I'm happy to announce a little publishing endeavor I'm starting. I can't wait to share details with you on one of the first projects. It's a definitive example of why I wanted to do this, and I can't wait to share details, hopefully this spring!
alkratz.com/2026/03/02/w...
I reviewed The Morgue Keeper by Ruyan Meng. Check it out at @hfr.bsky.social and check out the book. It's such a memorable book.
heavyfeatherreview.org/2026/02/17/t...
Happy mail day to me! a new one from @vanwinkle.bsky.social
Check out @theburninghearth.bsky.social new project, a children's book illustrated by her daughter. I was lucky to see this one come together and am looking forward to reading it with my grandkid gang.
constancemalloy.com/2025/10/20/a...
I hate when the rapture is scheduled late in the day. I'd rather just get on with it already.
Thanks so much for giving this one a home!
I write about finding your newsletter in the Spokane chapter. I'd send you a copy if you'd like, DM or email me.
Thanks @kathyfish.bsky.social ! The morning after going through Glacier National Park, I got your newsletter on Frisson. It so perfectly fit the experience and the whole trip and book was moments like that where I was lucky to read things matching what I was unraveling.
It was pretty awesome finding it again in that newsletter that morning of my vacation. Almost like a pizza night escape/visit from Wisconsin writer retreat.
You found it! Left it there as a surprise. Thanks for reading and sharing it Pat!
Tilt is the perfect example for literary frisson.
Last summer, I took a train across the country and spent the week working on a novel. I was going to write it up on my site but it kept getting longer and turned into a hybrid travel, craft, memoir thing, ~16k words. It's now available at Amazon or from me. Would also love any reviews or feedback!
Dreamt in novel structure last night on something I'm not working on other than when I sleep apparently: a 3 part life-spanning book I was calling "Somewhere Near the Top". Part 1 the obsession with "making it", Part 2 the inevitable fall, and Part 3 the reconstruction of the things worth saving.
A favorite from my current WIP:
"I had my early vacation buzz, but it came with an obligation not to waste any of the time I had purchased. A master of wasting time in my youth, it has become simple math now. With every day that passes, I've got less time to waste."
The guitar playing is obviously great, but Jimi Hendrix doesn't get enough credit for the flat out mofo Vibe his music, voice, and presence was.
I wrote a review of Ben Drevlow's The Book of Rusty that is up now at Heavy Feather Review. Was a fun experience wrapping my head around this book and finding a way to cover it in the review form.
heavyfeatherreview.org/2024/01/05/t...
My year in review of the writing journey!
alkratz.com/2023/12/27/2...
I'm all booked for AWP. Haven't been there since LA in 2016.
"She felt the snake between her breasts, felt him there, and loved him there, coiled, the deep tumescent S held rigid, ready to strike." Harry Crews- A Feast of Snakes
Been thinking a lot about opening sentence or paragraphs for novels and how they pop the world right into existence. How they establish the main images. How they are like magnets. How they give you a chance to both slow down and speed up.
Knew I forgot a few:
Hand of God- Soundgarden
One of Us- Joan Osborne
Holyman- Blind Melon
submitted a few things the last couple months after about a 6 month break. Feels kind of good. I've got a review that will be in Heavy Feather in January.
my songs about God playlist:
God- Tori Amos
Dear God- XTC
After Forever- Black Sabbath
Godless- Dandy Warhols
God is a Bullet- Concrete Blonde
Hallelujah- Leonard Cohen
Post twitter world feels weird, exaggerating on purpose, both a birth and death at the same time. Post 2016 life is weird. Post 2020. Without my dad. Everything can feel post but I can't really complain. Everything's a little shittier but also so much better too. That combination is crazy beautiful.
