NY Times names Termite Parade an Editors' Choice

So this pic of Lucille Ball basically captures how wonderfully, gloriously shocked I was to learn that Termite Parade made this week's NYTBR Editors' Choice list. In some twisted post-modern way, I kind of look like Lucille Ball. Yikes...

It feels like some kind of coup, my sordid little book ending up in the NY Times. Their review last week was amazing. I'm so thankful. The person who wrote it, Rebecca Barry, had a novel-in-stories come out a couple years back called "Later, at the Bar;" I haven't had the pleasure of meeting/speaking with her, but I'd like to buy her 924 cocktails. And as she's now my new favorite person, I've ordered several copies of her book. And you should too. And then tell 10 friends to pick it up. It can be like a chain-letter for us literature dorks.

Thanks Rebecca and thanks NY Times! I'll wear my Lucille Ball shock all day...

Powells: "Mohr is a post-millenial Bukowski."

We should do our best to support independent bookstores, rather than the corporate hubs. Powells is one of the most renowned. It's a veritable church of books. It's like Graceland (pic above), if you've been buried in novels your whole life.

For those of us that can't trek to Portland to buy books in person, their website is kick ass, stocked with any title you could want to get your hands on. So shop there. And they're good people. And we should support good people.

They also review a newly released book every day. They weighed in on Termite Parade over the weekend. Thanks, Powells. Us indie kids gotta stick together!

From the review: "Written with as much heart as brawn, Termite Parade is a sucker punch to literary complacency, without a hint of authorial self-absorption. Mohr is a post-millennial Bukowski with a dash of Hubert Selby, Jr. thrown in for good measure, and with only two published novels under his belt, he is rapidly becoming one of my favorite American novelists."

SF Chronicle: Termite Parade is "similar to Dostoyevsky's 'Crime and Punishment.'"

I'm a pretty excitable cat. Temperamental, moody diva? Manic pain in the ass? Yes, these are titles I'm familiar with, have heard once or twice over the years. I'm man enough to admit that.

So this weekend is making me crazy, in the best way. I'm bouncing off the walls. First, the San Francisco Chronicle reviewed Termite Parade today. I'd like to thank the reviewer, Evan Karp, for giving the novel such a close read, taking the time to dig into the story's cracks. Evan also runs a local reading series in SF called Quiet Lightning. The next one is on August 2nd at the Rickshaw Stop.

Here's a pull from his text:

"The book is similar to Dostoevsky's 'Crime and Punishment': the most crucial action serves as a portal to and wellspring for the various psychologies of its characters. But Mohr's storytelling is so absorbing that 'Termite Parade' does not read like an analytical rumination; if he is examining the very nature of these characters under a microscope, he at least lets the specimens speak for themselves."

Then on Sunday, The New York Times Book Review will weigh in with their thoughts. I've always struggled with insomnia, but waiting to hear/read my first NY Times review? I haven't slept more than 10 hours all week! I'm a train-wreck... a bigger train-wreck (thanks, peanut gallery). Please cross your fingers; I need all the help I can get.

And finally, I just tattooed my publisher's, Two Dollar Radio's, logo on my arm. You can see it in the pic above: hint, it's the only image that looks like a two dollar radio...

Author Jonathan Evison interviews me for 3G1B

J. Evison's first novel "All About Lulu" is a solid read. I was lucky enough to get my hands on an advanced copy of his next, "West of Here," that hits stores February 2011. Let me tell you: Evison can write his ass off. WOH is so good, in fact, I'm predicting awards for it. Pulitzer? National Book Award? I'm calling my shot. Just remember where you heard it first, people...

Evison was nice enough to instigate a dialogue with me. In it, we discuss my penchant for squalor, vampires on submarines... you know, the usual. He also asked about my relationship with my publisher, Two Dollar Radio. Here's part of my response:

JM: I’m very comfortable on the fringe. I like that role of being underestimated. There are very few expectations of me, and so if something goes well, it’s just gravy. I feel like I’m playing with house money… except in this particular example there’s no money. Or a house.

Thanks, Herr Evison for asking such thoughtful questions. It was a stunning asylum from the normal batch of obvious ones, like: "Hey man, do you write with a pen or on a laptop?" Why would anybody really fucking care what the answer is to that?

Happy Birthday, Joshua Mohr

Last week, Joshua Mohr celebrated the release of his second novel, Termite Parade, at City Lights in San Francisco. It was two days before his actual birthday, so in the spirit of celebration he held an inverted party, celebrating everyone else's birthday he forgot over the last year. He handed out some gifts, including some TDR-shirts, and led a singing of 'Happy Birthday' to the raffle-winner, whom Josh appointed "Birthday Boy" for the evening.

Introducing Josh is Peter Maravellis of City Lights. As though they need to assign an award and these stores don't remain consistently awesome, Publishers Weekly names a 'Bookstore of the Year' annually and City Lights received the crown for 2009. City Lights is a Mecca for me, and so it's pretty amazing and gratifying to have them supporting our authors and our books. We definitely appreciate it.

Tur-Mayht Trailer

French Flaps + Deckled Edges

Dear Readers:

With the intention of enhancing your reading experience, we will be publishing each of our forthcoming titles (starting with Joshua Mohr's Termite Parade) with French Flaps and deckled edges.

They will also be a quarter-inch wider, for those of you who may be concerned with width.

We're pretty excited about this and hope you will be too.

Termite Parade - An Excerpt

Termite Parade Cover

Big thanks to the super-talented Aubrey Rhodes for designing the cover to Joshua Mohr's second novel, Termite Parade (due out June 2010). [Click on the image for a closer look at the detail.]

I encourage you to check out more of the artist's work at her website.