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Speculations : The Rumor Mill : Benjamin Rosenbaum : Benjamin Rosenbaum

Topic 682 was started on 2002-03-17. There are 473 messages available to read.

Talk about Benjamin Rosenbaum here, if you like. Or check out his web site. Or email him. Or join his writing announcements list. Or not.


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Message 473 was left by Sean K on 2003-05-17 12:19:21. Feedback: 0/0

Re: 471

Almost, but not quite: Mr. Muerte and the Eyeball Kid.


Message 472 was left by Charlie Finlay on 2003-05-17 04:45:22. Feedback: 0/0

M. Rickert's "The Super Hero Saves the World" in the June, F&SF;, has more magic than comic book in it, but it'd have to be on the list, I think.

That's interesting about the McSweeney's -- thanks for looking it up. Speaking of McSweeney's and comic books, I just picked up Chabon's AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER AND CLAY, although I haven't started reading it yet.


Message 471 was left by Benjamin Rosenbaum on 2003-05-17 03:29:47. Feedback: 0/0

An astute reader pointed out that "The Death Trap of Dr. Nefario" is one of several superhero stories to come out lately, including Carol Emschwiller's "Grandma" and Tim Pratt's "Captain Fantasy and the Secret Masters". What other spec fic stories can y'all think of which are set in the world of the superhero comics?


Message 470 was left by Benjamin Rosenbaum on 2003-05-08 17:22:27. Feedback: 0/0

McSweeney's issue #5, better known as "Timothy McSweeney's Small Trembling Thing That You Hold In Your Hand And Pet Gently With Your Dirty Dirty Fingers " and several other titles (I kid you not) has neither any ISSN or ISBN in the ten or so pages of "copyright information" (which also discusses octopuses that talk and Icelandic printing costs). It was printed in Iceland.


Message 469 was left by EH? on 2003-05-07 13:52:25. Feedback: 0/0

I'm gathering from the copyright page that MMTTT (you'll know we've discussed it too much when we start typing M2T3 :) is a reprint of an issue of McSweeney's (in which the stories "appeared in slightly different form"). It looks like McSweeney's puts out a few books, but not one for each issue.


Message 468 was left by Benjamin Rosenbaum on 2003-05-07 04:30:37. Feedback: 0/0

Hey Charlie, I'll look at my other issue of McSweeney's when I get home and see if it has an ISBN.

Yes, the oklahoma lawman story rocked. I'm looking forward to reading Aimee's mystery, too.


Message 467 was left by Charlie Finlay on 2003-05-06 21:51:35. Feedback: 0/0

The discussion around McSweeney's is making me think of Penthouse Letters. Yes, they're really fiction, but they're printed as letters. I think it's something you can put on the vitae or bibliography either way. It's a publication, which is a nice way of sidestepping the whole sale issue.

I notice that MTTT has an ISBN instead of an ISSN. Is it usually available to subscribers? Or is this a special anthology rather than a regular issue? Or do they always publish in book form and count on shelf sales for their core readership? I have to know.

"Catskin" was a fun read, but Leonard's Oklahoma Lawman story was juice from the pulp for me -- I really enjoyed that story.


Message 466 was left by Ling on 2003-05-06 19:05:39. Feedback: 0/0

Sean just bought me that for my birthday. :)


Message 465 was left by Jamie Rosen on 2003-05-05 11:04:03. Feedback: 0/0

I've only read the first story in MTTT so far, because for some reason my brain balked at the idea that the next story would be about an elephant. I don't know why. I like elephants...

In any event, Ben, I'd say you have a story in McSweeney's. I mean a) you have a story, and b) it's in McSweeney's. Yes, it's in McSweeney's as a faux letter, but it still meets all the criteria.

And if it's as good as the letter I read from Elizabeth Miller's dad, who fights fires while flying a helicopter, you should most definitely take all the credit you deserve (and maybe a bit you don't, since they probably have some undeserved credit lying around the office. :) )


Message 464 was left by Benjamin Rosenbaum on 2003-05-05 04:21:45. Feedback: 0/0

Thanks Elizabeth! Glad you liked it.

I don't know if I'd call it a "sale", since McSweeney's doesn't actually pay... it's that odd literary animal, a prestigious nonpaying zine. My story is very short and silly , so they wrote to ask if, since all the stories in that issue are long and sad, they could put my story into their section called "Letters", which, they assured me, does not contain *real* letters. So I wrote a letterlike frame for the very short story. It is a bit odd, though... can I really say I've got a story in McSweeney's? Or is it just a letter to the editor? Hard to tell, since they don't pay regardless. It's all a little odd, but then, I suppose McSweeeney's is meant to be odd... ;->

I'm up to the Stephen King story in the MTTT... so far they're pretty good; I may have liked the Oklahoma lawman story best so far, though "Catskin" was coolio...


Message 463 was left by Elizabeth Bear on 2003-05-04 17:17:13. Feedback: 0/0


Ben, you made my whole weekend with Dr. Nefario. :-)


Message 462 was left by EH? on 2003-05-04 14:40:07. Feedback: 0/0

Hey Ben, congrats on the sale to McSweeney's! Very exciting stuff!

This morning I just finished reading "McSweeney's Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales," which Leslie P. had sent to me. Overall it was a fun read. It had two stories that stood out.

Rick Moody's "The Albertine Notes" was amazing! Very Philip K. Dick-eqsue... also reminded me a bit of "La Jetee" (the short film that "Twelve Monkey's was based upon).

Chris Offutt's story was terrible... apparently it was his first stab at genre fiction, and it shows. Very self-referential and smacked of a undergrad's creative writing.

"


Message 461 was left by Benjamin Rosenbaum on 2003-03-30 00:43:12. Feedback: 0/0

Thanks, chance & Marsha!


Message 460 was left by chance on 2003-03-27 17:48:23. Feedback: 0/0

Ben! lovely story at infinite matrix. loved it.


Message 459 was left by Marsha on 2003-03-27 13:47:51. Feedback: 0/0

Ben, what a great read! I loved the therapist in need of a little therapy himself, and who knew what sensitive guys those super heroes are!

*sigh* But now I want a story about Tonto in therapy. Would you mind working on that one for me? Thanks. ;)


Message 458 was left by Benjamin Rosenbaum on 2003-03-27 13:15:28. Feedback: 0/0

Thanks, Charlie & Sarah!

Cool to see that story up there...


Message 457 was left by SarahP on 2003-03-26 20:09:35. Feedback: 0/0

It is a lovely story, indeed. I will never look at the guy in the batsuit the same way again. It prompted me to send in my buck to IM.


Message 456 was left by Charlie Finlay on 2003-03-26 19:42:13. Feedback: 0/0

Ben, if you don't have email you may not realize that Eileen has released your story over at Infinite Matrix.

Another great story, man.


Message 455 was left by Benjamin Rosenbaum on 2003-03-26 15:31:53. Feedback: 0/0

In case anyone is trying to reach me... my email is down at the moment. Worryingly, it seems not to even be bouncing, but to be eating and ignoring mails without sending them on to me. Argh! You can try "benrose (at) datacomm (dot) ch" if you need to send me email... :-(


Message 454 was left by Benjamin Rosenbaum on 2003-03-20 00:09:59. Feedback: 0/0

Thanks Charlie! "Book of Jashar" would still be languishing in my drawer if not for your brilliant critique.

Wow, the Talking Fish of the Apocalypse is here! My favorite part is where the witness to this miracle tells the reporter "Ah, enough already about the fish" -- that's worthy of Isaac Bashevis Singer. Or Woody Allen.


Message 453 was left by Charlie Finlay on 2003-03-17 14:08:56. Feedback: 0/0

Ben, what a treat to see "The Book of Jashar" up at Strange Horizons today.

I'm also wondering if you saw the NY Times news story about the talking apocalyptic fish? It reminded me of something you might write. (I have to use it in a story if you haven't already. And possibly if you have.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/15/nyregion/15FISH.html


Message 452 was left by Marsha on 2003-03-11 22:59:34. Feedback: 0/0

::Slides chair behind Patrick. Pats his shoulder as he collapses.::

There, there. Try not to think about them--even though they seem to be sneaking up behind you at the moment.

And they're so realistic! Amazing.




Message 451 was left by Patrick Samphire on 2003-03-11 10:59:45. Feedback: 0/0

It's the idea of knobby knees that is making me feel a little weak right now...

Patrick


Message 450 was left by Marsha on 2003-03-11 09:26:24. Feedback: 0/0

::Blinks at the image Ben just created for himself. Brain explodes.::

Oops. Sorry about that.

::Gets a mop and starts to clean.::

I just couldn't see you tarted up in boas, caterpillar eyelashes, smeared lipstick, and knobby knees. Even with the nom-de-plume.


Message 449 was left by Benjamin Rosenbaum on 2003-03-11 09:14:26. Feedback: 0/0

Better than funnily tarty...

Good name for a character? Dr. Burkhardt Funnily-Tarty?


Message 448 was left by Lori on 2003-03-10 19:37:54. Feedback: 0/0

Hey, Ben--Eileen says you're tartly funny. That's kind of a cool description.


Message 447 was left by traci lyn on 2003-03-05 22:38:20. Feedback: 0/0

yeah! i get a kick out of that! "where is clarrrion?"
i did find the physical downtown of seattle. i went alone via auto bus and i was scared to death! but i said to myself "self, if you are going to be living here in a few months then you will have to get accustomed to these things." so i did and i felt very stimulated. thank you Ben - i will find that bookstore! i think i want to live in a bookstore sometimes. when i visit barnes & noble i say "i could live here" or "i want to have a bookstore" or "i am going to have a huge library in my house like the one from beauty & the beast" - a little less house and a little more bookstore please. ok - you get the point. thanks for letting me relinquish my desires. talk to you all soon.

- traci


Message 446 was left by Benjamin Rosenbaum on 2003-03-04 19:41:53. Feedback: 0/0

Yep, Dr. Nefario is being held hostage. (Ironic, that, as you'll see when you read the story...)

I'm tempted to send it to you, chance... but that wouldn't be very nice to Eileen, who's fighting for the life of one of the best short fiction venues for writers around... hm!

Thanks for the congrats and info Neile. Bummer, we sent Traci up there and now it turns out there's no physical Clarion West to find. Wacky how everything's different.

You should check out the Elliott Bay Bookstore anyway, Traci -- quite a collection!

I have an article up at Strange Horizons...


Message 445 was left by chance on 2003-03-04 11:45:40. Feedback: 0/0

ok i didn't quite do the link right - Infinite Matrix will work better


Message 444 was left by chance on 2003-03-04 11:44:21. Feedback: 0/0

Ben! your story is a hostage over at Infinite Matrix

Waaa! I want Ben Story Goodness.


Message 443 was left by Neile Graham on 2003-02-27 15:45:01. Feedback: 0/0

Dammit! I'm still getting over a virus and my brain has decided it didn't need to remember how to type or spell. Excuse the substitutions, and read "now" for "not", and "their" for "there". Sigh.


Message 442 was left by Neile Graham on 2003-02-27 15:41:45. Feedback: 0/0

Congrats on the Asimov's story, Benjamin!

I haven't checked in here often, but I do check the Clarions topic regularly. Right not there isn't anything going on other than applications coming in and being read. We did have our annual meeting (with a reading by Syne Mitchell, one of our graduates who has a new novel out) in January, but we don't have any events scheduled now until the workshop starts in June.

We do have an office, but it's only a really big space that we check periodically for mail and where we store things.

One piece of Clarion West news is that we're no longer renting space from Seattle U or the community college. Both of them raised there rates beyond what we thought students could afford.

So this year for the first time we're going to be holding the workshop and the class in one of the University of Washington sororities. Everything in a big old cool house.
The readings will no longer be at Elliott Bay Bookstore but on the University of Washington campus through the University Bookstore's reading series.

It's our twentieth anniversary year, so we thought we'd be celebrating consistency, but instead we're celebrating change.

It's all good--but it's going to be different.


Message 441 was left by Benjamin Rosenbaum on 2003-02-22 05:30:46. Feedback: 0/0

Thanks Lori & Greg. I'm excited to be in Asimov's!

The Asimov's story was actually my first Clarion story; I wrote it in the first two days of Clarion West 2001.

Traci, at http://www.clarionwest.org/contact.htm you'll find their contact info. There's no physical place to go, though, really, during the winter: they rent space during the summer from Seattle U. and a community college whose name I forget. But they sometimes have fundraisers, readings, etc., in the winter. Try and get in touch with Neile Graham, she's one of the administrators and she'll surely know if there's anything going on.

Given the strength of the competition I'm up against, Tempest, it seems like a pretty safe gamble to let you write my acceptance speeches for Torcon... ;->


Message 440 was left by Greg van Eekhout on 2003-02-21 12:39:31. Feedback: 0/0

Asimov's? Woot!


Message 439 was left by traci lyn on 2003-02-21 01:27:06. Feedback: 0/0

HI FRiends. i am in seattle. i have been asking about clarion, not much word... YET! and i wrote while i was on the plane, and it was very enlightening. i hope to try trains soon. maybe i will try the bus tomorrow.


Message 438 was left by traci lyn on 2003-02-19 17:54:52. Feedback: 0/0

the quest to find clarion: seattle ---> tomorrow!


Message 437 was left by Lori on 2003-02-17 18:46:57. Feedback: 0/0

Congrats on the sale to Asimov's!


Message 436 was left by Tempest on 2003-02-17 10:03:55. Feedback: 0/0

oh, oh, oh, you can have someone accept the award FOR you. and then we have to come up with a really funny acceptance speech kind of thing. oooo I can see the possibilities!


Message 435 was left by Lori on 2003-02-17 01:13:01. Feedback: 0/0

What if you make the Campbell or Hugo ballot this year, though? Huh? Huh?


Message 434 was left by Benjamin Rosenbaum on 2003-02-16 03:41:32. Feedback: 0/0

Hey! Can't a fellow enjoy the privacy of his own ventilator shaft without these prying questions?

No, it was just the only way out of the chocolate pudding pit I was flung into in #410.

Which I was just knocked back down into by the Power Pout. Sigh.

I will be thinking of y'all at Worldcon. I can't afford so many transatlantic jaunts, though. The transatlantic writing jaunt this year is Charlie's Blue Heaven workshop.


Message 433 was left by Tempest on 2003-02-15 02:03:27. Feedback: 0/0

No worldcon? oh my, I really WILL have to get my butt to world fantasy then, won't I?

Jed, we're not at orange alert, we're at chocolate pudding brown alert! duh. No wonder Ben was in there, 'tis the only safe place. or WAS.


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