Howdy, all you literary hipsters:

I've posted the next couple selections from my memoir-in-progress over at the Rumpus.

Here's Valentine's Day.

Here's Veronica's Teeth.

May these grease your holidays with the requisite mix of filth/charm.

Howdy, all:

I'm just starting to write a series of essays on my alcoholic adventures.  The first one posted this week over at the Weeklings.  I hope you dig it. 


Would you read a book filled with these little bullets of memoir?  Thing is, it wouldn't just be war stories.  That gets boring after a bit.  It would be war stories leading to a bottom leading to getting clean leading to... what... happiness?

Can you imagine happiness?

Anyway, here's the essay.  Thanks to Antonia Crane for asking me to write this.

I hope you can absolutely imagine happiness,
Josh

San Francisco Magazine just released their issue on local authors, and they asked some of us to grace the cover. 

I'm "showcasing" my typical head-scratching posture, in which I reread a sentence and think: now who snuck into my novel and wrote such a crappy line?

I'm working on my next book, some sort of weird literary mystery: in it, a woman gets a sentence repeating in her head in a language she doesn't speak, and the line happens to be about a murder.  She and a friend set off on an adventure to try and save the target.

I read from the book last week in North Beach.   This chapter is narrated by a guy with a closed head injury.  I hope you dig it!

Sam Lipsyte Interview

Greetings, Literati:

How are you?  I'm fresh off book tour and wanted to say thanks for everyone who came out to one of the readings.  It was cool to connect with so many people.  Thanks for all the FIGHT SONG love!

I had the pleasure of interviewing Sam Lipsyte live at Tosca last month and wanted to post the podcast.  He's super smart and super cool and you should buy all his books!

I'm going underground to finish up this next novel.  I'll see you when it's done.  Be reckless on the page and write the book that only you can write!

Cheers,
Josh

PS: If that link is being surly, here's the podcast on Litquake's site.

FIGHT SONG tour & other literary shenanigans

There will be more coming, but this is the first round of readings.  I hope to see you at one of these events! 

2/7: Amnesia Bar, Mission District.  Book party for “Fight Song” and Susan Steinberg’s “Spectacle,” hosted by the Rumpus’s Isaac Fitzgerald.

2/9: East Bay on the Brain, Berkeley. 

2/16: Writers with Drinks, Mission District, Makeout Room.

2/21: Official Fight Song Release Party presented by City Lights, with performances by Bucky Sinister, Daphne Gottlieb, Tony Dushane, and Jon Longhi.  

2/25: Diesel Books, Berkeley, with Sam Sattin.

2/26: San Francisco Public Library, main branch: I’ll be interviewing Patrick DeWitt, author of “The Sisters Brothers” and “Ablutions” for On The Same Page.

3/2: Bernal Yoga Series, San Francisco.

3/5: Cantab Lounge, Boston, with Jillian Lauren, Gina Frangello, James Greer, Tyler McMahon, Ben Tanzer, among others.

3/10: KGB Bar, NYC, sponsored by Vol. 1 Brooklyn.  Also performing Teddy Wayne, Kathleen Alcott, and Matt Dojny.

3/11: Franklin Park Reading Series, Brooklyn. 

3/12: City Lights, San Francisco: I’ll be interviewing Sam Lipsyte about his new story collection “The Fun Parts” for a Litquake Epicenter event.

3/14: Copperfields, Petaluma.

3/21: Powells, Portland: also reading, Pat DeWitt and Jim Frost.

3/22: Writers’ Dojo, Portland: I’m teaching a one-day seminar.  Info here.

3/25: Elliott Bay, Seattle: After the reading, I’ll be in conversation with Mia Lipman. 

4/9: Books Inc, Mountain View.

4/11: Why there are words, Sausalito

4/18: Book Passage, Corte Madera.  I’ll be interviewing Pam Houston, author of “Contents May Have Shifted.”

4/20-21: Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.

4/27: Saturday Night Special, Berkeley.

5/10: Gallery Books, Mendocino. 

See you soon,
Josh

PS: There's a new excerpt of FIGHT SONG posted at The Nervous Breakdown.

Scout'sHonor! - featured in FIGHT SONG

Thanks to Kevin Clarke, who played the doctor. Isaac Fitzgerald and Leota Mohr were the happy couple. And big thanks to Jack Winton for putting this whole thing together!

Book trailer for FIGHT SONG.

PS: Thanks to The Millions for listing FIGHT SONG as one of its most anticipated titles of 2013.

Hipster Lit Flowchart

This not only made me laugh, but hopefully it turns you on to some books you've never read before.  There are a lot of great titles here! I'm so stoked they included a book of mine. This is as big as I can get it, so if you can't see it, check it out on Flavorwire or Huffington Post.

Enjoy,
Josh

Pen and Ink

Howdy all:

Wendy McNaughton and Isaac Fitzgerald have a new project called Pen and Ink, where artists talk about the inspiration behind one of their tattoos.  Here's mine. 
Thanks, Wendy and Isaac!

Ciao,
Josh

PS: Isaac also has a tumblr called "Drinking with Tim Riggins."  It's even more awesome than it sounds.

The Ultra Violence

City Lights invited me to read from "Clockwork Orange" to commemorate Banned Books Week. I hope you dig the excerpt, my droogs:

I also chatted with the SF Chronicle about Banned Books Week.  Read all about it here.

Viva la literature,
Josh

Get More Lit

Howdy, literati:

How are you?  I hope you’re all scribbling lots of pretty prose.  I’m doing some events in the next few weeks.  I hope to see you at one these:

10/13: San Francisco, Panel, The Art of the Novel, 4pm 

10/13:  San Francisco, Reading with Pam Houston, Michelle Richmond, and Susan Steinberg, 7:15pm

10/14: Santa Cruz, Felix Kulpa Gallery, Reading with Gina Frangello, Rob Roberge, Leota Mohr,and Stacy Bierlein, 3 pm.

11/10: Hollywood, Reading at the Rattling Wall Release Party at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 8pm

And if none of these dates work, you'll just have to come over to my apartment and we'll whisper sweet nothings in each other's ears.

My new novel "Fight Song" comes out February 12, 2013.  I'm so stoked to share this story with everyone.  I'll post a tour schedule soon.

Write like crazy,

Josh 

PS: If you'd like to read an excerpt from Fight Song, it's posted here at Canteen Mag.

Lit Reactor Class

Salutations, literati:

How goes it, everyone?  It's been radio silence on my side, making the last tweaks on Fight Song, my new novel.  It will be at a bookstore near you in February 2013.  I'll post a tour schedule soon once we dial in all the dates. 

I'm teaching a 4-week class at LitReactor starting Sept 6th.  It's going to be about plotting tactics, though we'll also discuss conflict, dialogue, and some characterization.  The class is completely online, so whether you're in Antarctica,  Burma, or Costa Rica, come play with me.  I'd love to talk shop with you.  All the info is here.

It's a beautiful sunny afternoon in San Francisco, which means I'm gonna go sit in Dolores Park. I hope you're scribbling lots of pretty words on your side.

Cheers,
Josh

Fight Song

Greetings, literati:

I'm only poking my head up for a second before getting back to work.  I wanted to let everybody know that I've signed a deal with Counterpoint/Soft Skull for my next novel, "Fight Song."  The book is slated for release Winter '13.  More info soon.

Happy scribbling; be reckless on the page,
Josh

More CA tour dates

It's been so much fun getting out and reading from Damascus that we've added a bunch more California events.  I hope to see you at one of these fine soirees!!

Jan 11 - Radar Reading Series, SF public library with Michelle Tea's gang

Jan 17 - Pints and Prose, Fairfax, CA

Jan 19 - Inside Story Time, Cafe Royale, SF, CA

Jan 27 - A Great Good Place for Books, Oakland, CA

Feb 8 - Skylight Books, LA (Los Feliz), CA

Feb 11 - Vermin on the Mount Series, San Diego, CA

Feb 12 - Vermin on the Mount Series, LA (Chinatown), CA

Feb 13 - River Reader, Guerneville, CA

Feb 22 - Noisepop Festival (with Litquake kids) SF, CA

Feb 23 - Books Inc, Palo Alto, CA

Feb 25 - Books Inc, Alameda, CA

March 12 - S.H.A.R.P series, SF, CA

March 13 - Diesel Books, in conversation with Johnny Evison, Oakland, CA

Damascus in pictures

Check out this rad remix of Damascus, courtesy of Horn! Reviews. 

 

It originally appeared on the Rumpus. Huge thanks to Kevin for his amazing interpretation.

As the poet Pedro said in Napoleon Dynamite, I hope all your wildest dreams come true.

Happy new year,
Josh

"Beat-poet cool"

howdy, literati:

how are you on this lovely December day? it's clear skies in San Francisco, low 50s--one of the reasons i love this town so much... no seasons. 

i wanted to say thanks to the New York Times Book Review for their very generous write-up of Damascus:

"The author's jaunty voice [is] Beat-poet cool...Mohr nails the atmosphere of a San Francisco still breathing in the smoke that lingers from the days of Jim Jones and Dan White, a time when passionate ideologies and personal dysfunction intermingled and combusted."

happy holidays, everybody. i'm off to the Canadian tundra to scribble the days away and finish this weird fairy tale i'm working on.

until 2012,
Josh

PS: the fine folks over at All Sides recommend some yummy books. watch the vid of their discussion here.  they talk Damascus first. 

Brad Listi's Other People Podcast

There's this great guy, Brad Listi, who everyone should know about.  Not only is he the commander-in-chief over at The Nervous Breakdown, a great online culture magazine.  But he's a kickass author in his own right.  As if that doesn't keep him busy being awesome, he's started a new project called Other People, in which he chats with writers about their process and all kinds of odd byproducts thereof.  We just did one together.  It was a blast.



All Brad's podcasts are available on iTunes.

I've listened to previous ones with Ron Currie and Gina Frangello, and they're both fantastic.  And free.  And that's a winning combination.  Brad does a lot to support indie authors, so let's support him right back!

Happy early Thanksgiving, if you're into that sort of thing.  If you're not, I hope you spend the day doing something amazing that I don't even know about yet.

Josh

PS: Nice review of Damascus in this weekend's Wall Street Journal.
PPS: If you're in the Seattle area, I'm reading this Thurs, 11/17, with Johnny Evison at University Books; we'll all go out for drinks afterward.  I'd love to buy you a cocktail.
PPS: Here's a podcast of my reading from City Lights a couple weeks back.

My Dearest San Francisco

Why hello there, friends:

How are you?  I've been running around doing lots of readings in support of "Damascus".  And it's finally time for my favorite part of all this craziness: my hometown events. 

I'll be reading tonight at City Lights, 7pm.

And this Monday, the 24th, I'll read at Booksmith on Haight at 7:30.

Hope to whisper sweet nothings in your ear soon,
Josh

PS: The SF Chron has been incredibly supportive of "Damascus."  Here's a profile they ran on Tuesday.  And here's another piece they ran today.  Thanks for the local love!!

Happy Hour reading this Sunday

Hola, literati:

I hope to see you this Sunday afternoon for a late afternoon beverage.  I'll be reading at Vesuvio in North Beach with a bunch of talented folk from 4-6pm.  Event is free and I'll have advanced copies of Damascus.

Come through and say hi!!

Hope you're happy,
Josh

PS: If you happen to be down in Santa Cruz county tomorrow, I'm reading at the Capitola Book Cafe for a live taping of the Agony Column.  Event starts at 6:30.

Damascus tour dates

Friends:

I’ll be shoving off to do some readings in support of Damascus next month.  Many more dates to follow, but here are the ones that are already dialed in.  I hope to see you there.  I’ve met so many amazing people online, and it would be rad to actually introduce ourselves in person.  I look forward to shaking some hands and kissing some cheeks!!

Oct 2 – Brooklyn, NY:  Party hosted by Word bookstore (send me an email if you'd like to come)

Oct 3 – NY, NY: The Half King

Oct 8 – Capitola, CA: Agony Column live taping at Capitola Books Co.

Oct 9 – San Francisco: Vesuvio Bar, Litquake reading with Beth Lisick and Jack Boulware

Oct 13 – Portland, OR: PNIBA Nightcapper Event

Oct 15 – San Francisco: Litquake litcrawl reading, featuring Writing Salon authors

Oct 20 – San Francisco: City Lights Books: Damascus’ launch party

Oct 24 – San Francisco: Booksmith on Haight: Damascus’ launch party

Oct 28 – Oakland, CA: NCIBA event

Oct 30 – Chicago, IL: Katerina’s, TNBLE series

Nov 2 – Columbus, OH:  Capital University

Nov 3 – Cleveland, OH: Mac’s books

Nov 10 – Sausalito, CA: “Why there are words” literary series

Nov 17 – Seattle, WA:  University Books with Jonathan Evison

Dec 1 – University of San Francisco faculty reading

Dec 3 – San Francisco: The Cantina, The Babylon Salon series 

Dec 12 – San Francisco: The Make-out room, the monthly Rumpus reading

In my humble opinion, this would be an ideal time to pre-order Damascus... go ahead.  Why not?