites. That is not to say these are not quality selections, but perhaps these are less established writers or more experimental pieces. Regardless, as you read through SSF you are guaranteed to find something you will relate to.

Besides editing SSF, Chloe is a wonderful writer and recently took the time to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): The on-line lit journal that you edit has an interesting title, and seems to publish a very specific type of writing. Are the two connected, and where did the title come from?

When I start to see a writer's name appear in multiple locations, at many of my favorite literary sites, I begin to get curious about that writer. This weeks interview is with Eric Bennett, a writer currently living in New York with his wife an kids. His stories aren't those you might expect from someone living with his wife and kids and that might be why I find him so fascinating. Bennett writes dark and almost disturbing tales that captivate and repulse all at once.

Orange Alert (OA): Your fiction covers some wild subjects how would you classify your work?
Eric Bennett (EB): I’m not sure how to answer that question other than to say I enjoy writing dark stories about deeply flawed characters. Mostly I write about the things people do to keep loneliness or anguish from eating them alive. My wife says my stories are disturbing, which I must admit, is the classification that pleases me most.

The range in form and content of poetry is amazing. Ohio's Michael Ceraolo has found his niche in writing to the blue-collar Midwesterner. He writes about the things he is most passionate about like baseball and Cleveland but is not afraid to lash out at the things he can't stand. In fact some of my favorite poems by Michael are from his series The Book of Corporate Prayer.

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

Orange Alert (OA): I really enjoyed "Cleveland Scores Early", I feel that there isn't enough poetry out there about baseball. Do you plan to write more about your life as a baseball fan?
Michael Ceraolo (MC): Yes, I do plan on writing more about being a baseball fan.

OA: Do you feel that you are documenting a side of Cleveland that no one else is capturing?

Today we will hear from one of the bigger personalties in Chicago who is finally beginning to break through and have his writing recognized on a bigger stage. His stories have appeared in many publications and his collection Evan's House and the Other Boys who Live There will be released by Rose Metal Press next year. He maintains a blog, contributes to Big Other, and recently launched a reading series. His stories are compelling, relevant, and always entertaining, but it is clear that Tim values the performance of reading and may be at the forefront of redefining the live reading in Chicago. Even though few writers treat it as such, the idea that a live reading is a performance is not a new one. However, Tim takes it to another level with his costumes and sequins, and as you find words like "burlesque performance" and "fire-breathers" he has plans to take much further.

It is my pleasure to bring you an in depth interview with Tim Jones-Yelvington.

"Hot liquid brown, accented by a perfect slit of pink scar tissue, set against the backdrop of a white robe lifted, to serve as proof of devotion."

There is a lot to be learned from history, and as life continues to rapidly change and morph into something more transient and highly digital, it is even more important to value history. Among the topics that Noel Sloboda addresses in his poetry is our history and namely the work of Shakespeare. Of his latests collections, Stages, attempts to explore and celebrate several works by Shakespeare. In the slim, hand-stitched collection, Sloboda manages to touch on several diverse topics including sex, addiction, and even parenting.

Noel has also recently released a collection through Finishing Line Press, and I thought this would be a perfect time to ask him a few questions.

Orange Alert (OA): You recently released a new collection through Sunnyoutside, what can you tell us about Stages?

One of the hardest aspects of being a writer is the rejection. Well, it's not just rejection, but it the form-letter, cold rejection, mixed with extended periods of silence that really drive writers insane. However, from that insanity has come two things. First there is the new book from Chicago's Steven Markley called Publish This Book, and the second is the very cool thing that his publisher Sourcebooks is doing to promote the book. Markley's book tells the story of the frustrated writer, and Sourcebooks tries to give some constructive feedback to writers.

Writer and publisher Carol Novack has been described as persistently re-emerging. It's a term that probably could apply to many writers out there, but works for Carol because of her history with the written word. She has thrived in many careers, and has lived around the world. She has been published both in Australia and the US. She has taken time off from publicly writing, and now is very active. Carol is currently the editor of Mad Hatters' Review, and as you heard in the Orange Alert Podcast last week she loves to combine poetry with music and sounds. Her next book will be Giraffes in Hiding: The Mythical Memoirs of Carol Novack.

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

Orange Alert (OA): Mad Hatters' Review recently opened submission for it first "Knock Our Hats Off" contest. What was the motivation behind launching a contest like this and what do you hope the outcome will be?

What is it about a literary magazine or journal that will set it apart from the others? We would like to think it is the content, and that is a part of it, but I think the design and promotion are just as important. One of the newer journals here in Chicago, Artifice, has all three elements working for them. Run by James Tadd Adcox and Rebekah Silverman, their first issue was packed with great writing, but also presented a clean, minimalistic design that allowed you to enjoy the writing even more.

Artifice will be published every six months with the next issue due in September. They hosted a successful release party here this month and the buzz surrounding the journal has continued to build. I felt it was a perfect time to ask them a few questions.

Orange Alert (OA): Are the two of you in any way surprised at by all love that Artifice has received since its release? Did you think it would take longer to build a following?
James Tadd Adcox (JTA): We've been really surprised and gratified by the response Artifice has gotten so far.

When I pulled a battered and thin packed postmarked Kolkata, India from my spacious suburban po box a few weeks ago I had no idea of the lesson that was in store. The contents of the package were several broadside under the heading Graffiti. Published by writer Subhankar Das, Graffiti-Kolkata is a publication in English that features poems from writers from around the world and as I came to find out it is a remarkable stand just to get these published. As he tells the story, it is not as simple as it is here to get your work puslished and distributed. His new collection, The Stark Electric Space/An International Anthology Of Indie Writers is a work that deserves to read in all countries, but unfortunately he will have a difficult time selling it in his own country.

Fascinated by all of this I recently asked Subhankar a few questions.

Orange Alert (OA): You have published a great deal in your native language, but what prompted you to create Graffiti?

The approach of editor and publisher Kevin Whiteley is unique and refreshing. He is not looking for the big names and sweeping romantic stories although he respects them. He is looking for the raw, the gutter soaked, the dark and dangerous, and pulls it from all the strangest corners of the literary universe. One key element to the success of the journal is the way Kevin manages to transcend the gap between song and story. It's that back room brawl, that night spent on the park bench with out anywhere else to go, the jail cell, and all filter through stained keys of the typewriter.

Criminal Class Review has released three issues and is about to release its fourth. They are celebrating the release with a reading on February 28th at WeeGee’s Lounge, 3659 W. Armitage right here in Chicago. Recently, editor Kevin Whiteley was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): Criminal Class Review is not your typical literary journal. What was the inspiration behind creating CCR?