publications – the magnelephant review

sometimes things

March 7, 2018March 7, 2018 Chris Kammerud

Hello, readers.

Sometimes I post things. This is one of those times. Here are two things.

Thing one.

I have a new story in Bourbon Penn 15 (available now in e-book or paperbook) called SOMETIMES THINGS ARE TRUE.

If you’re a fan of ninjas, zombies, werewolves, pirates, or epiphanies in which a character stares up at the stars and realizes some truth about life, then this is the story for you. Also there’s a killer unicorn.

You can read a fairly long sample of the story here.

Here’s a fairly short sample.

“It’s not true what they say about werewolves, you know?” Lucy said to Jack. “You can’t become a werewolf by kissing. That’s just a myth. You can’t get it from sex either, unless it’s a very particular kind of sex. There are probably a few days out of the month when you’d probably rather not kiss one, or have sex, I guess. Sometimes things are true.”

“Am I even needed in this conversation?” Jack said.

“I enjoy listening to you listen,” Lucy said. “The sound of your breathing is very comforting.”

Thing two.

I’ve just sent out the February edition of CHRIS REVIEWS EVERYTHING, a monthly newsletter for Storyological patrons.

In February, I watched and reviewed: seventeen films, four television shows, three podcasts, two soundtracks, a book, a handful of short stories, Natalie Portman’s career (as inspired by her rapping on SNL), a play starring Carey Mulligan, a Bon Iver concert, a quote from John Keats, and two Instagram videos posted by Chloe Bennett, star of Marvel’s: Agents of Shield.

I include a handy, clickable list at the start of the newsletter. This is a picture of that clickable list. Don’t try to click on it. It won’t work. I promise.

Here is a snippet of the introduction I wrote for the newsletter:

I’ve written these reviews, more or less, however the fancy took me. Some of them are silly. Some serious. My favorite manage to be both. My highlights for this month include: The End of the Fxxxing World, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Pride and Prejudice, Lady Bird, Call Me By Your Name, Chloe Bennett, and Bon Iver. These might not be your highlights. You’ll have to read them all to find out. The reviews in which I get the most personal are probably: Atonement, Phenomena, and Bon Iver.

Maybe don’t try to read it all at once. Maybe save this email in a special folder. Or print it out, even. Stick it on your writing or reading desk. Fold it up and put it in your notebook. Carry it close to your heart. That sort of thing.

It’s up to you, really. So many things are.

I’ll be posting samples from this newsletter every Saturday. Here’s a review of Lady Bird I posted a bit ago.

I’m having a lot of fun with this newsletter. I hope you do, too. Emma seems happy with it. ^-^

Happy Wednesday, readers.

ttfn.

Writing, Valerie, Nashville, Time

June 15, 2014June 15, 2014 Chris KammerudLeave a comment

A view of downtown Nashville from the observation park in Public Square. Note the pride flag and Batman, the building.

Hello, readers.

Here are the words from the subject with more details and in a different order.

1) Nashville

Nashville is different. The pride parade is sponsored by Nissan and Dollar General, among others, and populated, in part, by politico’s passing out stickers. I don’t know what the pride parade used to be like (as I didn’t take part in one until I had left Nashville for Seoul), but I imagine it wasn’t such a welcoming atmosphere a few years ago. Yesterday, though, the sky was blue, the streets full of rainbows and cheers.

Also. Nashville has a lot more coffee than before. There’s Dose out on the west-side, Barista to the east, 8th and Roast to the south, and Louisville to the north, and a growing plethora in between. I love to work in Roast because it’s small, quiet, and full of old light.

I love to talk and eat in Barista, because it’s big, bustling, and there are gluten-free biscuits. Roast took its tables from a bowling alley. Barista took its space from an old garage.

2) Time

I remember when Nashville was different, when it wasn’t the it town, when pride marches weren’t sponsored by Dollar General, which is to say that every time I come back to Nashville I realize that I’m old and I feel sadhappy at the chance to experience change.

This week, I visited my old home and saw this.

If you squint, you can see where the kitchen used to be. It probably helps if you have lived here before.

This was to be expected as new people are going to live in this house and not be related to me or my sister. I was sad when my Mom died. Looking at the house where she and I and her parents used to live, I don’t feel sad. A part of me feels excited at what change will bring to this place. Mom and sister wanted to see it changed. They dreamed about what it could be. Now someone will see that dream happen. And so can we.

My home is somewhere else now, and with someone else. That is how time works. Also airplanes. I’m not sure what I’m saying just yet. Maybe it will come to me.

Here’s something my Dad used to say: “I’ve had my adventures. Now it’s your turn.”

Thank you, Dad.

3) Valerie

Nashville has always been good at music. Earlier this week, we saw the Song Suffragettes at the Listening Room Cafe.

l/r: Courtney Cole, Kalie Shorr, Lena Stein, Daisy Mallory, Sarah Allison Turner

Tonight we’ll see Valerie June at 3rd and Lindsley as part of Lightning 100’s Sunday night series.

4) Writing

At Clarion, after being told by Walter Jon Williams to write a story about rodeo clowns, I wrote a story about rodeo clowns which was also a musical. Sort of. I’m rewriting it now after watching Singing in the Rain. It may end up with some other things assembled by the awkward robots.

Also, next month, on July 13th, you can buy an anthology from Little Bird Publishing what contains many wonderful dark YA fairy tales including one from me. I will remind you again later.

Happy June, readers. Happy time and things.

love.

Dark Heart

May 20, 2014May 20, 2014 Chris KammerudLeave a comment

DarkHeart_v2

Hello, readers.

In publication news, one of my more recent stories will be published in the second volume of the Dark Heart anthology put out by the London-based publisher, Little Bird Publishing House. The anthology collects work from “the best emerging authors of Young Adult paranormal and urban fantasy,” and it’s rather exciting to be in a proper book for the first time. While being published on the web is just as good as being published on paper; there is something wonderfully papery about paper that reminds me I am old enough to feel nostalgic about paper.

The story is one called Jjincha, which means “really” in Korean, as in really and truly. I wrote it for the first week of the Clarion workshop. It’s a fairy tale born from my time in Seoul and my love of monsters and bridges and shadows. Here is a sentence from the story what will give you an idea about the monsters and bridges and shadows.

For some time, Kyu-bi had been sitting among the shadows beneath the Olympic bridge, waiting, as patiently as she could, for the monsters to come…

Happy Tuesday, readers.