City of Roses

Why did you kick the cat?

I was looking for something else that Jean le Malchanceux said, because Clifford Irving admitted Jean was a fictitious crusader monk “used” by various Ibizan writers, and who wouldn’t want to use a fictitious crusader monk? But Clifford Irving has lied about so much else, you know? —Anyway, I was looking for Jean le Malchanceux, and I didn’t find much, but what I did find was this:

I like the tales. You know what one says: “the good tales make the good friends”, “when one does not like, one does not tell”, etc Alors you do not astonish if you cross me in Chiny or taken care the tale of the 7 (street Pierreuse, in Liege starting from 20h every 7 of the month)… because a good tale, that can have even more taste than new SuperMario with ice vanilla. And it favours it is that there are of them more often than new Mario and than that less made grow bigger that the ice vanilla.

Last year, I had had time to remain with the “tales around the fire” of Chiny to level my f--ry (and all the assembly, I believe) of the history of “Jean the Unlucky person” who leave to research the Master the Chance “And his chance, it will give it to him, because it for that”, is heard there at the beginning to the 7, then that I found in the book “the tree of life and wisdom” of my f--ry (I can gourer on “life”, but it is sure, there is “wisdom”).

But this year, I was éreinté so much with these training courses nature which one did not remain until there… Then to catch up with me, I told a small piece of “vassilissa, the princess splashes” in front of the children of her training course natural (of which my godson and his brother, moreover) right before the night when one sleeps all in roulotte. I wonder whether it heard me… I think that yes, but it is not sure. This tale, I owe it with my sister who had recorded it on VHS, one day and which looked at it and Re-looked at until I become sick about it. I would have liked to tell it with the camp, on July 8 3 years ago, when I met my f--ry, but I did not remember it more too much.

I could have said that “it is right because I had played the “Petrouchka Merchant” before and that I have a Russian grandfather”, but there must be more than that….

—posted 6442 days ago

The boar, Erymathos?

“It was just a block off Mississippi. It was totally cute, wagging its tail happily the whole time it ate dirt and garbage,” says photog Tonya.

All this fuss over a little possum, Mr. Charlock says. A little coyote. Well?

—posted 6466 days ago

Time to Frenzy.

Distressing news via BlogTown: Reading Frenzy, the amazing zine and comics and independent press emporium that’s been a Portland fixture for 13 years, needs our help. Here’s the message from Chloe Eudaly:

We’re rounding the corner on our 13th year, and while I’m not particularily superstitious, it does seem to be adding up to a rather unlucky phase in our long, illustrious history. A series of unfortunate events, both business and personal, have brought us to a critical juncture and we need your support to see us through.

As a faithful reader, I’m sure you appreciate Reading Frenzy and what we offer to our community of readers and publishers: a rare outlet for independent and alternative media, a hub of local literary activity, and a cozy space for art and literary events. Internationally recognized for our devotion to the small press and zines in particular, we’ve even inspired others to follow suit and open shops in their own towns.

Reading Frenzy is as much a community resource as it is a business, and as such has always depended on the generousity of volunteer staff, a team of supportive professionals who help us for free or cheap, and the occasional fundraiser. We have a couple bigger events in the works, but in the meantime here’s how you can help break the spell:

Go on a Reading Frenzy shopping spree! Can’t find what you want now? Buy yourself (and a few of your friends) gift certificates!

Buy a Co-Frenzy membership for $100—you receive a 10% discount for one year, plus a signed/numbered Reading Frenzy/Spiral Bound print by Aaron Renier!

Have a bright idea for a fundraiser? Bring it on! We’re thinking rock show, spaghetti feed, and book sale—but not at the same time!

Thanks so much for your continued support!

—Modesty does not forbid my noting that all five chapbooks of City of Roses are currently on Ready Frenzy’s shelves, from which they’ve been flying quickly. So go. Continue your support. And spread the word!

—posted 6467 days ago

Would you believe March?

No. 5: Freeway

Wednesday and Friday, next week. Chapbook available now, if you’d rather.

Don’t ask about the anvil. Not yet.

—posted 6475 days ago

And I would have made it, too, if it weren’t for this meddlesome plane flight.

So. Um. No. 5, Act IV? Not so much. Not yet. —We’re flying back east for a bit, and internet connectivity will be spotty, and while I’d hoped to have the rest of No. 5 fully dressed backstage, ready to step out at each appointed hour and never you’d know the difference, well, it isn’t, so much. They will be Fashionably Late.

And then there’s No. 6, “Anvil.” There was to have been an intermission before No. 6, and I was to have been telling you about it shortly, so. There will still be an intermission, until about (rifling through the calendar) let’s say Monday, November 13th; it’s just the break won’t have been as clean as I might have hoped.

But let’s not dwell on the negatives! Subscribe to a feed, if you haven’t already (here’s LiveJournal, and here’s everyone else); that way you’ll know the moment the wayward conclusion appears. And feel free to be bemused by the following:

The first issue, “Prolegomenon,” is being carried by a distro: North West Zine Works, who’ve written up a review and everything. (You can rate it, if you like.)

Copies of all four chapbooks are available at Reading Frenzy, if you’d like to pick one up and hold it in your hand before purchasing. (At least, they were last time I checked.)

The first four chapbooks have also been added to the library at the Independent Publishing Resource Center, which is just upstairs from Reading Frenzy, which makes for convenient delivery runs.

I’ll be at Stumptown, which is going to be huge. I won’t have a table to myself, but the Spouse will, as well as a number of the Best Cartoonists in the Western Hemisphere, and there might be occasional bits of Rose-swag tucked here and there among the comics, including the paper debut of No. 5, “Freeway.”

I’m very, very sleepy at the moment. Did I mention that?

And I should probably figure out how to turn on comments. At least on the news posts. You think maybe?

—posted 6618 days ago

Group shot.

Dylan Meconis brings this round of envisionings to a close with two men, and two women:

Roland, Jo, Ysabel, and Gaveston, by Dylan Meconis.

Roland, Jo, Ysabel, and Gaveston, who is more hapful than you might expect. —Now back to No. 5 with me, but not before another wretchedly embarrassing round of thanks to the Some of the Best Cartoonists in the Western Hemisphere, and to the Spouse, who put it all together.

(But: anyone have a clue what the Duke looks like? Or Marfisa? How about Orlando?)

—posted 6628 days ago