Three Good Things: It's All About the Visual

What could be cooler than having your story published on a building? VOLT author Alan Heathcock's story "Streetlamps" now graces the exterior wall of the Oliver Russell building in downtown Boise, Idaho. From the Boise Weekly:

"Streetlamps" tells his fictional account of Heathcock's full-blooded Cherokee grandmother first meeting with his grandfather. Their real-life encounter ended with a wedding, which provoked much controversy in their small mid-western town.

If you, like me, can't get to Boise to see "Streetlamps" in person, you can listen to the author read it over at This Land Press.

In this era of e-books and digital printing, when words travel seemingly instantly and invisibly from author to publisher to e-reader, how striking to see this gorgeous letterpress plate for featherproof books' forthcoming The Minus Times Collected: Twenty Years / Thirty Issues (1992–2012) , edited by Hunter Kennedy. Snooping around the publisher's website, it is even more fascinating to learn about the literary magazine's history and contributors:

For twenty years, The Minus Times has been the most elusive literary magazine in America—and definitely the only one to be composed on a Royal standard typewriter. Begun as an open letter to strangers and fellow misfits, it grew to become the breeding ground for the next generation of American fiction. Contributors include Sam Lipsyte, David Berman, Patrick DeWitt, & Wells Tower, with illustrations by David Eggers and Brad Neely as well as interviews with Dan Clowes, Barry Hannah, and a yet-to-be-famous Stephen Colbert... All thirty of the-nearly-impossible-to-find issues of this improvised literary almanac are now assembled for the first time, typos and all. Drag City is teaming up with featherproof to publish this over-sized coffee-table-crackin' collection. 

Last but not least, I've mentioned them before (but if you missed it, or aren't yet following - get on that, please), The Safety Pin Review publishes tiny lovely stories designed to be worn out in the world by volunteer story-wearers. Each story's journey becomes a unique and a remarkable experience shared by wearers and readers alike. Check out this week's haunting story by David Sklar:

What are your good things this week? Share in the comments below, and happy reading!

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