#John Holstrom

[theunderestimator-2]

Punk Magazine staff: photograher Roberta Bayley, journalist Mary Harron & co-founding editor John Holstrom as captured outside CBGB by Godlis in 1977.

Mary Harron, a filmmaker in later years best known as the director of American Psycho, had actually lived in England and had attended Oxford University before moving to NYC and becoming part of its '70s punk scene. In 1976 she was sent to London to interview the Sex Pistols for Legs McNeil's legendary Punk Magazine:

"You could really feel the world moving and shaking that autumn of 1976 in London. I felt that what we had done as a joke in New York had been taken for real in England by a younger and more violent audience. And that somehow in the translation, it had changed, it had sparked something different. What to me had been a much more adult and intellectual bohemian rock culture in New York, had become this crazy teenage thing in England. I remember going to see the Damned play that summer, who I thought were really terrible. I was wearing my Punk magazine T-shirt and I got mobbed. I mean I can't tell you the reception I got. Everyone was so excited that I was wearing this T-shirt that said "Punk". I was just speechless. There I was backstage, and there were hundreds of little kids, like nightmares, you know, like little ghouls with bright red dyed hair with white faces. They were alll wearing chains and swastikas and things stuck in their head, and I was like, 'Oh my god, what have we done? What have we created?' I felt like we had been doing this thing--and now that we had created something else that we never intended, or expected. I think English punk was much more volatile and edgy and more dangerous." Mary Harron from "Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk"

(via & via)

[introspect-la]

PUNK MAGAZINE VOL 1, ISSUE NO 2 'THE TWO FACES OF PATTI SMITH' PHOTOGRAPHY BY GUILLEMETTE BARBET LAYOUT BY JOHN HOLMSTROM (MARCH 1976)

[captainsophiestark]

So something crazy happened this week - I hit 1.5k followers! 🥳

Genuinely thank you all so much for following me and supporting my writing. When I first joined Tumblr, I truly never could've dreamed how wonderful the community, friends, and fandom I've found would be. I love you all so much!

I've never done a follower celebration before, but I really wanted to do one for this milestone, so here we are! It's D&D themed, but no knowledge of D&D is required to join in the fun.

Our 1.5k follower campaign is going to be running from today, May 29th, to Wednesday, June 6th. During that time, feel free to send me as many things off the list below as you like! Interacting with people on here is one of my absolute favorite parts of Tumblr, so feel free to come into my ask box as many times as you like 😄

I'll be tagging all posts for this celebration as #Sophie's 1.5k Follower Campaign. You don't have to follow me to participate, but it would be greatly appreciated. Without further ado, here are the actions you can take during this campaign:

Zone of Truth - Send me an ask with a game, like KMK/FMK, Would You Rather, or anything else you can think of!

Roll Initiative - Roll some dice and send me a character from the list at the bottom of this post, along with the numbers you rolled! I have prompt lists left over from my Year of Fic planning, and I'll put your character and your dice rolls togeter to write a corresponding headcanon (or possibly longer fic, if the inspiration really strikes!). Roll one of the following, some of the following, or all of the following: 1d8, 1d10, 1d12, and 1d20. You can roll with real dice or by typing "roll dice" into google! Please specificy if you have a strong preference between a romantic or platonic fic.

Nat 20 (2 left) - Send me a character I write for and a request, and I'll write you a oneshot! My time's a little limited right now, so I'm capping these at 3 total requests. In the immortal words of Brian Murphy, "Roll three Nat 20s in a row!". If you want to also roll a d20 and send me the result, I'll add a dialogue prompt corresponding with the number you rolled to the request. Please specificy if you have a strong preference between romanitc and platonic fic.

Perception Check - I have a good amount of writing queued up for my Year of Fic and a few other projects, so send me this for a sneak peek of works to come! If you want to include a few fandoms or characters you'd most like to see included in the sneak peek, feel free to do that! Just no promises that I'll have something including them to show you

Behind the DM Screen - Send me the title of an existing fic of mine, along with specific questions if you have them, and I'll give you a little info on the process of creating the fic!

Free Action - Come into my ask box and chat with me! About fandoms, cute pet pitcures, or whatever else! Anons are welcome as usual, and if you feel like you want to be recognized without coming off anon, then you can claim an emoji and use it as a signature on your asks, so I know who you are! As of now, 🥰 emoji is the only one taken

Thank you again to every single one of you who's here with me now, from the beginning of this blog or from earlier today! I'm so happy to have you here and as a part of the party!

Writing Request Character Options:

Bridgerton: Anthony Bridgerton, Benedict Bridgerton, Colin Bridgerton, Eloise Bridgerton

Crescent City: Tristan Flynn, Ithan Holstrom, Lidia Cervos

DC: Dick Grayson, Jason Todd

Marvel: Grant Ward, Jack Thompson, Daniel Sousa, Angie Martinelli, Harley Keener, Pietro Maximoff

*Riordanverse: Luke Castellan, Thalia Grace, Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Piper McLean, Jason Grace

Star Trek: Jim Kirk

Star Wars: Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padmé Amidala

Top Gun: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, Jake "Hangman" Seresin, Natasha "Phoenix" Trace

The Vampire Diaries: Mason Lockwood, Klaus Mikaelson, Kol Mikaelson, Damon Salvatore, Enzo St. John, Kai Parker, Caroline Forbes, Matt Donovan

*All characters in the Riordanverse are going to be book-based, since that's what I know best, and will be written as their ages at the end of Heroes of Olympus or older for requests involving romance

****************

Tagging a few mutuals who I've absolutely loved getting to this point with 🥰 thank you guys for being such a wonderful part of my experience in this place!

@ghostofskywalker @bandshirts-andbooks @trekkingaroundasgard @arttheclown-coveredinblood @flowers-and-fichte @everyhazyday @dawn-petrichor-world @space-helen @ro-is-struggling @writeroutoftime @shadowdaddies @hawaiianpizzaenjoyer

[deluxewhump]

The Scry

Ch 12: My Treat

CW: whumpee with powers, medical trauma mention, unmedicated noncon surgery mention, medical whump vibes but nothing explicit

Prev

Carlo was asked to dinner in a dimly lit downtown restaurant by the neurosurgeon who had slipped him a cryptic note two weeks ago.  It wasn’t their first meeting, but he had the feeling it was the important one, the one where he’d be asked if they were moving forward or not.

He’d looked the guy up extensively before agreeing to meet him that first time. He’d found his credentials, mentions of his attendance at Stanford and then Johns Hopkins, a photograph of him as a younger man in a white coat being awarded the Clinical Science Award for an abstract he’d published on spinal deformities in 1996. After that there were publications, an award in ‘08, a glossy feature in a local magazine about top physicians.

I can help, he’d said when Carlo finally called him one Friday night when Max and Ingrid were out. If it’s what you want. He hadn’t even known about the sale, that Spartan was shuffling them off to some other fate in a few short weeks. But it only made his offer sweeter. He could take the power out of him, extract it from his brain matter like a coiled snake. It was separate from anything else, he said, and he would still be perfectly himself without it, just sans scrying powers. With no special ability, he would be free. What use would he be to anyone? 

Carlo wanted desperately to ask Max if he thought he could get in legal trouble for this, if the company he’d been sold to or even the government could sue him, charge him, or worse. But Max didn’t know where he was. He’d left the office at midday while Max was at lunch with Eddie and Alex, leaving his own cryptic note behind. 

“Tell me about your expectations,” Dr Holstrom said in his calculated, velvet way. There was a hint of an accent on his consonants, almost undetectable. Carlo couldn't tell what it was anyway. Something Scandinavian?

He took a sip of the wine the doctor had ordered for them, a dry red that sucked his tongue and warmed his belly. “I want to be rid of all unnatural abilities,” he said plainly. “I want to be left alone.”

The doctor set his napkin onto his plate and sat back thoughtfully, apparently finished. Carlo took another bite of risotto. The food here was remarkable, unlike anything he’d ever remembered having. 

“Interesting you use the word unnatural.”

“Supernatural. Unexplainable. Whatever.”

The doctor smiled serenely at him. “In any event. You want to be unremarkable.”

“I don’t want to be an asset. If I am not a precognitive, they can’t claim me. No one can.”

“What will you be when I remove that ability for you?”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

“How will you see yourself? You’ve been something coveted and studied much of your life.”

“And because of it I have no freedom,” he shot back, feeling his face grow hot with annoyance, possibly aided by the wine. For a man who claimed to have irreconcilable differences in opinion to Martin Olsen, he was really starting to remind him of him. “No autonomy. No life. I told you what it was like. And that wasn’t even half of it. I’ve been treated more like a human being by some guy who sells insurance than I ever was with the US Government.”

Dr Holstrom nodded sympathetically. “Oh, I know.  They aren’t allowed to treat lab mice the way they treat you precognitives, do you know that? Haven’t been for decades. And it’s not that they don’t know better. It’s that there’s no legislation to stay their eager little hands. Ethics boards slow progress. Bureaucracy clogs the machines. What I’m going to do to you will be absolutely painless, by the way. I thought you might ask, but you didn’t.”

He shrugged. Standard anesthesia didn’t work on precogs, it turned out. He’d never been told, but according to Dr Holstrom, that was the reason they didn’t give him any at the research facilities. This man claimed to have a solution, a secret sauce he’d put together himself that was going to make the whole thing pain-free. 

“With any luck, you won’t feel a thing. I wanted to reassure you of that right away. You have some hefty medical trauma, I assume, being what you are. I’d prefer you get no more of it from my care.”

Stubbornly, Carlo forked the rest of the risotto into his mouth. The memories this was threatening to dredge up were enough to put him off it, but it was delicious and expensive, and he wanted to finish. He’d thank this stranger once he proved to be telling the truth. 

“Carlo,” said the doctor, sitting back up so his elbows grazed the tablecloth. “I wonder if you shouldn’t tell your former user where you are… It sounds like you two were close, and I’m sure he’s worried about you.”

“I’m sure he is,” Carlo agreed, satisfied with his dinner and now determined to polish off the wine. The stem was so thin it was difficult to grasp, something that would surely break so easily it was impractical. Wealthy people love impracticality, he knew. They are so used to it they don’t even see how glaring it is. 

“Would you feel better if you called him and told him where you are? Told him who I am? I could even speak to him, if you like.”

Carlo shook his head. “I left a note.”

“A very unspecific note, isn't that right?”

“It’s really for the best. He’d try to interfere. He means well, but… he’d say this was dangerous, medically risky… he’d get lawyers involved and it would take too much time. And then it’d be too late. He can’t help it, it’s what he does all day.” Carlo shrugged, like it was neither here nor there to him how Max was about him.

In truth, it felt like a gunshot wound every time he thought of Max Kelly’s face, or voice, or house, or office. The thought of Max going home in the afternoons without him, of his bed lying empty up there in the little room under the eaves, of how he’d voluntarily left the only person in recent memory who’d ever cared about him, shown him kindness… and not even told him why.

“He’s protective of you.”

Carlo lifted his eyes over the table to Dr Holstrom’s. “Sure.”

“Well, maybe you’re right.” He smiled. “ Maybe it’s best that he doesn't know.” 

The subject was dropped with surprising swiftness.

“What do you really get out of all this?” Carlo asked.

“I told you,” the doctor replied, always so unruffled. “The chance to be the first to perform a groundbreaking new procedure. That’s not an everyday occurrence in my field.”

“Won’t you get in trouble? Don’t you have to get a bunch of approvals for something like that?”

“Better to ask forgiveness than permission. In the longer term, the public will side with us on this, and my actions will be seen as humanitarian. Heroic, even. It just takes time.”

Carlo wasn’t satisfied. He took another drink for fortitude, noticing it didn’t taste like much anymore. “That’s not all,” he accused.

Dr Holstrom smiled. “Nooo,” he crooned indulgently. “Not quite.”

Staff cleared their plates and left Carlo with the bottle. Dr Holstrom ordered them both espresso.

“Martin was an old friend of mine,” he said when the server left. “Until he screwed me over on an investment. I’m not proud of this, but it gives me great personal satisfaction to screw him over on one now.”

“The precogs belong to Spartan, not to Mr Olsen.”

“Martin has more pull than he’d let you believe. This project was his baby, he gunned for Spartan to purchase you, and I am assuming he brokered the sale when he decided he’d cashed in enough on you.”

Alex Clair had always suspected as much about Martin and the project. Carlo wished he could tell him he was right. “So he will take the blame when they’re one precog short?” he asked.

“Ideally.”

Carlo sighed. He contemplated the rest of the bottle but his espresso arrived and he thought better of it.

“So when do we do this?”

The doctor had put him up in a Hilton on the north side of town, near the hospital. That was evidently a coincidence, because the procedure was to be done at Holstrom’s own surgery center. Carlo had looked it up. The facility was an unassuming brick building in a medical park, in the middle of an affluent suburb. State of the art, it said on Google. Insurance and Medicare accepted.

“Whenever you’re ready to fully commit.”

“And what, you drive me back to the hotel after?”

“I thought it would be more appropriate for you to recover at my home. It’s not far from here. I’ll want to monitor you.”

“For how long?”

Dr Holstrom spread his hands. “Three days? A week? Depends on how you take it.”

“You know I can’t pay you, right?”

“Of course not. It’s not that type of arrangement.”

“I just wanted to make sure.”

“You’ve paid me tenfold, Carlo,” the doctor said with a smile that looked almost fond. He nodded at their server across the room for a check. “By the fate of our stars crossing paths.”

Carlo reached for some of the cash he'd pulled from his checking account before leaving Max, but Dr Holstrom was already slipping a card to the server.

"No," he said, waving dismissively. "My treat. Let’s go get your things and check you out of your room. It won’t be long now. You can stay with me.”

taglist

@whumpsday @distinctlywhumpthing @pumpkin-spice-whump @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi @tidalwhump @pigeonwhumps @interdimensional-chaos @top-hat-aye @thecyrulik @boxenby @mylifeisonthebookshelf @inpainandsuffering @heartsherps @latenightcupsofcoffee

[picked-off-by-barzal]

The New York Islanders as their corresponding jersey numbers to songs on my Spotify wrapped top 100 songs of 2023:

• 3 (Adam Pelech)- Not Strong Enough by boygenius

• 4 (Sam Bolduc)- El Tango De Roxanne by Original Broadway Cast of Moulin Rouge! The Musical

• 6 (Ryan Pullock)- my tears ricochet by Taylor Swift

• 7 (Grant Hutton)- All I Wanted by Paramore

• 8 (Noah Dobson)- ceilings by Lizzy McAlpine

• 10 (Simon Holstrom)- The Archer by Taylor Swift

• 13 (Mat Barzal)- Stick Season by Noah Kahan

• 14 (Bo Horvat)- Maroon by Taylor Swift

• 15 (Cal Clutterbuck)- TEARS! by 5 Seconds of Summer

• 16 (Julien Gauthier)- Evergreen (You Didn’t Deserve Me At All) by Omar Apollo

• 17 (Matt Martin)- Gilded Lily by Cults

• 18 (Pierre Engvall)- Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift

• 20 (Hudson Fasching)- Graceland Too by Phoebe Bridgers

• 21 (Kyle Palmieri)- The View Between Villages by Noah Kahan

• 24 (Scott Mayfield)- Waiting Room by Phoebe Bridgers

• 25 (Sebastian Aho)- We’ll Never Have Sex by Leith Ross

• 26 (Oliver Wahlstrom)- this is me trying by Taylor Swift

• 27 (Anders Lee)- Bleach by 5 Seconds of Summer

• 28 (Alex Romanov)- ARE WE STILL FRIENDS? by Tyler, The Creator

• 29 (Brock Nelson)- Motion Sickness by Phoebe Bridgers

• 30 (Ilya Sorokin)- Out of the Woods by Taylor Swift

• 40 (Semyon Varlamov)- Dial Drunk by Noah Kahan

• 44 (Jean-Gabriel Pageau)- Tears Over Beers by Modern Baseball

• 53 (Casey Cizikas)- Starting Line by Luke Hemmings

Bonus because I’m so so sad!

• 12 (Josh Bailey)- Miss Missing You by Fall Out Boy

• 21 (Kyle Okposo)- The View Between Villages by Noah Kahan

• 72 (Anthony Beauvillier)- Strange by Celeste

• 91 (John Tavares)- Everything I Didn’t Say by 5 Seconds of Summer

[wandyring]

aesthetic sideblog to @wandyrlust​. do not follow.       ✧ main blog       ✧ resources.

tags.

Wanted Faceclaims Musings Cassian Eris Vanserra Gwyneth Berdara Kallias Morrigan Lucien Vanserra Nesta Archeron Rhysand Emily Nelson Barbie Casteel Da’Neer Kieran Contou Poppy Balfour Aidas Baxian Argos Fury Axtar Hunt Athalar Hypaxia Enador Ithan Holstrom Jesiba Roga Ruhn Danaan Tharion Ketos Tristan Flynn Percival de Rolo Vax’ildan Vessar Matthew Murdock Jess Mariano Blair Waldorf Dan Humphrey Nate Archibald Serena Van Der Woodsen David Kostyk Jesper Fahey Matthias Helvar Cardan Greenbriar Larkin “The Ghost” Garret Dabria Marcie Millar Patch Cipriano Brianna Randall Fraser John Grey Tiberias Calore Evangeline Samos Leon S. Kennedy Velma Dinkley Dean Winchester Chaol Westfall Dorian Havilliard Kaltain Rompier Lorcan Salvaterre Manon Blackbeak Rowan Whitethorn Sam Cortland Omen Reyna Bonnie Bennett Elijah Mikaelson Liv Parker Rebekah Mikaelson Stefan Salvatore Tyler Lockwood Alicia Clark Althea Szewczyk-Przygocki Glenn Rhee Judith Grimes Maggie Greene/Rhee Rick Grimes Rosita Espinosa Geralt of Rivia Bigby Wolf Alba de Rossi Apollo Stockholme Ezra Castor Merritt Ward Amaris of the Night Court Ava Vanserra-Livianus Emil Rose Isolde Taeyang Gray Lambert Kai Wildgazer Zelda Ysiris Isaac Crane Knox of Fenmont Roman Gray Wes Engerman Zariah Arkour Calixta Verak Lore Weaver Magdalena Leblanc Seraphina

[obdong]

Should I send an email to John holstrom

[undergroundrockpress]

Designed by Bruce Carleton, with John Holstrom and Ken Weiner.a poster promoting the “1st Annual Punk Magazine Awards Ceremony,” held at Club Hollywood, NYC, October 13, 1978

[weirdlandtv]

Comic art in the time of punk: underground artist, John Holstrom. Late 1970s/early 1980s.

[karloskinky]

John Holmstrom: The Ramones in NYC!

[usnatarchives]

ED ASNER IN CIA TRAINING FILM, 1956!

NEWLY DISCOVERED: Suspects and Witnesses, NARA ID 653047. By Miriam Kleiman, Public Affairs

Mary Tyler Moore's Mary Richards shattered TV gender norms. Unapologetically strong, bright, capable, and funny, she was a role model to me and others.

The heart of the show is her often-challenging relationship with grumpy-but-kindhearted boss Lou Grant, played by Ed Asner who died yesterday (whom she called "Mr. Grant" for all 7 seasons).

Asner is well-remembered as an incredible character actor but lesser known as an Army veteran and activist. Searching through our always-interesting holdings, I found this CIA training film of 27 year-old Ed Asner as a brilliantly hostile witness. Recognize these expressions of anger, disgust, and scorn?

See also:

Ed Asner & President Carter, 2/28/1979, NARA ID 183724.

Asked by a reporter about a standout "brush-with-greatness,” Asner recalled this meeting and his longtime regret:

I carry guilt because I didn’t vote for Jimmy Carter in the 2nd election. I voted for John Anderson. I thought it would be a nice break from supporting a Democrat automatically. But I had met Jimmy Carter. I liked what I saw... What he’s done since leaving the office of the presidency has been ideal. He’s acted like a great man. I thought he was a good president. I don’t know why I decided to vote for John Anderson, other than as a way to break my habit. I realized later that the votes Anderson got might have been enough bring Carter on par with Ronald Reagan. I regretted that. That’s why I never went for another 3rd party candidate after that. Ed Asner, Kansas City Star, 2016.

Ed Asner in PSA for HUD, 1978

From Romancing the Vanpool: Energy Conservation on Film, Unwritten Record blog by Heidi Holstrom. NARA ID 38539.

[writeroutoftime]

fandom list

🔒= I write for that character/fandom but I’m currently not taking requests for them

ACOTAR

Azriel

Cassian

Elain

Eris Vanserra

Feyre

Lucien Vanserra

Mor

Nesta

Rhysand

The Bear:

Carmen Berzatto

Bridgerton:

Anthony Bridgerton

Benedict Bridgerton

Colin Bridgerton

Eloise Bridgerton

Crescent City:

Ithan Holstrom

Ruhn Danaan

Daredevil:

Foggy Nelson

Matt Murdock

MCU:

Jack Thompson (Agent Carter)

Peter Parker (tom, andrew, or tobey’s!)

Peaky Blinders:

John Shelby 

Thomas Shelby

Stranger Things:

Steve Harrington 

Eddie Munson

Ted Lasso:

Jamie Tartt

Roy Kent

Sam Obisanya

Twisters:

Tyler Owens

[kylegoodmanuca-blog]

Punk’s DIY Aesthetic

For years fanzines (a combination of the words fan and magazine), have been a powerful form of self-expression and exploration for artists who found no voice or place in the mainstream and established art scene. Fanzines, or simply zines, provide the artist with the opportunity to be art maker, publisher, designer and printer. As such, artists were, and still are, given the chance to create something completely original without the shackles or constraints associated with the mainstream art and publishing worlds. 

This level of innovation and creativity is best seen through the Punk era fanzines that are characterised by their intentionally “bad art” pen and ink illustrations, “untutored graphic techniques,” and purposeful references to the artist’s hand (Chwast, Heller 165). With the launch of Punk magazine in 1975 and thus the Punk DIY (do it yourself) aesthetic, outsider artists and mainstream pariahs were finally given a platform to produce the work they wanted to make. It is from these Punk zines that a DIY revolution launched an underground movement — through self publishing, trade shows, zine enthusiasts and eventually the Internet — that infiltrated and redefined the current, mainstream markets of Illustration and Graphic Design today.

The Punk aesthetic, a combination of Dadaism assemblage and antagonistic rejection of classical illustration and design principles, has greatly influenced the art scene since it began in the mid-1970s. Art Chantry, one of the most influential Punk artists, often describes the movement as “a social and philosophical revolution against status-quo positions of reigning norms” (Chwast, Heller 165). Beyond Punk’s obvious influences on CD and album covers, its biggest impact on the art world is found in the movement that began when cartoonist John Holsmtrom founded Punk with Ged Dunn and Legs McNeil. As a magazine, Punk was revolutionary in its time as it provided unbiased and truthful accounts of the growing alternative music scene in New York. “It was distributed in England before the first UK Punk zine was produced,” thus providing the seed in both America and Britain for what would become the so- called Punk DIY conventions of raw “spontaneous page layout, the production values of the photocopier, and a mixture of typographic treatments such as cut and paste, ‘ransom notes,’ and handwritten and typewritten letterforms,” (Triggs 46). However, Punk’s most important impact on the art scene lies in Holstrom’s illustration and hand lettering style that has a “caustically comic appearance, a combination between an underground newspaper and a high school newsletter,” (Chwast, Heller 165). The combination of self- publishing and a healthy disregard to institutional conventions, endowed artists full of freedomof expression that went unappreciated by the mainstream. Consequentially, the Punk DIY revolution was born.

The innovation and aesthetics of these Punkzines launched a DIY revolution that has transformed the face of Illustration and Graphic Design today. Many modern day Illustrators are greatly influenced by notion of taking complete artistic control of their work; this is to say that instead of simply creating an illustration, more and more Illustrators are merging the role of artist and designer by incorporating their own hand lettering, setting type themselves, and even controlling the layout of piece itself inside of a publication. Moreover, the DIY influences of Punk zines become even more apparent when one looks at the compositions, collage/assemblage techniques, bold graphics, and deliberately quirky and styled line drawings of such currently prominent Illustrators as Mikey Burton and Hattie Stewart.

[deluxewhump]

I loveee the dear diary asks 😂👌

Dear diary for Max? and Elle too if you feel like it :3 -whumpthisway

Max:

Dear Diary,

Today eddie called me at work to ask me what his own zipcode was. He was in his office, two doors away. I have requested they move him to another floor, a request that I fear will be ignored for the third year in a row.

My mother wants to have lunch with me friday. I’ve got to get out of it, because she always asks me why I am legally adopting a twenty-two year old. I told her, I don’t know, it escalated. 

Elle:

Dear Diary,

I met a guy and it’s going really well. I do wish he bought into my bullshit a little more often, because I really miss hurling wine glasses at walls :(.   I calculated our combined annual income the other day though and it’s sort of worth it. 

Although get this, he confided in me (??) that his puppy dog of a pet is none other than Erik Holstrom’s??? HA. It’s like owning a painting by John Wayne Gacy. You shouldn’t want it, but you do. Anyway I think I’ll fuck around and find out lol

[tachyonpub]

The tales in Nick Mamatas’ introspective and clever THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF EVERYTHING are entertaining

Nick Mamatas’ recently released collection THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF EVERYTHING impresses. 

In a starred review for BOOKLIST, Becky Spratford praises the book.

Each tale is entertaining on its surface, but all hold a deeper meaning for readers inclined to ponder it. The inclusion of Mamatas’ author’s notes, offering a peek into his personal evolution, is worth the price of admission. This collection will be an easy sell to readers who enjoy genre-blending authors of thought-provoking and topical tales, such as Jeffrey Ford, China Miéville, and Jeff VanderMeer.

Spratford expounds on the review at RA FOR ALL.

This collection is a genre blend as a whole, but even within stories, the genres can blend. I loved that. Not a single story takes you where you think you will go because no one writes like Mamatas. He is brilliant and original but he also knows how to tell a good compelling story filled with dark humor regardless of genre. He respects the genre tropes but also, refuses to let them define him or his work. It is refreshing.

I know I mentioned the first story in the review. Not only did I love it, I think it sets the stage perfectly for the unsettling, thought provoking stories that will follow. Seriously, after reading the entire collection, it was the perfect choice to kick things off.

Frank Michaels Errington on his eponymous page enjoys the work.

4 of 5 Stars

THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF EVERYTHING is made up of fourteen short stories and one novella from genre fiction writer Nick Mamatas and is the most varied assemblage of work I've read in some time.

<Errington reviews every story>

I found much of the work in The People's Republic of Everything to be introspective, clever, and fun.

Recommended.

For ELECTRIC LIT, Jeff VanderMeer interviews Mamatas.

Jeff VanderMeer: Short fiction was dead. Then it wasn’t. Let’s assume it’s alive. Why is it alive, if so?

Nick Mamatas: It’s alive for a couple of reasons. One is that just over a decade or so ago, bookstores finally understood that they could sell anthologies of short fiction by treating them as though they were non-fiction. People really do wander into bookstores and say things such as “I love The Walking Dead. Got any books about zombies?” or “I’ve been hearing a lot about steampunk — got anything that’ll explain it to me?” and a big anthology with reprints by prominent authors and new or at least obscure material by less well-known authors is basically a textbook designed to answer those questions. Phonebook-sized anthologies by you and Ann VanderMeer, or by John Joseph Adams, really grew a generation of readers.

Then there’s the smartphone and commuter culture: a short story is a commute-length read and a smartphone allows for instant access even when people don’t sit down and plan to read short fiction in advance. But short fiction is only ever a few clicks away, and unlike large collections of fiction, which require the reader to enter a narrative world, then exit it only to enter another, reading in an interstitial moment and then reading another story eight hours later doesn’t tax one’s attention span so much.

Finally, the short story is alive because it was dead. Freed from commercial considerations — there’s no reason to sit down and try to write to the men’s magazine market or for the Saturday Evening Post’s specific requirements — writers can do what they will. Good writers win. Thus a book such as Carmen Maria Machado’s Her Body and Other Parties can through sales for enthusiasm and sheer quality get a lot of buzz built around it, enter something like its seventh or eighth printing, and even get nominated for a National Book Award. If she had written those stories according to the commercial formulae of the 1950s or ‘60s, they wouldn’t have been as good and thus the book wouldn’t have done as well.

Ashley Holstrom at BOOK RIOT includes THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF EVERYTHING among Rockin’ August 2018 Book Covers.

For more info on THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF EVERYTHING, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Elizabeth Story

[realityisoverrated-fic]

Infinite Love, The Trivia Game

Artwork by Lademonessa

I was recently asked for a trivia game for the Infinite Love Series. I have 40 questions for your entertainment. The answers are beneath the cut.

Have fun!

1. Where did Oliver, Tommy and Felicity share their first kiss? 2. How old were Oliver and Tommy when they kissed for the first time? 3. Who told Felicity he loved her first? 4. Who did Felicity realize she was in love with first? 5. Who was the first person told about the Tommy/Oliver/Felicity relationship? 6. What song did Tommy sing to Felicity at Mr. Dennis’ daughter’s wedding? 7. What is the full name of all four Smoak children? 8. What was Malcolm’s wedding present to Felicity? 9. What did Tommy pay $50 for when he visited Felicity in Gotham? 10. Where did Tommy, Oliver and Felicity go on their honeymoon? 11. What were Felicity’s acts of kindness to Ruth Levin on her deathbed? 12. Where are all of Hildy’s supplies purchased? 13. What is the name of the owner of the food truck Oliver, Tommy and Felicity frequent in Promenade Park? 14. Where does Felicity hide her sugary cereal? 15. What’s the name of the boat Oliver gave to Tommy and Felicity on their 10th anniversary? 16. Which child is born on Tommy’s birthday? 17. What’s the name of the bar Tommy and Oliver go line dancing? 18. What is the name of the “Sex Reasons” city? 19. Which four schools did Oliver drop out of? 20. What is the secret ingredient to Oliver’s beef bourgeon? 21. What is William’s step-dad’s full name (not Tommy Merlyn)? 22. Who bought Nate his Cheetah ears? 23. What is Prue’s favorite Disney movie? 24. Why did Bobby get in a fight in kindergarten? 25. What were Tommy’s two temporary tattoos and where were they located? 26. How old was Tommy when he attempted suicide? 27. What did Arthur Levin teach Felicity in Montana? 28. What did Dr. Crane inject Oliver with? 29. What was William’s first Christmas gift to Oliver? 30. What’s the name of John and Lyla’s daughter? 31. What are the names of Thea and Roy’s children? 32. What item belonging to Oliver did Tommy wear the first year after the Gambit sank? 33. What book did Oliver read for his Literature of Colonialism class? 34. What’s the name of the second family dog? 35. What’s the name of William’s girlfriend? Which Smoak child does she tutor? 36. When did Felicity get her first satellite? 37. What’s the name of Felicity’s satellite? 38. How many bedrooms does their home in Italy have? 39. What stuffed animal did Oliver buy Prue when she was in the hospital? 40. What was the theme of Paul’s 30th birthday party?

1. Where did Oliver, Tommy and Felicity share their first kiss? Verdant 2. How old were Oliver and Tommy when they kissed for the first time? 12 3. Who told Felicity he loved her first? Oliver 4. Who did Felicity realize she was in love with first? Tommy 5. Who was the first person told about the Tommy/Oliver/Felicity relationship? John Diggle 6. What song did Tommy sing to Felicity at Mr. Dennis’ daughter’s wedding? It Had To Be You 7. What are the full names of all four Smoak children? Robert John, Rebecca Dearden, Nathaniel Edward, Prudence Harper 8. What was Malcolm’s wedding present to Felicity? Rebecca Merlyn’s diamond necklace and a wedding photograph of Malcolm & Rebecca 9. What did Tommy pay $50 for when he visited Felicity in Gotham? Whip Cream 10. Where did Tommy, Oliver and Felicity go on their honeymoon? Lake Como, Italy 11. What were Felicity’s acts of kindness to Ruth Levin on her deathbed? Felicity colored Ruth’s hair and painted her nails. 12. Where are all of Hildy’s supplies purchased? Barkley’s 13. What is the name of the owner of the food truck Oliver, Tommy and Felicity frequent in Promenade Park? Chuck 14. Where does Felicity hide her sugary cereal? In a basket of scarves in the kitchen closet 15. What’s the name of the boat Oliver gives to Tommy and Felicity on their 10th anniversary? The Quoaklyn, True Love 16. Which child is born on Tommy’s birthday? Becca 17. What’s the name of the bar Tommy and Oliver go line dancing? Mario’s 18. What is the name of the “Sex Reasons” city? Lima 19. Which four schools did Oliver drop out of? Harvard, Yale, Starling City University and Princeton 20. What are the secret ingredients to Oliver’s beef bourgeon? Love and cumin 21. What is William’s step-dad’s full name (not Tommy Merlyn)? Richard Adams 22. Who bought Nate his Cheetah ears? Quentin Lance 23. What is Prue’s favorite Disney movie? The Little Mermaid 24. Why did Bobby get in a fight in kindergarten? Baron Holstrom told him that Oliver was pretending to be his dad; Tommy and Oliver were a pair of queens playing house, Felicity digs for gold and that he was stupid. 25. What were Tommy’s two temporary tattoos and where were they located? A fleur de lis on his bicep and Donald Trump’s face on his butt cheek. 26. How old was Tommy when he attempted suicide? 17 27. What did Arthur Levin teach Felicity in Montana? How to fly fish. 28. What did Dr. Crane inject Oliver with? Fear toxin 29. What was William’s first Christmas gift to Oliver? A sweater 30. What’s the name of John and Lyla’s daughter? Grace 31. What are the names of Thea and Roy’s children? Mia and Scott 32. What item belonging to Oliver did Tommy wear the first year after the Gambit sank? A knit hat 33. What book did Oliver read for his Literature of Colonialism class? Robinson Crusoe 34. What’s the name of the second family dog? Tess 35. What’s the name of William’s girlfriend? Which Smoak child does she tutor? Emma tutors Bobby 36. When did Felicity get her first satellite? It was a present from Oliver on his 30th birthday. 37. What’s the name of Felicity’s satellite? Overwatch 38. How many bedrooms does their home in Italy have? 10 39. What stuffed animal did Oliver buy Prue when she was in the hospital? A bunny 40. What was the theme of Paul’s 30th birthday party? Grunge