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Who You Gonna Call? I’m somewhat ashamed to admit that when I think of ghost hunting, I think first of Scooby-doo and second of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man. Though the Mystery Machine and its meddling kids always eased my mind as child because the ghosts were really just people in masks, I have always been more fascinated with that possessed marshmallow wreaking havoc in New York City, not to mention the famous three-some that brought him to justice. The ghost busters are overwhelmingly iconic to me, even though I wasn’t alive when the movie was first released in 1984. The ghost-hunting trio with those massive packs on their backs intrigued me, and of course, I am not the only one. The Ghostbusters film is greatly identifiable for most people, which is probably why it is credited as being part of the surging obsession with ghost hunting that happened in the late eighties. It seems that the Ghostbusters anthem and the annihilated Marshmallow Man (and maybe even a few Scooby Snacks in-between) inspired an entire generation of ghoul-seekers and ghost-hunters wanting to do it themselves.
But ghost hunting doesn’t claim its roots in marshmallow men or mystery-seeking canines, no matter how much I may want it to. It’s actually ancient, dating back as far as 50 B.C. Apparently, there was a philosopher named Athenodorus who spent some time investigating a chain-rattling ghost in ancient Athens (imagine learning that in an ancient classics class). And then, a bit closer to this century, there was Frederich Nicolai in the late 1700s, who wrote an entire memoir about his ability to see phantoms and suggested leeching as the good way of overcoming this unusual malady. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
History in Peril?By QB History Buff QuailBellMagazine.com Curious about what's going to happen to Robert E. Lee's woods near Arlington Cemetery? We'll be writing about the controversial Millennium Project soon--so you don't have to do the research yourself (unless you want to, you little nerd)! Check back Monday. *wink, wink*
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What we shot for Richmond's Dead and Buried today!By The Quail Bell Crew QuailBellMagazine.com Hey, so we're making a documentary about Richmond, Virginia's cemeteries called Richmond's Dead and Buried (yeah, we've talked about it before.) Today, our dear friend John Cappello shot an event at the Poe Museum expressly for our documentary. AND WE ARE SO EXCITED ABOUT HIS AWESOME FOOTAGE!!!!!!!!!!! But that's all we're going to tell you for now because we're such teases. Screenshot!
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YAY for this Supreme Court gay marriage ruling!By The Quail Bell Crew QuailBellMagazine.com Love is love. Heterosexual love is love. Love is love, no matter who's doing the loving. Let's honor it, let's cherish it, and let's celebrate it. Everyone here at QB HQ is thrilled about the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to give legally married gay couples the same rights and benefits as legally married straight couples. That's one happily ever after we can definitely get behind. Drawing: FatKidAtCamp.com
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Ka-boom! (Daintily)By Madame Pop Culture QuailBellMagazine.com We don't know what on earth it means, but this "Exploding Actresses 03 - Disney Princesses" video has been causing quite a stir online. Here at QB HQ, love our fairy tales enough to know it's okay to make fun of them. We also know it's important not to take ourselves too seriously. But, um, does this video make anyone else a little squeamish after a while? There's such a thing as too many explosions, right? The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
The Unicorn Queen on FlamingosConfession time: I am totally obsessed with flamingos right now. Flamingo-pink is my new favorite color, I’m frantically buying everything flamingo-related— in fact, I’ve decided that I am a flamingo! Yes, a purple-tinted flamingo. I like the birds for what they represent: exotic luxury, care-free living and retro-kitch. I also think it’s fascinating how the birds themselves aren’t at all pretty, yet they can’t seem to take a bad picture! Yeah, you’ll be seeing a lot of flamingo-related stuff from me… And now, time for some pictures! Striking my best flamingo pose… I didn’t have flamingo socks (travesty!) so I had to settle on swallows & polkadots. Yes, both, simultaneously. I’m lucky to have a man who understands: Mark wore a flamingo-pink shirt on my birthday! :D
Shrug: Vintage Dress: F21 Flamingo glasses: gift Shoes: Miu Miu Socks: eBay, I think Lipstick: Geradium + Centrifuchsia mix The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
10 Uniquely Awesome Things About Living in the South--From a SouthernerI grew up in Arlington, Virginia, that awkward little county outside of Washington, D.C. that suffers a minute-by-minute identity crisis. It can't decide if it's a Yankee or a Southern Belle—ever. It's South of the Mason Dixon line and Robert E. Lee's family home still stands there. And yet if you asked the average Arlingtonian if they're Southern, they'd probably reply, “I'm not even from Arlington.” There are more transplants than natives, lured in by jobs with the federal government. Growing up, it was difficult to claim Southern or Northern heritage. My father's from New York, but his family first settled in Maryland when they emigrated from Scotland and his parents lived just about everywhere. My mother, on the other hand, is from Central America. But my family frequently escaped Northern Virginia and took weekend trips to other parts of the Commonwealth, from the Shenandoah Valley to Colonial Williamsburg. Those trips eventually convinced me that I was more Southern than Northern. Once I moved to Richmond at age 19, I solidified that claim. At age 24, I still think the label applies. That's why when I recently read Winona Dimeo-Ediger's article, “10 Uniquely Awesome Things About Living in the South,” I thought the points were made by the wrong person. She's originally from the Pacific Northwest and just moved to Tennessee with her boyfriend. The article was funny but ultimately not that imaginative because it relies on such clichés. Dimeo-Ediger listed things like porch sitting and sweet tea and the phrase “y'all.” These are stereotypes—innocent, totally inoffensive stereotypes but stereotypes nonetheless. As a Southern, I feel obligated to tell folks what else is awesome about the South. As in, things they haven't already heard. So here are 10 uniquely awesome about living in the South—from a Southerner: The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Quinua QueensWhile working on Quinua Queens, the documentary food project I participated in in Ecuador last summer, I learned that consumption of the food many of us associate with the Andes, such as quinua, has decreased significantly over the years. Beginning some decades ago, as processed imports flooded South American markets, traditional diets became increasingly stigmatized. Foods traditionally consumed in the Andes like quinua, potatoes, beans, etc. were seen as “peasant” or “indian” food. Drinking Coca-Cola became a status symbol. While the work that I did was not in the Andes region, we saw very similar forces at work while documenting food practices in Bahía de Caráquez and other coastal regions of Manabí province. Many of the older women we spoke with lamented the younger generation’s preference for fast food and their seeming amnesia towards the traditional recipes. Mote + zapallo : the ashes are a key part of the preparation process Lola serving up some cazuela marinera Bahía residents, like many people throughout the world, suffer from a growing rate of obesity and diabetes. Sugar seemed to be ever-present in juices prepared at home as well as in the yogurt available in the stores. I was struck when I tried to buy some plain yogurt and found that in a town with abundant fresh milk, the only yogurt I could find was store bought, full of sugar (even thenatural variety), and other processed ingredients such as powdered milk. We observed something similar with butter. One of the luxuries of Bahía is the option to have raw milk from only half an hour away delivered to your house daily. A man on a motorcycle flanked by two large metal canisters drives up every day and you go out with a pot and he’ll pour you some milk. The milk is then boiled and used in soups, sauces, coffee, etc. However, it was very rare to see people using real butter. You could purchase fresh churned butter at the market, and the woman who prepared our meals occasionally made a batch, but Bonella, a margarine made with hydrogenated vegetable oils, was the fat of choice in Bahía. Beautiful, fresh butter for sale in the market The anthropologist that I worked with, Pilar, was particularly passionate about this issue. Informed by the Weston-Price Foundation and this book she spoke to everyone she met about what type of fats they cook with: butter or margarine? natural lard or one made of vegetable oils? When she asked people why they preferred Bonella to real butter, most didn’t really seem to know why, but they believed it was better for them and had become accustomed to the taste. Some of the older women, however, could recall more or less when they made the switch--roughly a generation or two ago. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
You MUST eat while you read this one.By QB Bookworm QuailBellMagazine.com Okay, so I'm a little late on this recommendation. This book was released last year, but it's still as relevant now as it was then. (Last I checked, we were all still stuffing our faces.) Bee Wilson's Consider the Fork is all about the, well, you can read the second part of the title--the history of how we cook and eat! Yum yum is right on, not just for the content, but for the style. I love how Ms. Bee sprinkles this her research with personal anecdotes and imaginative examples. Ever wondered what a British food writer and historian eats for breakfast? Pick up this book to find out!
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When Your World's Washed in PinkBy QB Camera Eye QuailBellMagazine.com Today's challenge: Watch the whole sunset, from start to finish, with involuntary blinks as your only interruption.
Imagine you've just spent the whole day churning butter or knitting tobacco twine or busying yourself with any of the other tasks that seem to no longer have a place in our modern world. You are exhausted. Your eyes ache. Your fingers are swollen. Your feet feel like they weigh ten pounds. This is your chance to remember why you bother living. Earth is a beautiful planet and the Sun is a beautiful star. So skip Happy Hour tonight and soak in all the pinks and purples and pigeon grays. Sit outside and just watch the sky. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Rock those lenses!By The Fashion Fairy QuailBellMagazine.com Baby Phat "Boys don't make passes for girls wearing glasses." Well, those guys are royal asses! Here are just a few retro-inspired frames you can buy now. Update your look with a throw-back. And only wink at the men who deserve your attention! Fossil Betsey Johnson Gucci Bebe Calvin Klein
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Tips for Funding Your Wild Ideas So, you want someone to fund your creative project? Welcome to the club, take a number, and sit your behind down in the comfiest seat in the waiting room because this line is long enough to give you blood clots. There's no such thing as free money or free lunch. Please. Even those bitty frisbees they hand out at “free” expos aren't free. If you want something, you've gotta hustle. Didn't your mama ever tell you to work hard to achieve your dreams? That same advice applies to launching a successful Kickstarter campaign. It's time to find your prime street corner and make bucks through crowdfunding. Here's how, my tired, my poor, and my huddled: 1. Make it. 2. Promote it. 3. Deliver it. Seems easy enough. Yet if that's the case, why do nearly 60% of all Kickstarter campaigns fail? Rather than spit out a to-do list, I'm going to dissect Quail Bell's most recent successful Kickstarter campaign for you, piece by piece. The campaign raised money for a documentary film called, Richmond's Dead and Buried. Here it goes: 1. The video The video is simple, classic, and light on text. It's essentially a glorified slideshow, but the photographs are strong enough to convince potential donors that this is going to be a pretty picture. From an informal survey I gathered, most people only watched the video. They didn't even bother reading the project description. That means that you have to be able to sell your project using the video alone. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Fun and humidity are upon us.Dear fledglings,
As you're probably aware, it's officially summertime. The summer solstice occurred on Friday, June 21st and we've been celebrating ever since. It's time to whip out the cat eye sunglasses, the polka-dotted swimsuits, and the vinyl records like every day's just another kitschy beach party movie. Personally, we're big fans of Elvis's Top 40 Hits and the turbid James River, but to each her own. Just go out and make memories. We'd love to see your photos! Work hard, play hard. Feathery hugs, The Quail Bell Crew The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Take us home with you! Hmm, paper. Hmm, colorful content. Stop dreaming and just order a copy of our delicious 'zine to read in your jammies before lights out! (Gobble, slurp, gobble.) C'mon, you know you can't resist this print temptation. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Pooping in China: Monthly reflections on living, teaching, and moving bowels abroadEditor's Note: Brandon Jeune is a 25-year-old graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University. He teaches English to children in China. He writes "Pooping in China" and distributes it to friends and family as an email more or less every month. He has given us permission to serialize the emails here. Read the first installments here and here. Hi. Remember when I was complaining about the heat here in Loudi? Man, what I would give to travel back in time about a month and warn Past Brandon to enjoy it while it lasts. Probably, once I got there, I’d bask in the sudden warmth and decide, you know what? Fuck winter, I think I’ll just stay here for awhile. Additionally, I imagine Past Brandon and I would hit it off pretty well. “No way. You’re telling me we like ALL the same things and have ALL the same opinions on everything? What are the odds!”
Whatever the case, it’s cold. A sharp, humid cold that seeps into your bones and chills you from the inside out. Doesn’t help that there is no central heating infrastructure in the south of China. The high energy demands this time of year require a rerouting of available energy to the north, where people generally need the heat a bit more. Down here in the South, we just tough it out. Or buy space heaters. I’m trying to avoid the latter because said heaters are like 200 yuan or more, whereas suffering is free. Really though, I think I’ve just ignorantly convinced myself that I’m building up some sort of Loudi street cred, so as of now, I’m gonna double up on long underwear and hope for the best. But it does make certain activities difficult. I’m looking longingly across the room at my guitar, but feeling a rusty stiffness in my fingers that makes them about as precise as a garden rake. Even typing is a bit more arduous, meaning I’m reluctant to expend the energy required to draft my usual exhausting run-ons. Thus, this month, expect a much more concise letter. Hemingway-esque, if you will. Or perhaps more accurately, Introductory Reading Books for Early Learners-esque. See Spot type. Still in China. Things are well. Got food poisoning week before last. Shit everywhere. Local market not stocking much fruit, on account of it’s winter. Tomatoes pretty gross lately. Always too orange, moldy, or dripping juice from multiple puncture wounds. Often all three. I’ve been buying the orange ones. Taste terrible. General lack of fiber in diet. Getting constipated. No shit anywhere. Keep dreaming about pie. Pumpkin mostly, but apple too, and I think there might be some peach cobbler involved. Hard to say. We usually meet in the dark, and things tend to get messy. Until next month, Bye. Brandon Jeune P.S. Second wind! The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Poe-gasmBy The Quail Bell Crew QuailBellMagazine.com While we were tinkering with our website and ruffling our feathers for the relaunch, trust us, we stayed busy in other ways. By that, we mean that we had quite the active life--not online, but in person, face-to-face (or beak-to-beak.) One of the things we did? Screen our first documentary film, The Persistence of Poe. Not once, not twice, not thrice, but SIX times! And we're still scheduling screenings and even finalizing a couple of broadcast dates. You can always visit PoeRichmond.com for more on that. But before you do that, check out photos from our big screening at The Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia. It took place on April 25th during one of the museum's customary Unhappy Hours. We also tabled a few of our goodies, including new QB merchandise you'll find here soon. It was a bundle of delicious dork fun and we're thankful for the Poe Museum's hospitality. The top of the event, where a local actress performs theatrical readings of some of Poe's writing. Still a couple of hours before our screening! We have to wait until it gets dark and more people have poured into the courtyard. An assortment of Quail Bell merchandise, including small publications, posters, T-shirts, hand-illustrated envelopes, etc. An annoyingly artsy shot of the official poster for The Persistence of Poe, illustrated by our Art Director Kristen Rebelo. Our latest 'zine! It's teeny and beautiful and perfect--not to gush (ha.) Our view from the back of The Enchanted Garden. You better bet that's a real place at the Poe Museum.
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Toady-stools After the Storm(s)By QB Camera Eye QuailBellMagazine.com Enough with all of these storms! All of this rain! All of these puddles! There's so much mud and the sun needs to show its face!
Wait, are those toadstools I see by the train tracks? Okay, there must be one good thing about all of this moisture. I learned that much about fungus in third grade science class. Now if only I had the patience to wait for a lightning bug to land on one of those toadstools...but the longer I wait outside, the more likely it is I'll end up soaked soon. Those clouds look dark. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Diane Keaton can't call dibs on being a mess!By QB Film Buff QuailBellMagazine.com Hey, fledglings, the next time you watch Woody Allen's Manhattan, do this don't: Channel Diane Keaton's lovable train wreck of a character, 'Mary.' Here's how: 1. Pour yourself a glass of your favorite alcoholic beverage. Then throw it back. 2. Surround yourself with photographs of all of your exes. 3. Keep your eyes glued to the screen and your hand glued to the Kleenex box. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Faces in TreesIt seems that every American school or neighborhood has its own version of the “Bloody Mary” tale. When I was seven years old, kicking my legs in a tire swing in a playground set not too far from the woods, my friend Porter told me the version popular at our school: “Long, long ago,” Porter began with eyes black as the road, “There was a girl named Mary. She was just a girl like us, except that she always wore a choker to hide the huge, ugly scar around her neck. But one day some kid ripped the choker off her neck. Everybody saw the scar, so Mary killed the kid. She had to. And she's been haunting kids ever since just to make sure they don't look at her scar and make fun of it.” I nodded as I toed a pile of mulch. “See that tree?” Porter said and pointed at a tree several yards away. “That's Mary in the tree.” High up on the tree's trunk, dark marks in the bark betrayed a vaguely feminine face. I whipped around and stared at Porter to avoid staring at Mary's ghost. By today's standard, it's not the scariest or most interesting ghost story, but that's not even the point. The point is that ever since then, I've always looked for faces in trees. It used to be that I found those faces in the tree's natural bark patterns. More often now, I see actual tree face sculptures—DIY, like street art except that it's not restricted to urban environments. It can exist anywhere a tree exists, whether that's in the city, the country, or somewhere in between. Here's an example of one I recently spotted in Alexandria, Virginia: Where have you seen tree face art? What do you think of it?
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The Northern OBX in 45 HoursI used to think that sporting an “OBX” bumper sticker on your SUV was akin to holding your nose up in the air and complaining about the plebeian stench in the street. It's redundant but you do it because you have it. And what is it? Upper-middle class cred—the kind that smells of Arnold Palmers and newly mowed grass at the country club. That bumper sticker means you belong to that exclusive group who can afford to rent a premium vacation home at $20,000 a week come summertime. But my recent 45 hour tour of the northern Outer Banks of North Carolina showed me a sandy land that's far more down to earth. Needless to say, I'm an OBX convert. Northern OBX is historically rich, playfully wild, and tantalizingly singular. And you don't have to be wealthy to enjoy the area's wealth of Southern hospitality and natural delights. The magic of the Outer Banks is that it's just developed enough to accommodate 5 million visitors every year, but undeveloped enough to make those 5 million all feel like they're in pristine terrain. Given my (unfair) perception of the Outer Banks (and my limited post-college budget), I never had a true desire to visit. I grew up in suburban Washington, D.C., where “summering” in the Outer Banks practically comes with the benefits package of any high-power government consulting job. Since my family did not fit the Washington stereotype, we always chose to vacation elsewhere, if only to avoid familiar faces from the PTA. For as long as I can remember, I also wrongly assumed that the Outer Banks were just a more expensive version of Virginia Beach. Well, I've been to Hampton Roads, I shrugged. Why visit the same exact thing if it's farther away and more expensive and full of my least favorite high school classmates? But one afternoon I opened an email that changed my entire relationship with the Outer Banks. The message came from one of my former editors. She had just returned from a media trip to the southern Outer Banks. The Outer Banks Visitors Bureau was in the middle of organizing another one to the northern Outer Banks. Would I want to go and wine and dine on the Bureau's dime? Oh, yeah, and make a little video, too. Before I even had a chance to respond, a rep from the Bureau emailed me and said that my colleague had recommended me for the trip. Did I want to go? “No, thanks, I'm not interested in a free vacation,” said no one ever. Of course I wanted to go! That being said, if someone had offered me a free meal at the diner down the street and a stay at the flea motel, no strings attached (except maybe that I had to write something or make a video), I would've said yes. Because, whatever, I do that, anyway. Had I done my research, I might've been more excited about the actual Outer Banks part. Regardless, a few email exchanges later, I was set. Then a couple of weeks after that, the big day arrived. Beach time, baby.
Here's my account of my whirlwind itinerary—and all the eating involved! The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
This Old HouseBy QB Camera Eye QuailBellMagazine.com Today's challenge: Find the oldest house in your neighborhood, town, or city. This may require looking high and low. Or maybe the old thing is well-marked, well-preserved, and practically worshipped where you live. (Let's face it: Some places make a bigger deal about these kinds of things than others, especially if they've got the money to do it.)
Next step? Find out everything you can about the place. Feel free to send us your pics and little write-ups! The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
The Haunted Homecoming TourBy The Quail Bell Crew QuailBellMagazine.com What's the Quail Bell Crew doing tonight? Getting our hands on some cameras, that's what! We'll be shooting the rehearsal for the Edgar Allan Poe Haunted Homecoming Tour at Richmond, Virginia's historic Shockoe Hill Cemetery: Okay, so you're probably wondering what that mouthful of a title even means. The Haunted Homecoming Tour is (pulled from the press release): "A dramatic nighttime tour of Shockoe Hill Cemetery, based on the many loved ones of Edgar Allan Poe who are buried there. The tour is led by Poe himself, as he guides visitors through his old haunting grounds and interacts with the 'spirits' of those he knew while living in Richmond." Basically, it's a lot of theatre, history, and eeriness all rolled into one. The first show takes place tomorrow at 8:30 p.m., with performances running through June 22nd. More at HauntsOfRichmond.com.
We're gathering footage for our next documentary, Richmond's Dead and Buried, which is all about the myths, legends, and realities of Richmond's cemeteries. Thanks to darlings like you, we reached our Kickstarter goal for the film not too long ago. We've been good about updating the film's Facebook page, as well. Now we're knee-deep in production! Shooting interviews, rifling through library archives, charming museum staff, etc. If you're really good, we might give you a sneak peek of our progress thus far. But you'll have to check back! If you'll excuse us, we have to go get ready for a shoot! The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
From the Mouth of a Washington Taxi DriverBy Paisley Hibou QuailBellMagazine.com The next time you hop into a cab, think about who's behind the wheel. The gentleman who drove me around Washington, D.C. just so happened to be a World War II vet. I asked him the typical tourist question: What's your favorite D.C. attraction and here's what Stanley Tapscott told me: “I'm 87 years old and I've been driving for the past 50 years. It means a lot to me and I'd hate to lose it...Washington is a beautiful city, so coming up with just two attractions is hard. But if I had to choose, I'd go with the Capitol building or the Library of Congress. I received my Congressional Medal of Honor at the Capitol, while my brother received his at the Library of Congress, both for our service in World War II. That was the most important day of my life. The Capitol and the Library of Congress are such beautiful buildings, too.” You just never know where you're going to find people like this!
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Read Elwin Cotman's Latest BookHARD TIMES BLUES by Elwin Cotman
Publication date: July 15th, 2013 Publisher: Six Gallery Press Zombies, elves, hobos, Martians, and dragons; musical ghosts and sorcerous retail managers wreak havoc in HARD TIMES BLUES, another trip through the dreamlands, courtesy of Elwin Cotman. These five lyrical and satirical fables look at the lives of the dispossessed through a fabulist lens. Drawing inspiration from the Gothic, the pulps, rock'n'roll, the Bible, and anime (to name a few), Cotman continues to redraw the map of the American fantastic. Bio: Elwin Cotman is the author of THE JACK DANIELS SESSIONS EP, a collection of fantasy short stories that was nominated for two 2011 Carl Brandon Society Awards. A natural-born storyteller, he has performed his writing at venues across the U.S. HARD TIMES BLUES is his second collection. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he currently resides in Lafayette, Louisiana. Blurbs: "With its intoxicating blend of rock and roll and the supernatural, crazed religion and visionary prose, Hard Times Blues is a wild ride down the same shadowy American sideroads traveled by the likes of Cormac McCarthy, Greil Marcus and Samuel R. Delany. A marvelous collection by a strikingly original new voice in contemporary fiction." --Elizabeth Hand, author of Winterlong "With hyperbolic, technicolor imagery and engrossing characters that radiate intrigue, these modern tales comprise a new book of essential fables for our time--read it, close your eyes, and delight in the words still glowing hot inside your brain." --Alissa Nutting, author of Unclean Jobs for Women and Girls "An exciting, inspiring, and sublime mix of beautiful imagery, old-fashioned pulp, gritty predicaments, biblical poetry, soul, charm, heart, heartache, ghosts, lost souls, bad attitudes, and literary invention. Elwin Cotman writes like a brilliant maniac, as if he’s afraid someone will take his pen away too soon." --Timothy Schaffert, author The Coffins of Little Hope "Hard Times Blues reads like a wake-up call; a collection of remarkable stories that are as ambitious as they are personal. Cotman is a first-class stylist with a heart and a wit to match. He knows how to make us want to follow him and his marvelous characters down into the lovelorn, maddening, and scary places we already inhabit but so rarely recognize." --Paul Tremblay, author of The Little Sleep "Elwin Cotman's carefully wrought, gracefully accomplished, and lyrical narratives range in tone and style from picaresque and carnivalesque to elegiac, ironic, and melancholy. His stories are not so much driven by style or voice, as they are by love in the largest sense. For love does not exclude chaos, nor avoid the vicissitudes of history, and neither do Cotman's socially engaged, brilliantly crafted stories." --Miranda Mellis, author of The Revisionist The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
We're back and ready to rock.Grab your partner and do the Quail! We're back in style like that felt poodle skirt your Nana wore to her Junior Prom. You can crash our party whenever you want. Daily even.
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