BoneWorld Publishing

John Berbrich: the Wolrd Boneblog #11

Sat, 25 Jun 2011 00:37:00 +0000

Okay, it looks as though the studio is back in order, which means that tomorrow we return to live radio. Listen to the Howie & the Wolfman Show--w/ Spice!--tomorrow, June 25th, 2011, @ 11:00 a.m. Listen at 91.1 FM if you're in the Potsdam, New York area. Otherwise you can check us out online at radio.clarkson.edu. We play requests. Obviously, I am th Wolfman & Nancy is Spice! Howie? Well that's a whole nuther story.

Seriously, check it out.

-John

John Berbrich: The World BoneBlog #10

Sun, 22 May 2011 18:14:00 +0000

Just a note. In the February issue of Barbaric Yawp, only recently mailed out to all contributors & subscribers, I included at the end of my introduction information regarding a radio show Nancy & I have the privilege of conducting on Saturday mornings, the Howie & the Wolfman Show. Well, at present the building in which the studio is housed is undergoing some major renovations, & it looks as though we won't be back spinning discs until early July. So if you've checked online for our dazzling barrage of sonic grooves, there's a good reason why you didn't find them. More on this as I find out more about our next potential broadcast date.

Also, it appears we've survived May 21st, the Rapture or whatever it was. I can't tell if we've been taken or not. Everything seems pretty much the same, except the weather is a little drier. And they let us bring our dogs, which I thought was nice.

Also also: to anyone commenting on these BoneBlogs--for some reason I am unable to open the "comments," although it seems that comments have indeed been left. So please direct comments, queries, observations directly to me at my e-mail address: ataraxia1114@aim.com.

Sounds like Joe Satriani shredding his gee-tar upstairs. Bye. -John

John Berbrich: The World Boneblog #9

Sun, 08 May 2011 22:20:00 +0000

To all of our faithful readers who have been waiting breathlessly for the January issue of Barbaric Yawp--Hark! We've transformed the issue to February, we printed copies this weekend & will mail them out SOON. Sorry to everyone who's waited; I thank you for your patience. It's a good issue, certainly worth waiting for. To everyone who's submitted chapbooks & other sundry items for future consideration, please wait until the semester's over for any intelligent response. Steve Vai is hammering away at his guitar downstairs, so I'm doing the best I can. Hope to catch up soon. Thanks.

For marvelous conversations, thrilling adventures, & updated info, contact John at ataraxia1114@aim.com.

John Berbrich: The World Boneblog #8

Mon, 27 Dec 2010 00:37:00 +0000

I was good in 2010. As proof I offer the fact that Santa delivered to me, quite as a surprise, a set of acrylic paints, a sketchbook, like two dozen brushes, & six small canvases. My first creation was painted on Christmas Day. I call it "Future," & it's rather bleak.

Not much to say. Holidays are a nasty, brutish time. I'm paraphrasing Thomas Hobbes here, & he was talking about something else. I rather like the holidays, if they are kept in their proper place.

Right now I'm working on my Resolutions for 2011. This is an annual challenge for me. It's an attempt to balance my life into a highwire of scheduled events w/ plenty of wiggle-room for spontaneous fun & inspiration. Too much schedule, we become automatons. Too much spontaneity, nothing gets done. At least w/ myself. Hence the Resolutions.

So anyway--have a Happy New Year! And be good. You too may earn acrylics next year!

soundtrack: The Buzzcocks

beverage: Saranac caramel porter

weather: light sporadic snow

miscellaneous: mst3k

for a devil of a good time, contact John at ataraxia1114@aim.com

John Berbrich: The World Boneblog #7

Sun, 05 Dec 2010 21:39:00 +0000

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

Okay, here is the official tally on our nominations for the next Pushcart Prize, chosen by the good Pushcart people in April of next year. If we don't hear by May, then it looks like we've lost...again....

Anyway, the nominees are: Julie Ann August for her marvelous story "The Cultivator" in the January 2010 issue of Barbaric Yawp.

Pamela Klein for her heavy poem "Testing Gravity," in the April Yawp.

John Grey for his light-fingered poem "Shoplifter in the Police Station" in the July issue.

And three pieces from the October Yawp: Jeff Grimshaw for his humorous/surreal story "Vinnie's New Job," Jackie Bartley for her poem "Lot's Wife Reckons Time," & Scott Blackwell for his poem "My Space."

Good luck to one & all. If I hear anything more, I'll update in a future blog.

That's the big news. We've also made some decisions on the chapbooks for 2011, & those authors will be notified individually. Thanks to all for supporting the small press.

soundtrack: Primus

beverage: hazelnut java

weather: snow all day

miscellaneous: John Yau

for adventure & possible enlightenment, contact John at ataraxia1114@aim.com

John Berbrich: The World Boneblog #6

Sun, 28 Nov 2010 23:42:00 +0000

What a Sunday! We've gone through all the chapbook submissions & have made most of our selections. Letters will go out this week. And last Tuesday (irrelevant detail) we made our picks for this year's prestigious Pushcart Prize. Once all the nominees have been notified I'll post the names in a future blog. As publishers we're allowed to nominate no more than six pieces each year for the Prize. We've never had a winner, so maybe this year will break the jinx!

What else? So far our new Barbaric Yawp features--"Ask John & Nancy" (trashy advice column) & the "Mailbag" (letters to the editor)--have been popular w/ the readers I've heard from. Born under a bad sign? Trouble w/ your love life? Ask John & Nancy. We'll give you the straight answers. Got a gripe? Just wanna vent? Send a letter & we'll print it in the Mailbag. Share your valuable insights w/ the rest of our readers.

Anyone interested in the behind-the-scenes processes here in BoneWorld should check out our brief videos under Flailing Skeletons, on the webpage. See how we put the magazine in order! Discover the truth about...well, check out the video & you'll see.

Bye all.

soundtrack: Sadao Watanabe

beverage: Sierra Nevada pale ale

weather: cold, w/ a couple inches of snow on the ground

miscellaneous: Oxford's very short introduction to modern art

for fun & adventure, contact John @ ataraxia1114@aim.com

John Berbrich: The World Boneblog #5

Sun, 21 Nov 2010 22:15:00 +0000

Advertising works! Just two weeks ago I posted our great Clearance Sale offer of $2 for a sample copy of Barbaric Yawp, & that includes the postage. Well, we've already sold one!! But we've plenty more so don't wait. Order your 1/2-price copy of Barbaric Yawp today!

We haven't quite gotten to our Pushcart Prize picks yet, but we've scheduled a big meeting for Tuesday night to make final decisions. Again, I will announce our selections right here, plus each chosen writer will be notified by mail or by e-mail. And the picks for next year's MuscleHead Press chapbooks will be forthcoming SOON. We have a lot to choose from, just so you know.

Oh yes, we saw the poet Jericho Brown at Hurley's on the campus of Potsdam State the other night. What an excellent, passionate poet. So serious, yet during the Q & A session afterwards, he was so funny.

And that's all for now. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Bye

-John

beverage: French Vanilla java

miscellaneous: Haywire by Thaddeus Rutkowski

contact John at ataraxia1114@aim.com

John Berbrich: The World Boneblog #4

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 01:43:00 +0000

Another four months hath passed. Well, three & a half. I swear on the blood of my German & Polish ancestors that I'll visit this blog & add to it w/ increased frequency. Okay. Things are going well in BoneWorld. For everyone waiting for the October issue, we've just finished printing them this weekend & I'll commence to mail the sweethearts out soon. I love the new cover. And the contents have a particularly varied tone & style. You'll see what I mean. The Mailbag has become a popular new feature, as well as our trashy new advice column, Ask John & Nancy.

CLEARANCE SALE!!! For a limited time, all sample copies of Barbaric Yawp will go for $2.00 each, & yes that includes postage. Check the Webstore for details. You can pay via PayPal or send us a check or two bones in the mail. Don't pass up this great opportunity.

What else? Later on this month our complete board & staff (me & Nancy) will make final decisions on next year's chapbooks, so if you've submitted a manuscript for chapbook consideration please be patient. You'll hear something soon. We've got quite a pile to choose from. And we're making our selections for this year's Pushcart Prize. The winners are chosen in April but we have to get our picks in by December 1st. I'll announce right here in the blog who our selections are.

And that's it. A big THANK YOU to all of our marvelous (& judicious) contributors & subscribers. Got a question, a gripe, or an observation? Contact me at the e-mail address below. Have a sweet week. Bye.

soundtrack: Terry Reid

beverage: Yuengling Lager

weather: bright stars out w/ frost forming

miscellaneous: Why We Suck by Denis Leary

contact John at ataraxia1114@aim.com

John Berbrich: The World Boneblog #3

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 23:47:00 +0000

Yeah, now four months later....

Hey, big news to all our readers in the NYC Metro area. BoneWorld authors Francine Witte & Thaddeus Rutkowski will give a reading together tomorrow night, that's Monday, July 19th, at 7:00, at the Nightengale Lounge on the corner of 13th Street & 2nd Avenue, in dear old Manhattan. Francine is quite an accomplished poet, although she's mostly known for her flash fiction. And Thaddeus, well, the guy is a reader of great intensity, poetry or prose. Kinky, too. If you get a chance, check this show out.

And, although no one's complained, I'll try to keep up this blog better. In fact, we are making tentative plans for an actual BoneWorld vlog. So keep your eyes open, cuz we might swing the camera on YOU.

Soundtrack: Charlie Mingus

Beverage: tawny port

Weather: mild evening

Miscellaneous: fireworks, Russell parade, skunk

contact John at ataraxia1114@aim.com

John Berbrich: The World Boneblog #2

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:53:00 +0000

I had planned to update this blog every couple of weeks, & here it's been two months.

I guess the big news in BoneWorld is that Nancy Henry's poem, "People Who Take Care," will be republished by Longman Publishers, a division of Pearson Education, in what will be a fat (1,256 pages) college textbook, focusing on literature & the writing process, set for publication soon. We published this poem in Nancy's chapbook, Hard, back in 2003. So Longman needed our permission to reprint it. And this was the poem that Garrison Keillor read on his Writer's Almanac radio show a couple of years ago. Keillor also required our permission. Nancy Henry is a great poet & I'm glad she's getting some recognition.

Among other news, Dave Christy of Alpha Beat Press died a few weeks back. I don't have any other details. Dave & his wife Ana had run Alpha Beat & a variety of broadsides for many years. Their publications were low-budget photocopier creations: big on invention, w/ no attention paid to gloss & glitter. He will surely be missed.

In happier news, Steve Henn says that the big poetry reading he gave in Chicago last month went over real well.

I gotta go. More next time.

Contact John at ataraxia1114@aim.com