In our morning reading: interviews with Margaret Renkl and Lucy Sante, thoughts on a Keith Haring biography, and more.
Punk Hooks and Rare Books: An Interview With SAVAK
Since their formation in 2015, Brooklyn’s SAVAK have been on a tremendous run, releasing album after album of blistering garage-punk at an admirable pace. Their latest album, Flowers of Paradise, is a fantastic addition to their discography, blending a postpunk urgency with the sense of warmth that longtime musical compatriots can summon. I spoke with Sohrab Habibion and Michael Jaworski about the genesis of their new album, the rare book trade, and my inability to identify an EBow.
VCO: Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Under the surface of the dark water I feel milk cartons and leaves and trash bumping into my face. I slosh around in the sewage, an acidic green and black cocktail. The air, urine-heavy with the scent of cholesterol-soaked piss.
I float on the surface of the garbage-infused water, looking up at the spotlight spewing from out the manhole I just fell through, with a Virgo full moon giving high energy vibes, as I float farther away.
Pulp Thrills and Haunted Creatures From James Aquilone’s Monstrous Books
We’re pleased to present some news today from Bram Stoker Award-winning writer James Aquilone, who’s currently running a Kickstarter campaign for a new series, titled The Omega Eleven, as well as the second issue of the horror magazine Monstrous. Aquilone shared some exclusive artwork and character images from these two projects.
An Excerpt From Matthew J. C. Clark’s “Bjarki, Not Bjarki”
We’re pleased to present an excerpt from Matthew J. C. Clark’s new book Bjarki, Not Bjarki — out now from the University of Iowa Press. It’s about lumber, the state of the nation, surreal transformations, and a whole lot more. “As a carpenter, I was interested in these American Dream Boards and I wanted to profile the owner, Bjarki Thor Gunnarsson,” Clark recalled in an interview with Writer’s Digest. “However, Bjarki turned out not to be who I wanted him to be—whatever that means.” Read on for an excerpt from Clark’s expansive work of nonfiction.
VCO: Chapter 8
Chapter 8
As if I’m being controlled remotely, I step out of the bar and into the street. Cool wind blows in my ear. Its frigid bite resets me, slightly.
I’m going to assume the worst is over and that whatever malfunction my intestinal tract was experiencing was due to ingesting whatever it was in that cocktail. But it seems to have passed now, and I feel good-n-pissed. Downfall is, my whiskyed dick don’t work but I still got energy.
Haunted Places and Haunted Stories: An Interview With Rebecca Turkewitz
Where, exactly, can you find the dividing line between a ghost story and a story about ghosts? In her new collection Here in the Night, Rebecca Turkewitz explores that fascinating boundary. There are moments that stray into the uncanny here, for sure, but Turkewitz also explores the effects of ghost stories and local folklore on her characters, leading to moments that illustrate just how tales of the uncanny can have similar effects to the uncanny itself. I spoke with her about her collection, her own experiences with folktales, and what’s next for her.
VCO: Chapter 7
Chapter 7
It wasn’t that weird that this Morgen A. needed a ride.
Although, our interactions in private messages did make me wonder if I was talking to a computer programmed with auto responses. A bot.
The driver double-checked to make sure the address I put in was really where I wanted to go.
Why does it always feel set-up whenever someone agrees to hang out with me?