I recently met up with John (we both live in Iowa City) to talk about Grift and crime fiction in general. I took some god awful notes about our meeting, as I'm apparently incapable of writing more legibly than a third grader.
Anyways, John said he's particularly searching for well-developed non-fiction. He wants more in-depth material so that Grift has a longer shelf life than that quart of milk in the fridge. So, instead of a two-paragraph bit about so-and-so's new book, he's looking for, say, a comprehensive piece on how so-and-so's writing has developed over his/her career.
In other words, more like the New York Times Review of Books and less like Death by Killing!
For fiction, he's looking for longer material that's not excessively violent, but also not too cozy. (The title, Grift, perhaps gives you something to aim for.) There will also be flash fiction up at the web site.
John said he's looking to create a magazine that's a bit different than what's already out there -- a print/online venture with a focus on non-fiction and short stories. He seems to have a solid vision, and I suspect Grift will be around for a long time to come.
I really like the idea of Grift and the challenge of writing a more considered piece is really something worth trying to rise to. You mention Heath Lowrance a couple of posts ago - he did some tremendous things at Psycho-noir; reckon he could be someone ready to have a pop. Me, I have the memory of a goldfish - worse, in fact, as I tend to misremember things and create entire untruths.
ReplyDeleteGood luck boys.
Nigel -- I definitely hear that misremembering things and creating untruths. Sometimes I describe the plot of a movie I just saw to someone else, then look it up and find out everything I said was wrong. It's almost like I'm making up another movie in mind during the actual movie. (Not unlike Homer Simpson...)
ReplyDeleteYeah, space cadets unite.
I am feverishly working on a suitable piece.
ReplyDelete