Notes From The 17.1 Release Party; Buy The New Issue; Happy Holidays

In the style of Fourteen Hills contributor Noah Gershman’s Brunch -- in which his poem details a grocery list of very interesting characters who accompany him during a meal -- let’s recap what the Dec. 16 release party entailed:

Friends, family, wine, delectables, cocktail dresses, professors, more wine, poets, editors, sock monsters, coffee (at a bar), undergrads, graduates, alumni, multi-talented baristas, engaging conversation, birthday wishes, laughter, new friends, lounging, snapshots, literary paparazzi, slick ties, undivided attention, authors, comedy, discovery, diversity, raffle tickets, raffle prizes, pie, and Brian Boitano (sort of).

If you were there, you felt it and heard it. If you weren't, please check out Litseen's full coverage of the event, including video of our fabulous readers Adam Johnson, Maxine Chernoff, Molly Prentiss, Stephen Elliott, Myron Michael, Jason Bayani, Noah Gershman, and Kasper Hauser.

If you weren't able to pick up a copy of our enthralling new issue, you can order one from Small Press Distribution right now. It will make its way into bookstores across the country in February. If you want to stay on top of future Fourteen Hills events (since you missed a helluva great reading), it only takes a minute to join our mailing list.

Until next time, happy holidays!

-Chani Mooring, Fourteen Hills staff

Why Is Everyone Talking About Brian Boitano? (Maybe Because He's Part Of Our New Issue, Available For The First Time Tonight)

Our favorite skater, Brian Boitano

Brian Boitano is an American figure skater, cook, and overall nice guy. He is the 1988 Olympic Champion, the 1986 and 1988 World Champion, and the 1985-1988 US National Champion Figure Skater. More recently, Mr. Boitano has been inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame.

Off the ice, Mr. Boitano is a culinary mastermind – wielding a saucepan and spatula with the same excitement, charm, and skill we have all come to love. Mr. Boitano even hosts a cooking show on the Food Network called What Would Brian Boitano Make? (Sundays at 1pm).

By now, you are probably wondering why a literary magazine, staffed by creative writing graduate students at San Francisco State University, would blog about Brian Boitano. After all, the two have nothing to do with one another; Fourteen Hills is an internationally renowned literary magazine and Brian Boitano is an Olympic champion. Nary the two should meet, let alone be spoken of in the same breath.

Pick yours up tonight!

Unless, of course, there’s a story involved.

The newest issue of Fourteen Hills includes Michael Reid Busk’s story The Eighties, A Brief Primer. This short story is a fictional romp through the decade, made all the better with just one sentence: “In 1989, Brian Boitano was elected President of the Eighties.” With that, we are tossed into a parallel universe where Mr. Boitano saves America from disgruntled postmen propaganda, promotes healthy life-style choices, and brings out the figure skater in us all.

But that’s not all. Oh no. Not by a long shot (or a perfectly executed triple axel).

Enter to win this book!

Mr. Boitano has graciously donated an autographed copy of his book, Boitano's Edge: Inside The Real World Of Figure Skating, to the list of raffle prizes available at tonight's release party (join us at Coffee Bar at 7pm for your chance to win).

Mr. Boitano’s generosity doesn't end there. He has taken time out of his busy schedule to send us a video greeting. Behold:



So, please join us TONIGHT for all the fun and excitement that only the combination of Brian Boitano and a new release of Fourteen Hills can bring.

Long live the President of the Eighties!

-Rose Booker, staff member, Fourteen Hills

Shakespeare, Tattoos, And Finely Cured Meats: Win These Raffle Prizes At Our Release Party On 12/16

When Fourteen Hills releases issue 17.1, our goal is to get the whole community involved. Our party will not only have amazing readers, it will also feature a long list of fantastic raffle prizes from Bay Area stores. You could win movie and theater tickets, books, burritos, tattoo art, brow waxing, and a night out at the club. Pretty swell, for the low, low price of $2/ticket.

Here is a list of some of the raffle prizes that could be yours at Coffee Bar on Thursday, Dec. 16. All proceeds help support our non-profit journal. Huge thanks and gratitude to these fine businesses (and patrons like you) that keep independent literature alive.

Entertainment & Movies

Yours, for the price of a raffle ticket.

Two Tickets to California Shakespeare Theater
Two free tickets for one performance of the California Shakespeare Theater's 2011 Season which starts May 3, 2011 and includes: Titus Andronicus, The Verona Project, Candida, and The Taming of the Shrew. Cal Shakes' home, the magnificent Bruns Amphitheater, is one of the most beautiful and unique settings imaginable to experience live theater. This is an amazing opportunity to experience live theater the way it should be.

$25 giftcard to Regal Cinemas
This prize is good for two. Take that certain someone to enjoy a classic night out at the movie theater. Regal Cinemas is the largest movie theater company in the world and its theaters can be found here in Berkeley, Oakland, and San Francisco at the Stonestown mall. Visit the theater to check out the latest arthouse flick du jour including film festival darlings from Danny Boyle, Daniel Afredson, Sofia Coppola, and the like. Stonestown Twin Theater is located at 501 Buckingham Way, San Francisco CA 94132. Enjoy your movie.

Eats & Drinks & Sweets

$40 Gift Certificate to 222 Hyde
This prize will get two through the door to enjoy complimentary drinks. Located in the Tenderloin, 222 Hyde has a clean yet bass-booming sound system—they recently won best sound system in the SF Weekly's “Best of San Francisco 2010” poll—perfectly suited to the club's always-exciting rotation of local, national, and international DJs. Full bar and amazing made-to-order thin-crust pizzas on the main floor, DJ dancing in the basement. Located at 222 Hyde Street at Turk. Easy to get to from Civic Center. (415) 345-8222.

Want to eat here? Buy a raffle ticket.

$30 Gift Certificate to Nopalito Mexican Cuisine
Nopalito is a gourmet Mexican restaurant that celebrates the traditional cookery of Mexico while utilizing local organic and sustainable ingredients. This charming little restaurant is located at 306 Broderick Street (between Oak & Fell) in San Francisco, 415-437-0303. 

$25 Gift Certificate to The Monks Kettle
Enjoy great food and well-crafted beer -- over 250 beers to choose from -- at this Mission district hotspot. The Monk's Kettle serves a rare vintage of beers that have been aging in their climate-controlled cellar. Located at 3141 16th Street, San Francisco, 415-865-9523.

$25 Gift Certificate to Avedanos Holly Park Market
This small butcher shop & deli serves delicious meats along with produce and specialty gourmet items that are organic and handpicked just for you. Visit Avedano's Holly Park Market at 235 Cortland Street, San Francisco.

$20 Gift Certificate to Hudson Bay Café
Great neighborhood just down from the California College of the Arts in Oakland: good place to work with WiFi, food, wine, or good, strong coffee. Atmosphere is effervescent with a variety of ages. Sidewalk tables in sunny or shady sections, and good street viewing from inside. Hudson Bay Café is located at 5401 College Avenue in Oakland, 510-658-0214.

$18 Gift Certificate to Mission Pie
We all love pie and this lil’ corner café, bakery, and gathering spot is located in the Mission District of San Francisco, nestled between busy streets and vibrant communities. Mission Pie has an atmosphere for writers to gather. Because they only use produce from local farms, their menu changes seasonally and offers exceptional baked goods along with fair trade tea and coffee. Located at 2901 Mission Street (25th & Mission), 415-282-4PIE

Gifts for your body

$200 or Two Hour Session at Body Bazarre Tattoo
One of Northern California’s premiere tattoo artists, Chris Evans, is awaiting one lucky individual to have either a two hour session or $200 dollar piece of artwork permanently placed on their body. Chris is a talented artist that is willing to create what you can only imagine. Body Bazarre is located at 5847 Auburn Blvd, Sacramento Ca. 916-705-8903

The Brow Lounge

$30 Gift Certificate to The Brow Lounge
A variety of eye enhancements and facial waxings that have you looking good! Not only do the technicians do good work, they are enthusiastic supporters of the arts, and some are artists themselves! The Brow Lounge is located 5916 College Ave. Oakland, Ca. (north of the Rockridge BART Station)

Outlets for the imagination

$50 Prize Pack of Three Omnibucket Books
You will receive The Book of CLAV, Eleventy Billion Miles Away, and God's Acre: The Ravens & the Rhyme. They're not art books. They're not coffee table books. They're not a comic books or even graphic novels. They're not a children's books, that's for sure. They're not popup books, and they certainly aren't just plain old books. They're a different kind of book. Omnibucket books.

$25 Gift certificate to Dog Eared Books
Reflective of the Mission district itself, Dog Eared Books is the largest and most eclectic of their three stores — you'll find anarchist magazines next to Vanity Fair, Nina Simone cds next to Joy Division and Michelle Tea poetry next to Chaucer. Located at 900 Valencia Street in San Francisco.

One of these could be yours.

$20 Gift Certificate to Amoeba
Amoeba Music is the “world’s largest independent record store” for new and used CD’s & DVD. They also have posters, T-shirts, and just about everything. They are located at 1855 Haight Street in San Francisco & 2455 Telegraph in Berkeley.

There are many, many more raffle prizes to be given away, so don’t miss out.

We look forward to seeing you this Thursday night at 7 pm to celebrate the San Francisco literary community with food, drinks, and great entertainment.

If you have yet to purchase a raffle ticket, not to worry, you can purchase tickets at the door. A big thanks to all of our local contributors, writers, readers, and artists for helping Fourteen Hills and the rest of the independent literary community. (RSVP on Facebook.)

Looking forward to seeing you there.
-Jason Johnson, Fourteen Hills staff

Sketch Comedy Plus Filmmaker-Poetry: Two More Featured Readers At Our Party On 12/16

The Fourteen Hills release party is only FOUR DAYS AWAY! Please join us at Coffee Bar this Thursday, Dec. 16, at 7 pm. Attendees will be treated with readings by hilarious comedy group Kasper Hauser and poet/filmmaker Noah Gershman. (If you missed our countdown of other featured readers, you can get up to speed here and here.)

Kasper Hauser is a San Francisco-based comedy quadruplet consisting of Dan Klein, James Reichmuth, John Reichmuth, and Rob Baedeker. They’ve been making quite a name for themselves, having written for Comedy Central and HBO, and now appearing within the pages of Fourteen Hills Issue 17.1. (Get a sneak preview of their act by listening to their podcasts.)

Their talent doesn’t stop at writing. The group boasts a hearty resume of live performances, having competed in and won various comedy contests around the bay, including the Universal Comedy Orgasm and Big Bang Holy Championship.

Noah Gershman may be best known for his talents behind the camera and in the director’s chair, but on Thursday he will share his poetry live and in person. Though he can be quite elusive on the Internet, his work can be found in many literary journals. To hear his work performed by a puppet (no, this is not a joke), click here.

So come on out to Coffee Bar. There will be tons of great, fabulous, random, exciting, and entertaining raffle prizes, as well as drinks, readings, laughing and all sorts of other tomfoolery.

-Phillip Van Sant, staff member, Fourteen Hills

North Korea, Hip-Hop, and Homeless Men: A Look at 3 More Readers Who Will Perform on 12/16

It's December, and we all know what this month is about: going to mad parties, letting it all hang out, and then guiltily planning New Year's resolutions afterward. Fortunately, here at Fourteen Hills we will help you out with all of the above, minus the guilt. Come to our release party on Thursday, December 16, at Coffee Bar in the Mission to hear some guest readers so incredible, they will make you want to get to your writing desk/recording equipment/sketch pad immediately to lay down some serious inspirations for the new year. But you can't leave too soon, because we will be partying and getting literary like crazy.

If you want to feel inspired early (and maybe really jealous) check out some of the super talented contributors that will be reading at our release party:

ADAM JOHNSON is a self-described “maximalist;” he favors bold plots over subtle ones, and manages to always entertain. So if you ever find yourself bored with “the literature of the times,” do yourself a favor and pick up one of his publications. He has been a construction worker, a former Wallace Stegner Fellow, and the Senior Jones Lecturer in Creative Writing at Stanford University. Playboy magazine even named him “one of the nation's most influential and imaginative college professors.”

Winner of the Whiting Writers’ Award, the Gina Berriault Award, and an NEA Fellowship, he is the author of a short story collection Emporium (2002), and the novel Parasites Like Us (2003), which won the California Book Award. His fiction has appeared in Esquire, Harper’s, The Paris Review, Tin House, and Best American Short Stories.

The excerpt that appears in Fourteen Hills 17.1 is from his recently completed novel, tentatively titled The Orphan Master’s Son. Set in a modern North Korea, and partially narrated by a “propaganda loudspeaker,” The Orphan Master’s Son promises to be quirky, poignant, insightful, and tender all at the same time. If you are as intrigued as I am, you can read an excerpt.

MYRON MICHAEL's words hit hard. After reading his piece in the Harvard Review Online, I found myself momentarily unable to process any thoughts beyond “whoa.” His work is gritty, honest, and eye-opening. He is a Cave Canem Fellowship recipient, and his works appear online and in The Harvard Review, Days I Moved Through Ordinary Sounds (City Lights, 2009), Tea Party, and Nanomajority.

In addition to being a writer (his chapbook Scatter Plot is forthcoming), Michael is also a recording artist and a writing teacher. He is the proprietor of Rondeau Records, which produces “Poetry for Hip-Hop, literature, and music of the highest quality.” Under the name Money The Mystro, he records his own songs which you can check out on Myspace and on his website. He also has a blog with more insightful words, and even pictures of spiders.

MOLLY PRENTISS is full of charm and wit. She doesn't believe the idealized “cabin of solitude” that many writers desire would really work out so well, because, as she says, “we don’t want to be even lonelier than we already are!” She recently received her MFA in Creative Writing at the California College of the Arts and is now a resident writer at Workspace with the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. She is also a co-director of an arts and writing collective called factorycompany.

She has been published in La Petit Zine, Miracle Monacle, Plaid Review, The City Reader, and elsewhere. Her story appearing in Fourteen Hills 17.1 is about, as she says, “a homeless guy who hums into a jar and sleeps with other people's girlfriends.” It is even more amazing than it sounds. Check out her blog to see more of her writing, her illustrations, and her really adorable handwriting.

-Stephanie Doeing, staff member, Fourteen Hills

Introducing 3 Of 8 Fabulous Readers Ready to Enthrall You At Our Release Party on 12/16

What follows are a few brief descriptions of writers who will be gracing us with their presence at one of this winter's finest literary events in San Francisco: the Fourteen Hills Release Party for Issue 17.1. It’s on Thursday, December 16, at Coffee Bar in the Mission. (You can RSVP right now on Facebook.) We will be profiling all of our special guest readers, and when you come to the party, you'll be able to pick up a copy and read their work for yourself.

READER #1: Jason Bayani is someone to hear and see. When performance and writing mix, the terms "spoken word" and "slam poetry" often get thrown around, and names like Jason Bayani appear floating on the roster. Bayani is a Filipino from our side of town -- a San Francisco State University graduate. He later received his MFA at St. Mary's College in Moraga. His accolades include published pieces of poetry in the 2005 National Poetry Slam Anthology, membership to seven National Poetry Slam teams, an appointment as the 2010 IWPS representative for Oakland, and the 100th episode winner of Literary Death Match.

He is also among a group of three Asian American poets known as Proletariat Bronze who have risen from the Bay Area and gained national recognition. As much as poetry is part of their method and medium, they also see public enrichment as an intrinsic facet of their lot as poets in society. They are self-described "working-class romantics."

READER #2:  Maxine Chernoff is a name that does not wait on a shelf. At Fourteen Hills, we know her as the director of the Creative Writing Program at San Francisco State University, but we also know her as an expansive writer whose merits have allowed her to travel the world over. She has produced a long list of novels, short stories, and poems over the course of two decades.

These include her novel, American Heaven and a book of short stories, Some of Her Friends That Year, which were both finalists for the Bay Area Book Reviewers Award. In fact, you can see a long list of the awards she has received here. Along with her husband, poet Paul Hoover, she is the editor for a long-standing literary journal, New American Writing.

Her writing and work is often in conversation with other writers and places, using it to investigate and grow through the exploration of engaging material. In a recent interview she stated, "We are living in perilous times, and I hope that my writing is exploring and addressing some of these perils."

READER #3:  Stephen Elliott has been there and done that. He's lived to tell. He's known for sex, drugs, and metaphors.

You might also know him from The Rumpus (he's the editor) or you might know him for his books which include his acclaimed memoir, The Adderall Diaries and novel, Happy Baby. Much of his thematic content revolves around the process and shape his own life has taken. He unabashedly coats his life under a thick fictive varnish. In his essay, Why I Write, he describes the way he entered into writing, "My fiction was just reality-PLUS, a slightly more intense version of the world I lived in."

Elliott was a Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford University and he is now a member of the San Francisco Writer's Grotto. His work has been published in Esquire, the New York Times, GQ, Best American Non-Required Reading 2005 and 2007, Best American Erotica, and Best Sex Writing 2006.

Stay tuned  for more details on our other featured readers (and more reasons to come out and celebrate with us on December 16 at Coffee Bar).
-Erica Eller, staff member, Fourteen Hills

"Everything Faces All Ways At Once" Release Party Recap, Now With Video!

Since Zulema Renee Summerfield has such a long-winded name, I'm going to refer to her as ZRS for the remainder of this blog-post. And if the remainder of this blog-post feels like a recurring set of acronym-plugs, trust your powers of observation because you aren't imagining it (how shameless of me). Oh, and since I haven't mentioned it yet, WE ALL HAD AN AWESOME NIGHT LAST THURSDAY at Space Gallery. Thank you to everyone who came to see ZRS read from her debut collection Everything Faces All Ways At Once (otherwise known as EFAWAO) published by Fourteen Hills Press. (If you missed out, copies are available at Small Press Distribution. If you want to read coverage of the event in Golden Gate [X]Press, check it out here.)

The book is amazing. For those of us who went to the book release before seeing its contents, we were blown away. Buy one today. Yoko Ono herself added visual cleavage to the event space (her sexy posters hung on the walls everywhere). It also made for a funny, anecdotal conversation-topic throughout the evening.

For example, ZRS has a section on her website that says, "Yoko Ono called." When Zulema rose to the mic, she explained that this is an ongoing fiction of hers. Within her hopeful logic, she feels that by saying it, it will happen. So in order to somehow make this phone-call manifest and get an endorsement to happen, you can send Yoko's fan-club a message. Let them know that ZRS, a unique and noteworthy author, would like to connect and to make Ono's acquaintance.

The warm-up readers included none other than DWL (D.W. Lichtenberg) and PO (Peter Orner). How did Zulema get these famous authors to come and join her, and why? DWL was last year's Michael Rubin Book Award Winner for his book of poetry, The Ancient Book of Hip. PO has been not only a creative writing mentor of ZRS's at San Francisco State University, he was written in, as a character-of-sorts to several of the "dreams" in ZRS's book, EFAWAO. He is also the author of Esther Stories and The Second Coming of Mavala Shikongo.

Here are video excerpts of their warm-up readings:





ZRS's book, EFAWAO is filled with Fictions and Dreams (F&Ds). This might make you inquire, what isn't made of these things? Well, for example, a sandwich is not only made of F&Ds, it is also made of two similar outer parts containing an inner part. This book keeps to the realm of F&Ds. One of her stories included a visual cue to incorporate a pun that appeared in the text: "Impaired" vs. "Im-PEAR-ed." This particular "fiction" involved a pear-truck driver.

Because I know I'm leaving a lot to the imagination, I've included a few video excerpts to help you see how exceptional the work really is:





ZRS had many of her friends and family members in the audience, including people who have greatly missed her presence in the community of San Francisco since she moved to Canada.

Among them were her best friend, who helped her with book-signings, and her father, the dignified man with the pipe in his mouth. In addition, each and every member of the 14 Hills staff attended, as well as former staff members. In fact, a whole slice of the Bay Area literary community came to celebrate. Space Gallery catered to the crowd with a lovely selection of beer, wine, and cocktails.

Next on our calendar is the release party for Fourteen Hills Vol. 17, Issue 1. Save the date of December 16, and join us at Coffee Bar at 7 pm. There will be comedy. There will be drinks and readings. There may even be Brian Boitano. You won’t want to miss it.

-Erica Eller, Fourteen Hills staff

Space Gallery + Book Release + Two Fabulous Readers + Yoko Ono (?)

It’s November 4, and Fourteen Hills is throwing a righteous party. The celebration is in honor of Zulema Renee Summerfield’s new book Everything Faces All Ways at Once. Every year, one promising writer from San Francisco State University is chosen for the Michael Rubin First Book Award, published by Fourteen Hills Press. This year the honor goes to a collection that resists all labels other than "awesome."

If you happen to be on the fence about coming to the Space Gallery tonight (for any inadequate excuses like the onset of winter encouraging your already hermit-like, antisocial tendencies) there are an overwhelming number of reasons you should motivate.

First of all, you get a copy of a remarkable book and get to support an emerging writer’s success, which is win/win. Zulema describes her award-winning work as “a collection of flash fiction and dreams.”

"One minute they're sporting monocles...and the next they're drunk and rowdy and throwing patio furniture off the roof...but in this and all things, they seek the nature of truth" quotes contest judge Terese Svoboda. Everything Faces All Ways at Once is an utterly fresh, unpredictable tour de force.

There is also much speculation about the involvement of Yoko Ono. Conspiracy theories revolve around Yoko’s interest in blurbing the book and other matters of manifestation that you will only find answers to at the release party. For background on the unique relationship between writer and artist, check out Zulema’s website to learn about her quest to get in contact with Yoko.

Then there’s the venue, the Space Gallery. If you have been, you need no further explanation. If not, do not miss this opportunity to check out a landmark of San Francisco culture. There is plenty of room, a bar downstairs, and the perfect space to host literary events and parties. Last year we held the release party here for D.W. Lichtenberg’s debut collection The Ancient Book of Hip. Needless to say, everyone had a great time, and copies of Lichtenberg’s sold-out collection are now a much coveted, hard-to-come-by commodity.

Last, and certainly not least, the aforementioned D.W. Lichtenberg (2009 Michael Rubin Book Award winner) will be making a guest appearance at tonight’s event. D.W., or Dan as we know him, is the current managing editor of La Petite Zine and is “excited to pass the torch to Zulema.”

Interesting, fun, and good-looking people, exploring the power of positive thinking, will gather tonight at the Space Gallery. Who knows, maybe even Yoko will drop by.

Space Gallery. 1141 Polk St. 7pm. Join us. RSVP on Facebook.

-Kelly McNerney, Fourteen Hills staff

10 Questions for Zulema Renee Summerfield, the 2010 Michael Rubin Book Award Winner

Although she recently moved to Vancouver, author Zulema Renee Summerfield will be back in San Francisco this Thursday Nov. 4 to celebrate the release of her debut collection, Everything Faces All Ways at Once. Join us at 7 pm at the Space Gallery on Polk Street to pick up a copy of her book and hear selections from this new work from Fourteen Hills Press.

To prepare for the big event, we asked Zulema a few questions about her past, her dreams, and the realities of being a Canadian. Enjoy.

1. How did you get your fantastic name?

Ninth-grade Spanish class, baby! The teacher was handing out Spanish names and I said "What do you have that starts with a 'Z'?" I used it as a nickname for a long time and after a while it just kind of stuck. I actually prefer it over my legal name now.


2. Where did you grow up?

I grew up in good ol' Redlands, California. A nice little town. My parents split up when I was young, and I quickly gained a whole slew of new family members -- step-folk and siblings. I wrote my first story when I was fourteen, about a girl who lives on a planet with no rain. Her only recourse in this dry land is to listen to her rainstick. Pretty lame. I think I stole the idea from Ray Bradbury. So thank you, Ray Bradbury. Thank you.

3. Tell us about your manuscript, the 2010 Michael Rubin Book Award winner.

Everything Faces All Ways at Once: Fictions and Dreams came in fits and starts over the past two or three years. I took a flash fiction course with Barbara Tomash as an undergrad at SF State and it changed my life. (If it's being offered and you can take it, do so! I promise you will love it.) The fiction pieces span back to the start of my graduate career and range in tone and theme.

In terms of the dreams, a few years back I read a story by Roberto Bolano in the New Yorker. It was the first time I had read a dream sequence that was written as a dream -- the syntax and tone and shifts in narrative precisely matched the experience of dreaming, and I wanted to try that. So many dream stories read as flat and boring. I wanted to try to write my dreams as I had dreamt them. I hope I succeeded. Now that my book is being published, I feel honored, humbled, and completely stoked out of my mind. It's a lovely feeling.

4. What’s the difference between fictions and dreams?

The difference is everything, and nothing at all.

5. If you had to describe your book in four words, what would those words be and why?

"Yoko Ono blurbed it!" I'm trying to get Yoko Ono to call and offer to blurb my book. (Read more about it here.)

6. Tell me about Rene Magritte and your relationship to him.

Rene Magritte and I went to prom together. He tried to get in my pants.

That's a total lie.

I've always been fascinated, intrigued, and completely floored by Magritte's work. Those paintings where the figure is facing away from the viewer? Freakin' brilliant. His "Perspective" coffin paintings are hilarious and poignant. I love stuff like that -- art that is clever in a not-irritating way, stuff that makes you laugh and think. (I'm looking at you here, Yoko.)

Here's a true story: Years ago, I had a dream that I was at an outdoor wedding party. There was a pond in the yard, and in the pond were a group of birds made entirely of leaves. Live birds, made of leaves. At the time, I'd never seen Magritte's The Natural Graces, but a few weeks later I went to a showing of his work at the SF MOMA, and guess what was hanging on the wall? Cheesey as it is to say, there's been a connection for me to his work for a long time, a connection I can't always explain. And I would have gone to prom with him, if only he'd asked.

7. Did you have any of the dreams you write about? Was it scary? (I’m thinking of “Rattlesnakes!” here.) What is your favorite dream and why?

All of the dreams are real dreams I had. Most of them were narratives; some (like "dream of when we were the same") were sentences that I dreamt. The rattlesnakes dream was scary (thank you for asking) while I was dreaming it -- but then, as often happens, you wake up and you realize that scary equals hilarious, so the goal was to try to get that down.

My favorite one is "dream of change we can believe in." I'm going to send a copy to Barack Obama and hope he writes back. That kid in the dream, Ricky Ramos, he's a real guy, my first "true love" -- I dream about him all the time. I'm still trying to figure out a way to write to him without sounding creepy: "Hey, remember me? I dream about you all the time." Of course, it's not really him, just the idea of him. He's just a metaphor for something else floating around in my head. Poor guy...

8. What are you working on now?

I'm writing a YA novel about grief (fun for all ages!), and also working on revising/editing a whole slew of short fiction and creative non-fiction pieces. I'm also trying to get Yoko Ono to call. Did I say that? I want Yoko Ono to call.

9. Do you feel like a Canadian yet? When will you know you’re a real Canadian?

When I'm nicer and own hockey equipment.

10. Imagine: Yoko Ono is calling you right now, but you’re on the other line and can’t answer her call. How does it feel?

There's no way in hell I would not answer Yoko Ono's call. This question is ridiculous.

11. Bonus question! Terese Svoboda says your work "has a point and it's fixed like this in space, but also it's shifting … to pierce right through your skeptical, unbelieving, tender human heart." How did you achieve this feat? As fellow writers and fans, any tips or hints you can give would be much appreciated.

Gosh, tips? Write, write, write, write, write, and then write some more. Read anything and everything. Read it slow. Read it again. Also, if you're a student at SF State, take full advantage of your time there. The halls are swarming with inspired, brilliant, incredibly talented people. They will change your life if you let them.

Thanks, Zulema. We’re counting down the hours until Thursday.
-Leanne Milway, managing editor, Fourteen Hills

A Look at Terese Svoboda, the 2010 Michael Rubin Book Award Judge

Terese Svoboda, this year’s judge of the Michael Rubin Book Award, is the author of several award-winning literary feats including (but not limited to) Pirate Talk or Mermalade, Laughing Africa, Cannibal, and Black Glasses like Clark Kent.

Laughing Africa won the Iowa Poetry Prize and was featured in the New York Times Book Review. Cannibal won the Bobst Prize and the Great Lakes Colleges Association New Writer’s Award. It was also one of the top 10 books of the year by Spin magazine. Black Glasses like Clark Kent won the Graywold Nonfiction Prize.

Svoboda’s works have appeared in the The New Yorker, Times Literary Supplement, The New York Times, The Atlantic Monthly, Slate.com, Bomb, Lit, Columbia, Yale Review and The Paris Review.

She is the eldest of nine children, born in a small town to a family of farmers. Before receiving her MFA from Columbia, Svoboda filmed dance in the Cook Islands and traveled to Sudan, living with the Nuer people. Her experience there has colored much of her more recent works, such as Cannibal. Read more about her life on her website.

As a writer, Svoboda holds three things in high regards: the power of sound, truth, and connections. During an interview with Shya Scanlon on HTMLGiant, she spoke at length about her belief that the meaning of words is intricately tied to their sound. Through compression she brings this out, writing mostly in five-page sections, something she shares in common with this year's winner of the Michael Rubin Book Award.

As for the truth, Svoboda believes “the author has a responsibility to write toward understanding. We have enough confusion in life, why increase it? Confusion is not the same as complexity. Exposing the truth hidden under all the layers of complexity is a very good goal.”

To get the limited-edition book Svoboda says "takes fiction apart with the hammer of poetry, forcing her astonished readers to 'defy all expectation...'", join us at the Space Gallery on Thursday Nov. 4 to celebrate the release of Everything Faces All Ways at Once by Zulema Renee Summerfield. It will be epic.

-Rose Booker, staff member, Fourteen Hills

2010 Michael Rubin Book Award Winner: “Everything Faces All Ways at Once” by Zulema Renee Summerfield

Everything Faces All Ways at Once by Zulema Renee Summerfield takes fiction apart with the hammer of poetry, forcing her astonished readers to "defy all expectation," as she suggests in the title story. "One minute they're sporting monocles…and the next they're drunk and rowdy and throwing patio furniture off the roof…but in this and all things, they seek the nature of truth." Summerfield "has a point and it's fixed like this ...in space, but also it's shifting…to pierce right through your skeptical, unbelieving, tender human heart." These shifts are seismic, always revelatory, and truly amazing.
–contest judge and acclaimed writer, Terese Svoboda

Join us on Nov. 4, 2010, as we celebrate the release of Summerfield’s "revelatory" debut novel. You won’t want to miss seeing this up-and-coming author at the beginning of her career. Stay tuned for our interview with her, as well as more details on the sure-to-be-rocking release party.

Everything Faces All Ways at Once Release Party

Thursday, November 4, 2010

7pm

Space Gallery

1141 Polk Street

San Francisco, CA

(415) 377-3325

$12 donation (includes a copy of the book)

Zulema Renee Summerfield is originally from Redlands, CA. Her writing has appeared in Transfer Magazine, Sand Canyon Review, Chaffey Review, We Still Like, and 580 Split. She won the 2008 Clark/Gross Novel-in-Progress Contest as well as honorable mention in the 2009 Zoetrope Allstory Fiction Contest (judged by Yiyun Li). She received her MFA from San Francisco State University, and now lives "all over the place" with her husband, The Incredible Hulk, and their two cats.

Each year, Fourteen Hills Press publishes the winner of The Michael Rubin Book Award. Alternating years between poetry and fiction, manuscripts are gathered in an open competition and read by an independent judge. The winner must be a student enrolled at San Francisco State University whose work shows exceptional accomplishment and promise. The 2010 Michael Rubin Book was selected by writer Terese Svoboda.

With Lit Crawl Done, We Look To The Future

A few days have passed, but we're still excited by how much fun we had at Lit Crawl on Oct 9. The readers were fabulous, the streets were overflowing with lit-lovers, and Fourteen Hills and Eleven Eleven had a great time at Muddy's Coffee House during Phase III of the event.

Jeannine Hall Gailey

Jeannine Hall Gailey (Vol 16.2) regaled us with pieces from her new collection, She Returns to the Floating World, due next year. She had several copies of her most recent book, Becoming the Villainess, on hand and generously signed copies. We also saw her cutting a rug at the Lit Crawl after-party at the Blue Macaw.

Lauren Hamlin

Lauren Hamlin (Vol 16.2) read from her entry to a McSweeney's columnist search, and was the only reader of the night who jumped on the impromptu stage at the front of the shop. She's also a finalist for the Headlands Center for the Arts residency.

Our next event will be at 7pm on Nov. 4 at the Space Gallery (1141 Polk Street, San Francisco). Join us as we celebrate the release of Everything Faces All Ways at Once, the 2010 Michael Rubin Book Award winner, by Zulema Renee Summerfield. Stay tuned, we have tons of details about the author, the book, and the party, still to come.

The crowd at Muddy's

In the spirit of updating you on all things Fourteen Hills, we should mention that we published Paloma in Fall 2009, and it was mentioned in the recent New York Times Sunday Book Review. Yes! Read Patricia Engel's "arresting" debut collection Vida or pick up Vol 16.1 to read it where it first appeared.

If you have any news or events about recent or forthcoming Fourteen Hills' contributors, please let us know.

Fourteen Hills Contributors Take To The Stage(s) At Litquake 2010

Hello fans of Fourteen Hills: The San Francisco State University Review. We already know you’re planning on joining us for Lit Crawl Phase III on October 9 at 8:30pm. But did you realize how many authors previously published in Fourteen Hills are also appearing at Litquake 2010?

Here's a rundown, with dates, time, and place. You can also order back issues featuring these amazing writers on 14hills.net.

October 2, 2010

Juan Felipe Herrera, (Fourteen Hills Vol 2.2) and Michelle Tea (Vol 11.1) appear at Litquake’s Barbary Coast Awards 2010.

October 3, 2010

Kim Addonizino (Vol 10.1) reads at the The CLA All Stars: 25 Years of San Jose’s Center for the Literary Arts; California Historical Society, 678 Mission St.

October 4, 2010

Shanthi Sekaran (Vol 16.2) appears at Authors Reveal All & How to Navigate the New World of Publishing; Foundation Center, 312 Sutter Street, 2nd Floor.

Dodie Bellamy (Vol 4.1) appears at Original Shorts: Bottoms Up, 7pm. Heart Wine Bar, 1270 Valencia St.

October 5, 2010

Darren J. de Leon (Vol 3.1) performs at Feast of Words: A Storytelling Potluck; 7pm at SOMArts Cultural Center, 934 Brannan St.

SFSU Creative Writing faculty member, Peter Orner (Vol 10.1 and New Standards: The First Decade of Fiction at Fourteen Hills) reads at McSweeney’s Fall Harvest.

Tao Lin (Vol 12.2) is at The RADAR Reading Series: Litquake Edition! 6pm. San Francisco Public Library’s Latino Reading Room, Main Branch, 100 Larkin Street.

October 6, 2010

Stephen Elliot (Vol 10.1 and New Standards) will be at Bawdy Storytelling; The Blue Macaw, 2565 Mission Street, Admission $10.

October 7, 2010

Yiyun Li (Vol 16.1) will be at Stories on Stage; Berkeley Repertory Theater, Roda Theatre, 2025 Addison St., Berkeley, 7:30 pm. $25 at the door.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Lit Crawl Phase I
6 to 7pm

Peter Orner (Vol 10.1) appears at Babylon Salon Reading at Mina Dresden Gallery, 312 Valencia St.

Alice LaPlante (Vol 16.2) appears at Where There Are Words Presents Artzone 461 Gallery, 461 Valencia St.

Karen Carissimo (Vol 13.1) will appear at ZYZZYVA presents LitQuiz; Elixir, 3200 16th St.

Kelly Luce (Vol 12.1) appears at San Pablo Arts District Presents Lip Service West: True Stories; Casanova Lounge, 527 Valencia St.

Lit Crawl Phase II
7:15 to 8:15pm

Amy Glasenapp, who served as fiction editor and interviewed Yiyun Li (Vol 16.1) is at Anger Management & Revenge Reading Series; Elbo Room Downstairs, 647 Valencia St.

Yiyun Li (Vol 16.1 contributor and a 2010 MacArthur Foundation Genius Award winner) appears at The Threepenny Review Presents: Six Stellar Writers Reading an Entertaining Mix of Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry; Bruno’s, 2389 Mission St.

Rebecca Foust (Vol 14.2) is at Warren Wilson MFA Presents at Bianca Starr, 3552 20th St.

Glori Simmons (Vol 10.2) appears at Airing Our Dirty Laundry: Ladies Night at the Laundromat Wash Quarters, 985 Valencia St.

D.W. Lichtenberg’s The Ancient Book of Hip was published by Fourteen Hills Press. The collection, an imprint of San Francisco State University's creative writing department, received the 2009 Michael Rubin Book Award. D.W. reads at Indie Press Revue, The Marsh Café, 1062 Valencia St.

Lit Crawl, Phase III
8:30 to 9:30 pm

THE place to be for Phase III! Don't miss Fourteen Hills Press and Eleven Eleven Present: Voices That Carry; Muddy’s Coffee House, 1304 Valencia St. Hear from Jeannine Hall Gailey (16.2), Lauren Hamlin (16.2), Zara Raab (16.2), Aurora Brackett (11.2), Catherine Meng (12.2), and Loren Rhoads.

Wow that’s a book bag overflowing with Fourteen Hills goodness. Please consider “liking” Fourteen Hills on Facebook and following us on Twitter.

Have a swell Litquake!

-Matthew DeCoster, Fourteen Hills staff

“Takin’ It To The Streets…” Join Fourteen Hills at Litquake's Lit Crawl on Saturday October 9

Starving, hysterical, naked, dragging yourself through the streets for an angry fix? Well then, fans of text on the page or off the tongue, take note: Munich may have its Oktoberfest, but that’s when San Francisco mixes suds with words to shake the streets and alleys during LitQuake.

D.W. Lichtenberg performs at LitCrawl 2009

Originally hatched as “Litstock” over beers at the Edinburgh Castle pub in 1999, the idea ballooned and in 2002 was redubbed “LitQuake.” Well past time for tour books and city guides to meet their civic obligation to warn overflow crowds to leave their socks at home, since they’ll just be knocked off anyway during the week of live readings between October 1st and 9th. Highlights include the “Dawn of the Read” opening-night poetry party, mid-day “Off the Richter Scale Readings,” a snack-time “Kidquake,” and a chance to raise a glass of wine at “Flight of Poets” (co-curated by our editor-in-chief Hollie Hardy) on Wednesday October 6 at the Hotel Rex (562 Sutter Street).

But the event not to miss is on Saturday, October 9, during LitCrawl, Litquake’s infamous final night. At 8:30 pm, “Voices That Carry” echoes off the walls at Muddy’s Coffee House (1304 Valencia Street at 24th Street), featuring readers from both Fourteen Hills and Eleven Eleven.

Join us to see these featured readers for Fourteen Hills:

• Jeannine Hall Gailey is the author of Becoming the Villainess, which was published by Steel Toe Books in 2006. Some of those poems have been featured on NPR’s The Writer’s Almanac and on Verse Daily. Two were included in 2007’s The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror. In 2007, Gailey received a Washington State Artist Trust GAP Grant and a Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Prize.
• Lauren Hamlin has published in Zero Ducats, Poets & Writers, and Fourteen Hills where she read for the release party of issue 16.2. Watch it here. 
• Zara Raab is the author of The Book of Gretel and the forthcoming Swimming the Eel. Her poems appear in West Branch, Nimrod, Spoon River, Fourteen Hills, and elsewhere.

And these featured readers for Eleven Eleven:

• Aurora Brackett graduated with an MFA in fiction from San Francisco State University. Her stories and poems have been published in several literary journals and selected for awards, including the 2005 Wilner Award for the Short Story. She lives and teaches in Oakland.
• Catherine Meng is the author of the poetry collection Tonight's the Night (Apostrophe Books) and three chapbooks, 15 Poems in Sets of 5 (Anchorite Press), Dokument (Perichord Press), and Lost Notebook w/ Letters to Deer (Dusie Kollectiv).
• Loren Rhoads edited the cult nonfiction magazine Morbid Curiosity for ten years, and she has collected her cemetery travel essays in her book Wish You Were Here. Her short fiction has appeared in City Slab, Cemetery Dance, Not One of Us, the chapbooks Ashes & Rust and The Paramental Appreciation Society, and in the book Sins of the Sirens: Fourteen Tales of Dark Desire. Rhoads is a member of the Horror Writers Association and the Association for Gravestone Studies.

Since its inception in 1994, Fourteen Hills has been staffed exclusively by graduate students in the creative writing program at San Francisco State University, who collaborate to select and publish award-winning mixes of poetry, fiction, literary nonfiction, and cross-genre work by writers who have garnered such prestigious awards as the Pushcart Prize, the Flannery O’Connor Award, and been included in such anthologies as those put out by Best New Poets, 100 Distinguished Stories, Best American Gay Fiction, and O. Henry.

Eleven Eleven is the literature and art journal produced twice a year by the MFA Program in Writing and other members of the California College of the Arts community.

Our “Voices That Carry” may be eventually heard ’round the world, but why not hear them at their best—up close and personal at Muddy’s Coffee House? 

RSVP on Facebook and we'll see you there. (Arrive early to grab a seat.)

-Don Menn
Fourteen Hills staff

Fourteen Hills: Buy It Now At An Amazing Bookstore Near You

The Fourteen Hills staff is working hard on the Fall 2010 issue, so in the meantime, be sure to pick up your copy of Spring 2010 issue 16.2. Don't worry, there's no need to truck all the way out to the San Francisco State University Campus. We are lucky to have stores all around the Bay Area that carry Fourteen Hills (for only $9!). Below is a list of some of our favorite stores, so visit them today and pick up your copy of the latest issue.

Smoke Signals is an intimate but well-stocked newsstand that specializes in hard-to-find international magazines. They carry everything from literary journals to European football magazines, and the owner is extremely friendly and helpful. 2223 Polk St., San Francisco, CA, 94109
(415) 292-6025

Cover to Cover in Castro

Cover to Cover, an independent bookstore nestled in Noe Valley, makes you feel instantly welcomed. The staff is friendly, offers great suggestions, and will order anything you can’t find.
1307 Castro Street, San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 282-8080
On Yelp

Though the USF Bookstore is targeted towards University of San Francisco students and faculty, anyone can go in and check out their wide selection of books and find out about numerous upcoming literary events.
2130 Fulton Street, San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 422-6493

The Booksmith on Haight Street

If you find yourself in the heart of the Haight, make sure to drop by the Booksmith. It is large and well-organized with tons of new and interesting releases. They go above and beyond books with a great selection of magazines, calendars, journals, and little gifts.
1644 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 863-8688
On Yelp

Dog Eared Books is a charming bookstore in the heart of the Mission. It has a great section dedicated to local authors and staff picks, and organizes literary events every month. Check out their website for more information on upcoming events in addition to interesting best-seller lists.
900 Valencia St
(between 20th St & Liberty St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 282-1901

“For those who are searching for the truth, Revolution Books is the place to come.” This bold claim will not leave you disappointed if you are looking for a radical bookstore with all types of literature about social revolution. Just two blocks from UC Berkeley, this volunteer-run organization hosts readings, political forums, and can clue you in on just about anything revolutionary under the sun.
2425 Channing Way Suite C
(between Dana St & Telegraph Ave)
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 848-1196
On Yelp

A Plethora of Literature in Santa Cruz

Capitola Book Cafe is the epicenter of Santa Cruz County's literature scene. The store is owned by a group of dedicated former employees whose passion for the store and for books is exemplified by the community they have created. They host several author readings a month and a local writing group too. In addition to a wonderful selection of books, they also have a cafe that serves food, coffee, beer, and wine.
1475 41st Ave, Ste G
Capitola, CA 95010
(831) 462-4415
On Yelp

You can also pick up a copy of Fourteen Hills at any of these wonderful bookstores in your neighborhood as well:

In San Francisco:

Adobe Books: 3166 16th Street
Alexander Book Co: 50 2nd Street (@Jessie)
Books and Bookshelves: 99 Sanchez Street (@ 14th)
Bound Together Books: 1369 Haight Street (@Masonic)
Christopher’s Books: 1400 18th Street
Farley’s: 1315 18th Street
Modern Times: 888 Valencia Street
SFSU Bookstore: 1600 Holloway Ave
West Portal Bookshop: 80 West Portal Ave
Books Inc: 2251 Chestnut Street (Marina Location)
Bibliohead Bookstore: 334 Gough (@Hayes)

So Many Bookstores to Choose From!

Greater Bay Area:

Analog Books: 1816 Euclid St, Berkeley
Book Zoo: 6395 Telegraph Ave, Oakland
Bookshop Benicia: 856 South Hampton Road, Benicia
Diesel Bookstore: 5433 College Ave, Oakland
Eastwind Books Berkeley: 2066 University Ave, Berkeley
ISSUES: 20 Glen Ave, Oakland
Kepler’s: 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park
Orinda Books: 276 Village Square, Orinda
University Press Books: 2430 Bancroft Way, Berkeley
Walden Pond Books: 3316 Grand Ave, Oakland
Watershed Books: 305 N. Main Street, Lakeport

Book Stores All Over the East Bay

If you can't make it to a bookstore in the Bay Area, don't fear, you can now subscribe to Fourteen Hills online at fictionondemand.com.

-Kelly McNerney, Fourteen Hills staff