Journal of Experimental Fiction 33, a special edition of Frederick Mark Kramer's masterpiece novel, apostrophe/parenthesis, continuing in the spirit of his protagonist's famous grandfather, Robert Musil, but with a unique, fresh, and unforgettable voice of his own. The only novel we've published as a single edition of the Journal of Experimental Fiction. It should be destined for literary discussion for generations to come. Order through Lulu.com.
Journal of Experimental Fiction 34, Foremost Fiction: A Report from the Front Lines, is finally out after several unforeseen delays, including switching printing and distribution partners so that now we are printed and distributed by Six Gallery Press. The new issue is beautiful, in a new, larger format, and at a much lower price. Can't beat it, eh? That's drawn some attention already, apparently by the post office, which has apparently confiscated most of our first printing of the issue, presumably on the grounds of the Journal's allegedly having seditious content. It is one of our general contemporary fiction issues, focusing as always, on the best, gonest, farthest out, most original work of great literary quality that is being published in the English language. See what the controversy is about. Order through Amazon.com. Direct shipments from us have been confiscated, and we are in the process of replacing them. Please let us know if your contributor or subscription copy has not arrived! They were shipped USPS two months ago and have completely vanished!
Journal of Experimental Fiction 36. Eckhard Gerdes & Shelf Life's new CD, Scuff Mud.Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Praise from Erik Belgum! http://home.swipnet.se/sonoloco6/composers/belgum/belgumfr.html
Praise from Erik Belgum! http://home.swipnet.se/sonoloco6/composers/belgum/belgumfr.html
(If you don't know his work, check it out! It is brilliant!)
Erik just sent me a note regarding the Scuff Mud CD:
Thanks for a copy of Scuff Mud. Really great work. At first I was put in the mind of Captain Beefheart. I think this was partly from your delivery for some odd reason, because your delivery isn't particularly Beefheartesque. Partly from the lyrics and musical background. However, as the disc played on, and upon second listening, and even the next day, I kept having this sense that I'd listened to a really odd country and western album. I think this partly comes from your use of simple rhymes and some of your topics too. Those simple rhymes are incredibly effective when they are dropped in the context of your more oblique and unsual prose. They struck me as sort of like finding a baby's rattle in a state-of-the-art chemical research laboratory.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Scuff Mud reviewed by Ian Simons in Omaha City Weekly
Scuff Mud reviewed by Ian Simons in Omaha City Weekly
Eckhard Gerdes + Shelf Life, "Scuff Mud" (Public Eyesore, PublicEyesore.com)
Have you ever wondered what it would sound like to translate the brain waves of a long-term coma patient into sound waves? Ever wonder what happens when a schizophrenic dictates his diary over the soundtrack of a sci-fi movie from 1973? A listen to "Scuff Mud," a Journal of Experimental Fiction release from author Eckhard Gerdes and experimental noise outfit Shelf Life, just might answer those burning questions while leaving you with a whole lot more. If you are looking to rock out, then keep looking because "SM" is far from the typical new-release indie rock fare you may be accustomed to reading about in these pages. If you are looking for a challenging yet engaging vacation from your everyday musical routine, then read on.
Basically, what we have here is the poetry of Gerdes spoken over a soundscape created by Shelf Life. Subject matter ranges from Middle Eastern affairs to sex and relationships to the "out-of-placeness" of elephants in the Sonoran Desert, and the mood ranges from the very serious to the rather silly to the overtly risqué: "I'll spend my fuel rod on you / Can you feel its bulge against you?" intones Gerdes early on in the fantastical journey that is "SM."
The closest comparison I can come up with to something in fairly wide distribution would be the extended soliloquies of Robert E. Lee and Mary Todd Lincoln in Philip Glass and Robert Wilson's section of the multi-composer early '80s epic "the CIVIL warS", although that avant-garde masterpiece at times seems downright pedestrian compared to this. Overall, "SM" actually makes for a very entertaining listen and it is definitely worth tracking down a copy. The disc is available from CDBaby.com and you can visit JEF online at ExperimentalFiction.com to learn more.
ANNOUNCEMENTS!
We are gathering material for JEF 35, another general issue. Email submissions as Word attachments.
We are preparing an announcement for the issue of JEF after that, which will be guest-edited by William Gillespie, of Spineless Books. Check back for more details soon.
Mike Daily, author of the acclaimed novel-and-CD Alarm, and JEF's Eckhard Gerdes will be co-editing a new audio journal dedicated to fiction-and-music/fiction-and-sound. It will be issued as a CD-R. We are collecting material now for the first CD. The journal will be called ATTOHO, which is an acronym. Send me your guesses about what the acronym stands for. If you guess right, you get a free copy of the first issue! Contact either Eckhard or Mike about how to send in material for consideration for this series!
Thanks for supporting the arts!
That's all for now.
Your editor,
Eckhard
