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It's probably too late for my own "best of 2004" list, so here's a prediction for the coming year: two books that are as good as anything else that'll be released in the next twelve months. The Sleepers Almanac 2005 is the first published outing from the folk at Sleepers Publishing, and a mighty fine book it is too. Predominantly a short story collection, there's a smattering of poetry and comics in there too, as well as a middle section compiled by noted chef Charmaine Solomon in which she gives recipes for seven of her favourite desserts. The short stories are just another example of why people are just so completely wrong when they talk about "the death of short stories in Australia". The talent and diversity that's on show in the Almanac is impressive - these writers are funny, adventurous, raw, disarming, honest and believable. The book's really nice to look at too, with some fun touches like the back pages that provide a statistical breakdown of authors published, and the Sleepers Story Selector that's available to download from the Sleepers web site, which is one of those little origami toys that you hold in two hands and open and close with your fingers and then unfold to reveal secret messages and shit, only this version is designed to determine which story you're going to read next. The folk at Sleepers are launching the Almanac in early February - full details are on their site. Should be a good gig. And yes, alright, I'll come clean - one of my stories is in the Almanac, so those of you who want to level accusations of bias can do so if you wish. I won't mind at all. Twelve Times Lost is a chapbook by US author Kevin Fanning, of whygodwhy fame, that's being re-released with a snappy new design by So New Media this month. Twelve short, fragmentary prose works about travel and uncertain destinations. The stories in 12xL have a real sense of confusion and dislocation that stands alongside a questing open-mindedness, and the combination of the two are evocative of the feeling of long road-trip family holidays. You're in the car, you're moving, you're not a hundred percent sure where you're going, you may or may not be in control, but there's an undeniable sense of transition, of change, of some kind of progression. I picked up a copy of the original photocopied printing of 12xL when Kevin was selling them through his site for $1.00 if you lived in the US, or a dollar's worth of candy if you were outside the US. I sent him a huge care package of distinctly Australian chocolates and stuff, including Kool Mints, Cherry Ripes, Peppermint Crisps and Caramello Koalas, in return for ten copies, because I liked Kevin's writing so much that I wanted to have spare copies to give to my friends. This new edition will set you back $US5 as a reflection of its new-and-improved design, and it's well worth the extra four bucks, even with the Aussie-US exchange rate. |
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