Journey Prizz (Sadness of the Swamps)

Things worked out well and a story I wrote called "Manning"--that the buds in PRISM published forever ago--was chosen as one (1) of the three (3) stories in the final running for this year's Journey Prize. The other story in the running can be read at the wicked-fucking-cool Joyland. Not to be a dick or nothing, but both of these stories can be found in a book I wrote that some other buds at Invisible Publishing published called The Cloaca.

Here's what the book looks like:

If you know (whoever you are) anything about anything, the JP is fairly fucking prestigious, and this is awesome to have happen. However...

It's kind of a sucky feeling to be separated from the other folks on the JP list. The list is stalwart and true and hopefully the anthology as it's released will act as a platform/spotlight for all the writers and magazines that stain the rag. In particular--and this is just because I somewhat know the fucker--not having Kris Bertin around to be in a dead heat with is disappointing. Though me and he turned out to live in the same city, I met him through his nominated story "Is Alive and Can Move," which was a real dick kicker of a story that PRISM also put out. It was the best story I'd read in a long-ish time, for reasons that it will describe better than I can. If it was up to me, he and me would be in a weird pie eating competition (while dressed in suits) that would decide a JP winner. But--as with most cogent disappointments in my life--this was not up to me, and nor should it be. Because I Drink.

Beyond professional awkwardness, this being shortlisted also means that I have to hang out in a room with mostly total strangers for a night while wearing a suit, and it might take a fair amount of aforementioned Drink to feel good about being corporeal during this whole to do.

All this snit aside, I'm serious: it's a realdeal honour to be all up in this Journey Thing. I'm for real seriously serious. Seriously.

EDIT: It's not lost on me how sarcastic this sounds, but hopefully, if you (whoever you are) read this blog, then you'll understand that I'm a bit of a weirdo chockablock with self-loathing. I'm at a loss to really express what an honour being a part of this is without getting caught in the mud pit of my own issues. Thanks for reading!