Gabriel García Márquez: A Life

Just published about 3 weeks ago, this is my next book to read as I get to Metrotown tomorrow with an unused-as-of-yet birthday gift card.

“Why do you want to write a biography? Biographies mean death,” was Marquez’s reaction to the biographer Gerald Martin’s proposal to write the book.

Can’t say as I wouldn’t have the same reaction. But the book, like Márquez himself, is getting excellent reviews. So I’ll check this out and write more later.

Next issue of Jack

So far, there are quite a few artists and authors I’m really glad to see in the next issue of Jack. Here’s a glimpse at what’s coming up, but it’s still early in the process, which means there will be a lot more to come.

Got Milk?

Tonight we saw the premiere of Milk, starring Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, and Josh Brolin, a fantastic civil rights account about the first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk, who gave hope to millions of homosexuals in America by allowing them to not feel “wrong” and to demand basic freedoms. This story, based off real events in the 1970s, rings true today, when civil rights are still harpooned by the religious right.

Submissions being accepted

The closing date for the spring issue’s submissions is February, 2009. Earlier submissions will get priority.

Eco-poetry, fiction, reviews, artwork, photography, journals, and articles are all acceptable. A look at the ecological writings of Gary Snyder, Jack Kerouac, Lew Welch, Michael McClure, Philip Whalen, Joanne Kyger, Kenneth Rexroth, John Muir, Robinson Jeffers, Henry David Thoreau, and so on are highly desired. Also interesting would be essays about men like Leo Tolstoy or even Christopher McCandless, who discarded the daily comforts of their rich society in order to experience a more adventurous and spiritual journey into the “nothingness” or possibly “everythingness” of the natural world. I encourage first-person experienced writers who’ve traveled this path to contribute as well. Political, technological, and moral essays about modern-day problems of global warming, recycling, population, effects of war, agricultural concerns, endangered species, etc., are also welcome. The topic is broad, and both broad-scale and microscopic views of any of the above will be considered for publication.