Home » 2004 » July

Archive for July, 2004:


You Know It In Your Gut

Published by Michael Arnzen in Pithy Morbid Thoughts on July 29th, 2004

“Which came first: the intestine or the tapeworm?”
– William S. Burroughs (died 1997)


Bella Online

Published by Michael Arnzen in Arnzen News on July 21st, 2004

“Horror is actually comforting….”

– from my interview on Bella Online


Splitting the Brain

Published by Michael Arnzen in Weblog Exclusive on July 15th, 2004

we cut corpus callosum
for dinner that eve
half for you, half for me
an equal share
of hemispheres
but I saw that look
behind your eyes
when you searched around
my face, clutching your knife
asking please for seconds
after I chewed my last bite

Explanation: I found that list of offbeat phrases in the “Strange Visitors” contest awhile back amusing, and began to think of them as titles for poems…I may do more based on the others, if/when time permits. (Hint: click on the “Weblog Exclusive” department to read all the others.)


Really Scary

Published by Michael Arnzen in Arnzen News on July 11th, 2004
vert_arnzen.gif          “What Corrupted Me” — a memoir that muses on the pathology of my derangement — has just been posted at the Really Scary website. Check it out, voyeurs!

Bram Stoker Winner

Published by Michael Arnzen in Arnzen News on July 10th, 2004
I’m happy to report that The Goreletter has just received the Bram Stoker Award for “Alternative Forms.” I’m blogging this on the road, and I’m still traveling in New York, but I wanted to post news of the event here and to say thanks to everyone who is sending e-mails and congratulations. I’m thrilled. I’ll get back to you all with updates, and news and photos of the event shortly!

– Mike Arnzen

Update #1: Some initial festive photos have gone up at Raw Dog Screaming Press.

Update #2: You can read a transcript of my acceptance speech for the Alternative Forms category.

I also wanted to note that I accepted the award for poetry on behalf of Bruce Boston, whose book Pitchblende really deserved it. I was honored to have edited that collection. At the banquet, I read his poem, ‘The Nightmare Collector,’ along with a few remarks that Boston e-mailed me, to much applause. You can still catch some sample poems from the book online, if curious.

Update #3: Photos and con reports are coming in here and there. Artist Deena Warner has a ton of shots online now. And writer Nick Kaufmann has posted some great photos with witty captions. You can watch Gary Braunbeck’s well-deserved award acceptance as an online movie. I hope to get a few of my own photos up today or tomorrow.

Update #4: My photo log is online. You can also read my college’s press release.

     Arnzen with the 2003 Stoker Award for The Goreletter, (c) 2004 Jennifer Barnes

Another Review? I’ll try to be brief…

Published by Michael Arnzen in Arnzen News on July 10th, 2004

“Michael Arnzen is good, he’s amazing, a writer deserving a place on any ‘best fiction’ list; even when he’s at his worst, he’s not dull, and always, at least, brief.” — Rambles Review of 100 Jolts

Bella Online also went so far as to call the stories in 100 Jolts “masterpieces of minimalist horror.”

And check out all these great customer reviews on Amazon.com!