Got a new story up at Island online, where they’re always up for something weird.
Well, this story fits the bill…
Read it for free here: https://islandmag.com/read/get-joy-from-getjoy-by-alex-cothren
Get Joy From GetJoy
Category: Uncategorized
Recent reviews in ABR
Been lazy, and missed posting my latest reviews in Australian Book Review, who I always love writing for.
Two good books, too: ‘The Magpie Wing’ by Max Easton; and ‘The Sawdust House’ by David Whish-Wilson.
Read the reviews here:
Fiction: A Short History of Guns in America
This is a real treat: my story, ‘A Short History of Guns in America’, is in the latest Griffith Review. The story is a re-imagining of the United States’ toxic relationship with guns, and you can both read it and listen to me read it, here.
Big thanks for the GR team for taking the punt on a bizarre story. And special thanks to RMIT’s Dr Rose Michael, whose praise for the story convinced me to send it out into the world.
Book Review: Night Blue by Angela O’Keeffe; Where the Line Breaks by Michael Burrows; The Speechwriter by Martin McKenzie-Murray
After enjoying the experience of reading and thinking about Michael Winkler’s utterly unique Grimmish, I was hoping Australian Book Review would keep sending me all the weird books that appear on their desks. And guess what? They did! In the latest ABR, I review three debut novels with bonker premises. It was a lot of fun, I hope my role as Weird Book Guy is forever established.
Check out the review here.
Winner! 2021 William Van Dyke Short Story Prize
The best part about submitting to U.S. journals and prizes is that you get their rejection emails in the middle of the night. Nothing like being woken up at 3 a.m. to learn you suck. But this time…no suck! Kelli Jo Ford, an incredible writer btw, somehow decided I was the winner of Ruminate magazine’s short story prize.
My winning story, ‘The Florist’, was meant to be a satire on political polarization. It turned into something else, though; in all honesty I’m at a loss about what this one actually means. But I’ll still take the check!
By the sounds of it, the story will published in the U.S. autumn.
Book Review: Grimmish by Michael Winkler
As usual, way late with this, but I reviewed Michael Winkler’s Grimmish for the April 2021 issue of Australian Book Review. The ‘novel’ is an absolutely bizarre mix of fact and fiction about a little known boxer, and I loved it. Give me the weird, weird, weird ones any day.
Criticism: Borat 2
Before the U.S. election (which aged me about a decade, by the way), The Conversation asked me to talk about Borat 2, and how I thought it might effect voters. The article is fun, but for real giggles check out the comments section, where the HUNTER’S LAPTOP MATTERS brigade are in full force. You can check it out here.
Criticism: It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the Funniest, Filthiest Comfort TV Around
The Conversation asked me to choose something that I turn to for comfort in troubling times.
My answer: It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
This show has been an obsession of mine for years, so it was a pleasure to write about. The hardest part was choosing which clips to include in the article!
You can read my take on the show here.
Review: ‘The Adversary’
Late news, part 2!
I reviewed Ronnie Scott’s The Adversary for the May 2020 issue of the Australian Book Review.
I suspect that the book might be an acquired taste, but I enjoyed its neurotic, witty narrator.
You can read the review here.
Note: ABR was not successful in its latest round of funding. It is an important voice for Australian literature, so you should support it with a subscription.
‘The Tick Tock Killer’ in Island
OK, waaaaay late with this news, but I had story published in the latest Island (159).
The story, ‘The Tick Tock Killer’, is a satirical look at how true-crime shows are skewing our understanding of violence against women.
Island’s fiction editor is Ben Walters, who has been a kind supporter of my work in the past. I am very grateful to him for accepting this story, and I highly recommend that you become an Island subscriber ASAP.
alex cothren 