366 Days is a week old

So I'm doing a daily fiction experiment at www.pcitylive.com, a local social network, in which I'm writing new short fiction of some kind every day. A story, a couple of paragraphs, a poem, an a-b-c piece, something. The project started on my birthday and will end on my birthday next year, so altogether, "366 Days."

You're invited to play along - post comments, critiques, or your own stories in the comments section. Write an alternate ending. Just say Hi. Something to let me know there's somebody out there.

You can find the blogs at my profile, or you can go to the site and click on slide of me and go to a rough feed of the stories. (I prefer the formating at the profile and individual blog pages.)

The site is so happy that I'm "fiction blogging" that they've put me on the front page today, as one of their rotating features. I got to go to their loft office downtown Tuesday after work, where Dustin Bryson took several pictures of me trying to look like a literary rockstar. He has ideas for more pics that we may do later in the year.

So far, the project has been pretty much effortless, as I've drawn upon ideas that have percolated in my head for a long time. Those will begin running short any day now, and we'll see how this evolves. Maybe I'll begin writing a novel a page at a time. Who knows? Let's find out together.

Peace.

Still going

Amazing story? Maybe not. But the weird truth about Books Alive 2008 is that the only books I sold were copies of "Welcome to the Dawning of a New Century" and "Dazed and Raving in the Undercurrents." The former was purchased by Janis Owens, and the latter by a lady on a cell phone whose connection wanted the column collection.

Here's what Janis said in a recent email: "... When we got home and I was unpacking my books, I told Wendel (her husband) that I had a picture that pretty much encapsulated my writing sensibility and my myth in one photo. He stopped unpacking long enough to put on his reading glasses and I handed him the Piggy Wiggly picture on the back of your book. He agreed: there it was, my vision and my past, in one historic pose."

Glad to be of service to the myth. She added: "... I'm loving (the) book and will send whatever criticisms come to mind. None so far, but I'm just started. Xxjanis"

xx to you too.

Photo above: Janis Owens and Michael Morris before their morning Books Alive session, which I moderated. Below: My lovely daughter staffing the booth for Dad.

"City Limits" now available

After a loooong gestation period, "City Limits" is now available for purchase. The anthology includes work by Emily Cramer Boyle, Anthony S. Buoni, S. Brady Calhoun, N.W. Garrett, Lawrence Gordon, Kendall Middlemas Henley, John F. Jackson, Betty Kearney, Carole Petit Lapensohn, Bette Adams Powell, Jack Saunders, Rebecca Valle, Mary Anne Wright and Terry Wright. It features the art of Barbara Mulligan, articles and a short story by me.

I'm very pleased with the form this work took. I look forward to improving upon it in volume 2 (submissions now being accepted).

Books Alive 2007 -- And The Big Announcement

If you saw me at Books Alive, then you know about The Big Announcement. If not:






I'll be editing a new literary anthology coinciding with the upcoming Panama City Centennial. It's called "CITY LIMITS," and it will include short fiction, poetry, memoirs, art and photography. It'll also have information about Centennial events, a profile of the artist responsible for the Centennial logo (which will be used for the front cover art), a brief history of Panama City, and more informative content. The plan is to produce one annually for 2007, 08 and o9. (2009 is the actual centennial date.)


For details on submitting content for the publication, go here.

As for Books Alive, it seemed off this year. Most of the presenters were non-fiction folks, leaving those who get excited about poetry or fiction in the cold. The keynote speaker was interesting, as she had personal stories of encounters with Mother Teresa to share. But the crowd was smaller than in past years.

I sold a few books, most notably Nathan's debut "Generation Huh?" For those who haven't heard, I collected three of Nathan's plays into book form for a Christmas present to him and his grandparents. We took two copies with us to Books Alive and he autographed them for the buyers. If he'd brought more, I'm convinced he would've sold more. Next time, we'll be better prepared.




I got an email Sunday from Rebecca Saunders (of the Bay County Public Library) who said she had purchased (from the online publisher) two copies for the library's Local History Room. Nathan was pretty pleased.

Finally, here are a couple more photos from Books Alive: Jack Saunders talking with a reader, and a posed shot of Marlene Womack and Norma Hubbard.

Signing this Saturday, plus special announcement

I'll be signing at Books Alive 2007 on Saturday, on the second floor of the Student Union East building at Gulf Coast Community College. Please tell your friends and family, and come out and meet authors and book lovers from all over the Southeast.

In addition, I have a special announcement about a new project that will be unveiled at Books Alive. It's something I'm doing in conjunction with the Panama City Centennial Committee. I'll give you the details here this weekend, but the beans will spill (and maybe a beanstalk will grow!) Saturday. Stop by my table for details.

Peace.

Six-month anniversary

Today marks six months since my bypass surgery. I've put together a pretty extensive blog about this at newsherald.com, if you're interested.

Happy new year.

Tony
(...is still breathing)

Signing at B. Dalton

The mall was busy, but we weren't. However, Michael had a lot of copies of the anthology that he wanted signed, so there was still lots of ink spread about in perfectly good books.

I like this picture because it looks like Terry Lewis is standing behind an x-ray screen. Who'd've thought he dressed that way under his work clothes?