Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Vicious Verses and Reanimated Rhymes


Vicious Verses and Reanimated Rhymes is out. If you’re wondering why I’m telling you this, it's because 1) I like zombies a lot, and 2) I have a poem in it. The poem is called “Forever,” and is only one of 90+ poetic visions of zombies. Here’s the basic blurb about the collection from the publisher:

“The dead rise. The world dies. Mankind falls and enters Death's halls. Over 90 poems of carnage, hopelessness and despair mixed with oodles of the living dead await you. Vicious Verses and Reanimated Rhymes will not only melt your brain . . . it'll tear out your jugular!

If zombie poetry is your thing, the collection is already available at Amazon and Other Sites

There’s even an ebook edition available for the kindle.

By the way, I forgot to mention in my excitement over Write With Fire that the most recent Illuminata is also out. There’s a very interesting article on “Reading is Dead; Long Live the Literate!” There’s also a bunch of reviews, and I’ve got an article in there called “Reading Books On Writing." This is a new piece, which isn't in Write With Fire and hasn't appeared on this blog before. The issue is Volume 7, Issue 3, July 09 here.

PS: This Just In: X-Dell has some kind words to say about my writing over on his blog. I much appreciate it, so naturally I had to post a link to it. I used to be rather shame'ful' about promoting myself. That wasn't working very well for me.

If you get a chance while over at X-Dell's site, check out the Golden Ganesh widget at top right and listen to the episodes of this ensemble audio story. Very pulpy with some neat twists and turns. Highly recommended.
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25 comments:

j said...

Congratulations on having your poem published. You continue to enlighten me - Zombie poetry... I never knew.

BernardL said...

'Over 90 poems of carnage, hopelessness and despair mixed with oodles of the living dead await you.'

Yikes! :)

Rick said...

Hello Charles. Yes, congratulations on having your poem published! Also, I finally received my copy of "Writing with Fire" and will review it this weekend on my blog. Been thumbing through it all day, and I'm already impressed by it.

Nice work!

Steve Malley said...

Seriously, man, 'Dead in the West' by Joe R. Lansdale. Zombie Western!!

That anthology sounds fun!

ivan said...

Durn. With cookies I'm totally illiterate and incompetent. Same as with the Stock Market. I get confused between the Mazdac and the Marquis de Sade... Like the S+M 500, or whatever. I have no idea how to set up for PDF or Adobe. Blame it on a luddite childhood. And an old computer.
So, much as I would love to read your poem, I can't. Can you or someone send it to me in plain?

I have been to Haiti and I have seen people in zombie-like trances.
...Experience before text? I don't know. But I made sure I got the fastest plane ticket out of Cape Hatienne. What a f*cking hole!
And it had voodo and dancing zombies.
Scared the living crap out of me
as something seemed to visit me in my dive resort room.
Screw the paranormal. I need a drink.

Cloudia said...

Congratulations on the recognition you so richly deserve!
Aloha-

Comfort Spiral

JR's Thumbprints said...

You're absolutetly correct about writing: "Butt in chair, hands on keyboard. That’s what it's all about." I love the realist point of view.

Charles Gramlich said...

jennifer, thanks. yes, wherever there is something freaky, in literature at least, I am there! ;)

BernardL, lol. Yes, I might not have worded it quite that way, but then I haven't seen the whole collection yet.

Rick, I'm glad you're enjoying. Thanks for ordering a copy. Much appreciated, my friend.

Steve Malley, oh yes I want to read it. I've just not seen it on the shelves and I seem to forget every time I put in an order online.

ivan, The difference between the Mazdac and the Marquis de sade, is that you invest money with one and blood and sweat with the other. I've never seen a voodoo zombie and am rather happy about that.

Cloudia, thanks. It's been a pretty lucky year for me so far.

JR, I'm not a very touchy/feely sort of guy.

pattinase (abbott) said...

I certainly agree with you about the Zinsser book. It was the first book I fell upon when I started trying to write and still my favorite. I think I'll read it again and look for a few of the others.

writtenwyrdd said...

Great news that you're published again! I am not sure I'll ever be up for zombie poetry, but I'll keep this on the maybe list.

L.A. Mitchell said...

zombies are so hot right now. Congratulations on so many releases. I hope you're taking the time to celebrate.

Chris Benjamin said...

wow, you've been very prolific lately. Congratulations!

Chris Benjamin said...

p.s. My town's annual zombie walk is on Saturday - crazy busy but hoping to go take some pics.

laughingwolf said...

grats on the pubs, charles :)

my friend 'foam' posted a lot of golden ganesh stuff, too...

Charles Gramlich said...

pattinase, I revisit sections of Zinsser periodically, especially when I teach my writing class. It is a really fine work.

writtenwyrdd, I might have thought that would be right down your alley. Everyone loves zombies. :)

L.A. Mitchell, yeah, zombies are the new vampires. Or something like that. Thankee!

benjibopper, it's been a pretty good year for me. Glad to have it. ooh, a zombie walk. SOrry I will miss that. I hope you get some pics.

laughingwolf, thankee. The Ganesh was cool!

Travis Cody said...

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that there is zombie poetry, but somehow I am.

X. Dell said...

Wow, this must be the year of the zombie. I contemplated buying that new zombified version of Pride and Prejudice, but picked up another conspiracy book instead.

Thanks for the link and the Ganesh plug, too.

Inside our hands, outside our hearts said...

Charles I am getting a complex...smiles


Seriously though, Congratulations Charles.

Soft love.
T

Charles Gramlich said...

Travis, there's nothing new under the sun, my friend. And if it exists I'll probably try to write it.

X. Dell, I kind of don't want to buy the zombie pride and prejudice. It seems so gimmicky to me. But I'll probably have a look at it in the store at some point.

Tara, uh oh, what kind of complex? ;)

ivan said...

Charles,

You might get a kick out of this:

In the old days they would call it an incubus--that thing that would sit on your chest and draw the life out of ya.

Psychologists today deduce that it's a complex.
My Jamnaican friend say it best, at leat to me, "You all f*cked up, man."

Charles Gramlich said...

Ivan, Incubi and succubi are cool ideas. I've long believed that the story of the incubus comes out of the disorder called Sleep Apnea.

Greg said...

waiting for my contributor copy of Vicious Verses -- if your poem is anything like the story you had in Bits of the Dead, i'm definitely looking forward to reading it!

Lana Gramlich said...

Congratulations, baby. You just rock.

glovin said...

Congratulations on having your poem published. You continue to enlighten me - Zombie poetry... I never knew.

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glovin
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Charles Gramlich said...

glovin, thanks. I appreciate that.