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Wednesday, August 30th
I've got a bone to pick...
...with Hollywood horror screenwriters. Read all about it on my guest blogging entry on Brian Keene's HAIL SATEN:
www.hailsaten.blogspot.com
And while you're at it, think about grabbing some of Brian's books. He's a great guy, a tireless supporter of the genre, and a fine writer to boot. His book THE RISING was, I believe, responsible for a lot of the "zombie mania" that has swept the horror industry over the past few years. Check out his newest, THE CONQUEROR WORMS. Creepy-crawly post apocalyptic fun. I read the novella it was begat from in the now hard-to-find 4X4 collection.
Anyway, a fine writer and a fine fellow. Check him out.
All best, Craig.
Craig Davidson on 08.30.06 @ 04:39 PM EST [link]
Wednesday, August 23rd
More on Michael "The Coffin Nail" Knox
Hi All,
Mr. Knox has sent along his stats. They are as follows:
Mike "The Coffin Nail" Knox
Age: 27
Height: 6'2
Weight: 195
Professional Record: (0-0-0)
Amateur Record: (0-0-0)
Unsanctioned interclub fights/sparring: fairly extensive
So, there you have it. He's younger, taller, and we weigh about the same. I don't know if the various ass-kickings I've absorbed during the course of my "open air" pugilistic career rate well against his interclub fighting/sparring experience. But we shall see.
Also announced on www.thefighter.ca :
Stephen "Ghost Dog" Myers
vs.
"Diesel" David Leonard
The battle of the publicists. Excellent. Also, my brother, the very funny and cool and lanky Graham Davidson, is going to be giving his best Michael Buffer impersonation as announcer.
Plus, glamourous ring girls!
Plus, plenty of booze!
Plus, plus, plus: TBA!
Thursday, October 5, 2006, 7 pm
Florida Jack's Boxing Club
782 Yonge Street
General Admission, FREE. Come early to get those front row, "covered in boxer-sweat" seats.
All best, Craig.
Craig Davidson on 08.23.06 @ 01:14 PM EST [link]
Monday, August 21st
We've Got a Challenger
Hi All,
I guess I shouldn't say challenger, because that implies that I'm champ, and I'm not. Not at all. I guess I should say that someone has graciously agreed to meet me in the ring for four rounds of action.
There were plenty of challengers, but Steve whittled it down to one---a man who matches up pretty evenly in all those matchmaker categories: age, height, weight, etc. He also happens to be a damn fine fellow and a heck of a writer, as well.
His name is Michael Knox (boxing name: Michael "Hard" Knox), a Toronto poet. His debut collection, PLAY OUT THE MATCH, is out with ECW Press:
www.ecwpress.com/newrel.htm (scroll down 10 or so books to find Michael's. Then go order it.)
I received Michael's email in the flurry that transpired after the challenge and subsequent Globe and Mail article. He did not list his stats, and there was no photo, so in truth I as yet know very little about him. But we've been in contact and he's going to be sending on his info to Penguin, and we'll get something up---photo, height, weight, etc---as well as a better link to his book on THE FIGHTER's website before long. Check back regularly to check him out.
Craig Davidson on 08.21.06 @ 08:35 PM EST [more..] [4 Comments]
Friday, August 18th
Check it Out
Hi All,
www.thefighter.ca
Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good. (if you're a fan a Curb Your Enthusiasm, you'll get the reference. If not, you'll just think I'm enamoured of the word "pretty").
My thanks to Tina Sequeira and the whole website team for developing such a cool site. Of course, it will be updated with new info, etc, as the months progress, so check back from time to time to see what's happening.
And while you're at it, go ahead and preorder a copy of the book, if you haven't already. You have my blessings. Order from Penguin directly, or www.amazon.ca. My publishers would prefer from Penguin directly. Who goes to a brick and mortar store to buy their books anymore? I mean, that is SO 2003. Passe. You pay more, plus you have to tromp out to a mall and buy it, and you'll probably end up buying a Cinnabon while you're there and totally ruin your diet, or you'll contract the Avian Flu or the Hanta Virus (it's making a comeback) from a water fountain, or some other dire malady will surely befall you. Better to order it now and have it show up in your mailbox in a month and a bit.
Plus, I must say that certain bits of The Fighter are so titillating, so salacious, that the bookstore clerk might hand it over to you wrapped in a plain brown bag, like pornography. They might even keep them on a shelf behind the counter, like cigarettes and razorblades, and you'll have to point to it and say, "I'd like a copy of that," in a meek voice and everyone will look at you with disgust.
Why put yourself through that? Order it online now and save the embarrassment.
All best, Craig.
Craig Davidson on 08.18.06 @ 02:09 PM EST [link]
Wednesday, August 16th
THE FIGHTER to Soho Press
Hi All,
Quick note to say that US rights to THE FIGHTER have been picked up by Soho Press. I don't know much more than that, but that is great news from my end. Soho is a small NY-based publisher, and I think they're a great match for me. So, anyone reading this from the US, please know that a US edition of THE FIGHTER will be out at some point in the future.
On another note, my good buddy David Hickey's debut book of poetry, IN THE LIGHTS OF A MIDNIGHT PLOW, is now out with Biblioasis. Dave's a great guy, a great writer---I can't say I really know from poetry, ill-bred troglodyte that I am, but I love Dave's stuff---so go check it out at:
www.biblioasis.com
All best, Craig.
Craig Davidson on 08.16.06 @ 01:27 PM EST [link]
Sunday, August 13th
Eating a Goldfish; Karmic Debt Thereof
Hi All,
Went to a stag party last night for my buddy Ryan. A good time was had by all.
This stag was at a bar, with poker and blackjack tables, and hostesses, and some door prizes. There was also this aquarium full of goldfish, and when I paid for my ticket the hostess went on about some raffle that was being held at the end of the night and, if if I won the raffle and chose to waive the $5 "goldfish fee," I'd have to eat a live goldfish. I was sober and relatively clearheaded at the time the "goldfish fee" was offered, and there were plenty of guys there so I figured what were my chances of winning the raffle, anyway?
Fast forward 5 hours and x-number of pints later:
HOSTESS: And the winner of the raffle is #32!
ME [careening drunkenly to my feet]: Yip-yip-yaHOOOEY!
HOSTESS: Did you pay the goldfish fee?
ME [staggering about, arms raised above my head like I'd actually accomplished a feat of note]: No my dear lady, I most certainly did NOT!
HOSTESS: Then you have to eat a goldfish.
ME: You're DAMN STRAIGHT I do!
Craig Davidson on 08.13.06 @ 08:08 PM EST [more..]
Thursday, August 10th
Quick Post; 2 Things---1 Favor
Hi All,
First off, a quick but hearty shout out to the original British version of THE OFFICE, starring Ricky Gervais as David Brent. I've been watching the whole 12-episode arc + Christmas special over the past few days, and I'm not being even a bit over-the-top when I say it's up there with THE SIMPSONS, SEINFELD, and ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT as one of my favorite comedies of all time. Hilarious. Cringe-worthy. Hugely satiric. And, just when you aren't expecting it, the last episode blindsides you with some true, honest-to-god, heartbreaking, wonderfully emotional stuff. And it's only 12 episodes! Think of the first 12 SEINFELDs or THE SIMPSONS---if they only had that many episodes, there's no way they'd be the institutions they turned out to be; they hadn't even hit their strides at that point.
I've downloaded Yazoo's "Only You" and have been playing it nonstop all day. It's a totally sappy thing to do, but I can be a sap. Any of you who've seen the final episode of THE OFFICE will know what I'm talking about.
Check this series out. The US version is wonderful, I quite like it, but the British original is superior to my mind. If you can rent or buy the DVD package, it's money well spent.
Secondly:
I've been in contact with my Penguin webmaster for this upcoming website, and she wanted me to send on some of the emails I got regarding the fight. Like, the proposals/challenges.
Huge problem: I deleted every email after I replied to it, so I don't have any. My publicist did the same, so we have none of the challenges anymore.
The webmaster wanted to post the emails on the site, stripped of identity if that's how the challenger wants it, just to give a cross-section of some of the challenges I received. But the problem is, all those wonderful challenges are now gone.
So, a favor if anyone is willing: anyone who challenged me, if they could, re-email me with your challenge. Go for the gusto. I know you won't be able to mimic your first challenge---it's like trying to rewrite a story after your computer crashes---but this is your chance to make it even more crazy/fierce/what-have-you than your initial one. If you send it on, it will be sent to the webmaster and posted on the site---stripped, as I said, of identity if that is your wish.
Again, you'd be helping me out but I don't expect it. I should've kept the originals. I'm an ass. In any case, if anyone's willing, much appreciated. If not, the site will still be pretty cool.
All best, Craig.
Craig Davidson on 08.10.06 @ 08:31 PM EST [link]
Wednesday, August 9th
Woman Eating Rotten Banana at Airport
Hi All,
Been away at a wedding this past week---well, not at the wedding the WHOLE time, but with travel and whatnot---so away from the computer. Congrats to my cousin Suzanne and her new husband Ian. Of course, me and my brother fielded a lot of "So when's one of you two gonna tie the knot?" questions, though it is not unusual that two healthy fellows, one in his late-20s, the other in his early 30s, with no discernable mental illnesses and passable hygeine, should have to field such enquiries. Our general reply to the question was, "Hey, what's that over there?" and, when the questioner turned his or her back, we scampered away, the tails of our suitcoats flapping merrily.
Avoidance and subterfuge. Invaluable skills at a wedding.
Anyway, since there's nothing too interesting to report, I thought I might relate a tiny bit of happenstance that took place at the Toronto airport last week. My brother and I---both keen social observers, natch---both took note of this.
We were sitting in the departure lounge when this lady walked by. She was eating something. At first glance I took it to be a chocolate muffin, perhaps, and upon second inspection I amended my guess to a giant piece of chocolate, like a chocolate tube maybe, but then I saw yellowish mush at the top and so chocolate was out and while I considered that it was perhaps some sort of foodstuff I'd never seen before, that perhaps she'd disembarked off a flight from Nepal and was eating some Native delicacy she'd smuggled through customs, as I was debating this the synapses in my brain collided rudely and I realized what she was eating:
A rotten banana.
Craig Davidson on 08.09.06 @ 11:12 AM EST [more..]
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