f a i l b e t t e r . c o m | news+notes

On influence and craft: 3 questions for Anthony Carelli

Anthony Carelli's first book Carnations was published in 2011. Currently he's a Hodder Fellow at Princeton University. *** In an article in a Princeton magazine, US 1, you mention Hart Crane as one of your favorite poets. Is there a specific poem that inspired you to write the way you ...

The “Count”: failbetter, 2011

One late night, having had too much coffee, I got a little curious as to what our “count” might look like if VIDA had chosen to review our gender ratio as they had other publications at the conclusion of 2010 and 2011. So, I took to counting our number of ...

This Friday in Chicago: Food, wine, easy parking…

..and the landscapes of Megan Williamson. All of this and more can be yours, at a show opening this Friday, April 13, from 6 to 9, at Chicago's Gallery 1837. The particulars: Gallery 1837 1837 W. Grand Ave. Chicago 60622 312/829-1116

Valeri Larko, master of the urban fringe

We added the "master" part - the bit about the urban fringe comes from the "artist's statement" page of Valeri's snazzy new website. If you enjoyed the paintings we featured last spring, the site's very much worth checking out. As will be, no doubt, the two shows she has coming ...

…or are you happy to see us? 2 questions for Etgar Keret

Etgar Keret is the acclaimed author of several wonderful and widely translated short story collections, children's books, graphic novels, TV scripts, screenplays, and more. He's also the newest member of the failbetter family, via his short story “What Do We Have in Our Pockets?” And while we're on the ...

Introducing Tom Batten

On March 27, we'll be running a brand new story, "What do we have in our pockets?" by the great young Israeli writer Etgar Keret. Some of you might know Etgar and his work from his appearances on This American Life. And you'll know him even better soon, via not ...

“Disaster” and beyond: 1 question for Donald Illich

Donald Illich is the author of "The Mistake" and "The Talent," both of which are live today on our site. *** It's been more than five years since we published your poem "Disaster." What have you been up to since, and how has it affected your work? In the last five years I've ...

Stop worrying! Love the web. And drink to that.

Headed to Chicago for AWP? Join us Thursday, March 1, along with our friends from Blackbird, Drunken Boat, Memorious, and Midway Journal, for a night of worry-free—or at least drink-sodden—poetry and prose. Tipple to the mellifluous tones of readers Michael Martone, Randall Brown, Sean Hill, Margaret Luongo, Nicky Beer, Erica ...

An actual experience, and then a poem: 1 question for Damian Fallon

Damian Fallon's poem "Bats" is live now on site. And about those bats? This poem was based on an actual experience. I live in Brooklyn, close to Prospect Park, and one summer day friends and I picnicked there until well after the sun set, and there were honest-to-goodness bats whirling around ...

One thing, another, or perhaps both: 1 question for Alissa Fleck

Alissa Fleck's poem "Honeymoon Period" is live today on our site. Why, we wonder, is she not a painter? Well actually I am a painter. I've made about three paintings in my lifetime and they form a triptych of sorts. Each of the three paintings is a replica of the ...