November 12, 2012 7:00 am | | No Comments
Last week, I was in Atlanta for the first time. On Thursday, I visited Georgia State University and discussed literary publishing and editing; on Friday, I was part of the VouchedATL Reading Series at the Goat Form, taking the stages with the wonderful writers Amber Sparks, Jamie Iredell, Kate Sweeney, and Carrie Murphy.
This interview conducted by the magnificant Laura Straub was to be, in part, a teaser to get folks to come to the reading. And I think it worked: there was a full house Friday night. But it’s also up on the Interwebs for, probably, the rest of human history, so it wouldn’t hurt to post the link here so that you can read it anytime.
My Awful Interview with Laura is here.
Follow Michael on Twitter: @mpnye
November 9, 2012 7:00 am | Tags: Atlanta, Georgia State, New South, Readings, Vouched Books | No Comments
Atlanta! I’m here! I’ve never been to Atlanta but thanks to my friends Laura Straub and Matt Sailor, I’m here now. Get at me!
Tonight at 8 pm (November 9th, 2012 if you’re checking the calendar) I’ll be at The Goat Farm Art Center‘s Warhorse Coffeeshop. Hosted by Vouched ATL in collaboration with New South, the literary journal of Georgia State University, I’m one of five readers in a night that should be a blast. I’ll also be reading with:
Carrie Murphy, whose first collection of poems, PRETTY TILT, was released by Keyhole Press in 2012.
Kate Sweeney, who runs Atlanta’s True Story reading series and whose first book, AMERICAN AFTERLIFE, is out on UGA Press in 2014.
Jamie Iredell is the author of, most recently, The Book of Freaks. In 2013, Future Tense Books will release a collection of essays.
Amber Sparks, whose debut collection, MAY WE SHED THESE HUMAN BODIES, is just out from Curbside Splendor. You can find her most days @ambernoelle on Twitter or www.ambernoellesparks.com
Come join us! I’d love to see you there.
Follow Michael on Twitter: @mpnye
November 8, 2012 7:00 am | Tags: Cincinnati, Introductions, Lisa Ampleman, Strategies Against Extinction | No Comments
When I went back to Cincinnati to promote my book, I asked my friend Lisa Ampleman to introduce me. I’ve given a few introductions myself, and heard plenty of them over the years. They aren’t easy to do. So I was really touched by what Lisa had to say about me and our friendship, and asked if I could post her intro on my blog. She said, pay me ten dollars. I said, okay.
(She really didn’t ask for ten dollars. It was fifteen)
Here’s what Lisa wrote: (more…)
November 6, 2012 6:06 pm | Tags: Basketball, Celtics, Interview, Jay King, Podcast | No Comments
One of my favorite things in the world is basketball. I started playing basketball in seventh grade and it was the only sport I was ever showed any aptitude for, after failed attempts at baseball (which I loved) and soccer (which I didn’t). Like most kids growing up in the 90’s and not living in a NBA city, I followed the Bulls and Michael Jordan and, because I wanted to be fearless like him and he had a knuckleball jumper just like me, Tim Hardaway and the Golden State Warriors. Shortly after I moved to Boston in 2000, I became a fan of the Boston Celtics, a team I’ve been stuck on ever since. (more…)