It’s a list.
That’s what this is.
1.
NEARLY THERE (News)
My new novel THE STRIP is out in a fortnight. I figure next week I’ll send out a short story and the following week, this newsletter will be all about shilling the book.
For those of you waiting on a pre-order from me (for signed copies), I apologise. Behind the scenes, I’ve got all sorts of hurt with Ingram Spark and Amazon getting everything in order. I think I’ll be good to go, come mid-December, but let me tell you self-publishing yourself and being published by someone else — at the same time — is not straightforward. For instance…
2.
THREE COVERS (More News)
Because I’m working solo + with a publisher (the wonderful Ultimo Press), I’m dealing with a couple of slightly different commodities. A trade paperback designed for physical bookstores (left) is a different product to what catches the eye online (middle), and both are different again to what I — as a fussy human — think looks cool (right). Luckily, I’m in a spot where I can make all three a reality, albeit in different terriroties, etc.
3.
TRENT REZNOR INTERVIEWED BY RICK RUBIN (Podcast)
I’m new to Rick Rubin’s solo podcast Tetragrammaton and do not know how I stumbled across it recently. This episode from back in June is a long interview with Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. Reznor doesn’t do a lot of feature-length interviews and this is probably case-in-point as to why: he’s brutally honest. A tired parent (of five) plus accomplished in two fields (music and film scoring) he’s reflexive and generous, but he also doesn’t give a fuck at all about speaking his mind. On pop music: “I think it sucks, generally.” He also talks explicitly about how shit it is to have addiction in the rearview, in terms of shame and missed opportunities.
4.
THE RESPONDER (TV)
Screening free on SBS Online (Australia) is The Responder featuring Martin Freeman as a burnt-out cop on the brink of going completely corrupt. There’s a lot to like about it — it’s not unrelentingly dark and violent, which makes for a refreshing change to this story format — but I’m not 100% sold on it either. As I enter the last episodes, I have a nagging feeling that a punch somewhere is being pulled. We’ll see.
5.
SUNN O)))’S SUB POP SINGLE (Streaming)
Big fan. I just assumed this wouldn’t make it to streaming, but I’m glad they put it online. These two tracks are concise and unadorned. This single is a great place to start with this diabolical band as it expertly represents the core principle: two dudes in robes, playing Melvins riffs through multiple amps.
6.
TWO INTERVIEWS (Internet)
I’ve written up Kelby Losack and the podcast he co-hosts (Agitator) before, but this interview with him (by fellow Broken River writer Edward Rathke) is worth a look, especially for this part:
I think blandness is a spiritual and cultural issue, not really a class one. Bret Easton Ellis and Ottessa Moshfegh come from extremely affluent backgrounds, but they be dropping fire. The blandness comes from the intention of generating content. There aren't many artists.
This is how I felt when I was a bohemian broke-ass, and it’s how I feel now that I’m 10-years-of-office-work comfortable.
Speaking of class, I also rate this imperial interview with NYC agent to the stars, Andrew Wylie. Some people are built like this:
Do I want to work with this person? No. Do I want to be represented by them? YES!
7.
CURRENTLY READING (Books)
I’ve got a bunch of stuff on the go: Into the Badlands by John Williams, Super-Cannes by J.G. Ballard, and Katy Shaw’s book on David Peace: Text and Contexts.
8.
JOHHNY RYALL (Short Story)
I remember the origin story for this one because it’s so straight-forward: it’s from the Beastie Boys track off Paul’s Boutique. Read the lyrics. I obviously wasn’t stretching.
That’s all.
— IAIN
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