Craig Davidson

Thursday, March 22nd

NERVE PIECE

Hi All,

Go check it out:

www.nerve.com/screeningroom/books/usguys

My friend Erin and I reviewed a book called US Guys ... well, sort of reviewed but it turned out to be less of a review that just an ongoing sort of ranting tirade on my part, and some very reasoned comments on Erin's part, about the book. I actually quite liked the book, by Charlie LeDuff; it's more or less up my alley. Some of my rambling have already been read before, in different form, but readers of this blog. Erin also has a blog---she blogs about perfume, which is strangely much more intreresting and nuanced than I, who wear the cologne with the ship on the bottle, was aware of:

http://emergencybackpack.blogspot.com

What I most love ... ahem ... about Nerve.com is their comments section. This is where a bunch of people who seem only willing to offer their initials as ID generally rip on the articles in most vicious ways. I, who have had my share of anonymous ripping and am now more or less useful, woke up this morning to see myself described as a "toolbag" by an anomymous poster. I think the whole quote was "Wake up, toolbag." It was 8:15 in the morning; I felt like groggily screaming, "I'm trying to!" at the computer.

Anyhoo, check 'er out. My thanks to Erin for adding a level of class to the whole article.

All best, Craig.
Craig Davidson on 03.22.07 @ 10:51 AM EST [link]

Monday, March 19th

LOOK WHO'S FIGHTING AGAIN...

...me.

Well, this has been coming along for a week or so now. I wasn't going to announce anything until I got confirmation from my publisher, but yes, I'm stepping back into the ring again. Why? Because I'm a masochistic fool, is why! And because I've got a book to promote, and as it's now been made crystal clear, there is very little I refuse to do when it comes to that.

So, regarding the where's, the who's, and the whys ... well, why was already covered: see masochistic fool above.

Where? In New York, as part of an amateur boxing night. My publicist sent me a link but her email was a victim of my fastidious and habitual inbox purging. I sent her an email in the midst of writing this and if she gets back to me before I post this you'll see it here:

www.fridaynightfightsnyc.com (thanks, Sarah!)

...but if the above line is blank it means I'll post it later. I'll be fighting as part of the "Rumble on the River" series, I've been told. So, a free trip to NY to absorb an asskicking---sweet!

So, who am I fighting? Another burly poet? No. An incensed lumberjack? No---why would I fight one of those? I am boxing a fellow writer, Jonathan Ames. Most people should know about Mr. Ames. I knew about him long before my publicist said she'd contacted him regarding a tentative tete-a-tete between us. He is, in fact, a writer very much as I'd like to be someday. Not only a novelist, but a memoirist, a humorist, a participatory sort of guy who gets into all sorts of trouble and writes very honestly about it. I saw him on the Late Show with David Letterman once. He writes for Nerve.com, as I've done. Here's a link to a wonderful piece of his:

www.nerve.com/dispatches/ames/werenotallsomecindy

His website:

www.jonathanames.com

A perusal of that website will quickly reveal that Jonathan has, in fact, boxed before. He looks pretty fucking ripped in those pics, too; I'm gonna have to hit the gym doubletime. I'm a little heavier and a little younger than he is---I'd sort of rather be disadvantaged, as I was in my last fight, but I've a feeling Jonathan is a much more skilled boxer so that's going to even things up a little, or perhaps a lot. I won't know until it's all over.

So, that's just a quick update. I'm sure things will progress more or less as they did for the last fight: lots of updates, maybe myself and Mr. Ames having a little online back and forth, etc, etc.

The fight will be July 26th, NYC. If you're there, come check it out.

All best, Craig.
Craig Davidson on 03.19.07 @ 05:17 PM EST [link]

Tuesday, March 13th

THE FIGHTER'S JERSEY FINDS A NEW HOME

Hi All,

Got this sent to me by the winner of my contest from a few months back. Ryan Ross, the winnah, is here pictured doing his daily chores, watching TV with his cat, striking a pugilistic pose, etc, wearing the blood-stained pinney I wore in the boxing match. He wears it better than I did, and I wish I'd worn it while doing the dishes and whatnot---the memories dredged up seeing it on Ryan would be a lot less cringe-inducing, were that the case.

In any case, my thanks to him for posting these. Ryan looks a little like a writer whose fire is burning hot right now, Joe Hill, whose book HEART SHAPED BOX is kicking ass at the moment. I haven't read HSB yet, but I did read his collection 20th CENTURY GHOSTS, which rocked solid.

RYAN ROSS: http://ca.geocities.com/rosco_ba2000/

JOE HILL (for comparison's sake): www.locusmag.com/2006/Issues/07Hill.html

All best, Craig.
Craig Davidson on 03.13.07 @ 11:59 AM EST [link]

Tuesday, March 6th

ACTION MOVIE STAR DROUGHT

Hi All,

Well, been watching AMC quite a bit—partially because my beloved Raptors have been stinking it up the last three games, down 20 in the third to San Antonio, Cleveland, now getting pulped by the Wizards; I love this team, they’re the only team I actively root for in any sport, and they’ll pull out of this tailspin but right now it’s ugly—anyway, since the Raps are going through a rough spot I tune away from the laughers they’ve been playing and check out AMC.

But it brings up a discussion me and my father have continually in regards to movies: who shall be the next big action star?

My father is an action movie junky. So am I, but in terms of our addictions I’m a recreational action movie abuser—on weekends, in the basement, often with a Molly Hatchet album playing, I’ll toke a few kung-fu movies—but my Dad is a mainliner: if you took away my dad’s action movies, his withdrawal would be like that scene in TRAINSPOTTING, except instead of a plastic baby’s head doing the ole Linda Blair 360, it’d be Jean Claude van Damme’s.

Craig Davidson on 03.06.07 @ 10:37 PM EST [more..]