Portland, Oregon— July 31, 2018 — Unsolicited Press announces the immediate availability of Matthew LaFreniere’s DON’T TURN THE PROJECTOR OFF!, a poetry collection that touches on the innermost wonders of humanity. A combination of absurdity and endearment transform everyday images into works of art. Matt sits in his basement and stares at his laptop. He thinks about movies. He thinks about poems. He thinks about anything but you, reader. Then he thinks about you, reader. He sits beneath a poster of the movie The Purple Rose of Cairo. He likes the movie fine, but not as much as the poster. The cat walks past. He hears his wife and kids shuffle above him. He stares at his laptop. Adobe Walls, is a collection of original shorts, perfect for a summer afternoon’s read Portland, Oregon— July 24, 2018 — Today, Unsolicited Press announced immediate availability of Ty Spencer Vossler’s ADOBE WALLS, a short story collection filled with a diverse cast of characters, ranging from a preacher who loses faith, and murders his wife, to a hairy, lonely Vietnam vet who decides to get a body wax.
ADOBE WALLS by Ty Spencer Vossler Availability ADOBE WALLS by Ty Spencer Vossler is available for purchase directly from the publisher or through all major retailers. Booksellers can order copies from Ingram. Founded in 2012, Unsolicited Press is a small publisher based out of Portland Oregon. The team is dedicated to publishing outstanding fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. If you could cook dinner for any author, dead or alive, who would it be? What would you make?
When I was an undergraduate, I had dinner with Ray Bradbury in San Diego. I never had an opportunity to cook for him, but if I had, I would have served coconut shrimp. What scares you the most about the writing process? How do you combat your fears? I have been writing for so long, that my fears have long since faded away. I used to fear rejection, yet now I look at it as a learning opportunity. Who is your biggest literary crush, author or character? I adore Tom Robbins. He has travelled where no man has gone before...or since. What books are on your nightstand? Whirlwind, by James Clavell now resides on my nightstand. I thought I’d read his entire saga, yet discovered this one hidden on my bookshelf. Where do you get your ideas? What inspires you? My inspiration comes from the fact that I never walk from point A to point B without seeing the letters in between. Writing is all about seeing the details in life. Favorite punctuation mark? Why? I love the dash (—). Semi-colons look too much like sperm cells seeking an egg. What book were you supposed to read in high school, but never did? Sorry. I have always loved reading, and never missed an opportunity, assigned or not. What inanimate object would you thank in your acknowledgements? I would thank adobe, which is still used in the manufacture of homes in Mexico. It has survived the test of time. Why do you write? The first 5 words that come to mind. Go. Because, man, I simply must. If you could write an inspirational quote on the mirrors of aspiring writers, what would you write? Don’t write because you can, write because you must. If you could cook dinner for any author, dead or alive, who would it be? What would you make?
Richard Ford, whose Frank Bascombe series, set in my home state of New Jersey, captivated me through three terrific novels and a collection of novellas. I’d probably make homemade grilled pizza, a technique that produces a great, crunchy crust, and serve it with cold beer. What scares you the most about the writing process? How do you combat your fears? Like many writers I fear not being able to write; to not be able to tell a good story. I combat that fear by recalling the concept of “shitty first drafts” explored in Anne Lamott’s terrific book on writing, Bird by Bird. To paraphrase Lamott, the goal is to get something down on paper, to simply write a shitty first draft, and to worry about cleaning it up later. Who is your biggest literary crush, author or character? There are so many. I tend to read literary writers like Philip Roth (absolutely loved American Pastoral) and Jonathan Franzen, whose novel Freedom is one of my favorites. As for characters, few can beat Captains Woodrow F. Call and Augustus "Gus" McCrae from Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove. I read it in college when I was home sick with mono and it was one of those books I wished would never end. What books are on your nightstand? I just finished The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel and was absolutely captivated. It’s the story of a man who walks away from civilization at age 20 and lives in the cold Maine woods in a tent for 27 years. I’m currently reading a collection of short stories by the great French writer Guy de Maupassant. Up next: Russell Banks’ Continental Drift. Where do you get your ideas? What inspires you? Many ideas are borne of my own experiences and distilled through the prism of time. I am working on a collection of stories inspired by events from my childhood and teen years tentatively titled “Lakewood Stories.” I hope that the stories, including one about a fight over a plate of french fries in high school and another about crushing on a waitress at my first job in an Italian restaurant, connect with readers who recall that things were so much simpler, and so very different, just 30 or 40 years ago. Favorite punctuation mark? Why? The comma is cool, because it’s so handy in breaking things up. What book were you supposed to read in high school, but never did? Great Expectations, though I think I did read enough of it to get the gist and pass the test. What inanimate object would you thank in your acknowledgements? The laptop computer. Not any in particular but, more generally, because the laptop allows one to write and work almost anywhere. I love a Samsung Chromebook that I’ve been writing on lately -- it’s so light and portable, with a good battery and access to stories I work on in the cloud. Why do you write? The first 5 words that come to mind. Go. I write to be me. If you could write an inspirational quote on the mirrors of aspiring writers, what would you write? If you like to write, write! Don’t put it off or wait until you have enough life experience. Write now! If you could cook dinner for any author, dead or alive, who would it be? What would you make? I suppose it would be Albert Camus, the twentieth century French philosopher and philosophical novelist. Because I could not do justice to French cuisine, I would make him American comfort food, or my best version of it: grilled teriyaki marinated flank steak, really cheesy macaroni and cheese, roasted brussel sprouts and broccoli with cashews, and a caprese salad. Then, because I do not bake, I would ask my wife to make Boston Crème Pie. What scares you the most about the writing process? How do you combat your fears? Honestly, it is the gnawing dread that no one cares, no one is interested. With the market so complex and difficult to access broadly, I can become deflated. Then I think of sculptors, musicians, painters, and even mystic poets throughout history who left us amazing gifts of human genius and beauty without any promise of discovery, and certainly no commercial reward. The Hebrew prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah wrote some stunningly exquisite poetry in the 5th and 6th centuries BCE, and surely, they had no inkling that millennia later we would still be reading it. That evokes awe within me, and then I remember that art and ideas are gifts we give without strings. Who is your biggest literary crush, author or character? Hmmm. Marie Howe. What books are on your nightstand?
Where do you get your ideas? What inspires you? I am driven to share the experience of the ordinary sacred. To encounter the holy in nature, stumble upon it in an idea, or feel its presence where least expected, as in death, is compelling to me. Whether writing poetry or fiction, or in my weekly newspaper column even, I want to open up a pinhole in the veil and say, “Look! Look!” I think we share common experiences of the ordinary sacred but do not share language for it, so we sit on it speechless and lonelier because of it. Favorite punctuation mark? Why? The dash – for sure. I use it as a super-comma or parenthetically because my sentences are too complex and run-on – or sometimes they just throw up their commas and semi-colons and give up. What book were you supposed to read in high school, but never did? I am blushing now, but that would be: The Scarlet Letter and The Catcher in the Rye (and probably many more I do not now remember). What inanimate object would you thank in your acknowledgements? The Newport Natural, Opus, Spot Coffee, Sweetness Seven, Monaco’s, and any other café that has held me in its arms and offered a sense of community for those with whom I have lived, and worked, and played. Why do you write? The first 5 words that come to mind. Go. To see. To Feel. To Know. (That’s six). If you could write an inspirational quote on the mirrors of aspiring writers, what would you write? You are beloved. Cameron Miller is the author of Thoughtwall Café: Espresso in the Third Season of Life. This fierce story rifles the turbulence of mind encountered in the twenties. Life’s third decade mercilessly right-sizes the dreams of childhood and sometimes, buffeted by forces beyond our control, diverts us completely. The narrative hovers around a tangle of friends and strangers interconnected by both serendipity and intention, and unfolds across the tables of a sprawling, urban café. Place is as much a part of this story as the characters, providing subliminal images and intrigue for the events.
Cressida Fruith, who changed her name in high school from Ruth while pulling an Emo persona over her life, is coming apart at the seams. An only child of a single parent with no extended family, she watches helplessly as her mother’s cancer progresses. Even the friendship of her oldest and best friend begins to fray. Enter Hobart Wilson, a much-maligned outcast stoner from her high school days. Infuriating Cressida, Hobart becomes her mother’s closest companion, and confessor of a secret so dark it will change her future. Woven and twisted within the narrative by the characters and their relationships are archetypal psychological and spiritual battles, even ordinary conundrums (“thoughtwalls”) that nearly everyone encounters. More than one “Ah ha!” is seeded amidst the dialogue and action, which makes this a compelling story with real-time implications. Laugh, cry, and steam as these twenty-somethings do battle with pernicious struggles of the mind, and sometimes prevail where even Socrates and Freud fumbled. You can buy a copy in our store, Amazon, or wherever you love to pick up a good book! When did you start writing poetry?
I began reading when I was 3 years old. I was an only child and books were dear friends to me. My first book was “A Child’s Garden of Verses,” by Robert Louis Stevenson. I memorized many of those poems–loved the rhythm of them–the dance-like quality of the images. I first wrote a poem when I was about 6 years old. When did you write your first book and what motivated it? My first book was a chapbook titled “An Apparent Approachable Light.” I had been entering a few poems here and there and came across this contest for anEditor’s Choice prize from Astra Press and won it. The prize was publishing and I was thrilled. I still love that little book. Motivation? Ad liberabo linguae atque cordis–To free the tongue and the heart. I had some dark stuff buried inside myself as many many people do and needed to release those things. What’s your writing process? I’m a pretty disciplined writer. I get up, get coffee (either at home or out), and write for a good part of the day; sometimes all day if it’s going well. I start by reading something(s)–poems, selections from novels or non-fiction titles. I think about what I’ve read for a while, then look at the previous day’s work. It’s a rare day when I don’t write. What are your favorite subject matters for poetry? I don’t know about favorites. Things catch my eye/ear: conversations on a bus or in a coffee shop, a photo, a note on a bulletin board, a movie poster, song lyrics, overheard arguments, secrets told to me, secrets KEPT from me. Often, I visit places I do not wish to go and write from those places: challenges, deep fears, griefs, anger, frustration etc. While reading your poetry I see L.A. has a great influence. Would you like to expand on that? I’m so glad you asked about that. Los Angeles is my woman, my mother, my sister, my lover, my friend, my monster. I am L.A ’s slave and her bitch and her partner and her conqueror and her patient and her most fervent fan. Los Angeles has been my comfort and sometimes a dangerous companion. I love this city as much as I have loved any person. What are some pivotal moments in your writing career? First would have to be my meeting with and relationship to the poet Larry Kramer (R.I.P.) I attended a workshop he gave around 1983 and it changed me and my work forever. He became teacher, mentor, friend, brother to me. He paid for and helped me get into a summer writing program at Bennington College in Vermont. He taught me more about poetry–about my relationship to and my responsibility to poetry– than anyone has since. Everything that I’ve done since meeting him has been with his soul at my shoulder like an angel–always teaching, always criticizing, always praising. His book, “Brilliant Windows,” is a masterpiece. You’d love it, Sonia. Another pivotal moment was meeting a woman, a novelist/photographer, at Bennington. Her name is Elizabeth Dumbell. We became very close friends and our talks about writing, about what it means, can mean, doesn’t mean, have stayed with me for over 30 years. She told me something I have turned over and over in my mind at various stages in my writing life. During a very dry period, I asked her advice about getting over a writing block. She said, “There are characters, words, images, phrases knocking at the door of your mind and heart. Just relax, answer the door, and let them in.” It works every time. Love this insight. I will use it in my writing. What was your inspiration for “Take the Long Way Home”? The song, “Take the Long Way Home” by Supertramp is a favorite of mine. Especially the lyric I used for the book’s epigraph: So, when the day comes to settle down, Who’s to blame if you’re not around? You took the long way home… Taking the long way home means stopping, looking, paying close attention to the details. It’s important to really taste and smell and hear and DIG what is going on in front of me and all around me. You can’t take shortcuts and have that experience. You have to take the long way home to see what is really there. You can finish the interview here. If you could cook dinner for any author, dead or alive, who would it be? What would you make? Sylvia Plath, and although I’m vegetarian the starter would certainly be caviar. The Bell Jar was the first book where I realized there were others like me, who felt how I did and were grappling so hard to dig their nails into this world. There’s something in her description of spooning an entire table’s worth of caviar into her mouth while feeling so dislocated in New York that’s always resonated with me. What scares you the most about the writing process? How do you combat your fears? Writing has never scared me--oftentimes it’s been my only salvation. I can express myself in writing in ways I’ve never managed with my voice. Words get stuck in my throat. Thankfully, they flow freely through my fingertips. I supposed the only fear is the tendency to come up with the best lines when I’m far from having the ability to write them down. Who is your biggest literary crush, author or character? It’s still Sylvia Plath. However, Li-Young Lee is a close second. What books are on your nightstand? At the moment it’s Helter Skelter, but it’s a beast of a book and will certainly take some time to dig through. I grew up on campy horror movies, and although my literary tastes don’t travel in that direction, this book has been on my TBR list for years. Where do you get your ideas? What inspires you? They come from everywhere and I rarely see them coming. Of course the big moments in life are to be expected. My husband always asks me why I only write sad things, but I don’t see it that way. I have no need to digest and process the happy moments in my life. It’s the hard things that need to be taken apart and put back together in my own way. However, he is the inspiration for much of my writing, and so were my parents, my sister, and the Oregon wild. Favorite punctuation mark? Why? The em-dash. I love the em-dash. It’s so much punchier than any of the others and a favorite for line breaks. My least favorite is the semi-colon. Who uses that? Although I despise the exclamation mark, too (unless it’s used in dialogue). If you need an exclamation mark, your words aren’t strong enough. What book were you supposed to read in high school, but never did? I left high school at 15 years old when I was (for lack of a better term) kicked out of my house, so there are probably quite a few. I never did read any of the staples like Catcher in the Rye until it was of my own accord in my twenties. What inanimate object would you thank in your acknowledgements? My computer. It’s not a very romantic answer, but I go through one every six months. My handwriting has gone to hell, so none of my books would have happened without it. Why do you write? The first 5 words that come to mind. Go. I have no other choice. If you could write an inspirational quote on the mirrors of aspiring writers, what would you write? So, I actually have two inspirational poems written in permanent marker on my bathroom mirror. One is Kim Addonizio’s “What Do Women Want” and the other is Maya Angelou’s “Phenomenal Woman.” Both are a reminder of just how amazing we are as women and should be read daily. (Sorry, men and non-binary folks, I’m sure you have some kickass quotes/poems, too!)
If you could cook dinner for any author, dead or alive, who would it be? What would you make?
I would love to cook dinner for Cervantes, the creator of Don Quixote. I would love to cook him my favorite Iranian dish, Ghormeh Sabzi. What scares you the most about the writing process? How do you combat your fears? Not achieving the utmost goal I have in mind is my main fear when writing poetry. The only way to combat it is usually editing again and again after a poem is born and still remaining unsure of taking it to perfection. Who is your biggest literary crush, author or character? I love two famous Iranian poets, Hafez and Rumi, and never get tired of reading their poetry. What books are on your nightstand? Works by Hafez, Rumi, Nima Yushij, and the Persian classical literature. Where do you get your ideas? What inspires you? I get my ideas from everyday life. Every location be it sea, city or road can be a source of inspiration to me. Favorite punctuation mark? Why? I love full stop because it signifies accomplishment. What book were you supposed to read in high school, but never did? Unfortunately, I cannot recall any particular book. What inanimate object would you thank in your acknowledgements? I would thank roads which have often inspired me in my poetry. Why do you write? The first 5 words that come to mind. Go. Beauty, love, humanity, nature, self. If you could write an inspirational quote on the mirrors of aspiring writers, what would you write? I would write: “Look yourself in the mirrors of others!” My Paper Dreams investigates deep, existential concepts. Shahab Mogharabin searches for lost dreams in the life-throttling vacuum of time. The poems in My Paper Dreams open life’s most impossible, intangible doors and bring life to the forefront of the imagination. The poet acts as both observer and inciter. The poet is lonely. The poet reckons with feelings formed from what is inevitable: Death. Mogharabin’s poetry has a deep concern towards decay and annihilation. It stands up to the dark side of human existence in favor of a life filled with beauty, peace and tranquility. Love and solitude motivate many of the poems, with a sharp focus on a society that has lost its values and its intimacy -- Shahab Magahrabin writes with love, with the hope that love prevails despite the troubling state of the world. |
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