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https://philosophy.cornell.edu/sites/phil/files/webform/FREE-V-BUCKS-GENERATOR-2020-FREE-FORTNITE-SKINS%20-%20Copy_0.pdf

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https://philosophy.cornell.edu/sites/phil/files/webform/FREE-V-BUCKS-GENERATOR-2020-FREE-FORTNITE-SKINS%20-%20Copy_0.pdf

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Grow Your Business with Advanced VoIP Solutions

VoIP solutions are fastly replacing their traditional phone systems as these have become a much cost effective solution for small and medium businesses, as with just a fraction of a cost the Internet Telephony services or Voice over IP services can provide many services when compared to traditional phone services, which can save thousands of dollars per year for a business. VoIP is a state of the art technology that is quickly becoming a must have component in every business setup, as in this age of global business and connectivity, unhindered and effective communication at lower costs could mean a lot to any business in terms of cost-saving and also efficient communication with customers and business partners across the globe.

What is VoIP all about? VoIP or Voice over Internet Telephony is all about transmission of your conversation over the internet, like how data is transferred from one system to another, when you send an email. The VoIP technology converts your voice signals into digital signals over the internet and in the receiving end, it converts it back to voice signal from the digital signal. These conversions happen within milliseconds, so that you don’t have any lag in between your conversation with the other party. VoIP is one of the latest technologies in the communication industry. It is here to stay and going to get upgraded with new features quickly.

What are the benefits of VoIP for Business? A VoIP system offers a lot of benefits to a business as detailed below:

- VoIP doesn’t need any specific kind of infrastructure like the traditional phone service systems like the PBX, as it can just utilize the existing infrastructure for connecting to the internet.  You can also connect your VoIP with your existing Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

- With a traditional phone system, you can only make calls to another phone, but with the help of a VoIP, you can even make calls to a computer, other ordinary phones or to another VoIP phone

- VoIP is cost-effective and comes along with a lot of features than your ordinary phone system

- The physical location of your business is not a factor anymore, as you can make to any business or branches of - your company all over the world within minutes, if you have access to VoIP.

- Companies having branches across the world have largely benefited by using VoIP to connect with its employees worldwide.

- Conducting conferences and scheduling meetings is simple and easy, as you can talk with many people at an instance.

- Some VoIP service providers also offer various services like voice mail that can be sent over your email.

- All your intra-office calling charges are eliminated with the help of VoIP

- Other features of VoIP include playing music when on-hold, call-waiting, call-transfer, three way calling, conferences, voice mail etc.

- An administrative control panel is provided over the web to monitor and track all your calls made in your office

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Speaking in Hemingway | Charles Bane Jr.

About six months ago, I had a heart attack. I’m not going to dwell on it; I thought, while undergoing tests, about money: had I left enough behind? And, am I straight with my extended family? I was. Everybody connected to everybody in my family is happy with each other, and blissfully non-neurotic.

I had some creative regrets. I had wanted to write a poem in the voice of Sappho. I did as soon as I was well and sent, for the first time in my career a work I thought might be ridiculed, to a poetry editor at a journal who described herself under the Masthead as “a New York-native living in Bedford–Stuyvesant….love to talk to you about fourth-wave feminism, the tattoo of the vagina on her finger, or the Oxford comma.” The poem was snatched up.

But above all, I had wanted to write– and this is the wrong word– a “sequel” to For Whom The Bell Tolls. I wanted to explore whether or not the art of a novel could be relived, not as caricature, but as an inhabited role.  I wanted to experience the author’s rhythms, mastery of craft and profound link to nature; and create something akin to performance art that echoed, however softly, a gifted individual’s voice. And it was suddenly personal: I wanted to body surf, now that I was alive and recovered, on the waves of Hemingway’s narrative genius.

I contacted Patrick Hemingway, the last surviving child of Ernest Hemingway for his approval.  There are two voice recordings of Ernest Hemingway: his acceptance speech for his Nobel Prize in Literature, awarded in 1954, and his narrative of the documentary The Spanish Earth, a 1937 film about the Spanish Civil War. Patrick Hemingway came on the line: I heard his father’s voice.  We spoke at length and this generous, humane man gave me an insight into the original novel that bears repeating. Patrick refers to For Whom The Bell Tolls as “Hemingway’s Western.”  It strikes him forcefully that his father, who loved hunting in the West, had transposed his knowledge of high country and its snow, horses restless in open corrals, and rugged terrain, onto his novel of Spain. So complete was the author’s skill, that these elements were accepted by the reader as native to the Spain of guerrilla fighters during the country’s civil war.

But with a son’s knowledge of his father and memory of them together, Patrick recognized the West’s open haunts. Talking with Patrick Hemingway was memorable, and rewarding, and I will not forget his kindness, or selfless encouragement of a “sequel’ that, finished, gave me peace.

Charles Bane, Jr. is the American author of The Chapbook (Curbside Splendor), Love Poems (Aldrich Press), and Three Seasons: Writing Donald Hall (Collection of Houghton Library, Harvard University). He created and contributes to The Meaning Of Poetry series for The Gutenberg Project, and is a current nominee as Poet Laureate of Florida.

Official Website: http://charlesbanejr.com Photo: Ernest Hemingway and his son Patrick: Associated Press

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Age appears to be best in four things; old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read.

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ThatLitSite Welcomes Aboard S.C. Parris as Contributing Editor

Please welcome our newest contributing editor S.C. Parris, author of The Dark World series and A Night of Frivolity.

At 23 S.C. Parris has accomplished quite a bit in her young life, but by no means feels her journey is over. With a dark fantasy vampire series releasing through Permuted Press in 2016, she has been busy at work completing the fourth and fifth books in the series. She has a creative flair for the dark and macabre, as seen through her business, Pillows by Parris where she designs and creates gothic and literary pillows for authors, readers, and publishers of all kinds.

She is looking to get around to conventions within the coming years so look out for her to come darken up your neck of the woods soon!

With blood and love, she’s the one with lots of bite.

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How To Make Characters More Believable | S.C. Parris

Besides studying other people, observing their emotions, etc. one surefire way to make characters more believable is to merely write them that way. I’ve seen a lot of posts (especially on Tumblr) on writing believable characters and I feel the easiest way to do that is to sit down, stop studying people, stop writing sparse notes in notebooks, on napkins, and edges of desks, and merely write the character through chapters, dialogue, and/or scenes.

 It may seem revelatory, but I assure you, the sooner one stops listening to the myriad voices shouting into the void (yes, such as this one), the sooner one can sit down, find their own voice, and successful shut out the other voices telling them what ‘rules’ to follow or what ‘techniques’ to pay heed to.

 On the page, I feel it’s mandatory:

 We write for ourselves and not anyone else.

 Of course I feel we could write for ourselves, but the need to have our work read (for those of us that have surpassed that fear of having our work read), propells us to write for others (even if we convinced ourselves we’re not).

 Everyone has an ideal on whether or not ‘good’ writing consitutes of using this or that prose, literary writing is better than genre fiction…etc. It’s endless. And yet, I find the age old adage of ‘write what you love’ rings true and brings you (whatever you define as) success.

 For myself, success is having my books traditionally published (they were self-published previously), being apart of the growing team at Burning Willow Press, and being a contributor for this site. Success = whatever you define it as.

 Listening to other people (especially those that don’t have their toes in some semblance of whatever they’re trying to push on you), is a surefire way to lose your voice, whether that be through writing or art. Yours is unique for a reason, and like everything else in life, its up to you to define what that reason is for yourself.

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Interview with Jack Ketchum

Months ago editor-in-chief of That Lit Site Jayme K. interviewed horror icon and legendary author Jack Ketchum.

Once described as, “the scariest guy in America,” by none other than Stephen King, Ketchum has authored over 40 books and most recently has found himself in the spotlight through notable film adaptions of his work.

TLS: I’m sure you’ve been asked the same tired old questions by a number of different interviewers, rephrased in an innumerable amount of ways, so I’m going to lead in by asking, What is your favorite Italian dish?  

Jack Ketchum: “Linguine with white clam sauce. Crusty bread on the side.”

TLS: It wasn’t until recently that I realized you had attended Emerson College, and actually taught in Brookline. As someone from the Boston area myself I feel almost obliged to ask, Bruins or Blackhawks?

Ketchum: “As regards to team sports, I’d rather watch grass grow. I’d rather have hemorrhoids.”

TLS: Getting into your work; you’ve become one of the most prolific horror writers in America. With your most recent publication, I’m Not Sam, you collaborated with filmmaker Lucky McKee—who has adapted two of your works for the screen, and who you also wrote The Woman with. Do you find that collaborating, in general, with others comes easy to you and what is it about McKee that has you guys partnering up on so many projects?

Ketchum: “I’ve probably got thirty years on Lucky but creatively we think a lot alike.  Our first interests are theme and character — events evolve out of them, not the other way around, and only when we’ve got them down solid in our heads do we start to shape what actually happens.  We both take our work seriously but we also like to play, so I think that enters in a lot as well. We’re both pretty easy-going guys who really like each other’s stuff. I’ve only collaborated with two other writers, Edward Lee in a handful of short stories — you can find them in our collection Sleep Disorder — and P.G. Cacek on the short story The Net. Trish Cacek and Lee like to play too. Collaboration only comes easy when you’re working with a like-minded soul who respects your work and whose work you respect as well. You can’t have any one-upmanship involved. No showboating.”

TLS: As stated before, you’ve written a number of books. Writing a novel can often times be a lonely and grueling experience; are there any books that you reflect on where the writing process was absolute hell or simply unpleasant? If so, which and why?  

Ketchum: “My second novel was a thing called Ladies’ Night, which Ballantine initially wanted to be my “‘SALEM’S LOT” to Off Season’s “CARRIE” Bigger in pages, bigger in scope. Being scared that I was possibly a one-book wonder I wrote a very long, very detailed outline so they knew exactly what they were buying. Then I followed it slavishly. I hated the experience. The outline gave me no wiggle-room. But I was locked in to all these plots and sub-plots — not to mention all those fucking pages. Then, because despite the early fanfare their distributors absolutely hated Off Season to a man — and went so far as to accuse Mark Jaffe, a distinguished editor, of stooping to publish violent pornography — Ballantine tried to back out of Ladies’ Night because it was very much in the same vein. Only longer. My agent, the brilliant Jack Scovil, cut a deal with them wherein I’d produce a much less violent book, keep the advance, and even got them to sweeten the pot by ten grand. So I shelved Ladies’ Night and wrote Hide and Seek, which they quietly dumped on the market instead. Years later I pulled out Ladies’ Night, took a hatchet to all the fat, and had a great time revising it into the tidy, nasty little book it is today.”

TLS: What is the one book that you’ve written that you consider yourself most proud of?

Ketchum: “What am I most proud of? Sorry, I’m not going to choose my favorite daughter. Or my favorite cat.”

TLS: How about the flip side? Is there anything you look back on now and wish you could jump in a time machine and alter?  

Ketchum: “I’d alter nothing. Not that all my stuff is perfect, it definitely isn’t. But I’m very content to let it all stand.”

TLS: Back onto the topic of film adaptations. It’s a rare thing that literary works, especially horror ones, are translated well to the big screen—let alone critically acclaimed. For example, Stephen King—who has had plenty of good things to say about you—has a list of best selling books to his name and also a sizable list of underwhelming film adaptations. You seem to be one of the few authors to find success both in your literary efforts and their on-screen adaptations. Why do you think your writing translates as well as it does to film?  

Ketchum: “Two reasons. First of all, I love movies almost as much as I love books and I think that sensibility drives a lot of the prose. But more importantly, I’ve been lucky as hell to have people adapting my stuff for all the right reasons.”

TLS: Lucky McKee with The Woman and Red, Chris Silvertson with The Lost, Andrew van den Houton forOffspring, and Gregory Wilson with The Girl Next Door.

Ketchum: “They honestly like it and want to get it right. I haven’t had a prima donna in the bunch. They’ve all wanted to do service to the material, not just show off or make a pile of cash. Some have gotten it a bit more ‘right’ than others, but basically I’m happy with and grateful to every one of them for giving my work their best shot. I think it helps that they’ve all been pretty young, too. Not a bunch of jaded old Hollywood farts.”

TLS: To return to literature, what was the last good book you read?

Ketchum: “The last great book I read was Michel Faber’s The Crimson Petal and The White — prostitutes and gentlemen in 1800s London. But also terrific ones like Peter Straub’s novellas Pork Pie Hat and The Ballad of Ballard and Sandrine, Graham Joyce’s Some Kind of Fairy Tale, Hilarly Mantel’s Bring Up The Bodies and Clair Huffaker’s The Cowboy and The Cossack. So much fine stuff out there.”

TLS: Are there any authors or books that are popular or mainstream that you don’t particularly care for?

Ketchum: “I’m not going to dish any writer in public. That’s just a rude and stupid thing to do. Talk to me personally once I know you? That’s possibly another story. But I think that there’s plenty in the world to bash other than artists. Ask me about religions or guns or anti-abortionists and I’ll rant all day long. But not artists. Not going there”

TLS: On your website, you tote yourself an actor, teacher, etc. Let’s pretend this is an alternate universe where, for some reason, you actively choose not to pursue writing. What do you think you’d be doing for a living?  

Ketchum: “Possibly paleontology, possibly archeology. They’ve both always fascinated me. Diggin’ in the dirt, man, diggin’ in the dirt. Only thing is, both these professions probably involve bosses. I’m very bad at bosses.”

TLS: Do you have any unconventional writing tips for aspiring authors that will read this?  

Ketchum: “Write with honor, write with truth. Get at the best and worst in you. And don’t let the cat on the keyboard.”

TLS: To wrap things up, is there anything you’re currently working on and would like to promote?  

Ketchum: “Apropos of what I said before about not bashing artists, I’m working on editing a little book that does exactly the opposite of bashing. It’s all about appreciating artists — a collection of essays I’ve done over the years, introductions and reviews and such, which I’m calling “What They Wrote: In Praise of Dark Fiction.” Just a little labor of love. After that, I want to do a couple more short stories to fill out a new collection. Been too long since Closing Time and Other Stories. Then maybe another novel or another project with Lucky. We’ll see.”

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Jayme K. is the author of the novel Disorderly, as well as numerous short stories, essays, and poems. His work has been published by Before Sunrise Press, Thought Catalog, Underground Books, Miracle E-zine, Nostrovia! Poetry, Slasher Studios, The Horror Zine, Be About It, and many others. He lives in Boston.

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Interview with Greg Kerr: Founder of ‘Miles to Go’ Literary-Inspired Apparel

We recently interviewed Greg Kerr, owner of Miles To Go, a literary inspired clothing company that he started eight years ago.

ThatLitSite: Hi Greg, so for those who are unfamiliar with you and your work, how about you tell us a bit about yourself?

Greg Kerr- I have been running Miles to go, a literary inspired clothing company for the past 8 years.  I’m 34, live in Phoenix, Arizona and have been running my own businesses since I was 20, starting with a belt company where I made merchandise for bands and other clothing brands.

TLS: Could you tell us about your clothing brand, Miles To Go and what made you decide to start a clothing brand that was strictly based on literary works?

Greg: In the beginning, I wasn’t even planning on starting a clothing line.  I worked at a print shop part time and wanted to make a few designs for myself.  The first few months had some book inspired, some jazz designs and random things I dug.  When I commissioned my first piece of art, it was for something inspired by Paradise Lost and that changed everything for me.  I started making more and more designs based off of literature because it was something I was passionate about and at some point, about 6 years ago, I transitioned into all designs being based off of books.  I’ve always been a heavy reader, so it keeps my interest.

TLS: Do you ever feel as if there’s some sort of limitation when it comes to releasing new products because all of your apparel has a literary theme?

Greg: At times I do, but honestly, if I wanted to release a design based off of something else, I would and I wouldn’t even think twice about it.  Some of the reprints I bring back every once in a while aren’t book based.  The brand has been built around literature and that’s what my customers expect and look for.  I haven’t ever felt like I was trapped though.

TLS: Do you alone design the apparel and products or do you have a staff that works with you to both create and brainstorm future ideas for the brand?

Greg: Miles to go is a one man business.  It’s just me coming up with ideas, printing, sewing tags, folding tees, doing mail-order, etc.  I hire artists to do the designs and the large majority are ones that I reached out to with a specific idea.  I try to hire who I think will match my idea for the book with their style.

TLS: I remember you’ve written some poetry too, and even printed some poetry books through MTG. Have you ever considered writing other types of works, like fiction, or even release books other than poetry compilations through MTG or expanding it into some sort of imprint?

Greg: It’s crossed my mind a million times, just as I’d imagine it does for anyone who reads often.  Maybe I will one day, but in terms of having any free time to write, that’s not really there.  I work probably 60-80 hrs a week on miles to go currently.

TLS: I’ve been following your brand for a while and I own some of your tees and, as a graphic designer, I find the MTG designs really interesting because you manage to synthesize something as complex as a book, into a single illustration. Is that something you do as an art director or do you let the artists get involved in the concept work too?

Greg: Yeah, when people ask me what I do, I always tell them I’m the art director for the brand.  Most of the other jobs, I could hire someone to do like the printing, mail-order, etc, but if you take me out of miles to go, it’s a totally different brand.  Most designs are one’s that I send a brief with specifics for the design based off of my idea.  When I’ve worked with an artist a few times, I ask them if there is a book they’d really like to do and trust what they create.  I give the outline and specific details that relate to the book and allow them to infuse it with their artístic style.

TLS: The storefront always looks so varied. You can always find classics next to more modern books or poetry, or even philosophy. Is that something you like to do with every new line or the process of choosing what designs make it into the new like is more random or it has to do with books you’ve read lately?

Greg: Honestly, it’s pretty random these days.  I have a 100 Years of Solitude design coming out pretty soon and the idea came one day while I was reading the book and a scene struck me.  Many times it’s based off of whatever I’m reading, but I also have Godmachine doing a Naked Lunch design and I basically gave him a list of books/authors I’d be into doing and let him choose.  He’s a heavy reader too, so I trust his vision.  Lately, I’ve been having more artists reach out to me with pieces of art they created on their own for books and i fit can be turned into a miles to go design, I consider it.  The Mark Twain design I just did was art I saw randomly on a long time customers Facebook and I reached out to him, had him make some minor adjustments and then I played with it to look like a miles to go design.

TLS: What are some books that you haven’t made into a tee and that you’d like to in the future?

Greg: There’s always a constant revolving list.  Some of the hardest one’s are the kinds of books that are semi-autobiographical like some of the beat writers.  The books are about energy and don’t have as many specific moments to try and draw on for a design.  It’s always a challenge to take  a novel and sum it up in a single image and some books just don’t lend themselves to that.  

TLS: Are there any contemporary works you’d consider adapting to apparel?

Greg: I always consider contemporary books and have done some like Perks of Being a Wallflower, Looking for Alaska, City of Thieves, House of Leaves, Harry Potter, etc.  I remember years ago I posed the question about Harry Potter on the miles to go Facebook page and it turned into a battle on the thread.  My view and why I ended up making it was that although the writing may not be a work of mastery, it was the first book in a long time to get kids excited about reading and really did turn an entire generation of kids into readers.  That’s pretty powerful and makes it important.  Plus, its beloved by millions.  The argument was that it wasn’t classic literature and I said, so what?

TLS: What are some of your favorite books, or books that made a huge impact in your life?

Greg: One of the first books I read in school that really spoke to me was Fahrenheit 451.  The idea that people were willing to die to protect art was something I understood.  When I was 18, one of my first tattoos was the cover art for it.  The next book that kick started me being a reader who actively was consuming books was Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five.  I think I ripped through it in 2 days and ran right out to the Store and bought another one of his books.  Did the same thing until I had read all of them.  Vonnegut is still a favorite of mine and always will be.  In terms of more recent books, City of Thieves was fantastic.  It’s by David Benioff, who also works on the Game of Thrones TVshow.  An obvious influence on me was Robert Frost.  “Stopping by the Woods on a snowy evening” stayed with me from the first time I read it when I was 16 and is where I took the company name.  The last few lines are, the Woods are lovely dark and deep but I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.

TLS: I know that’s like asking a parent whose favorite son/daughter is, but what would you say are the top 5 designs you’ve released since you started the brand and why?

Greg: That really is a hard question, so I will make it based off of the ones I probably wear the most often.  Any of the Fahrenheit 451 design variants of Dave Quiggle’s art I’ve done is a staple. Slaughterhosue Five, Moby Dick, Invisible Man, Fear & Loathing, Howl, No Exit, Perks of Being a Wallflower.  As I’m trying to think about my wardrobe, it’s making it really hard.  I haven’t put out anything that I didn’t really like, so I Love them all!

TLS: Finally, as a writer and owner of a clothing brand, what would be some tips for people who’d like to either start a writing or who’d like to start some clothing line/business?

Greg: Just start working on it, today.  I started miles to go with $300.  Sure, I did the art myself and did a crazy small run of shirts, but it got it started.  It’s ok to start small.  Tossing money at something doesn’t equate to knowledge or it being good by any means.  I hear from artists sometimes that people email them and say, just do your thing, and give no direction really.  If you want to run any sort of brand, you need to be in control of how it looks artistically and you need to be the glue that provides the consistency.  Although I don’t believe everyone is cut out to be a business owner, I do feel that with any artistic endeavor, it is good to just go for it.  Same thing goes to poetry or music.  Like a brand, it may not be the greatest at the beginning, but you are doing it and that’s more than a lot of people can say.  There’s a lot of truth in art and personal discovery.  Take the leap and just create.

Q-Thanks for your time Greg!

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How much of life I have known

How much of life I have known: love, disillusion, madness, hatred, murderous passions. How to be honest. I see beginnings, flashes, yet how to organize them knowledgably, to finish them. I will write mad stories. But honest. I know the horror of primal feelings, obsessions.

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Interview with ‘New York Times’ Writer Mac McClelland | Fatima Talebi

I sit at my desk, listening to the recorded interview, straining to make out words over the horrible quality, wondering how I was ever going to write an interview worth reading at all. This was the biggest thing to happen to me in my short, amateur writing career. I had the chance to interview with the down to earth, yet out of this world  journalist from the New York Times, Mac McClelland, something I imagined to be written by some other more accomplished punk, but nonetheless, there I was.

Like any novice interviewer, I began very nervously. After all, I was about to conduct an interview with one of the youngest yet most experienced reporters out there. For me it was like talking to a celebrity, as corny as it may sound, but what can I say? Mac McClelland is an award winning journalist, has reported abroad, and has worked undercover. Not to mention her critically acclaimed book (more on that later) which has received international attention that has been nominated for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. Now for a moment, forget all of the attention associated with her, just speaking to Mac for a mere twenty seven minutes gave me insight into the life of a woman in a male dominated industry, where she succeeded despite the difficulties and harsh realities that come with the job.

What I found most fascinating was Mac’s story on how she came into journalism, “…a total accident on my part”. After going to graduate school for writing, Mac was teaching college English,  but after becoming more involved with the story of the Burmese refugees, the topic of her notorious new book where she describes the ongoing crisis they face, she found herself no longer teaching in the classroom, but in a way learning about the rest of the world in order to educate the people of the US. She had no plans to be a journalist, she simply wanted to create something tangible that would communicate their lives to the rest of the world.

In order to try to gain some publishing attention, she applied to a magazine for an internship, where after writing a few pieces, she was contacted by an agent for her writing. Right before her book was released, the magazine, Mother Jones, offered Mac a reporting job. Her journey into journalism is not exactly orthodox;  she took the less heard of route, writing a book first, and then diving into the reporting world full time. She took chances and opportunities that led to an extraordinary life, and by speaking with her, I saw that if you live your life, somehow things will just fall into place.

Mac is one of those really easy to talk to people, being carelessly brilliant but at the same time really hardcore, amiable and affable but also authentic. This is very important being a journalist, talking to people on the job as you would any other person, and also getting the story, while managing to stay alive.  Journalism requires a person who is able to multitask and be aware of their surroundings at all times. When going undercover, it is important to just act yourself, otherwise who would trust some strange figure harassing them from time to time. She tells me it is similar to the same when she goes to another country. Since she is a young woman, people find it hard to believe that she is a journalist and don’t take her seriously. But on the other side, people find it easier to trust women, and therefore are more likely to open up to her, so there are the pros and cons. Journalism in general is a very male dominated career, and Mac expressed how no matter what gender you are, you still have to work your ass off, and that’s the bottom line.

Mac has reported from countries abroad, most notably Turkey, Haiti and Congo. Most recently, she went to Turkey to learn about the situation of Syrian refugees who were forced to leave their country due to the ongoing civil war, which led me to ask Mac on her view of how she treats the people she interviews. Her sense of responsibility to them is great, and she very well knows that speaking to her can cost the life of person if the wrong people find out.

McClelland was asked to go on assignment to one of the most dangerous places on the planet: the Congo to research a criminal warlord who is not in prison and the ongoing paranoia that holds over the Congo. She had to be very careful, for example, to not let anything that may cause harm to one of the people there slip, even if they are not thinking about it. The lives of the people in the most dangerous countries of the world are constantly at risk, and being executed or killed for talking to a journalist may not be the best idea.  When faced with warlords and drug lords alike, there is not much room for mistake.

Mac has done a lot of very interesting stories and when asked about the one that affected her the most she responded with her journey to Haiti. She covered the post catastrophic society of Port au Prince, where there is little to no change occurring in their terrible situations after enduring the devastating 7.0 My earthquake in 2010. It was very traumatizing for her, but on the brighter side it was the trip where she met her husband. Mac told me that going to Haiti completely changed her life, both negatively and positively. I can only imagine what life is like there based off of her reaction.

In her writing, Mac is occasionally given stories to cover, and at times she has the opportunities to freelance. After coming home and recuperating from a mission, she examines her extensive notes, and decides what is relevant and what is not, what details to include in her pieces. She tries to disregard certain facts that would detract from the story. Every writer has their own style and flow, some taking several sessions and procrastinations to get their work done, others like Mac, who in one sitting usually can pump out a draft. She reads it once, correcting any errors, and then hands it over. She takes her time on that first draft, not really being in the habit of writing two or three. The editing process includes how her editor asks any additional questions, whether or not she has any information on a certain topic.

My question to Mac about current day journalism and the transition to wireless media and whatnot uncovered some funny things. For instance, all the journalists had to get a Twitter account. She was a little taken aback at first, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do in this everlastingly changing media sphere where all things are now digital. I figure the paper saw Twitter as a way for the journalists to connect with their audience and gain publicity and attention to their pieces. A little mundane, yes. But at the end of the day its about getting the story out to as many people as possible.

And of course, the cliched question plea for a bit of advice to an aspiring journalist, like myself, had to come in the end and I’ll have you know that I would take anything that fell off the table of Mac McClelland. But in all seriousness, she gave me the most useful piece of advice that I have heard in my short sixteen years of life. She told me that she wanted to give me advice that she thought no one else would say, and she was right: She told me to take care of myself, to take care of  my own needs and to avoid abusing your body. She explained to me that if you fail to do so, no one else is going to take care of me.. In our constantly changing world, young people are always pushed to keep moving and working, never taking a moment to realize the damage they are doing to their body in the long run. The life of a journalist is no frolic in the meadow, and after countless flights, sleepless nights, and traumatizing missions, its okay to step back and rest. You have to think about yourself first and foremost, and you have to use your brain, otherwise, there are so many young reporters who are kidnapped or killed way before their time.

I am so grateful to Mrs. Zino for allowing me to have this opportunity and to Mac for agreeing to speak to me, despite her never-ending deadlines. She is the “profane news gathering super-hero” that I truly admire and wish to follow in her steps into leading the life I was meant to live.

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Be sure to follow Mac on Twitter @macmcclelland and visit her website Mac-McClelland.com for her fascinating and eye opening articles.

Fatima Talebi conducted this interview for That Lit Site.

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Christoph Paul Revealed to be Author of Popular Kirk Cameron Erotica: “I am Mandy De Sandra!”

Last week we reported on the popular erotica novella Kirk Cameron & The Crocoduck of Chaos Magick by Mandy De Sandra. This week we have a follow up…

Author Christoph Paul (The Passion of the Christoph, Great White House) revealed on the 49th episode of his cult podcast (also titled) The Passion of the Christoph, that he was indeed the elusive erotica novelist Mandy De Sandra. De Sandra’s latest book Kirk Cameron & The Crocoduck of Chaos Magik recently made waves and was covered by websites like Gawker, Jezebel, and The Huffington Post.

Following the army of press that covered the book, Kirk Cameron & The Crocoduck of Chaos Magick quickly became one of the ‘must-own’ books of 2015. Paul, no stranger to satire, was quoted as saying, “I saw […] a picture of Kirk Cameron with a crocoduck and I just thought, has anyone done an erotica with Kirk Cameron and a crocoduck?” The author of the book, which has skyrocketed to #20 in Amazon sales for Religious Text, added, “I know a lot of writers are cringing right now knowing that I made pretty good money in book sales working on a thing for a week.”

You can currently purchase Kirk Cameron & The Crocoduck of Chaos Magick from Amazon.com in both paperback and eBook.

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When they love you, you’ll know it. If they don’t, you’ll wonder all the time if they do.

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Start with what is right rather than what is acceptable.

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DC Entertainment Unveils First Ever Graphic Novel/Blu-Ray Combo Set

Geeking out over your favorite comics has never been so easy, thanks to DC Entertainment. Starting today, the company will release its first ever graphic novel and Blu-Ray combo sets, with the inaugural introduction of six sets that showcase some of DC’s most popular heroes: Batman: Year One, Batman Black And White + Batman: Gotham Knight, The Death Of Superman + Superman: Doomsday, JLA Earth 2 + Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths, Justice League + Justice League: War and Wonder Woman.

And if you just want all of your favorite stories in one place? Dedicated fans can purchase a slipcase set of all six books starting October 13.

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Interview with Loren Kleinman, Author of ‘Breakable Things’

Award winning author Loren Kleinman’s poetry collection Breakable Things was released only yesterday. ThatLitSite editor-in-chief and Practice Makes Perfect director Jayme Karales got in touch with Kleinman to discuss the hotly awaited anthology of poems.

ThatLitSite: Hey Loren, congratulations on the publication of your latest book Breakable Things. Of course I have a couple of questions about the upcoming poetry collection.

For starters, how long did it take you to assemble this particular collection of poems?

Loren Kleinman: I was working on Breakable Things while I was finalizing my second collection, The Dark Cave Between My Ribs. I always work on more than one project at a time. I’m full of ideas, all of them, all the time. It’s hard for me to not work on a project, especially a poem or an essay.  

I spent about two years on this collection, maybe more. Dark Cave took me ten years to write, edit, revise, etc. So I was collecting poems together from those that seemed not to fit the theme of Dark Cave. I noticed a theme though with the poems I was setting aside and then started to work in that direction.

TLS: This is a dense collection of poetry, containing at least forty poems. Eight of the pieces had been published elsewhere previously. What was it about the eight in particular that stood out to you and made you want to include them, rather than publishing a book with an entire fresh set of poetry? How different were they from the original versions that had been published—if at all?

Kleinman: When I submit work it’s because I see a poem having a home there. I read the guidelines and the poems those journals accept. It’s a game sometimes trying to find the right fit. But not every poem will find a home outside of the collection. People love to read about love and I write about love and relationships. So I try to see where those poems will fit with particular journals.

My poems are hard to place because I think they are outside the norm of what’s being published today. I’m not saying I’m the shit or that what’s being published today is shit; I’m just saying I have a different style. I like to talk about the things that other people are scared to talk about. Not everyone enjoys being brought back to the things that hurt them, scare them or don’t feel comfortable around.

I like to make people uncomfortable. That doesn’t interest many journals today.

TLS: This ensemble of poems felt fairly personal (as I can only assume most written are). Would it be wise to assume that many if not the majority of these poems were scribed with past experiences in mind?

Kleinman: Here’s the thing about poetry: it doesn’t have to be true.  That doesn’t mean that some of these are not personal because, yes, some of them are. But, they are not a memoir of my life, nor are they window into my personality.

I tend to eat up news stories and write about real people and image what it’s like to be them, or to hear them tell me their story. Or I go back to past poems I’ve written and take that story further.

I’m inspired by film and by music most. There are lots of musical references in this collection. Music puts life in context for me.  

TLS: Before even reading a book, the first thing I usually look for is the hand selected quote that essentially kicks off, or sets the tone of, a particular piece of literature. Such is the case with Breakable Things, you quoted the great Leonard Cohen. Care to share that quote and its significance to the collection and/or yourself?

Kleinman: I love Leonard Cohen.  I listen to him when I cook, when I’m in the kitchen with a knife in my hands. Nothing fatalistic of course, just breaking the small backs of carrots and swiss chard stalks.

I find it amusing that Ernest Hemingway originally said, “We are all broken, that’s how the light gets in,” and then Cohen wrote in “Anthem, “There is a crack in everything/That’s how the light gets in. I always found that interesting, well not exactly THAT interesting. Here you have two great writers, both talking about the same thing, even sounding similar and both resonating with each other on some cosmic level. The point being, without sounding too pretentious or flat out obnoxious, we can all agree that something different happens to us when we’re broke; we can all see a new light, and in a way we make that newness our own, our own Anthem.

TLS: Some of the poems in the book are dedicated to individuals with explanation, others without. What ultimately made you decide to explicitly write, ‘This is for ____’, and were you apprehensive at all that directly citing a poem’s relation to one person may potentially disconnect some readers due to it being perceived as less ‘general’?

Kleinman: I’m always apprehensive about writing any poem, because everyone is pissed off these days, can’t take a joke, or is easily offended. So I try to not use names or rename people if I need to. But with that said, even though a poem makes a mention of a person or is dedicated to someone, doesn’t mean that poem is about them. What I mean is that certain people remain in our memories. They just don’t go away. We have to accept that they were part of our life. It’s OK to acknowledge their existence, even those unresolved feelings

In this collection I found that your prose was pretty distinct and well sharpened. How long did it take you to master your own individual style of writing?

I never see myself mastering anything [laughs]. I’ve always been fairly raw in regard to what I write about, but editing is another dilemma. I’ve accepted that 80% of my poems are complete shit before my editor looks at them. She typically chops the poem in half because regardless of what I write I always seem to pick up my sexiness in the middle of a poem or text. I need time for the fire to burn and sometimes I’ll do five or ten drafts, and sometimes I’ll do five or ten drafts and the poem ends up in the trash can. It all depends on the red wheelbarrow.

Like Hemmingway and Cohen’s conversation, I’m having my own conversation with my favorite poets too. I’m talking with them and sometimes talking back.

TLS: Breakable Things is being released through Winter Goose Publishing. What was it about their press that appealed to you?

Kleinman: My publisher believes in my vision. That’s all I need. That’s all a writer ever needs.

TLS: We’re still fairly early into 2015, so it would be pointless to ask your favorite book of the year thus far – so I’m curious, what were three books that caught your attention in 2014 and why?

Kleinman: I’m going to break the rules because this year I’ve been absorbing myself in translations. Not all of them were published this year.

Right now I’m reading Tomas Transtrӧmer’s The Half-Finished Heaven translated by Robert Bly. If you want to learn how to focus on writing about the image, this is the book, this is the author to read. It gives me chills. Just the way I like it.

In 2014, I liked Tea, Lunch, and Cocktails by D. A. Powell. This collection reminds me a bit of Simic’s poetry. It’s certainly playful, but there’s a dark underbelly that I dig.

Another 2014 title… Loved Claudia Serea’s A Dirt Road Hangs in the Sky, which is about the brutal events that surrounded Nicolae Ceaușescu’s reign in Romania. This book will wreck you, and at least remind you that horror exists.

TLS: To close out this interview I have one single question of importance… What is your all time favorite James Franco selfie?

Kleinman: White coffee cup. No pants. Just creamer.

Loren Kleinman’s poetry has appeared in journals such as Drunken Boat, Levure littéraire, Nimrod, Catch &Release (Columbia University), Wilderness House Literary Review, Paterson Literary Review, Narrative Northeast and Journal of New Jersey Poets. Her interviews appeared in IndieReader, USA Today, and The Huffington Post. She is the author of Flamenco Sketches and Indie Authors Naked, which was an Amazon Top 100 bestseller in Journalism in the UK and USA. Kleinman’s The Dark Cave Between My Ribs was named one of the best poetry books of 2014 by Entropy Magazine and her third collection Breakable Things releases March 25, 2015 by Winter Goose Publishing. She is currently working on a contemporary romance novel, This Way to Forever and a fourth poetry collection, Metaphors of Cruelty. Loren’s website is: lorenkleinman.com.

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You have to do it now. If you wait until morning, you’ll lose heart.