Read Henning Koch's Novella "The Bones"

Over at The Quivering Pen, Henning Koch's novella The Bones is being serialized in 9 parts. Described as "a funny, frightening vision of an unspecified future in which America is a wasteland society whose currency is oil (and where) Mad Max would be right at home", it's worth checking out.




Koch was born in Sweden, currently lives in Berlin, and has worked as screenwriter and translator. He's been a contributor to Absinthe, including his translation of an excerpt by Birgitta Stenberg that appeared in issue 15.


(I'd also recommend picking up a copy of his story collection Love Doesn't Work, published by Dzanc Books in 2010.)

There is Still Time to Register for DISQUIET in Lisbon

From Dzanc Books:

Just over two months to go for the first annual DISQUIET Dzanc Books Intl. Literary Program in Lisbon, Portugal, June 19 - July 2.

There is still space in workshops with Kim Addonizio, Sally Ashton, Brian Evenson, Frank Gaspar, and Josip Novakovich.

Guest writers include Colson Whitehead, Antonio Lobos Antunes, and a number of the most exciting established and up-and-coming Portuguese writers such as valter hugo mae and Jose Luis Peixoto.

The inaugural program is shaping up to be one of unprecedented intersection between writers from North America and Portugal in one of the most beautiful, affordable, and engaging cities in Europe.

Among our many special events include: an opening reception at the US Embassy in Lisbon; a signature walk on Pessoa's Lisbon; lectures on many famous Portuguese writers from Camões on, including Richard Zenith on translating Pessoa; a reading and Q&A with perennial Nobel Literature candidate Antonio Lobos Antunes; excursions to nearby Cascais, Sintra, and Mafra; film screenings of Portugal-centric films "The Lovebirds" and "The Art of Amalia" and discussions with the films' screenwriters and directors; a tribute to poet Alberto de Lacerda; a workshop on translating literary texts between Portuguese and English; a closing reception hosted by the City of Lisbon at The Landmark of Lisbon, the Castle St. George; and of course readings, discussions, and workshops on the craft of writing with our esteemed faculty from North American and Portugal...

Dzanc Books and the Centro Nacional de Cultura (as well as our many partners in Lisbon: Fundação Luso-Americana, Instituto Camões, the University of Lisbon, CETAPS at NOVA, The Lisbon Consortium, Festival Silencio) invite you to join us.

APPLY NOW!

Write to ilp.lisbon@gmail.com with any inquiries.

Longlist Announced for Indie Booksellers Choice Awards

Well, we're a little late with this but the longlist for the Indie Booksellers Choice Awards (sponsored by Shelf Awareness and Melville House) was announced yesterday.

Many good books from writers and publishers we admire, along with a number of works in translation, including Jenny Erpenbeck's Visitation.  

We also must mention and applaud the inclusion of Asunder by Robert Lopez, published by our good friends at Dzanc Books.

Take a look at the list here.

Love Doesn't Work: New Fiction by Henning Koch

Longtime Absinthe advisor Henning Koch has a new collection of short stories out from Dzanc Books, Love Doesn't Work.

The collection includes the story "In Memoriam, Ingmar Bergman," which originally appeared in Absinthe #9.

According to Dzanc's website:

Love Doesn't Work offers classic storytelling with profound, startling insights into human desire and its shortfalls. Inspired by the ancient Cathars, these seven tales present a vision of life as an inevitable struggle against ignorance, darkness and sexual confusion. Devilish and playful in tone, they leave the reader with a sense of outraged satisfaction and delight.

Grab a copy; I know you'll enjoy it. You can order it from Dzanc Books here.

Italian Film, Absinthe & Romanian Fiction, and Friedrich Dürrenmatt

It's that time of year when the Italian Film Festival comes to Detroit and they have a number of really interesting films this year screening at multiple venues, including the Detroit Film Theatre (a great place to see a movie), Wayne State University, and the University of Michigan, among other spots. Check out the festival schedule here and start living la dolce vita.

Despite the volcanic ash clouding the skies of Europe the London Book Fair went on as scheduled and so did an event to celebrate the release of Absinthe 13 sponsored by the Romanian Cultural Institute. Of course, I was sitting here rather than enjoying one of my favorite cities but hopefully a good time was had by those in attendance ... and hopefully it brought deserved attention to some great Romanian writers.

Fellow Dzanc Books imprint Black Lawrence Press has published a collection of poems by Friedrich Dürrenmatt, the prominent Swiss novelist, playwright, and essayist, who died in 1990. The poems are translated by Daniele Pantano, a Swiss poet, translator, critic, and editor, whose own poems appeared in Absinthe 10. I definitely recommend picking up a copy.