pax americana #10

There's a new issue of pax americana up. You can read it here. We have been alive for more than two years.


Enjoy,
Ben

Michael Kimbal is a good editor...

I have a new story up at Lamination Colony. You can read it here. I love to read Lamination Colony. Whenever a new issue comes out, I read it and feel like I am experiencing the "cutting edge" of literature.

This issue is guest edited by Michael Kimball. I sent Michael some writing when I was in SF this January staying on my brother's couch. I sent him a story called "Leftover Horses" that was 404 words long, and some other stuff. He wrote me back and said he would like to use "Leftover Horses," but just the first line and I was like Whhhaaaa?

It was an interesting moment. At first, I felt it called my "artistic integrity" into question, but then I looked at my story and drank some coffee and realized Michael Kimball is a good editor. I like his version better. It is 40 words long. If you want to read the rest of the story, it's down below.

Thank you Michael Kimball and Blake Butler.

Have a Good Day,
Ben

(Leftover Horses Con't)

...They look pretty anxious, I can tell you that much. One of them, a black mare, keeps running full speed to either end of the corral, back and forth, all the time. You heard me. I've got them penned up in a corral. What did you expect? Like I was going to let them run wild all over the place. What do I do if they start to mate? It's not like I can have a bunch of foals stumbling around. Talk about a mess.

Now, I have to find something to do with them. They can't just hang out in the corral forever. Besides, I'm pretty sure the grey one is wild. He keeps looking me in the eye and won't break his stare. It's not natural.

Ugh. I spend so much time tending to them. I barely have a moment for myself. I had to write a whole other story that began with some cowboys who got left out. Now, at least someone can watch the horses while I sleep. Still, I don't get much rest.

Just the other day the cowboys were pissed. They were saying that they couldn't be expected to take care of so many horses without any women around. I said, forget about it fellas. I'm not about to write another story just so you can get some action. But then I started thinking about it and I felt kind of bad. If I put myself in their shoes, I'd probably feel the same way.

So, I wrote another story. This one started with a bunch of cheerleaders who go on a road trip to loose their virginity, but then get left out of the story altogether. So now the cowboys are happy and the cheerleaders are happy, too. They've coupled off and built little homes for themselves. Even the horses seem happier. They're much calmer than before and some of them can even be ridden. Except for the grey one. He's as scary as ever. I think he wants to be put in a story. You know how he feels. You're left out of things too.

Corrections

L I T A few posts back I said I was going to be editor of LIT 16. This was not right. I am going to be editor of LIT 17. The next issue of LIT is going to be a double issue (15/16). Also, the next issue is going to be the tenth anniversary issue.

ok,
B

Critical Thoughts on Cyborg

Cyborg is one of Jean-Claude Van Damme's best movies. Van Damme has had other movies that are worth watching like Hard Target. Hard Target was John Woo's first Hollywood movie. It sucks so bad, but you should watch it anyway. It is about this group of guys who arrange for rich business men to hunt homeless people. There is a good action sequence where Van Damme gets on the seat of a motorcycle and flips over an oncoming van. Also, the old guy from the Quaker Oats commercials shoots a few people with a bow and arrow. Once, he does it on horseback.

One of Van Damme's other good movies is Bloodsport. Bloodsport was one of my favorite martial arts movies when I was younger. It is still the best marital arts tournament movie besides maybe Enter the Dragon or Best of the Best. Tons of other movies have tried to copy Bloodsport, like Mortal Kombat. Van Damme tried to emulate it too, when he directed The Quest in 1996. Bloodsport lead to my obsession with Street Fighter II and Tekken 1 through 5. It is safe to say that Bloodsport changed my life.

Cyborg is also a good Van Damme movie. It's like Mad Max 2 and Hard to Kill combined. Maybe not exactly like Mad Max 2 and Hard to Kill, but mostly. What I like best about this movie is the consistency of its production value. Most of it looks like some high school kids spent an entire summer making a sci-fi movie, not because they wanted to get into film school, but because they were a group of dedicated, passionate individuals. Another good thing about the movie is its lack of pretension. This is also something I like about Van Damme as an actor. You never get the sense that he, or the movie, is deluding itself. You don't get the impression Van Damme is killing mutant mercenaries and thinking in the back of his mind, This is some Oscar shit. No, you get the idea that he is working hard and doing a lot of coke to make a movie that his fans will like. Also, if you don't like Van Damme, you shouldn't watch this movie. Just don't.

Don't,
Ben

Lifetime Achievement

Here is something I wrote this week. With some jellyfish.

ok,
Ben

LIT

Beginning with issue 16, I am going to be poetry editor of LIT magazine. LIT magazine is the New School's literary journal. I'm pretty excited. Every issue of LIT I've read has has been good. The current editors-in-chief, Nicole Steinberg and Peter Bogart, are very good editors. The current poetry editor Graeme Bezanson, is also very good. They are working hard to put out LIT 15, which is LIT's 10th anniversary issue, or maybe the 15th, I can't remember. I am not poetry editor of issue 15, but everyone should buy a copy or come to the issue release and get one. It's going to have a special past-editors section, and it's going to be like 200-250 pages long.

I'm just starting work on issue 16. It's going to be a good issue. I have the feeling when you start something that is going to be a lot of work. It's exciting but it makes me want to watch 15 hours of TV and do nothing but eat tacos and avoid responsibility. Also, I will still be editing pax americana. I don't think these two things will interfere with each other, except in my brain, where they'll be like lucha libre wrestlers, trying to destroy each other.

Thank you Jackie Clark and Mark Bibbins.

ok,
Ben

Brandi Wells: Quality Literature

Lately, I have been reading Brandi Wells' blog and her writing. Her blog is called God is a Giant Crab. It's usually pretty fun to read. She has writing in a lot of places, which you can find and enjoy on her blog. Some of her writing is heartbreaking. Some of it is funny. Some of it is funny and heartbreaking at the same time. Whenever I feel the funny/heartbreaking feeling when I read a poem, I think to myself, This is some quality literature. I get this feeling a lot from Brandi Wells' writing. I like the way she writes about being in intimate relationships. I'll probably steal some of her ideas for my own writing. I hope she gets into a good graduate school. Some of her poems I've been reading and rereading can be found at:

1.) 3 AM Magazine: Three Poems

2.) Corduroy Mountain: The Greater Good

3.) Dogmatika: Three Poems

Alright,
Ben

Mom, Are You Reading This?

One of my poems was posted on the Best American Poetry Blog. I feel semi-famous. You can read it, here.

Thanks, David Lehman.

Over 'n Out,
Ben

Little Magazines

These are some things I like:

1.) My headphones.

2.) Taco trucks/tacos.

3.) Reading small literary journals.

4.) Barack Obama

This blog post will only be about number 3, but I would like to dedicate it to numbers 1, 2, 4 without which none of this would be possible:


SaltGrass (Poetry Editor: Julia Cohen, Fiction Editor: Abigail Holstein)

Saltgrass is a good magazine. I am going to read this magazine again. I will probably buy the next issue when it comes out. Everything in this magazine is good to read. Even the writing that I was not really into seemed unique and strong and probably over my head anyway. All of the poems and pieces of prose made me want to write more and better. The length of Saltgrass is very pleasing (60 pages). It is also an approachable shape. If Saltgrass could talk it would whisper Pick me up. I have a nice cover and I have several C.A. Conrad poems inside me that you would probably like. I am also pretty cheap. Highest possible rating:







Beeswax Magazine (Edited by John Peck & Laureen Mahler)


Beeswax Magazine is great to read and hold. It makes me wish I were better at book design. Every issue feels like it was lovingly made by two people from Oakland who love to read and make books. Oh wait, every issue is made by two people in Oakland who love to read an make books. Sometimes I read a thing in Beeswax and think what the fuck is this. Then I read the thing again and think, this is fucking great. This is a good feeling that is hard to find in many magazines. Plus, they always have comics. Plus, they represent Oaktown. If you like to read, I would buy this. If you are a writer, I would submit to Beeswax. High score:







Forklift, Ohio (Editor-in-Chief: Matt Hart, Poetry Editor: Brett Price, Fiction Editor: Merrill Feitell, Designer & Publisher: Eric Appleby)

Forklift, Ohio is my favorite magazine. There are tons of cool magazines to read, but Forklift, Ohio is the all around best. There are always good poets in Forklift. The most recent issue is like an all-star team. If Mary Ruefle, Dean Young, Dobby Gibson, Bob Hicok, Ana Bozicevic, Paul Violi and Joshua Beckman were all on a basketball team called The Otters, my favorite basketball team would be The Otters. Plus, the most recent issue has some poems from Gregory Corso in it, which is like if Kareem Abdul Jabbar built a time a machine and time-traveled to 2009 to play center for The Otters. 100% Obamas:






ok,
Ben

New Review at Coldfront

I have a new review up at Coldfront. It's on Parish Krewes by Micha Ballard. Read it here.


Have a Good Day,
Ben

I Don't Understand the Things I Do

Opium Magazine accepted one of my poems so I bought an iron and an ironing board. I don't know why I did this. I feel like it doesn't make sense. I think I was thinking:

1.) Now that I feel like a baller I can afford to iron my pants.

or

2.) Opium accepted one of my poems. That is great, but my pants still have wrinkles in them.

I don't know what I was thinking. Please enjoy my poem in Opium 8 when it comes out. Thanks Todd Zuniga and Opium Folks.

ok,
Ben