Gestalt? I hardly even know Walt.

Posted by Jeff on Feb 5th, 2022 in News | 0 comments

Got another big Zoom feature later this month.
More on that below… but first:

WHAT DID PAUL SHOREDITCH DO?

My debut novel, Hate Story, is coming soon from Dragonfly Publishing.
As I mentioned in the last post, the official Zoom launch party is set for the afternoon (EST) of Saturday, March 19.

Remember a few years ago, when people were saying that Avengers: Infinity War was going to be the biggest crossover event in history?
Not anymore. We’ve got a bigger one here. How’s this for a lineup of guest performers?

SPOKEN WORD BY:

HEATHER BABCOCK (Toronto, Canada)
SKYLAR J. WYNTER (Perth, Australia)
SPECIAL K (Richmond, U.S.A.)
CATHY CARSON (Northern Ireland)
TIMOTHY CARTER (Toronto, Canada)
CLIVE OSEMAN (Swindon, England)
KELLY VAN NELSON (Sydney, Australia)

MUSIC BY:

JAMIE MCCORMICK (Scotland)
KRAKEN NOT STIRRED (Toronto, Canada)

That’s right. An international smorgasbord of art. (And Heather is going to be the official launcher too.)

If you can’t wait for the official launch: I’m currently on a “Blog Tour” to promote the book.
Here are the three stops I’ve already made:

“Jeff Cottrill on the inspiration for Hate Story” (Life with More Cowbell)

“Who’s That Girl? Meet Jackie Roberts” (LisaWolstenholme.com)

“Frank Capra: A Master of Comedy and Social Awareness” (Meet Me at the Soda Fountain)

*****

And now: I’m featuring at Gestalt Poetry (based in Nashville) in a few weeks.
Hosted by Amy Hoskins. It’s an open mic, so bring your own stuff too. More specific info on the right sidebar.

And since John Williams is celebrating his ninetieth birthday on Tuesday, here’s one of his many masterpieces.

Be nice and stuff, Mac. Bye.

Mark March 19 on your calendar. Now.

Posted by Jeff on Jan 17th, 2022 in News | 0 comments

Here’s why:

The official Zoom launch party.
Hosted by Lisa Wolstenholme of Dragonfly Publishing, with special guest readings/performances by Heather Babcock, Skylar J. Wynter, Timothy Carter, Kraken Not Stirred… and more TBA!

In the meantime, here’s another reminder that I’m going to be one of six readers in the next Paper Teller Diorama anthology reading on January 22.
My experimental poem “How to Make Money in Poetry” appeared in this book, put out last August by Great Weather for Media in New York City. The press has been holding monthly Zoom events, including this one, featuring readings from contributors. I’ll be joined by fellow poets SaraEve Fermin, Erica Hoffmeister, Myles Taylor, Andres Vaamonde and Carl Watson.

You can join the Zoom for this event… or you can watch it on Facebook Live. Either works.
And you can buy Paper Teller Diorama at this link.

And now, just because I feel like it:

Happy snow month.

I’m gonna be a real novelist! (finally)

Posted by Jeff on Jan 9th, 2022 in News | 0 comments

Happy new year and stuff.

The big news:
My novel Hate Story has been accepted by Dragonfly Publishing (a small press in Perth, Australia).
If things go as planned, my book should be available in paperback and e-book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones and other international online booksellers by the end of February.

Finally, the realization of a childhood dream. I’ve wanted to be a published novelist since I was about eight years old – it’s been a journey of forty years.
In a fair and just world, of course, I’d have accomplished this much sooner – say, fifteen or twenty years ago. I’m not supposed to be starting my novelist career now; I’m supposed to be a veteran with an impressive backlog of credibility behind me. But never mind about that now.

Mark March 19 on your calendar. Fun times will be had. More info to come.

In the meantime – I’m going to be one of six readers in the next Paper Teller Diorama anthology reading on January 22.
My experimental poem “How to Make Money in Poetry” appeared in this book, put out last August by Great Weather for Media in New York City. The press has been holding monthly Zoom events, including this one, featuring readings from contributors. I’ll be joined by fellow poets SaraEve Fermin, Erica Hoffmeister, Myles Taylor, Andres Vaamonde and Carl Watson.

You can join the Zoom for this event… or you can watch it on Facebook Live. Either works.
And you can buy Paper Teller Diorama at this link.

Since everybody’s sad about the (premature by three weeks) death of Betty White, here’s a great video of her in three live TV commercials from 1959 – preserved beautifully on colour videotape. I swear this looks as if it could have been taped in the ’90s, or even now:

Farewell, hello, farewell, hello.

Fire, dust, features, and a time for arriving

Posted by Jeff on Dec 4th, 2021 in News | 0 comments

Happy holidays and stuff.

With December comes not only Xmas and Hanukkah and the rest, but also three (3) (III) upcoming Zoom poetry gigs. When features come, they come not single spies, but in battalions.

1) Fire and Dust Digital (this Thursday)
Run by U.K. literary publication Here Comes Everyone, this is a monthly Zoom reading based in Coventry, England. There’s an open mic too, with the order determined by a random draw. To attend, register via the Eventbrite page.

2) The Word Is Write: Feature of the Features (December 18)
Marissa Prada’s Saturday night series is putting on a special holiday show that features… many of the features from the past year, including me.

3) Time to Arrive Open Mic (December 21)
Dane Ince runs a weekly Zoom series on Tuesday nights, with feature and open mic.

But that’s not all, folks.

I’m sure you know (assuming optimistically, of course, that anybody reads this website) that I’ve got a novel. Hate Story.
I was expecting to have the thing available on Amazon by now… and something’s come up. Might be a good thing, I don’t know. It might be a mirage in the desert. I have to be vague because I don’t want to jinx anything. Just rest assured that the book will be available sometime, somewhere.

For now, let’s look forward to the holidays. And let’s not exclude the Wookies.

See you in 2022.

First, we take Massachusetts, then we take Scotland. THEN Manhattan.

Posted by Jeff on Sep 26th, 2021 in News | 0 comments

Last month, I mentioned that I had a crazy whackload of online events coming up in October.
That has not changed. And I’ve started going to Zoom events again, but with hair grown on my head and face to cover the silly shingles blisters.

So the next Month of Jeff is going to go something like this:

1) First Friday Open Mic
I’m kicking off the month with a thirty-minute feature set at this series based in Swampscott, Massachusetts.

2) Like a Blot from the Blue
Only two days later, I get to be the headliner in this popular series based in Scotland, which attracts a lot of familiar faces in the international Zoom community.

3) Ad Lib’s Got Talent
Another one of these – a special Halloween edition.

4) Brownstone Poets
One of three featured readers at this long-running series in Brooklyn. This one requires pre-registration with a US$5 cover paid online.
(Fun fact – I’ve attended this series in real life… way back in 2011, I believe. I doubt they remember me.)

All of these events are also open mics, so bring something to share of your own. If you ain’t coming for me, come for your own exposure.

More, slightly bigger news coming later.
And now… ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Conway Twitty!

Happy Thanksoween.