woodenrocketpress

Blank State now available at Naco.

After a successful weekend of V-day shows (my first play in over a year), a wonderful mothers day dinner at The Lakeview, and a late Monday hangover, I’m proud to declare myself exhausted.  I am also scheduled to do a blog today.  So as I lace up my gauntlet, preparing to battle commuter traffic out to Scarborough to buy a guitar amp, and between mouthfuls of trail mix, I’m dropping in to say “hello.”

Of course, “hello loyal reader, who was expecting a meticulously well constructed, but only vaguely substantiated political tirade.”  But more specifically, “Hello Julian, the owner of Naco Gallery at 1665 Dundas street, who has recently agreed to sell copies of Dave Proctor’s Blank State at his totally bitchin cafe.”  In addition to being a show/sale space for visual artist of all descriptions, Naco sells beautiful coffee, very authentic, home made Mexican food, and lots and lots of reasonably priced booze.  It’s among my favourite places to stop when I’m in the west end, so you should totally go there to see what all the fuss is about. . . and also buy a hundred copies of Dave’s book.

 Michael Scott

The Sunday Paper: Preface.

Citizens of the Internet,

The WRP blog has been rather quiet throughout the month of February, but all that’s about to change.  David Proctor’s March 1st essay on Charlie Sheen quietly, and unceremoniously launched a revolution in WRP Blogging.  You are looking at a new kind of blog, a blog of strength and of nobility, a blog for the people, a blog that updates three times a week.  This is the dawn of a new era, when book reviews, opinion pieces, and our shiny new celebrity feature Fantastic Tale’s of Amazing Individuals, will be offered to you, the noble reader, on regular, predictable schedules.

But wait!  There’s more!

I’ve always loved serial.  In all it’s forms — from TV dramas, to episodic film like Back to the Future and Star Wars, to monthly comics — the serial has always held me by the balls.  I love the mounting anxiety that builds between chapters; the cliff hanger potential of every episode; the fact that once one problem is solved you always discover two more brooding in the back ground, waiting to take its place.

So with great, tingling enthusiasm, I come to offer you a little serial with your Sunday morning coffee.  On March 13, only one short week from today, guest blogger Richard Harris will be helping us launch “The Sunday Paper,”  a collection of short, serialized stories, web-published right on this blog.  Harris’ inaugural entry will be the first part of  <Word Nerds>, a charming story about love, anonymity, and Scrabble.  <Word Nerds> will run for three weeks, and on April 4th, a new story will begin.

So where do you fit into all this?  Just another casual reader?

Well, I hope not!

Wooden Rocket Press wants to be a part of your community.  That means reading our blogs, yes, and buying our books, but more importantly it means commenting.  Love us? Hate us?  Let us know.  We approve comments indiscriminately, as long as you aren’t a spam bot.

If you’re a published author, send us your book.  Not only will we actually read it, but we will also blog a minimum of five-hundred words of honest, thoughtful review.

If you’re an author with an unpublished work, send us that too: submissions@woodenrocketpress.com.  We might not always reply, but WE DO ACCEPT UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS.  Dave and I are always looking for fictional work of any length and genre.  Right now, we are specifically in search of a 20,000 word chapbook to add to our catalogue.

And, of course, we need submissions for The Sunday Paper.

Love,

Michael Scott

http://woodenrocketpress.com

In The Monster’s Mouth

In The Monster’s Mouth

By Michael Scott

http://woodenrocketpress.com

The arms of the Wooden Rocket move slowly.  Eventually my hand is taken.  Something cold and hard coils about my wrist.  I climb the stairs, into the glimmer.  Trying to blink the light out of my eyes, I see only the grand, formless white.

The tree speaks to me, “your iris isn’t strong enough yet. Give yourself time.”

So here I am.  Feeling like I’m in the belly of the beast, but surely, still barely past its lips.  It has been six weeks now.  My head hurts, and I can’t really breath, but I’m seeing the first few basic shapes, the outline of something magnificent, and David, the beating heart of this monster, is offering to host my blog.

Back in the real world, it’s new years eve, but in here. . . it’s dawn.

Circuits are being rewired.  Breakers switches being replaced.  Star charts are being redrawn.  Fuel is being sourced.  Voices are being raised in both argument and song.  We’re taking our little space ship to the god damned moon over here, and were going via the Orian Nebula, so buckle the hell up, and try not to get blown out an air lock.

I can’t say much right now — because I’m still seeing everything in low contrast, high luminous grey scale — but, fiction fans, if I were you, I’d bookmark us, in the new year.  Dave and I have big plans for this place.  We’ve got five new books on the horizon for 2011, including the new volume of Blank State, and a sinister little work of my own creation, but that’s not even the bark of the oak tree.

Between book launches, and gigantic announcements, I’ll be here, in the monster’s mouth, blind and furious, creating content for you as hard as I bloody well can.  If you swing by every couple of weeks, I’ll try to keep you entertained.

by

Michael Scott

http://woodenrocketpress.com

follow me on twooter @woodrocketmike