Category: Book Clubs

Candy Crushes in ASKEW

Today, a first piece from my new book, ASKEW, is published at the innovative Atlas and Alice Journal. Thanks so much, EIC Ben Woodward and Fiction Editor Cathy Ulrich, who chose this one.

I wrote the first draft in Jonathan Cardew’s Bending Genres February weekend workshop. It coincided with the final edits on ASKEW that I made with Adam VanWinkle of Cowboy Jamboree.

Here is Candy Crushes at Atlas and Alice: https://atlasandalice.com/2022/04/14/fiction-from-robert-vaughan/

And also, another first for ASKEW- my first published review, from Leigh Chadwick. Full of fun, insights, heart and magic, published at Identity Theory:

https://www.identitytheory.com/review-robert-vaughan-askew/

For more information about ASKEW including where to order, visit my publisher’s website: http://www.cowboyjamboreemagazine.com/books.html

It’s so exciting to have a new book, my first in 5 long years.

Thanks everyone for either purchasing ASKEW, offering to review it, or planning on reading it.

Take care,

Robert

I'm Back!

We have some more exciting workshops to check out in our Bending Genres monthly weekend workshops, including Nancy Stohlman on August 23- 25; Robert Russell on September 20-22, and Steven Dunn on October 18-20. More information is available here:

https://bendinggenres.com/monthly-workshops/.

And on July 21-27, we will be back at Mabel Dodge Luhan House for our second Bending Genres retreat. There is more information about that here: http://retreat.bendinggenres.com. We’ve added our very first MIDWEST RETREAT for August 16- 22, 2020. More details are forthcoming! Needless to say, we are so excited.

And we will have our July/ August issue of Bending Genres available at the beginning of August. Some terrific writers are submitting, and we are still taking more fiction, poetry and CNF. Send us your best! www.bendinggenres.com

I hope your summer is rocking your world. Wasn’t it so great to see our Women’s Soccer USA team win the World Cup? Terrific for young girls and boys everywhere. For everyone, really.  ]]>

This Writing Life

Hobart Journal last November. Bud Smith was the guest editor and he accepted 5 flash fictions, mostly all from journals that have gone out of publication. You can read them all here: http://www.hobartpulp.com/web_features/five-stories. I can’t share the “exciting news” part quite yet. Just know I am over-the-moon!!! Today was the beginning of Jonathan Cardew’s Ugly Real Beautiful: Let Your Characters Tell the Story. It’s our third Bending Genres weekend workshop of 2019, and all three (Meg Tuite in January; Alina Stefanescu in February) have been full so far. We only take 20 writers max, and our next opportunity, Sara Lippmann’s Mine What Matters, is more than half full already. So, don’t wait!!! More here: https://bendinggenres.com/monthly-workshops/. Today I also booked flights for Synergia Ranch, our first Bending Genres retreat on May 10-16. I am so excited for this! Also, we still have some openings for our second Bending Genres retreat at Mabel Dodge Luhan House in Taos, N.M. on July 21-27. Come write your heart out in the desert, eat gourmet food, laugh and dream with like-minded writers: http://retreat.bendinggenres.com And, I hope to see you in Portland at https://www.awpwriter.org, March 27- 31? I’ll be floating around the book fair needing a haircut, hiding in back booths at late- night readings, toasting friends like Bill Soldan, Karen Stefano, Len Kuntz, Jayne Martin and a plethora of other talents who have new books, or books being birthed soon. Please let me know if you have any signings or engagements. Happy writing! What are you reading lately?]]>

New Online workshops

  • Published ten solid issues of fiction, poetry, CNF, art, and VOICES
  • Our first Flash Fiction Contest with guest judge Kathy Fish; vetters Len Kuntz, Dianca Potts, and Nicholas Cook (winner was Quinn Madison)
  • Held three other postcard contests, (winners were Kara Vernor, Meghan Phillips, and Becky Robison)
  • Three readings at different venues in Milwaukee (with hosts Dora Diamond, Jonathan Cardew). Many of our magazine contributors read at these events.
  • Opened our new offices in Walkers Point, added our exceptional intern, Corey Holzman. Thanks, Ricco!
  • And to our amazing staff, some who remain, some who’ve moved on, I am eternally grateful: Meg Tuite, Chelsea Laine Wells, Jamal Parker, Caitlin Scarano, Samuel Fox, David O’Connor, Jessica Mehta, and Corey Holzman. Your hard work and editorial skills have made it the magazine for so many writers and diverse voices: over 30 different countries, a multitude of cultures represented, outstanding risk-taking writers.
    • In 2018, we will be launching our all new Bending Genres ONLINE WORKSHOPS!!! Beginning January 19-21, with Meg Tuite teaching Fast Flash Fiction: Close to the Edge. More information is here: http://boinkzine.com/january-fast-flash-fiction/. You can take this workshop from anyplace in the entire world! Don’t wait too long to nab your post, we are already filling up! Also we are adding to our current magazine staff: Fiction Editors Meg Tuite and David O’Connor; Poetry Editor Samuel Fox and our new Poetry editor Jessica Mehta; all new column curated by Jonathan Cardew called Microviews (might include reviews, interviews and more), and our inimitable intern, who does so much more than any intern, Corey Holzman. All this, and these are just a tip of the entire journey. I’m indebted, and so grateful to you all. Thanks for the amazing year. Sincerely, Robert Vaughan, Editor-in-Chief, Bending Genres]]>

    Summer is Here!

    FUNHOUSE had a very lovely KIRKUS review: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/robert-vaughan/funhousex/ I want to thank the editors at KIRKUS, and also all of your lovely compliments after reading the review. Also, at the international online magazine, Levure Litteraire, my dear friend Helene Cardona published three of my FUNHOUSE pieces: http://levurelitteraire.com/robert-vaughan/ Then, at the LOS ANGELES REVIEW OF BOOKS, there was a fine essay called Protean Miniatures: The Adaptability and Sustainability of Flash Fiction by Sean Hooks, in which he mentions RIFT, my last book with Kathy Fish (about halfway through the article). This was a shock, and a very pleasant one! https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/protean-miniatures-adaptability-sustainability-flash-fiction/ And many of you already know I am the Managing Editor at (b)OINK. Well, many things are happening with our magazine, including our Inaugural Flash Fiction Contest with guest judge Kathy Fish: https://boinkzine.submittable.com/submit/87025/boink-flash-fiction-contest-with-guest-judge-kathy-fish And we have a new (b)OINK poetry editor, Jamal, and an intern, Corey, as well as a new office in Walker’s Point, a diverse and fun neighborhood in Milwaukee. More new things forthcoming! Our first (b)OINK presents reading will be on Thursday, June 29th, at Sugar Maple in Bay View, WI. 7-9 p.m. Emceed by Dora Diamond. Surprises and gifts abound! I had the great fortune of attending Marjorie Pagel’s book launch (The Romance of Anna Smith and other stories) at Anodyne yesterday. I was so thrilled she had standing-room-only crowd and her book is available at Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Romance-Anna-Smith-Other-Stories/dp/1545412413/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498235510&sr=8-1&keywords=Marjorie+Pagel. Enjoy summer. Read as much as possible. Looking for a workshop? Check this out: http://bendinggenres.com.  ]]>

    Interview at Midwestern Gothic

    Midwestern Gothic magazine: http://midwestgothic.com/2017/03/interview-robert-vaughan/ I also want to thank editors-in-chief and founders Jeff Phaller and Robert James Russell. I had the honor of my work appearing at MG in two of their early print journals, and also Kathy Fish and I were interviewed for our book, RIFT, at the MG website in 2016. Midwestern Gothic has expanded into the book business (MG Press) and offer “The Lake Prize” for Midwestern authors to enter. Be sure to check them out, especially if you live in the VAST MIDWEST!!! I’m reading Roxane Gay’s Difficult Women. Love it so far! What are you reading? Any words about it? Also, an image from last night’s Red Oak reading at Comedy Sports (which was fantastic). Me wearing my all-new Ron L. Kibble wearable art hoodie (Ron painted the amazing cover of FUNHOUSE). Thanks RON, and thanks Jonnie for the shot: ]]>

    The Arrival of FUNHOUSE, my 5th book

    FUNHOUSE has four sections: Balloon Darts pierces short fiction; Hall of Mirrors “Another Brick in the Wall, part 4” delights with 26 kids in a classroom, and art sketches by Bob Schofield; Tunnel of Love Divas, “And the Winters Cannot Fade Her” proposes prose poems, layout, and graphic design by Eryk Wenziak; and  Ferris Wheel churns short stories of a more traditional length. I want to thank Michael Gillan Maxwell for his extensive edits. And to Robert Scotellaro, Megan Giddings, and Len Kuntz, three writers whose work always brings me awe and joy- your blurbs are exquisite! Many thanks to you all! Mostly I have to thank Bud Smith, who’s UNKNOWN PRESS also published RIFT and many other amazing books during its run. Thanks Bud. So honored to create another book together. From Bud Smith: “You can PayPal me $14 at budsmithwrites@gmail.com and I’ll mail you the book direct. Otherwise FUNHOUSE is available on Amazon, for a couple extra dollars. Thank ya over the moon.” Amazon direct link: https://www.amazon.com/Funhouse-Robert-Vaughan/dp/099830901X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486394686&sr=8-1&keywords=funhouse+robert+vaughan ******************************************************************** John Madera of Rhizomatic Public Relations assembled an extensive list of “The Most Anticipated Small Press Books of 2017” and FUNHOUSE was mentioned by John. He also asked me, and several other independent writers for their own lists at Big Other. Thanks, John: https://bigother.com/2017/02/04/most-anticipated-small-press-books-of-2017/]]>

    Press for RIFT

    Cover with blurbs And then these lovely first mentions, news and reviews about RIFT, and made Kathy Fish smile. And me giggle. So grateful: First, my brother Sheldon Compton at Revolution John: https://revolutionjohn.wordpress.com/2015/12/13/the-world-set-shaking-kathy-fish-and-robert-vaughans-rift/ Joseph Spuckler at Evil Cyclist: https://evilcyclist.wordpress.com/2015/12/13/book-review-rift/ David Abrams at The Quivering Pen: http://www.davidabramsbooks.blogspot.com/2015/12/a-year-of-reading-best-book-cover.html Dennis Mahagin (“Ancient Bassist”) at Amazon (among all the other amazing reviews!): http://www.amazon.com/Rift-Robert-Vaughan/dp/0996352600/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449355153&sr=8-1&keywords=RIFT+RObert Sheldon “Lil Joe” Compton, part 2: http://bentcountry.blogspot.com/2015/12/my-top-ten-books-of-2015.html My dear sister, Cheryl, at CurTales: https://curtalefarm.wordpress.com/2015/12/17/rift-a-book-review/ Loren Kleinman at THE HUFFINGTON POST: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/loren-kleinman/a-rift-in-the-clouds-an-i_b_8824102.html Steph Post with two part RIFT interview, here’s Kathy Fish: http://stephpostauthor.blogspot.com/2015/12/rift-part-one-interview-with-kathy-fish.html Steph Post with two part RIFT interview, with me: http://stephpostauthor.blogspot.com/2015/12/rift-part-two-interview-with-robert.html Steph also included RIFT here: http://stephpostauthor.blogspot.com/2015/12/stephs-super-awesome-2015-end-of-year.html I have to say, it’s been a wild ride so far! I want to give thanks to everyone who has purchased, reviewed, and said gracious or kind comments to Kathy and me. RIFT took the same gestation time as making a child: nine or so months! It would never have been possible without Satchi, Bud Smith, my siblings, Kathy (of course) and so many more contributors. Please help us spread the word. Get a copy of RIFT for a friend. Read more! Happy holidays.    ]]>