News & Updates
October 16, 2024
Hello whomever.
I only update this site when there’s news fit for print (er, post). Today’s is that my new book, A Book No One Wants, is coming soon, like, end of 2024. To fund the small print run, Jabber Literary is holding a presale. The money raised from the presale funds a small print run. Anything gained over the cost of printing will sink back into Jabber and help us keep the proverbial lights on and literal tea brewing.
Go here to buy the thing: https://jabberliterary.com/a-book-no-one-wants/
The book itself? Short and bitter. A sort of closing of a type of book I have written, used to write, may never write again. Like a Dog was me doing the memoir thing. The Soft Lunacy was me trying to break the memoir with intruding essays and goofy vignettes. A Book No One Wants is the last chapter of this (sure, let’s call it a) trilogy. It explores the frustrations of this maybe possibly fictionalized writer as he navigates the literary scene, the publishing world, and all other avenues of aspiration. In the end, he writes the book no one wants, the book you can hold in your hot little hands for one flat price that includes sales tax, shipping, a personalized/signed copy, and the promise of a beer if you come to any of the promo events. I’ll throw in a trinket from my lifelong collection of baubles and doodads, mostly because the Mrs. wants to clean house. But hey if it gets you buying, all the better.
There’s a good chance this is the last book I’ll write of this kind. Every other manuscript I’ve churned out in the years during and since Covid have been weirder, looser, streamier of consciousness, or straight up satirical. There are plans to foist those onto an indifferent public as well, but that’s for later. For now, it feels good to put a bow on a chapter of my writing life that favored a more direct style, however rancorous.
One other thing: the funding of this here book will be greatly appreciated, because it’s not just this book you’re helping make happen. And it’s not just Jabber itself. It’s future Jabber books. We’ll always be a website that publishes whatever the hell we want, but as we move a bit further into producing actual published matter, we envision shelves of physical media that would never exist without our small enterprise. We have no plans to take over the world. Only fools make such proclamations and big plans. We’re smart enough to know what we’re doing is doomed. Which is the only reason to do anything. Please help us make our small dent and birth some books that would otherwise be aborted.
Thanks for your attention.
May 13, 2024
Hello whomever.
I skipped a few updates, but don’t let that make you think I’ve had much going on. The one that I should’ve mentioned is that I had the pleasure of chatting with Andrés Neuman last week at Exile in Bookville. So, if you have a time machine, feel free to come to that event and watch me ask the acclaimed writer some questions.
If you’re looking toward the future, come to the Steppenwolf Theatre on June 8th of this goddamn year and watch me read a story of dubious victory at the next You’re Being Ridiculous reading, created and hosted by the great Jeremy Owens. There will others on the bill, in case the prospect of a story by me isn’t much of a draw. Grab a ticket here.
In other “news,” a post I wrote years ago for my blog about how much I dislike the Red Hot Chili Peppers continues to generate messages from strangers. Nothing I have ever written has, or will, get so much attention. Apparently, people really hate that band, expect for the one dude who sent me a message arguing in their favor by stating that they continue to sell out stadiums, because we all know that artistic quality is solely tied to popularity. Sadly, the message was so poorly composed and lazily punctuated to make addressing the logically fallacious content worthwhile. And it’s not like I took anyone’s favorite band away from them. But you know, when you love a band like the Luke Warm Silly Putties, you likely feel the need to defend them against accusations that they make shitty records and are fronted by the biggest douchebag in music. I feel for the fans.
Okay, fucking off now.
10/16/2023
Hello whomever.
The only news I have is that I’ll be reading some shit at Read Some Shit this week, Wednesday Oct 18 to be exact while abbreviating. I have no idea what I’m reading yet, but it’ll be great.
Oh wait— I do have other news. My absurdist venture JABBER has published its first book, A Book Nobody Wrote by Art Intel, our resident nonhuman. We’re please as fuck to be giving voice to a robot and furthering our collective slide into entropy, so please grab a copy and help us in our pursuit of end times. We’d have Art autograph your copy, but he has no hands with which to hold a pen.
If you’d like to read my in-depth interview with Art, go here.
That’s all. Hopefully more before the end of the year and/or planet.
12/08/2022
Yeah, I’m as bad at updating this site as I am at self-promo, otherwise I would have shared this interview I did on the Chicago Writers Podcast back in October.
09/05/2022
Hey all.
If you want to see me as emcee on behalf of the Open Heart Chicago Anthology, come to Printer’s Row Literary Festival this weekend. Specifically: Sept. 11, 2022 at 5:00. Readers repping the book are Sandi Wisenberg, Joseph Peterson, Dorothy Frey, and Lorena Ornelas.
THEN:
Come to Exile in Bookville on Sept. 17 at 6:00 to see me square off with Irinia Ruvinsky on the subject of Joyce v Proust. It’ll be more fun than a lecture on Modernism. Here’s the flyer with more details:
The big lovely anthology of Chicago poetry is out with my poem included. Go get it here. It looks like this:
05/05/2022
Looks like a long poem I wrote got picked up by the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame’s anthology called Wherever I’m At (edited by Donald Evans, and many thanks to him) to be released very soon. Like, in a month. In fact, there’s a launch event, which you can come to if you click here and register (it’s free and there will be snacks and booze).
You can and should pre-order the book.
Hope to see you at the launch, mystery person.
04/01/2022
April fools, suckas!
In addition to today being the day the bookshop I used to work for (closed for a long time now. . . I ought to shut up about it) opened, and the day Flann O’Brien died (perfect), it’s also the day I decided to update this site with the scant news regarding my semi-relevance.
I was interviewed by a Loyola U. student named Peter Stuart. Peter did an admirable job turning my rambling into an article about me and the writing life in this here Chicago town. Read it here.
As if that write up were not enough, I was the subject of Hypertext’s One Question interview series. I used it to promote the anthology I edited (you know— this thing) and talk brief trash about Garcia Marquez.
No other news, save for the horrible stuff you already know of— but as for me? Nah. I got nothing else. For now.
Ciao.
02/12/2022
Happy early Valentine’s Day. And whatever you’ve got planned for that actual (sorta) holiday, come down from the bliss and re-up on the joy with a live reading over Zoom from six (count ‘em— six!) contributors to Open Heart Chicago. The event is free, online, but register through The Chicago Literary Hall of Fame’s website (and big thanks to the Chi Lit HoF for hosting). If you prefer to join through Facebook, go directly here. I’ll be emceeing the thing, and we’ll likely wrap after 1.5 hours, making this a lengthy-ish reading, but I promise you’ll be comfy in your home, dressed as you like, eating and drinking your own food and drinks, and smoking whatever it is you smoke, no questions asked.
Thanks for coming. Kiss kiss.
11/06/2021
Not sure why I forgot to update this site and mention the release of Open Heart Chicago: An Anthology of Chicago Writing (buy it here), but looks like I just did it. Better late than never.
I spent a good part of my year putting this thing together, and I if I may so... it’s a damn fine collection. Stories ranging from traditional realism to the oddly surreal, flash fiction, vignettes, essays, even a few plays. Something for everyone.
Oh, one more thing: there’s a launch for the book this coming Friday November 12, 2021 at Exile in Bookville, a wonderful shop located in the Fine Arts Building. We’ll gather at 6, readings start at 7. Who knows what’ll happen after. Event announcement and store details here: https://exileinbookville.com/events/14112
Come on out and meet some of the writers, have a sip of something, say hello.
07/26/2021
Hey whomever.
As I often write: no news, really, but I felt like updating this page for my own pleasure and certainly not yours. I do suppose I can report that the Chicago anthology is coming along, though who knows what the final version will look like? Well, me, I guess, since I’m editing the thing. Care to get a sense of what’s to come?
Here goes: stories, essays, recollections, and wandering writings aimed at communicating what each person’s Chicago is, what they’ve experienced, how they live. Standard stuff and oddities both. I’m excited, so why shouldn’t you be as well?
The pandemic never left, folks. Get the shot and maybe we can meet for a drink.
03/23/2021
Hiya.
The news of the day, week, whatever is that I am going to spend my summer editing an anthology of “Chicago writing,” which I’m defining a bit broadly, but them’s the perks of being the “editor.” There’s an actual call for submissions (see below) in case anyone who comes here is not already aware of this project and wants to send me somehting to read.
Other than that, nada. Vaccine on the horizon, just in time for the weather to get warmer and my immune system to override my instinct to stay in and avoid humans. I will admit, I miss eating in restaurants as opposed to crowding in outdoor annexes with the real restaurant a few feet away. Outdoor dining is overrated, especially in Chicago. Car exhaust doesn’t mix well with any of my preferred foods.
Call for Submissions:
Blue Heron Book Works is accepting submissions of short stories and creative nonfiction pieces about or set in the city of Chicago for an anthology. We aim to highlight writing that is as diverse as the city itself. While we’re not opposed to think-pieces about what Chicago means, we’re more interested in documenting the experiences of Chicagoans, past and present, as well non-residents with a relevant story to tell. First and foremost, we want interesting work.
Send your work, and any questions, to Vincent Francone by email: vincentwords@gmail.com by May10, 2021. Submissions should be no more than 10-pages (give or take), double-spaced, in doc or docx format, and attached to the email. Limit 2 submissions. Previously published work is fine, so long as you own the rights. We encourage women, BIPOC, non-binary, and under-represented writers to submit. We are offering payment of one copy of the anthology to contributors.
02/10/2021
Hey folks,
The last YouTube thing went so well (see below) that I’m doing another. Saturday Feb. 13, 6:00 CST, the day before Valentine’s Day, I’ll be reading a romantic bit from The Soft Lunacy along with Larry Neff and Rose Ellen Moore. We’re all published by Blue Heron Books Works, and the head of that operation Bathsheba Monk will host the event. It should be fun, what with the love theme. I promise it won’t be anything like the TV show Love American Style.
Click here to view live (the link will also work after the event, but isn’t it more fun to watch us live?).
01/28/2021
‘Ello whomever.
Tomorrow, January 29, I will be on YouTube chatting with Bathsheba Monk, head of Blue Heron Book Works, publisher of some fine texts some of them written by me. We will be testing out a new platform in anticipation of a series of virtual events to come. This first thing is her interview with me. Tune in by clicking here. It should be a fun talk. I have things to say, damnit.
More events to follow, and possibly a reboot of the Drinking and Talking podcast. Who knows? Anything is possible, right? Yeah. Let’s go with that.
12/31/2020
Happy end of a weird year. In case you missed it, I was on the most recent episode of the Two Month Review talking about J R by William Gaddis and making a few cracks along the way alongside Chad W. Post and Brian Wood. Good times. Check it out here.
The year is ending. I’ve got a few weeks before school starts, so I’ll be doing my version of writing and trying to get my goofy prose on its feet while sipping plenty of tea and a few beers, maybe a whiskey here and there, hanging with my dog and being a damn good husband. Seems the right way to ease into what I hope will be a better year for one and all.
12/28/2020
Hey peoples.
Apparently I'll be on the Two Month Review podcast this Wednesday December 30th at 2:00 PM Chicago time. I'll be talking about J R (specifically pages 137-197 in the older editions) by William Gaddis with hosts Chad Post and Brian Wood. This should be a fun way to end 2020, especially as J R provides the PERFECT lens through which to view this shitshow of a year and our crumbling American experiment.
Grab a drink and watch live by clicking here.
Good times ahoy.
10/22/2020
I have nothing. No updates. Writing a bit. We’ll see where that goes. Working. From home. Hoo hum. The days fall into each other in a way that is almost beautiful. Socially distant. Me and mine in our humble home. Some meals more sensible than others. Drinking less. Even cut back to one cup of black tea a day. I grow old. . . Hi, Prufrock!
I’m happy to report that Xmas has been canceled.
Random stuff: Rereading lots of Flann O’Brien and as much Ali Smith as I can get my hands on. Watching a LOT of movies and re-binged Succession, which remains great. Hoping for a season 3. Miss going to the movies, eating in restaurants, and drinking in bars. And suddenly. . . ah, yes— there it is. The realization that I (we) am (are) so fucking spoiled that it’s enough to make you ill. Assuming the virus has not touched you yet. And I truly hope that’s a NO.
Stay safe and sane. We’re in this together. Wear a mask. Avoid indoor crowds. And outdoor ones as well. Don’t be a selfish prick.
04/20/2020
Hey, stoners, guess what? It’s 4/20! But there’s no reason to celebrate. The world is fucked. Anyway, I have to use this thing called Zoom if I want to keep my job. And I suck at Zoom. So I’m practicing by making silly videos, which I’m calling Zoomcasts. So, welcome to Drinking (tea) and Talking (shit) episode one featuring me chatting briefly abut the books I’m reading and films I’m watching to stave off the boredom that I shouldn’t be feeling in this mad time we’re all enduring. I’d say “enjoy” but it’s nothing to get excited about. But this is my goddamn website, so I’m putting it up anyway. Seriously, I hope every human is doing well, even the horrible ones who seem hell bent on spreading the virus and delaying global recovery.
10/27/2019
Hello folks both real and imagined.
A few weeks ago I was interviewed on the (here goes) Flabby Hoffman show on local Chicago AM radio, a wild west of oddity. (Not the Flabby Hoffman show— AM radio. Seriously. If you’re driving and bored by the endless amount of podcasts and Spotify playlists, just hit SCAN on the AM band of your radio and buckle up for a trip through gooftown.) The podcast of the entire 3 plus hour episode is available HERE. I show up around hour/minute 2:52, right at the end.
The interview was supposed to center on my book, but you know. . . things got out of hand quickly. My opening remark probably set the tone, but hey, I couldn’t let a previously made and monstrous statement about feeding pets to starving people go unaddressed. Mostly, I talk to the morning zoo like gang about music, which is always worth discussing, though I shit on Van Morrison a bit (mostly as a joke) and make digs at Dylan (not as joke) and share my not-really-a-theory Van Halen theory. It’s all in good fun, sorta.
09/27/2019
Hello whomever and all.
I had the honor of answering some questions for Sue Rovens over at her blog, which you can read by clicking right here.
No other news. I’m deep into teaching and trying to maintain the “writerly life,” though, ya know, there’s plenty of distractions to tune out. Which is a part time job. And there’s this dog who seems to want a walk.
Bye.
07/03/2019
Last night I spoke with Nick Digilio on WGN Radio, which aired in the middle of the night. Considering I usually crash around 9, I was pretty, um, mellow during the interview, and I woke thinking it went badly. And here we have the audio file, which I just reviewed and, you know what? It’s not a bad interview. Whew.
05/05/2019
Hello, people of Earth.
Latest news looks like this:
So, yeah, I’ll be reading at this series, which is among the best in the city, in my goddamn opinion. The readers are always unique and engaging, the vibe is laid back, and the bar has a dimly lit Twin Peaks feel that appeals to yours truly very much. A small enough room to provide intimacy, though large enough to not fee crammed—I dig. Hope you’ll come by and dig along with me.
03/02/2019
Hello Whomever.
News? I guess it’s news: The Soft Lunacy, my book of essays, is coming out in a few weeks. To launch it, I’m throwing, well, a book launch at Heirloom Books (6239 N. Clark St., Chicago, Illest of the IL) April 6, 2019 at 6:00 PM. I plan to read briefly, then host a trivia contest, maybe an interactive event. Then we march to the bar.
If you’re in the hood, swing on by.
01/10/2018
First news of 2019 is that I’ll be reading a piece from my forthcoming essay collection The Soft Lunacy at the wonderful event known as You’re Being Ridiculous (click anywhere in this parenthetical to visit the place to buy the tickets that made the house that Jack built). I’m reading on the first night, February 1, 2019. This event costs money, but it is being held at the Steppenwolf Theatre, a fancy place, and those folks needs to keep up the pomp. Come early and we’ll have a drink before the show.
11/22/2018
Hello. No real news, save for the website’s been updated a touch. The main page has a sneak peak at the cover art for my forthcoming book, The Soft Lunacy (March 2019). The art is by Gertrude Abercrombie, Chicago artist and friend to many jazz legends, including Bird and Dizzie, for fuck’s sake. Not bad company. I’m lucky as hell to have her work associated with my book. Still not sure how that happened.
Otherwise, nothing to report as of yet, though I’m making plans and casting spells and waiting for things to get exciting. The new book is being readied with last round edits and a few polishes. I like this book. I liked the last one, but I really like this one. It’s not easy to classify, though we’re calling it a memoir-in-essay collection, if that makes sense. There’s vignettes in there, too. I’m especially fond of them, as they lean toward the absurd and most of what I write lately is trying to be absurdist in the Daniil Khrams, Mikhail Bulgakov, Virgilio Piñera tradition— not that I can ever claim their level of artistry. But I grow bored by convention, thus the slightly unconventional book. That stated, there’s hardly anything challenging or any mad experiments in my new collection. Just a naked sort of writing about my obsessions, which is what any book really is anyway.
It’s Thanksgiving. I’m not a fan of the holiday, but I’m feeling very optimistic and thankful nonetheless. It has nothing to do with football (which is a dumb sport) or turkey (which is bad food). I’m not sure what’s at the root of my positivity today. The weather in Chicago goes from arctic to brisk and back again; the world seems to be crumbling politically, socially, and morally; wanton stupidity is being celebrated; time is short and hairs go from brown to gray before my eyes. Aside from my wife, my family, my friends, my dog, and the continuing charm of alcohol, I’m not sure what there is to be thankful for, but I am. Sorry if that’s a downer. I don’t mean it be. The above list is actually quite a lot, more than some have. So that’s good. I’m happy they’re around and hope they remain. But at this moment, alone in my room with some jazz playing and nothing much stirring, I feel isolated, cocooned, happily removed. I have papers to grade, pitches to send, stories to write, a dog to walk, and— later— food to eat. Obligations never go away, but we can steal moments for ourselves. Thanks for spending this one with me, whenever you get here.
09/27/2018
This weekend I'll be (here goes) attending the sure to be lovely Story Studio Story in a Night Fundraiser (Friday), visiting my wonderful aunt/godmother and wishing her a happy birthday before jetting to Powell's to take advantage of their big book sale (Saturday), moderating a panel of very talented writers during the Story Studio Writers Festival (2:00), then reading at The Reveler as part of the Sunday Salon (Sunday 7:00), and then there's a "Reading & Discussion" at Roosevelt University (Monday 5:00). Tuesday I plan to collapse. Come see me at any of these events before I drop. Nice knowing you. Thanks.
09/03/2018
A vignette from my forthcoming book, The Soft Lunacy, is up on Bosphorus Review of Books (click here to read it). The lil’ essay centers on my interest in the “sub-canon” and how to ile about books you haven't read when confronted by chatty, bookish types at cocktail parties. Useful advise. You’re welcome.
08/07/2018
A poem of mine was picked up by the journal Southword out of Cork, Ireland. Buy a copy here. You should buy a copy not for my poem, but to see an interview and some poems by Matthew Sweeney. Sweeney died two days ago, a serious loss to the world of letters. People don't really know his work on this side of the Atlantic, which is unfortunate because his work is amazing. I've only been reading him for about two years, but I'm very glad to have been introduced to his poems, as there are none like them. Here are a few examples.
08/05/2018
Hello, Franconiacs.
First bit of news: I'll be leading a workshop for this year's Northwestern University Summer Writers Conference. On Thursday, August 9, to be specific. In preparation, I'm scanning images to use since the workshop is on writing about images, or ekphrastic writing if you want to be all fancy.
Here's a picture of me leading a workshop at last year's conference. I'll likely dress the
06/03/2018
Hello whomever.
I'll be traveling to Rochester, NY to take part in The Ladder Literary Conference. The night before Bloomsday., June 15, I'll be reading some stuff at Nagel's Observance. The reading sounds like a fun time, inasmuch as it'll be less than serious, though I plan to seriously fucking bring it. So there. Lit like you wouldn't believe. Believe it.
04/21/2018
I'll be reading a poem at Volumes Bookcafe in the wacky Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago on May 23rd. Click here to read all about it. The event is called Between the Covers and the material will be erotica with a bookstore theme. My poem adheres to this directive without being overly blue. Come (ahem) and hear for yourself. All proceeds from the event-- and the journal of the work, which will include my poem-- go toward keeping Volumes in business during these rough times for bookstores not called Amazon.
03/22/2018
My poem "Orpheus" is up on the Willawaw Journal's page which is viewable clicking on a link I am here now providing thank you.
03/15/2018
Last part of my long chat with Chad Post is up under the POD (that's short for podcast) section of this here site. We talk some shit about books and get fairly sloshed. Fun!
o1/24/2018
In an effort at more self-promotion, let me announce something I neglected to share last year: my poem "Mud" was nominated for the Pushcart Prize by The Paddock Review. The editors are very nice to have done this. I feel like Meryl Streep.
01/09/2018
The next podcast is up, cleverly housed under the "Podcast" section of this website. I talk some shit with Chad Post, leader of the fine Open Letter Press, which you (yes you) should check out. Chad and I met over Skype, which is always a nightmare, though it helped us get drunk together separately. The next installment of our long chat to come. Tuned stay.
11/03/2017
Two poems published by Pif Magazine. So there's that. Them?
10/22/2017
"Mud" was published by The Penn Review online and will be printed in their print edition. Though online journals get more reads, it's always nice when someone feels your work is worth printing (read: spending money on). And now The Paddock Review picked up the poem as well. This fucker's got legs.
09/25/2017
The second half of my long chat with Chris Sebela is up on the Podcast section of this here webthing. I was sorta tipsy by this point and talking more than I should've considering I asked Chris to be my guest. My blunder, y’all.
No other news, save for this: my poem “Mud” is going to be part of Penn Review’s fall anthology, so I guess they liked it. I got some good feedback on that poem, which is nice, though it tells me that the poems I sort of toss off, like “Mud,” work better than the ones I’m laboring over for months/years. There’s a lesson in there, but maybe I ought not heed it, as it may cause me to rationalize sloth.
09/05/2017
Podcast number two is up, so there's that. It's a chat between me and my old pal Chris Sebela. This is part one, as we chatted for a long time and it was decided by Jeff Wornhoff, the brains behind this operation, to split the podcast in two. Part two to be uploaded soonish.
No other news save for the news of the world, which is fucking horrifying.
08/03/2017
First: Happy birthday, mom!
Second: My podcast has been up and available for a few days, but, considering the only way we experience things is through continuous documentation of our vanity, I'm just now "announcing" it here in the News & Updates area. So yeah, go to "Podcast" up above and listen to the rambling conversation that occurred between me and one Jason Witherow over drinks at the wonderful Cunneen's Bar in not-always-wonderful Rogers Park. Big thanks to Jeff Wornhoff for recording, producing, and making the theme music. If anyone feels inclined to join me as a guest on future podcasts, send me a message and you'll likely get an okay. Or not. Roll them dice.
Third: I wrote a few reviews on the "Dig" section of this here bitch. I reviewed two books and my neighborhood. So that's new. More to come, probably.
Fourth: My poem "Mud" is published by The Penn Review and you can read it here. It's a poem about... aw, fuck it. Read it and figure it out, if you care. People explaining their poems are a drag.
07/26/2017
My review of Francesco Pacifico's new novel Class is up at Three Percent. The book is worth a read though I have to admit that I was, at times, ready to throw it against a wall. I mean that in the best way.
07/12/2017
Hello. It's July now. Summer in Chicago is a series of rainstorms that deeply upset my dog. And the 4th of July fireworks that I knew at age four were stupid. Blow up shit to prove your patriotism. That's the USA for ya.
In other non-news, I started a new page on the site called "Dig" that will serve as the review wing of this here enterprise. Reviews will be more personal than the reviews I publish over at Three Percent or other venues. Meaning that these will be reviews of whatever I want to review. Books. Music. Films. Food. Whatever I like. It's sort of a blog but a focused one as opposed to the Flotsam page which is where my more rambling blog-like writing goes to retire. If this is confusing, well, so is life and we're all trying our best with that, right? Anyway, what's the internet for if not to add random thoughts on things that matter to a few individuals. Whatever fills the void.
Other pages might be added soon because I've got more to do with this site. It's getting to the point where there will be about 10 specific places to go beyond the Welcome page. Seems like a good round number.
In other bullshit, I went to Boston recently. (That may be the subject of the first review.) Here's a picture of me in a hotel in Cambridge enjoying room booze. Always get room booze. Those hotel bars are a goddamn rip off.
06/21/2017
Happy summerlongestdayoftheyear!
To celebrate (er?) I'm posting this very short story I wrote that is part of a longer thing I was working on, but here's the micro version CLICK RIGHT HERE! Thanks and all to the good folks at Silver Birch Press for once again deeming my scribblings worthy.
In the contemporary literary culture, this sort of thing is called flash fiction, I think. I don't know for sure. Flash fiction seems to be a lot of things, though I understand it as very short fiction. Sort of like stories for the Twitter generation, though I'm sure there are Twitter stories that are shorter than mine because we're all giddy in our devolution. I am sure there are purists of the flash fiction genre who will scoff at my submission, but I'm so past caring about these genre distinctions that I can't get it up to give a good goddamn.
04/26/2017
Hello whomever. The Wild Word published a couple of my poems and they look like this. These are poems titled “Domesticity I” and “Domesticity III” from which one may surmise that “Domesticity II” was not picked up, which is okay, it’s not for everyone, and really neither are these, but I like them. The first is old(ish) and an attempt at sticking to a pattern while the second is less smart-ass and more sincerely repentant and seeks to be sweet without being cloying. And that’s about all the news I have. How are you?
03/15/2016
My review of C.K. Williams' last book, Falling Ill, has been published by Rain Taxi Review. It's print only, no online link, so you'll have to buy the thing (and go here to do that) if you care to see my thoughts on the dying poems of an American master.
03/13/2017
I'm working on a series of poems connected loosely by a theme I'll not mention at the moment. One of them was picked up by Silver Birch Press as part of their Lost and Found series and can be read here.
The poem is based on a true(ish) story and features a nice picture of Rade Šerbedžija from Batman Begins, though savvy filmgoers will know his work from Before the Rain. There's no reason for me to state that, but I like seeing the old guy connected to me, even this loosely.
02/23/2017
Five of my (let’s call them) poems have been published by Full of Crow, a staggering amount to be published at one time, which suggests that maybe the good folks at Full of Crow are full of something else, or that they are desperately in need of anything that approximates poetry.
These were submitted last year and might have been published in the fall of 2016, but the editor got sick, delayed, etc. Sometime after I sent them out, I reviewed all my poems and made some changes and cuts. Two of these poems have been deleted from my flash drive; I’d decided that they were so rotten they need never be revised. Another has been rewritten as a prose poem. Another has been expanded and the remaining poem has been edited a bit. In short: none of these, as published, are in the state that I want them to be, but there they are on the interwebby.
I’m not unhappy about this, but I do feel like there’s a lesson here: Do not submit anything, Vince, until you’re sure it’s done. Of course, the work is never done, so I suppose I’ll never be too happy with any of this shit.
The poems are oddly laid out, which is not a dig at Full of Crow so much as an observation. Small details make or break a poem, and these break in many small places.
02/19/2017
As a sort of follow up to my interview on This is Writing, I’ve provided this guest blog that is a recommendation of five books I hold dear. Confined to five picks, I was unable to add Three Trapped Tigers and Vilnius Poker and The Sound and the Fury and The Color of Summer and Cosmicomics and a ton of others, but I chose these five carefully, so go ahead and click here to read them. See if you can catch the grammar error!
12/20/16
My latest review for Three Percent is up. This one focuses on Kyn Taniya’s Radio: Wireless Poem in Thirteen Messages and can be read by clicking right the hell here.
There’s a typo in this review that is bugging the shit out of me. My own oversight, of course, and my editor will hopefully fix it soon, but rather than shy away from the thing, I’m calling attention to it to demonstrate to anyone bothering to read this that, despite being the best writer I know, I’m far from perfect. Plus, I’m not the best writer I know.
The review is more an excuse to discuss poetry in translation and what a laborious “fool's errand” that can be. And I thought it right to focus on poetry again, as I seem to be living in an era where prose holds sway. While I’m not about to start a genre war, I do seem to be in the poetry trenches at the moment. Oh well, here’s to fighting the good fight.
12/05/2016
I’m the featured interview on This is Writing. Just thought I’d share the link, which looks like this: LINK!
12/03/2016
A while back I got notification that my poem about St. Joseph’s Day (called “St. Joseph’s Day” no less) was to be published in an anthology. The publisher could not raise sufficient funds to provide contributors with copies. Subsequently, I never claimed one, being a cheap bastard and all. But the book is currently on sale at Amazon, which is nice, and while I’m tempted to buy a copy, I’m saving up to purchase Bottom’s Dream instead ($70 at the Seminary-Coop).
If you want to read my poem, you can preview it on the Amazon link here. The poem is on page three. I like it, but not as much as a plate of pasta and gravy con sardi.
11/08/2016
It’s Election Day. I wanted to place “Thank fucking god” after the last sentence, but it seems odd to be celebrating the mere fact that this shit is nearing its conclusion. There’s, frankly, nothing to celebrate. I plan to avoid the media as much as I can today and focus on the stack of midterm papers I’m still wading through.
But I did decide to go online long enough to share a bit of news: my review of Matías Celedón’s book The Subsidiary is up on Three Percent. Click your clicker here to read my take on this oddity.
Okay, going to stick my head back into the sand.
10/23/2016
My poem “Fight” is up and available for reading here, but the good folks at Subprimal Poetry Art also let me send them an audio file of me reading over the music of Jeff’s Solo Band, so go ahead and listen if reading proves too taxing. Anyone who’s been to this site before (all three of you) will recall that other pieces of my so-called genius were put to music by Jeff (and are still up under “Sounds”). As was the case last time, the music bests the words. How true, always.
The poem itself is dedicated to someone important, though it serves as well to take the piss out of Dylan Thomas—great poet, wonderful short story writer, author of Under Milk Wood, which is essential reading—mostly because I am done with his famous “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Goodnight”, which Hollywood has decided is the only poem ever written.
09/20/2016
Poem up on These Fragile Lilacs, an online journal. This is a poem to the stepfather, partially because I owe him (he gave to the Belfast fund) and because I’ve written poems to/about my mom, my dad, my grandfather, and my wife but never composed anything with the stepdad in mind. He’s a great guy and deserves better than my half-assed efforts.
The journal/PDF looks nice. This is somewhat affirming considering I’ve been rejected again and again this month, like a fat sci-fi geek trying to get a dance at the freshman mixer. I’ve uttered the shortest sentence I can think of (“I quit!”) at least a dozen times and somehow managed to wake up today, read another rejection letter, and continue to update this site in the vain hope that my literary stabs in the dark find some meat.
Beckett wrote “I can’t go on. I’ll go on” and, in doing so, nailed the human experience.
09/01/2016
My poem to Jim Harrison “All These Women” was just published in the most recent issue of MUSH/MUM, a very odd journal that looks lovely as a PDF download (which is rare). Go here to do just that (my poem is on page 21 but the issue is worth reading, despite being otherwise Francone free).
When Jim Harrison died, I wrote the poem, having first reread Letters to Yesenin, Harrison's book of prose poems that are about as good as prose poems get. I’ve always liked Harrison the poet, a lot more than Harrison the novelist. A tough bastard, that guy. RIP.
08/16/2016
Here’s the blog recap of the Two Cookie event from last week along with a photo of me reading next to a total stranger who volunteered to help me with my short story “The Alderman” (a path to the published version is on the links page of this here site). Good times were had, and cookies.
08/15/2016
Recently unearthed photos of me at the Aspidistra circa 1996. Oh to be young again. Actually, no—not interested. My forties are treating me infinitely better, though I do miss drinking on the job.
08/11/2016
I forgot about this, but a few days back I was a featured poet on a website called Featured Poets which you can check out here. Fame is sure to be mine any second now.
07/28/2016
The before-mentioned reading at Two Cookie Minimum has an official Facebook event page that looks like this.
I’ll be reading a short story and enjoying my cookies. Let’s hang, why not?
07/27/2016
The good folks (specifically Theo Anderson) at Storied Chicago were nice enough to feature Like a Dog on their website today. Take a look at it and everything they’re up to by clicking right... here!
07/24/2016
A year ago I was sitting in a café in Evanston drinking coffee and eating a disappointing macaroon. I was also reading Frank O’Hara and Kenneth Koch, those New York School poets. Paper and pen were within reach, so I dashed off some terrible imitations of those masters.
The imitations made their way into a Word document later that night and then, after seeing a call for submissions, into an email to some editors. And a year later, well after I forgot about the submission, they are printed in a small chapbook style journal called Silicon Heart. I have cut both of those poems from my ongoing manuscript—they are pretty lousy—but it’s nice to see that they live on in another form.
The journal (or “zine” as the editors call it) is nice looking. I don’t see that they have much of an Internet presence (this is the first issue), so there’s nothing to link to. And the poems are not good anyway. But I suppose this counts as news. Slightly more uplifting than Hillary Clinton’s pick for running mate.
07/19/2016
Another poem up on Silver Birch, this one called “Giant” written about my father. Go here to read the thing.
07/17/2016
There’s a new page on the website, which you should be able to see by lifting your eyes a bit. It’s called “Sounds” and features just that: the sounds of my lovely wife and I reading from my book and from some poems. The recording of these readings was done by Jeff Wornhoff of Jeff’s Solo Band (click here to visit his site, dig his music, and worship at the altar). He also provided the music that underscores these recitals.
And the music is pretty goddamn great. I mean, I like my words, I love LO’s reading of them, and I especially love Queequeg’s bark and occasional heavy breathing, but Jeff’s music is the star. Moody, dark, gorgeous.
Who knows, maybe more audio will find its way to the site someday, but these are currently making my day.
07/17/2016
Looks like I have a poem in this anthology available from Amazon. I have not gotten a contributor copy so I don’t know if my poem is laid out nicely or if the journal is of high quality or anything, really.
The poem is called “St. Joseph’s Day” and it is maybe not my best work, but it got accepted, which makes me wonder if the good folks at Birdsong were looking to gather submissions from poets in order to sell them copies of the anthology. If so, I’m not taking the bait, but go ahead and see for yourself.
Actually, they're just a small emerging press that can't send us contributors copies. I know what my poem looks like, so I'll likely be okay not seeing my name in print this time. But by all means, shell out for a copy if you're curious.
It’s thundering in Chicago. Poor dogs are shivering all over the city.
07/06/2016
I’m back from Belfast and ready to detox. No more Guinness or whiskey for a week. Tea. Egg whites. Avocado. Grapefruit juice. Exercise.
In other news, I’ll be reading at the Two Cookie Minimum reading event on August 9, 2016 at the Comfort Station in Logan Square, 2579 N. Milwaukee Ave, 8:00 PM. Might read from the memoir or maybe a short story. Still considering, but the event should prove to be fun even if there is no booze. Will there be booze? Not sure. More on that soon.
05/23/2016
My poem “Italian Deli, 1983” is up on poems2g0’s website (read it here). A short poem that was originally two adjectives and one adverb longer, but the editors had the good sense to rein my shit in. Print copies are available for free in cities that are not my own.
This poem is a shout out to a little grocery store/deli I used to love going to as a kid, even though the things behind the glass kind of spooked me. My mouth is watering. Must go now.
05/15/2016
My poem “Tandem Bike” (click here to read it) was published on the website of Silver Birch Press along with a nice little explanatory note and one of the Miller’s Pub pictures that make me look so goddamn cool. That’s a pint of Stiegl Radler in front of me, a good summer drink, though I was chasing it with a Jameson neat.
The poem itself is a bit of imagination about my parents sharing a bicycle built for two. An easy metaphor, but I like it.
In other news, the Belfast crowd funding thing is over. Thanks to all who gave. The rest of you are dead to me.
To be serious, I felt really odd doing a crowd funding campaign, but people convinced me that this is the way of the 21st century. It seems weird to stand on my corner of cyberspace with a cup and a PLEASE GIVE sign, but there I was, cup in hand, sob story for the asking. Some gave publicly, some privately, and all are in line for various forms of thank you. My housing and part of my tuition are covered. My tickets have been purchased. Soon I’m off to see what comes of this.
04/22/2016
The big news round these parts, by which I mean my life, is that I will be flying to Belfast, Northern Ireland in late June to work with some of the finest living poets, including Ciaran Carson, whose book Belfast Confetti remains a top ten favorite. I submitted some poems to Queen’s University Belfast as entry to their summer school workshop. Lo and behold, they accepted me, so it’s off I go.
I started a silly crowd funding campaign because apparently that is what one does in the 21st century, as obnoxious as such a thing inherently is. I’ve raised a bit, and thanks to all who have publically and privately helped. The end result is to work on poems, but I want to put some together, along with photos, as an E-book. We’ll see if that plan comes to anything.
04/17/2016
My essay on why I read poetry even though so much of it is bad is up on Trish Hopkinson’s blog (to view it click anywhere in this parenthetical). I ramble about how the search for good poetry is akin to the search for god, both requiring a lot of faith in the face of so much disappointment. Read and… enjoy?
04/13/2016
No, that wasn’t awkward, reading from my book in front of my students and coworkers. Not at all. (That was sarcasm, in case you're wondering.) And no, that is not vodka I’m swilling. Just plain old water that only sort of lubricated the pipes and allowed me to more or less not stumble through what may have been the best section of Like a Dog to read to that particular audience, though in retrospect I should’ve stuck to my original plan and read from Finnegans Wake.
4/7/2016
While not a public event (I don’t think), I’ll be reading from my book this coming Tuesday at Roosevelt University. Most of my people know about this, but if you are the hypothetical stranger who has somehow discovered me and wants to hear some drinking/working stories, feel free to let me know and I’ll totally invite you. But yeah, expecting only my coworkers and some of the RU community to witness my vainglory.
3/14/2016
Another publication to shill: Kind of a Hurricane Press has decided to include my poem "Christmas in Chicago" in their holiday themed anthology. To buy a copy and read my little piece of genius, click here. The poem is a sort of sequel to an older poem that, even though it was published in a small journal, I have since pitched. I had the idea that I would write a series of Christmas poems, none of them celebratory in nature, but the seed yielded bitter fruit. Nevertheless, I like this recent poem, though I admit it is pretty bitter. Not sure why, but there it is.
3/9/2016
My short story "She Took My Dreams" has been been published by the good folks at Wolves Magazine. Click here to read it. I wrote this about 7 or 8 years back, buried it, rediscovered it, submitted it, collected a pile of rejections, thought of chucking it, decided it was good and maybe just in need of a spit-shine, worked some on it, resubmitted again and again and, lo and behold, it got picked up. I know when to quit on a piece of writing and when there's potential. You may read it and decide I ought to have quit on this story, and you're likely right, but you're also wrong. Anyway, I can be stubborn when I like something I've written and I like this story, as strange as it is. Savvy readers may see the influence of Albee's Zoo Story, which is closer to my intention than Forrest Gump, but the genre of guy sits on public bench and meets oddball is indeed one that I thought I might add to.
2/7/2016
Local book club discusses my opus. Good things were said, I'm told. Seems I've managed to spread the word a bit. Next up: my manifesto. Then: world domination.
1/19/2016
Welcome to 2016. So far, this has been a rotten year. But things are looking... up? Why not-- let's use that cliche. No real updates. The book is out. I sold some copies. Had a few release celebrations. Working on a few readings, but so far fame and fortune have eluded me. Not giving up yet, and really I have no one else to blame but me, a lowly writer trying to foist literacy on a largely uncaring society. In the meantime, I'm writing a new thing that may someday be a big thing, at least to me.
10/29/2015:
The book is out. Get an electronic or print copy by clicking here. Here’s hoping the hype was justified.
10/21/2015:
In preparation for the publication of my opus, I have edited a very old piece of writing dealing with my time at the Aspidistra Bookshop, my former place of employ and the setting for much of the second section of my memoir (coming in a week and half, huzzah!). Thanks be to mi esposa for finding much of this in an email from 2003. I would have lost this piece of writing otherwise, which is fine-- I have the actual memoir to house most of my memories of the old store, but still, some of this struck me as worth preserving. Anyway, I created a new page, called FLOTSAM, dedicated to this and other odd material. Perhaps I’ll add more wreckage as it floats to the surface.
10/8/2015:
The promo video for the book is done. It's me hanging at some haunts featured in the book, talking a bit too much, looking a wee bit nervous. Enjoy? (Thanks be to Vow Media for doing such a great job. Hit them up for your next wedding and/or party.)
10/1/2015:
As the galleys get edited on the memoir, my previous life as a poet gets a small resurrection. Tanka Journal has published my tanka poem. Get your copy here. Looks like a beauty.
8/8/2015:
Yay, content! More pages have been added to this site in anticipation of the memoir's publication, still scheduled for this Halloween. It'll be a monster of some kind. Edits are nearly complete. I'm awaiting my place at the grown up's table.
7/3/2015:
The interview from last night's show on WGN Radio was a lot of fun. Listen here to a very sleep deprived me talk about the book, writing, and Chicago: http://wgnradio.com/2015/07/03/like-a-dog-vince-francones-story-of-his-lifes-work-and-the-dichotomy-of-chicagos-north-and-south-sides/
7/2/2015:
This is the first bit of news: I will be on the radio (AM 720 WGM) this evening in Chicago. If you are awake at 2:00 AM (technically tomorrow morning, 7/3/2015), you can hear me chat with Jen Bosworth. We'll discuss the coming book (stay tuned) and anything else worth discussing after the bars close.
FAQ RE: My Book
1. When is it due to be published?
11/1/2015, I believe. Stay tuned here for info on how to order.
2. Are there swear words?
On every page.
3. Is there sex?
I’m too shy to write dirty stuff, though there’s a bit of it and some suggestions of nasty play, but it’s pretty PG. Save for the excessive swear words.
4. Are there dogs in the book?
Not a one.
5. What’s with the title?
It’s a simile.
6. Will I like the book?
Depends. I can’t expect anyone to like it. But I’ve gotten some nice feedback. Will you like it? Who knows—maybe not. It’s pretty much a rambling collection of work stories and drunk tales, self-important youth stories finished with jaded middle-age me in academia and lawyerland. I wouldn’t be surprised if you found it bitter and solipsistic.
7. I know you. Am I in the book?
Maybe. I changed some names, not all. And I wrote a few people out of the book. Don’t be offended either way. And it’s not like I felt the need to adequately represent anyone. Not my job.
8. Who the hell do you think you are writing a goddamn book?
I am the exact opposite of Jonathan Franzen. Let that determine your interest in my work.
I hope that settles things. I’ll happily answer or ignore any other questions as I see fit. Thank you for your time.
