Craig Davidson

Wednesday, June 28th

Grinder McGrind

Hi All,

First off, a lot of you people clearly don't listen to me. In my last post I say please don't email me, and yet over a dozen of you did. Ahhhh, but that's okay, really, because I do appreciate it. I got emails from other writers, writers-in-waiting, booksellers, students, friends and strangers---all of whom either pretended they hadn't read my blog entry (you crafty sods!) or headed their emails with THIS IS NOT A CONDOLENCE... and then offered their condolences. Anyway, like I said, in the end I'm glad a lot of you didn't pay attention to me. It was great to get those emails, and I appreciated them quite a bit. Big thanks to Lauren B. Davis, a great writer who sent a very kind and helpful message. If you haven't checked out her latest book, THE RADIANT CITY, I humbly suggest you do so.

Some questions a lot of you have been asking, and the answers:

1) Will THE FIGHTER be coming out in Canada?

Indeed it will, in October. It will also be coming out in the UK; I heard from my editor there and she is happy with it and will be going forward with things. I don't know about my French publisher as yet, but when I know I will let everyone know as well.

2) Did you cry when you heard the news?

Actually, only one person asked this. You know in my last post, when I said I welcomed hate mail? Well one dude---I assume it's a dude---took me up on that offer. It's very short---poetic, one might even say---and I post it here for your edification, stripped of identity:

Craig Davidson on 06.28.06 @ 09:28 PM EST [more..]

Monday, June 19th

Dropped by Norton

Well, the title says it all. My (ex-) editor at WW Norton read the manuscript, found it lacking, and will not be publishing it. There. I said it.

I heard about a week ago. I keep waiting for my thoughts to coalesce, to run in a straight line upon which I might be able to comment, but I can’t quite manage it. I’m gutted, obviously; I imagine it’s the exact opposite feeling, 180 degrees, from the feeling I got over a year ago hearing that Norton had taken my collection in the first place.

As for the exact reasons it was rejected: I don’t know. I’m not certain I’ve any right to know. It’s a business, as I’ve said before; between businesspeople, there doesn’t always have to be an explanation. It either passes muster or it does not. Needless to say, there is a certain “waiting for the other shoe to drop” fear at this point: I have other publishers, in other countries, who could easily go Norton’s route. I wouldn’t blame them if they do, but it’s an uneasy feeling. Uneasy is putting it mildly.
Craig Davidson on 06.19.06 @ 02:26 PM EST [more..]

Sunday, June 11th

Writing Sex Scenes

Hi All,

I’ve been reading a lot of hard-boiled detective fiction lately, getting ready to start writing my next novel. Reading the classics: Chandler’s THE BIG SLEEP, Hammett’s THE MALTESE FALCON, Thompson’s THE GRIFTERS and THE KILLER INSIDE ME, plus re-reading James Ellroy’s masterful LA Quartet and THE BLACK DAHLIA. I read a few books by Michael Connelly, based on the fact Stephen King dubbed him the best detective fiction writer going; now maybe I read the wrong books, but while Connelly’s stuff is well-written, with intricate enough plot lines that I wasn’t able to puzzle out whodunit until very late, I wouldn’t go as far as to call him the best detective fiction writer going; not so long as James Ellroy still has breath in his lungs (though perhaps King doesn’t consider Ellroy a detective writer, which is true nowadays; he’s more of a hard-boiled historical revisionist). Still, I’d go with Carl Hiassen or Giles Blunt or even Dave Barry over Connelly. As is per usual with my criticisms, you’ll see I generally level them against writers who are far too successful to be harmed by them; Connelly, who has sold a ka-jillion books and has legions of fans, falls into this category.

As an aside: if you haven’t read Ellroy, I cannot recommend him enough, especially from THE BLACK DAHLIA onwards. I read some of his earlier work, BLOOD ON THE MOON and BROWN’S REQUIEM and, while good, he made a quantum leap forward with THE BLACK DAHLIA. This happens sometimes with writers: they put out a few books and something monumental clicks and they come out with a book that so far surpasses their previous output it’s like a whole new writer has emerged. Ellroy’s stuff is vicious and violent but it’s also hugely intelligent, very accessible considering how intricate the plots can be, funny, bloody, and brilliant. He’s one of my top-5 favorite writers; I re-read his stuff more than I do anyone else. Check him out.
Craig Davidson on 06.11.06 @ 07:01 PM EST [more..]

Wednesday, June 7th

Shiddly Old Hack

Hi All,

First off, my thanks to everyone who went out and pre-ordered THE FIGHTER off Amazon.ca; I checked the other day and it was ranked in the hundreds, which is higher than RUST AND BONE was ever ranked, at least I think. So, my deepest thanks. It’s nice to know people are reading the blog, anyway.

In case any of those orders came from the US or UK: I’m sure Penguin Canada will be pleased as punch to take your orders, but THE FIGHTER will be coming out in the US and UK at a later date, with WW Norton and Picador respectively, same as with RUST AND BONE. All you uber-completists, please feel free to buy every edition, but really, one is quite enough. I mean, if every edition were different somehow, if the US edition included a treasure map that would lead one lucky reader to a chest of gold doubloons I’d buried in the forests of Minnesota, or the UK edition came with a Craig Davidson action doll which, when you pulled a string, said things like, “Reading is for Winners!” or “I seem to have misplaced my spectacles,” then yes, by all means, I would recommend you buy each edition. But the fact of the matter is that, apart from a different cover maybe, they’re all the same. Anyway, just to clear it up. When I know the US and UK release dates I will let everyone know.

Secondly, my brother tells me that hits for his myspace page went up after the last post, so that’s good news too. Again, I recommend checking out one of his shows. I don’t know how many of you have been to a comedy show—it’s probably not the first thing most people think about doing of a Friday night—but I tell you, it’s a good time. Even the amateur nights, which can be cringe-worthy, can also be great. Plus, the last amateur night I went to, in Niagara Falls, my brother gave me a heads-up that this maudlin old comic was moonlighting as bartender, an alcoholic shipwreck of a comic; let me tell you, that fine fellow was mixing some MEAN drinks. I ordered a Zombie, and what I got was a highball glass full of tequila with a cocktail parasol stuck out of it. I’ll tell you, by the time I was done that, EVERYTHING was highly hilarious. I mean, I was laughing even when the comic was just standing there adjusting his mike stand. “That’s so true!” I was bellowing. “He’s adjusting what we’re all thinking!”

Craig Davidson on 06.07.06 @ 08:32 PM EST [more..]

Saturday, June 3rd

My Brother/Stand Up Comedy

Hi All,

First, a little about my novel.

I sent back the copyedited version of THE FIGHTER today; my thanks to Karen, my copyeditor, who had a lot of good suggestions, beyond the basic grammatical corrections I so sorely need.

I let you all know this because, based on the huge # of pre-orders on Amazon.ca for the book (0), I can tell a lot of you are “chomping at the bit” to get your hands on this novel. Come on, people—don’t wait for the book to come out and THEN buy it; that the way suckers do it! What you do is pre-order it on the internet, 7 or 8 copies depending on your financial situation or level of psychosis, then, when the people at Penguin see all those pre-orders they go, “Oh, my heavens, look at the interest in this title!” Then they ring the print shop and say, “Double your output on this title! Pronto!” Then when all those extra books come out and nobody buys them, they are donated to local artisans who turn them into papier mache sculptures, thus completing the cycle of artistic life. So, what, are you a supporter of the arts or not?

And let me tell you, your money will be well-spent. I got a look at the cover the other day and, well, let’s just say it gave me a semi. I got a nice bold font this time round (the only thing I didn’t like about Rust and Bone’s production was that the font looked a bit mincing, if a font can be said to look mincing, which probably it cannot). This time I got a nice big ass-kicker of a font, a font called “Scorpion Deathlock” or “Dropkick Spinebuster” or something, the sort of font that, when you open the book it’s gonna rock you back on your heels like you’ve been kidney-punched and you’re gonna say, “Holy shit, now that is one MEAN-ass font!” I mean, you combine that cover with that font and we’re talking FULL arousal. We’re talking novelistic Viagra. If you’re wearing track pants in the bookstore, don’t look at my book or it’ll be Tentpole City. It’s gonna be embarrassing for you. I suggest you wear a raincoat.

All that’s left is the proofreading stage, but by that point the layout and pagination is set pretty rigidly, so I can’t make any real changes. It would be like God having set down the 10 Commandments and Moses going, “Y’know, God, I really don’t like the wording of Commandment number 7, there’s really a lot of wiggle room there, and I also think we should add an extra Commandment or two, to keep the Israelites extra pious.” So, since I don’t want to risk some wrathful production designer at Penguin Fed-Exing me a lightning bolt or something, I probably won’t touch much at that stage.

Craig Davidson on 06.03.06 @ 01:45 PM EST [more..]