Contributor's Notes–John Pluecker

Interviews and guest posts from the writers and artists of Versal 10. This edition features John Pluecker. John is a writer, interpreter, and translator. His work is informed by conceptual poetics and cross-border cultural production  and has appeared in outlets in the U.S. and Mexico, including the Asymptote, Picnic, Third Text, Animal Shelter, and HTML Giant. He has published more than five books in translation from the Spanish, primarily by Mexican authors. There are two chapbooks of his work, Routes into Texas (DIY, 2010) and Undone (Dusie Kollektiv, 2011). A third chapbook, Killing Current, was published by Mouthfeel Press in 2012. 

Have you been to Amsterdam? What did you do while you were here? If you've not been yet, what do you think you'd do in our fair town?

Never been to Amsterdam. If I went, I think I'd sit near some water, some canal, on some dike and drink a coffee. Then stay out all night.

What is the first creative thing you ever did?

Made a dam in a creek.

What is the dumbest thing anyone has ever said to you about being a writer?

"If you're not selling your work, you're doing something wrong. I have a friend that sells all his poems and stories and makes good money. You should talk to him."

If you were an angle, what kind of angle would you be?

Acute.

If you could meet a writer from the 15th, 16th or 17th centuries, who would it be? And what would you talk about?

Álvar Nuñéz Cabeza de Vaca. His years wandering through the land we now know as the state of Texas.

Tell us something few people know about you.

But then everyone would know.

Other than Versal (which has clearly been awesome), what's one great place you've been published?

Animal Shelter.

Why did you send work to Versal? Be honest.

My friend K. Lorraine Graham had mentioned the magazine to me, I think. I checked it out, bought a copy, liked it and sent in some of my work.

What has lasted you ten years?

My relationship with my man.

Tell us what you're working on right now.

A continuing collaborative experiment around language justice and language experimentation with my co-conspirator Jen Hofer: Antena. Last year, we did an installation at Project Row Houses in Houston, Texas—a temporary bookstore, reading room and literary experimentation lab—and we recently wrote a chapbook reflecting on our experiences.

Contributor's Notes–Bess Winter

Interviews and guest posts from the writers and artists of Versal 10. This edition features Bess Winter. Bess Winter's fiction has won a Pushcart Prize, and has appeared in American Short Fiction, Bellingham Review, Paper Darts, PANK, and elsewhere. She's the Podcast Editor at The Collagist, and currently lives in Toronto, Canada.

Have you been to Amsterdam? What did you do while you were here? If you've not been yet, what do you think you'd do in our fair town? 

Have not been to Amsterdam yet, but would love to go. Wish I could say I’d do something romantic, but realistically I’d probably fill up on chocolate and beer and fret about the possibility of bedbugs at my hostel. 

What is the first creative thing you ever did?

Honestly, play with dolls. I made paper dolls as a kid. Mostly out of old magazines and vintage book illustrations, which I’d take to Kinko’s, color photocopy, cut out and cover with clear tape like they were laminated. These made up a huge percentage of my toys. And because I was an only child who played alone quite often, I never bothered with making my dolls move or walk around or anything when I played. I just stared at them and made up stories. 

What is the dumbest thing anyone has ever said to you about being a writer?

When you write that bestseller you can support your family.

If you were an angle, what kind of angle would you be?

I failed math in high school. Therefore, I would be a circle.

If you could meet a writer from the 15th, 16th or 17th centuries, who would it be? And what would you talk about?

The Earl of Rochester, pre-syphilis. He was like the Hunter S. Thompson of the 17^th century. I’d probably just listen to whatever he had to say, rather than talk.

Tell us something few people know about you.

My online cribbage ranking is Princess. It took me 2 years to get there. Once I hit 1700 points I’ll be a Lady.

Other than Versal (which has clearly been awesome), what's one great place you've been published?

Paper Darts, coming out soon.

Why did you send work to Versal? Be honest. 

I grew up in Canada, so I’m in love with international journals. That was part of it. Also, the fact that you’re not an academic journal appealed to me. That Versal is your brainchild. I love that.

What has lasted you ten years?

A pair of Camper shoes with soles made of tire tread. 

Tell us what you're working on right now.

A collection, and a novel.

Versal @ AWP: Editors Edition

Here's a secret. Prose team editor Daniel Cecil is an AWP virgin, y'all. Hit him up with weird and alcohol. He likes beer.

Want a private reading from Versal's pages? It's called Red Light Raffle and it's sexy all the way from Amsterdam.

If you're still wondering what panels to go to, check out these with our very own editors in tow.


THURSDAY

9:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
Room 102, Plaza Level
R105. Trying on New Bootstraps: Self-Sustaining Models for Literary Magazines. (Steph Opitz, Jennifer Woods, Megan M. Garr, Halimah Marcus) As the university-supported literary magazine increasingly becomes a less viable model, literary magazines must find new methods for generating support. Publishers from Electric Literature, Versal, and the Lumberyard Magazine share their secrets.

4:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.
Room 204, Level 2
R259. Beyond Ekphrasis: The Pedagogy and Practice of Other Art Forms in the Creative Writing Classroom. (Rachel Marston, Caitlin Horrocks, Shena McAuliffe, Nicole Sheets, Robert Glick) Whether a text/image hybrid, such as the paintings of Frida Kahlo, or a photo/text novel like W.G. Sebald’s Austerlitz, the combination of artistic media can create an emotional and intellectual power greater than its individual parts. Techniques used in painting, sculpture, and music can be invaluable in teaching the creative writer new ways to think about his or her work. In this panel, we’ll show you how, without outside expertise, you can bring other arts into the creative writing classroom.


FRIDAY

1:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Room 306, Level 3
S204. How to Lose Friends and Alienate Loved Ones: Exploitation vs. Documentation in Creative Nonfiction. (B.J. Hollars, Roxane Gay, Marcia Aldrich, Ryan Van Meter, Bonnie J. Rough) Not every story is flattering, nor is every character. Nevertheless, nonfiction writers continue to document their lives and the lives of others, often at the risk of violating personal relationships. How should writers navigate between revealing the true nature of their subjects without alienating the people themselves? Join four writers as they explore the fine line between documentation and exploitation, among other ethical dilemmas inherent in writing of friends, family, and loved ones.


If you missed it, check out our Contributors Edition of what AWP panels we think you'll enjoy.