Arkansas Literary Fest? Yes!

This weekend is the Arkansas Literary Fest. When I saw this photo in the newspaper, I about milked my cow. And I don't even have a cow. Or drink milk. There's Kevin Brockmeier, David Sedaris, Charlaine Harris--and Mark and me! Meep!

If you're in the Little Rock area, come on out and say hi. I'll be reading Saturday night at the Publish or Perish event--it's at Big Whiskey's American Bar & Grill at 8. And then Sunday, I'm on a panel at 3 at the Ottenheimer Theatre, if I'm not too hungover. But wait, Mark's reading at the same time at the Historic Arkansas Museum! What to do! You could clone yourself. That's a start. Or split yourself in two.

Here's the full schedule of panels. If you can't make it to see Mark or me, support the literary arts in central Arkansas by going to one of the other events or panels. It's just plain old good family fun.

On Book Reviews and the Simpsons

As many of you know, my first novel came out last year. And that meant getting reviews, something I didn't think of when I was in the heights of ecstasy--before the book actually existed.

Mostly the reviews were fine. Some wonderful ones saying I was a genius! Some lukewarm ones, and some that were downright mean, almost personal attacks, which I found bizarre. Luckily I have a thick skin, thanks to my family, who could get vicious and loud. I recall my mother throwing a phone at my sister once--and this was way before cell phones. Bless our Jersey hearts.

Anyway, after the initial shock of the "bad" reviews wore off (and maybe a few whiskey cokes), I moved on. Mostly.

But there's one thing that has stuck in my craw these past few months, one point that some reviewers made that I feel compelled to clarify.

I love the Simpsons.

To explain: At one point in Brains, Jack, my main zombie, is discussing "rednecks." He says, "The only Homer they knew was Simpson. Their idea of an art film was The Shawshank Redemption and their wives collected Precious Moments figurines."

Many reviewers took this to mean that I, Robin Becker, was taking a swipe at the Simpsons.

I'm setting the record straight: Jack feels superior to that lovable yellow American family. In fact, Jack dislikes many things I hold near and dear. Jack even has opinions that I disagree with.

Why is this? Easy. I am not Jack.

Long live the Simpsons! Over twenty years and counting.

Super-Cooled Quantam-Blog Poems

I came across this poem while perusing the inaugural issue of the Toad Suck Review (website in progress, otherwise I'd link). It's by Perrin Carrell. I love it and I'm hoping that whoever this poem is addressing will find it here on my blog. And that he'll love it too

Blogosphere

Someone I hate has a blog.
I used to love him so I follow
it. Sometimes I read it
and I hate him more. Sometimes
I read it and wish he were in
that chair again, skinny boy
drinking and smoking like a man
wallowing in one thing
or another. Sometimes I read it
and see how we are not so
different. We still love
the same things. We still love
the same people. The great tragedy
is that one of us will die
before the other, and the one
left alive will regret it. The greater
tragedy is that he would have loved
to have read this and never will because I
don't have a blog.