As part of American Odd, my new themed essay series over at the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography, I wrote an essay on the cult classic book Kooks: A Guide to the Outer Limits of Human Belief, by Donna Kossy. In this interview, Donna Kossy and I discuss Kooks, kooks, and the educational importance of strange belief systems. Continue reading The Donna Kossy Interview
A roundup of events of the past year and what to look forward to next year. Continue reading The Driftless Area Review End of Year Report
In this installment of The Megapolitan Flaneur, I get a crash course in bookbinding from Jason Pettus, founder of CCLaP. Continue reading The Megapolitan Flaneur, Part 2: Making and Meaning
I review Zbig, an anthology about Jimmy Carter’s national security advisor, and Trade, a dystopian novel about the commodification of sex. Continue reading Week in Reviews: Zbig @ NYJB and Trade @ CCLaP
An eccentric publisher from Wisconsin and a bizarro lit novel about a rampaging pig in Green Bay, Wisconsin are showcased in these two book reviews. Continue reading Man from Mars by Fred Nadis @ NYJB & The After-Life Story of Pork Knuckles Malone by MP Johnson @ CCLaP
Today at CCLaP, Karl Wolff reviews the “Nebula Awards Showcase 2013,” edited by Catherine Asaro, a solid anthology of mainstream science fiction and fantasy writing from Nebula winners and nominees; also “Sauerkraut Station” totally rocks and there’s some bathypunk. Continue reading CCLaP Fridays: Nebula Awards Showcase 2013, edited by Catherine Asaro
Today at CCLaP, Karl Wolff introduces his new essay series for 2013, “The NSFW Files,” which over the rest of this year will investigate the historical and literary worth of erotica through the ages, from ancient Rome to modern times. Continue reading CCLaP Fridays: A new essay series, The NSFW Files
In this installment of the Critic’s Notebook, Karl Wolff looks at the intersections between social media and new technology on sites like Riffle, LibraryThing, and Facebook. Continue reading Critic’s Notebook: Riffle, LibraryThing, and Connectivity
Today on the CCLaP Podcast, it’s the conclusion of A Podcast Dreadful, the center’s 12-part serial-fiction audiobook anthology taking place every Monday this autumn. Today’s episode includes: “Steamhouse,” part 12 of 12, by Davis Schneiderman; “The Pool,” part 8 of 8, by Jim Ruland; “The Gothickers,” part 12 of 12, by Keith McCleary and Sophia G. Starmack; “Cure,” part 4 of 4, by Ben Tanzer; and “Dr. Lazarus Faust and the Anarchist Masquerade,” part 12 of 12, by Karl Wolff. Continue reading Podcast Dreadful, episode 12 of 12
What is The Kickstarter Letters?
Jason Pettus funded the entire print run of Katzman’s second novel, A Greater Monster, through a Kickstarter project.* As a reward, Katzman wrote each of his 128 contributors a stream-of-consciousness email or handwritten letter. This book is a signed & numbered handmade, hardback collection of 52 of those letters. Continue reading CCLaP Fridays Bonus: The Kickstarter Letters, by David David Katzman (not a review)
The Driftless Area Review 