I had the chance to attend indie publication Barrelhouse Magazine‘s spring “Crime” issue release party last night, where I got to hear cool authors read their work: Tara Laskowski reading “The Etiquette of Murder”, Art Taylor with his “Blue Plate Special”, and “How Sacrifices Are Made in Illionois” by Michelle Dove.
All are great reads that make you think; Tara’s piece reminded me of Armand “Blackbird” Degas from Elmore Leonard’s Killshot, while Art’s piece seemed a thoughtful blend of Chandler and James Crumley (of Last Good Kiss fame). I’m still rolling around Michelle’s piece in my head…it’s a densely-packed story with lots of sly humor tucked in here and there; easy to miss if you’re not paying attention.
It was nice to rub elbows with other writers and poets trying to make a professional go of it. If only the bartender hadn’t turned the music up to 10…I’d still be there chatting craft with some really smart people.
If you like indie publications, check out Barrelhouse at http://www.barrelhousemag.com.
You can read Tara’s piece in its entirety (with roll-over annotations…thank you, internet!) at http://www.barrelhousemag.com/?page_id=1949.
Thanks so much for coming out, Matt — and for the nice write-up here too! I don’t think I merit those kinds of comparisons, but sure appreciate anyway! Look forward to seeing you again soon.
Art
My pleasure, Art. The only regret: that you had to quit your reading halfway through to give Michelle some stage time! Talk about a cliffhanger…:)