Failure Loves Company

In the last year or so, I’ve met the most talented, amazing writers.  The problem: you don’t know them and I think I have a way of changing that with what I call The Monsters of Literature project.

What is The Monsters of Literature?  Think of the rock festivals back in the 80s and 90s where you had a combination of epic talent, parings you will never see again in this lifetime (such as Bon Jovi & Metallica).  People paid (and still pay) money to see these acts because of how awesome they are.  Imagine that…with literature.

You’re probably thinking why would they pay to see us?  It’s one thing for someone to read your work in a magazine online or in-print.  The live experience is completely different.  You get to interact with the audience.  Your work sounds the way you want it to sound to a live audience.  You get to interact with people and rock faces off with your talking.  People will pay to see you (with the right promotion) and they will want a) you to succeed and b) to have a good time.

This project is starting small.  I have five writers in mind that I want to pair off and do a live show with where we use our collective literary might to change/ruin lives.  Here they are:

Matt DeBenedictis (we’re working on a show in May as we speak in his neck of the woods in Decatur)

Roxane Gay

David Erlewine

xTx (I have a mask design in mind for you to hide your true identity)

Rion Scott

(note: Cynthia Reeser is putting together something in June with a couple of other writers, including myself and that could turn into a monster show.)

(additional note: there are so many other writers I want to work with so please, don’t be offended if you aren’t on the list – I’m starting small with this project).

What I need from these writers on the list:

1. A venue that allows us to charge a door where we can split the profits.

2. Press contacts that I can research and help bombard for promoting our show.

3. Fearlessness in the face of strangers.

We can do this if we put our energy into it.  If Henry Rollins can talk for a living, we can write, perform our work, and get paid to do it, too.  Why high-five ourselves when we can knock down high-fives from strangers?  We can be heroes.  We can be monsters.

P.S.: My story, “Maladroit“, is up in Weirdyear.  Please check it out when you have a moment.