Craig Davidson

Craig Davidson's Blog

Hi All,

I'm Craig Davidson, and welcome to my blog set up by the fine folks at Penguin. My latest book is called THE FIGHTER. You can read all about it at www.thefighter.ca. You can buy it online at www.Penguin.ca It is a harrowing book about love in the time of cholera. It is a heartwarming book about the triumph of the human spirit against impossible odds. It is the story of a horse named Gimpy Sue who won the Belmont Stakes on three legs and a broomstick. It's a story of love, honor, redemption, and the hero that lives inside of us all.

HA---no way, Jose! It's about NONE of that stuff.

It's called THE FIGHTER. You can guess what it's about.

Your most humble servant,

Craig Davidson, Esq.
email: craigdavidson11@gmail.com">craigdavidson11@gmail.com
website: www.craigdavidson.net
watch me take a beating: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPXfpKxkbUU
...or a different beating: http://video.aol.com/video-detail/ames-vs-davidson/865956516
MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/craig_b_davidson
STEROIDS ARTICLE: http://www.esquire.com/features/steroids-0408

THINGS PEOPLE SAID ABOUT "RUST AND BONE":

"Davidsonï¿½smudges the line between comedy and horror, cruelty and mercy. His remarkable stories are challenging and upsettingï¿½Donï¿½t look for comfort here." ï¿½Chuck Palahniuk, FIGHT CLUB.

"These big, riveting stories about tough guys in trouble are the best I've read in a long time from a young writer. There's enough incident, shock, and suspense for a dozen books. This collection is filled with stories you haven't heard before." ï¿½ Bret Easton Ellis, AMERICAN PSYCHO

"There is a strikingly original tone to Mr. Davidson's stories. The prose is spare yet elegant, the insights are fresh and real, and best of all there is a boundless humanity in Mr. Davidson's writing: a love of life that is beautifully woven with an acute sense of its darkness. This is in every way an extraordinary book." ï¿½ Clive Barker

"... in "On Sleepless Roads," a repo man "wondered what it was about property seizure that gave rise to soliloquies so melodramatic they'd embarrass a threepenny hack." Once Davidson can curb the same impulse, he'll be on his way." ---Lizzie Skurnick, NY Times. (thanks a bunch, Lizzie! I love you, too!)

THINGS PEOPLE SAID ABOUT "THE FIGHTER":

"This is more than a stunning debut. It reminds me how vacuous, banal and insipid most highly-touted fiction is. Craig Davidson asksï¿½and answersï¿½some big, uncomfortable questions about the nature of our
humanity. The Fighter is an essential novel, destined for cult status at the very least." ---Irvine Welsh, author of FILTH

"More a grunt than a novel. 'Macho' doesnï¿½t begin to cover it."
---Unnamed Reviewer, KIRKUS.

All best, Craig.
Craig Davidson on 12.22.07 @ 12:16 PM EST [link]

Wednesday, March 10th

Hey, how about some Top Bets?

Hi All,

Well, why not?

Weekend's Top Bets March 5

1. FREDERICTON. The night of the big fight. The Champ sits on a butcher block bench, hands taped, anvil-heavy head bowed. I say, "This guy you're fighting tonight - he's a murderer. He's not anything like the two-bit pitty-patters, tomato cans, or fancy Dan creampuffs you beat to get here. This guy's an executioner. He's got slumber land in either hand. He drinks molten steel and pisses razor blades. He'll crucify you, Champ; he'll plant you in that canvas like a shrub. And I tell you so because you're my friend and, damn it, I love ya." The Champ looks at me stoically, his eyes like chunks of brown ice, and says: "You're right. I can't lick him. Why even try?" Next his trainer stalks over, slaps me hard across the face and throws me out of the locker room. That was the end of my career as a motivational speaker. Boxing classes at the Fredericton Boxing Club. Sunday nights starting at 5:30. 141 School Street. 470-3938.

2. SAINT JOHN. When I retired thirty years ago at the age of sixty-two, I knew the key to a long life was to stay active. The other week I volunteered to read to the tots down the local library. I arrive to a room of toddlers, all cute as buttons; the librarian gives me this book called The Mopey Puppy. Nothing but candy floss for your brain: all sugar, no substance. I cracked open a pamphlet on RRSP savings tips instead. “Don't delay,” I read, “start early. Maximize your foreign market exposure.” These snot-nosed ragamuffins were whining and rolling around on the carpet hugging themselves, drooling and babbling - I may as well not have left the nursing home! “Look alive, you thoughtless stooges!” I said. “This is your future!” After that the librarian gave me an oatmeal cookie and sent me home. Preschool Storytime at the public library. Thursday, March 11. 10:30 - 11:00am.

3. MONCTON. One day, oh, eleven maybe 50 years ago, I was punching cows down on the Flying G with the Harpoon brothers and one of 'em says to me, 'Hey, they's a guy up in Saskatoon running 1,000 head looking for a dab hand with branding.' So I says, 'Hey, Curly, is that right?' And Curly says, 'You betcha.' So I hit him as hard as I could with a big ole heavy steel pole and knocked him cold. I took his boots and I caught a ride up to Saskabush. There I seen this guy sitting on his horse all puffed up like he'd been poisoned and I says, 'Hey you better uncinch that critter, or he's gonna blow.' The guy looked at me like I was nuts and he says, 'OK.' That was '58 - '59? Catch country singer Steve Waylon at The Bass River Fair Hall. $8. March 6, at 9pm.

4. FREDERICTON. The love of my life, Handsome Maggie, thought we ought to sauce things up in the boudoir. She went to one a them ‘Spice Up Your Love Life’ parties - like a Tupperware party, except with bedroom gewgaws - and came home with a pair of furry handcuffs for her 'Prisoner of Love,’ as she’d taken to calling me. So I shuck down to my drawers and Maggie fastens a blindfold round my eyes and handcuffs me to the bedposts. Whoo! Next something warm and sticky is spread on my chest while Maggie coos sweet nothings in my ear. When she takes off the blindfold I see I’m covered in honey. Maggie holds a thrashing burlap sack, which she opens and a hungry ferret leaps out and sets to nipping me about the haunches and brisket! “I’ve hated you since the day I met you,” Maggie hisses, then laughs like a longshoreman. What’s worse, she invited Lenny Drinkwater, the local papparazzo, over to take photos of the whole sordid scene with his Polaroid. They showed up next day in the society pages of the Penny Saver. Well, Mags and I had to take a time out after that one. Want to host a Diva Party? Call Tammy at 455-7677 to set up the Passion Party package. Great fun for single or married women.

5. SAINT JOHN. Regrets? You could say I have a few. One time I was a little down at the heel and - my darling Maggie having run off with a fur trapper named Jean Luc Drapont - short on love, too. I see this ad in the newspaper for Rughookers. Deciding I can spin an easy buck I don my furred pink fedora, white calfskin trenchcoat, and platform shoes, grab my a bejeweled cane and make my way to the SJ Arts Centre. “I’m looking for them hookers I read about in the newspapy,” I tell the security guard, who gives me a look but points the way. So I survey the landscape and, truth told, it was pretty grim pickins. Most of ‘em were sixty if they were a year. All sitting quietly doing arts and crafts. But I persevered. “I don’t know what your pimp’s paying,” I announced, “but it ain’t enough, that’s for dang sure. Prime cuts a beef such as yourselves. You got that matronly quality. Some fellas appreciate that - not me, but some. I can turn you out for top dollar.” Well, it so transpired there had been a misunderstanding, rughooking and hooker-hooking being beasts of entirely different natures. I barely made it out alive. One of those sassy old birds jabbed a darning needle in my ankle! Try Rughooking. March 5, 9:30 - noon. Saint John Arts Centre. 633-4870.

6. MONCTON. I told my husband, Paxton Thriftwhistle III, that I should like to plant sugarsnap peas around our estate grounds. Unfortunately our Nicaraguan gardener had lately run off to join the Sandinista rebels. “Never fear, my pet,” said Paxton. “There is a farmer’s market this weekend. We’ll purchase one there.” Fortified on gin and breath mints, we bundled into the Bentley on a pleasant Sunday morn; Paxton cuffed our chauffeur in the back of his head and we were off. The farmer’s market was earthy and filthy, saturated with oily hippies and sticky-fingered urchins. “A hillbilly slum,” said Paxton. We made haste through the ramshackle stalls as our chauffeur beat back the runny-nosed hordes. I spied a suitable specimen hovering near a table of earthenware jugs, which doubtlessly he considered to be musical instruments. Sinewy and bowlegged, he would do. “How much?” I asked. “How much what?” he said. “How much do you cost?” I said, exasperated. “I’m not for sale, you dizzy old bat.” He laughed, pointing me out to the assembled hicks and rubes. “This ancient ruin thinks she can buy a farmer!” Next these rancid buffoons, these hootenanny-throwers, were laughing - at me! Oh, they should be thrashed within an inch of their inelegant lives, I tell you! Sackville Farmer’s Market. Saturdays, 9 to noon. Bridge St. Café, 8 Bridge St. 536-4428.

-30-
Craig Davidson on 03.10.10 @ 02:43 PM EST [link]

Tuesday, March 9th

Daniel O'Thunder

Hello all,

The final meeting of the Afterword Reading Society - I think I mislabeled it the Gentlemen's Reading Society earlier, which was a lie as one of our panelists, Erin Balse, is most assuredly not a fella - is up right now on the National Post blog, The Afterword.

http://network.nationalpost.com/NP/blogs/afterword/archive/2010/03/09/the-afterword-reading-society-of-cinematic-scope.aspx

It was a great book as I've said and as the other panelists have said, with one panelist sort of fence-sitting - but that's pretty decent odds when it comes to a book. I don't know why you're not buying a copy. Really, I do not. Get. It. One. Little. Bit. No.

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1553654358/ref=s9_simvh_gw_p14_i1?pf_rd_m=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=0E4TXHAXF3XRHY3E89PC&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=463383531&pf_rd_i=915398

Also, if you're in Toronto, there's a wrap-up party and reading and what-not at Ben Mcnally Books tonight (March 9) with Ian Weir, the man himself, who will be giving a reading. I would be there myself but alas, the notion of hopping a Greyhound for the 24-hour milk run just didn't have any justifiable appeal. But all the other panelists will be there, those hip Torontonians, those movers and shakers, and surely some other literary folks and book-lovers; should be a good time. The Facebook link on the bottom of the Afterword post, so surely you would be welcome ... unless you're a weird stalker type, there to harass and bother Ian or somebody else, in which case still come along but be sure to take your meds beforehand.

All best,
Craig.

Craig Davidson on 03.09.10 @ 02:41 PM EST [link]

Saturday, March 6th

A few little things

Hi All,

My father sent me this link, which is Jacques Audiard speaking on A Prophet, and my name is mentioned so my father's google alert went haywire:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/a-foreign-film-contender/article1491348

Also, there's this:

http://www.amazon.ca/Sarah-Court-Erik-Mohr/dp/1926851005/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267890902&sr=8-1

... in other news, I did turn in my newest manuscript to my agent. I say so because once a week, sometimes twice, I get emails from somebody asking "What's next?" And now I can say, "Well, Sarah Court is next, barring some unforeseen disaster"---which can happen at any time! My editor and I still have to hack out a pretty serious edit on it, but he's a champ and we've worked together and he's got some really positive buzz building around his press so I'm psyched about this book seeing the light of day.

But after that, well, I have no clue. The new manuscript has been out floating around for a month now, I think, depends when my agent started submitting it. I haven't heard anything. Some might say, "Well, no news is good news." Others might say, "You're boned, dude! Totally boned!" Which could be true. I don't imagine I'll broadcast anything here unless there is something of a positive development. But just to let those who every so often write me to ask: yes, I'm still writing. Yes, I'm still giving it the ole college try. At some point, though, it gets out of your hands and you just sort of sit around waiting for come-what-may. So we're sort of in the 'come what may' stage right now, but since I'm earning a steady paycheck doing something I generally enjoy, it's not as fraught as prior instancees, when I got myself cooked into a frothing lather fearing I might end up eating Alpo under a train trestle.

All best, Craig.
Craig Davidson on 03.06.10 @ 11:07 AM EST [link]

Friday, March 5th

LWOT Panel

Hi all,

I'm doing a lot of panels lately. With the Afterword, the National Post blog, and here with LWOT (Lies With Occasional Truth), run by the esteemed Ryan Ross. Here us panelists are asked, I think, what is the worst thing someone has ever said of your artistic endeavors? Needless to say, oodles of odd and nasty things have been said of mine over time ... well, not that many really, but I suppose there would be more had said works fallen over a larger readership. That notwithstanding, I had a little something to say, as did the other panelists.

As a sidebar: I enjoy participating in panels, generally, but it's no way to make a living. Unless you wish to make a living as a bagman, in which case it's a good start. But no worries, writing and panelist-ing is really only a cover for my true career: deputy editor of a small alterative urban weekly in the Maritimes. Which in itself is a cover for my hobby: an international hitman known only as "The Rapier" who works for several shady cartels and government 'Spook' agencies.

http://lwot.blogspot.com/2010/03/lwot-panel.html

All best, Craig.
Craig Davidson on 03.05.10 @ 11:44 AM EST [link]

Wednesday, March 3rd

Top Ten, Feb 25 edition

Hi All,

So this week the editorial decision was made to cut #6; it was deemed a little too racy for the paper, which is run, as some know, by a large oil concern. But the interesting thing is that #4 stayed. You have to read that one a little closely, and have some familiarity with Urban Dictionary, to see what's going on in that one. Pretty juvenile, I'll admit. But hey, that's me. I give credit to my friend Rob for introducing me to 'The Manhattan Transfer.' Thanks, Rob. Thanks a lot.

Very best, Craig.
Craig Davidson on 03.03.10 @ 10:33 AM EST [more..]

Thursday, February 25th

Some more Top Bets (Week of Feb 19)

Hi All,

Here's another batch. It's too bad I can't post them with their illustrations; our graphic designer lays these all out really nice on the last page of each issue, with a bunch of correspondingly goofy pics.

Oh, and you all should keep an eye out for Much Music's Video On Trial, where my brother Graham is currently raking cheesy videos over the coals. Check your local listings, fo shizzle.

All best, Craig.
Craig Davidson on 02.25.10 @ 08:01 AM EST [more..]

Friday, February 19th

Top Ten Bets

Hi All,

So, one of the few writing tasks I take on on an every week basis is this section called 'Top Ten Bets.' It was originally supposed to be this simple listings service, which is one of my main duties here at this weekly paper; listings, for those of you not in the newsy 'biz,' is where you just give a rundown on the concerts and gallery openings and plays and so forth, little capsule ads, 30 words long: Jimbob and the Hayseeds play at Cooter's, Feb 23, 7pm, $10 cover. That sort of thing. So Top Ten Bets was supposed to be that, basically; ten interesting things going on that week. Well, the structure was never really hammered out so I was able to retrofit it to my tastes, and since it's really the only writing I'm doing right now, which is admittedly sort of sad but whatever, I have fun with it, crafting little stories or whatever. I think I'll share them with you, since if you don't live in the Maritimes you won't be able to read the paper. They follow below, and I'll try to update every week.

All best, Craig.
Craig Davidson on 02.19.10 @ 01:57 PM EST [more..]