Jackie Corley Writer, indie publisher, vagabond

My book has a depressing title. But I contend that the book is not depressing, dammit, and the title should be viewed ironically. In fact, in an ideal world, you would close your eyes and see my title in pretty pink and green.

Ready.

Close ‘em.

Are they closed? Then how are you reading this, ay?

Okay open them.

Ta da!

Now you’re not depressed.

Now you’re happy.

Now my title is ironic.

I’ll PayPal $5 to whoever can guess first the TWO album covers I ripped that font and those font colors from.

Posted under Misc., Writing

I’ve gotten into some sort of local history kick. I raided the county library and picked up everything I could get my hands on about Northern Monmouth. I’m fascinated by these dense books lightly sprinkled with anecdotes. (The anecdotes make it all worthwhile, though.)

I have some vague notion that my choice of reading materials will inform my next novel. Geography, history play a role in modernity. I want to look at circumstance and setting and how they take a sledgehammer to an ordinary life. That’s what I’m thinking, at least. I want the characters to be an inevitable result of the constitution of their surroundings. …or something.

Anyway, local lore about Northern Monmouth:

• In the early 17oos or so, Penelope Stout got gutted by Native Americans who left her for dead, hid in a tree stump, was rescued by a Native American and went on to get married and have 13 kids (which makes me doubt the whole gutted part).
• Pirates used to dock near Highlands and Capt. Kidd hid treasure on Sandy Hook. A lot of pirates wound up settling in the area. Aargh.
• One day a year, all of Middletown would gather for a community celebration. During the celebration, grievances from the entire year were settled verbally or physically until everything was resolved.

—

In other writing news, I’ve started to get my first manuscript rejections. Yee-haw. My book is too literary for the editors who have rejected it, which I kind of anticipated. Hopefully, it’ll click with some editor soon.

Posted under Books, Writing

Well, if you’re in the U.K., at least. From what I understand, Future Tense Books will be distributing it stateside, so hopefully it’ll be on sale ’round these parts shortly.

I’m trying to organize a launch party in NYC. It’ll probably be at the KGB Bar some Sunday night in July, but the details are still getting worked out.

Should be getting my contributor’s copy soon. Can’t wait to see what it looks like.

Trying to kill space to justify the big image.

blah.

Blah blah.

Map o’ Readings.

That is all.

Posted under Books, Writing

 
I am in this book with the following individuals:
 
Hiag Akmakjian, Steve Almond, Darran Anderson, Steve Aylett, Aimee Bender, Paul Blaney, Nicholas Blincoe, Dermot Bolger, Christopher Brookmyre, Rhonda Carrier, Matthew Cheney, Lana Citron, Christopher Coake, Femke Colborne, Andrew Lewis Conn, Simon Crump, Mitch Cullin, Matthew De Abaitua, Paul Di Filippo, Clare Dudman, Stella Duffy, Patricia Duncker, Katherine Dunn, Mark Dunn, Fred Dutton, Susan Elderkin, Richard Evans, Percival Everett, Michel Faber, Kitty Fitzgerald, James Flint, Jeffrey Ford, Ray Fracalossy, Damon Galgut, Avital Gad-Cykman, Sara Gran, Niall Griffiths, Matt Haig, Andrew Holmes, Laird Hunt, Shelley Jackson, Nick Johnstone, Nic Kelman, Danny King, Daren King, Joel Lane, Stewart Lee, J Robert Lennon, Jonathan Lethem, Samuel Ligon, Sam Lipsyte, Lila Lundquist, Kevin MacNeil, Emily Maguire, Scott Mebus, Carlton Mellick III, Stephen McCauley, Lauren Milne Henderson, Denise Mina, Rick Moody, Ewan Morrison, Nicola Mostyn, Erin C Murphy, Ben Myers, Patrick Neate, Arthur Nersesian, Gina Ochsner, Martin Ouvry, Shiromi Pinto, Kate Pullinger, Rebbecca Ray, Ben Richards, Nicholas Royle, Kevin Sampsell, Kevin Sampson, Ian Sansom, Matthew David Scott, Jeremy Sheldon, Robert Sheppard, Stav Sherez, Steven Sherrill, Shelley Silas, Kevin Spaide, Nick Stone, Brandon Stosuy, Chad Taylor, Matt Thorne, Bob Thurber, Nathan Tyree, Jeff VanderMeer, Willy Vlautin, Daniel Wallace, Jess Walter, Peter Wild, Charlie Williams, Conrad Williams, John Williams, Cintra Wilson, Barry Yourgrau
 
All proceeds from the book will go to Amnesty International.

Posted under Books, Writing