Zombie Fiction for Halloween

I made the prediction a couple of years ago. For years, Vampires dominated the monster mainstream. Now, zombies seem to be everywhere. I foresaw the Zombie Apocalypse.

My short story, “Zombie is the New Vampire” was published in The Potomac back in Spring of 2011. I wrote the piece of flash fiction back in 2010.

The Potomac is a journal of poetry, politics, and prose based along the banks of the Potomac river.

“Zombie is the New Vampire” is what The Potomac calls a “quicktion,” or short piece of flash fiction. You can read it in a minute.

Read some Halloween lit now at http://thepotomacjournal.com/issue11/Fiction/Goodman.html.

Better Weather in Barcelona

With Hurricane Sandy threatening to dim our days, now is a good time to dream of places with better weather.

Check out the latest issue of inTravel Magazine to read my latest travel story, “Bouncing About Barcelona.” It’s in the September/October issue, and you can find it at www.intravelmag.com/in-depth/834-bouncing-about-barcelona.

In the travel story, with original illustrations by Nataliya Goodman, we bring readers along for visits to the highlights of Catalonia.

“Truth be told, although the Sagrada Familia is the sight I have most anticipated, I expect to be let down. Like a movie or book everyone has raved about, you watch or read with unreasonably high expectations, only to come away disappointed. That is not the case with what is easily Europe’s and most likely the world’s most unusual and creatively designed church. I come with high expectations. They are exceeded.”

I also offer thoughts on traveling and guides in general.

“A guide book changes as the reader does. The same guide books that helped us discover Barcelona took on a whole new meaning as we sat on the plane returning home. All of the wonder and anticipation, as I looked at the same pages and passages, had changed to familiarity and comfort. It’s sort of like the first day at a new school compared to the last day at an old one. It’s always nice to leave home for an adventure. It’s usually nice to be back in your own bed.”

Join me for better weather in Barcelona at inTravel Magazine. And if you like what you read, vote for “Bouncing About Barcelona” to help make it the most popular story of the issue!

Read more at www.intravelmag.com.

Have no Fear: Lit and Art This Sunday

Have No Fear: The October Lit & Art at the Watermark reading event will take place on this Sunday, October 28, 2-5 p.m.!

Featured readers include Katherine Cottle, Austin S. Camacho, Virginia Crawford, and Earl Crown. Musical performance by Erik Kestler and original artwork by Manzar Rassouli. Your's truely is the host, and we'll top it all off with some wine and refreshments.

Come one, come all to this free event ... and feel free to wear a costume if you'd like

The event takes place at 100 S. Charles Street in the Bank of America building, second floor, in downtown Baltimore. It's right across from the inner harbor.

How Much Advice Can One Book Take?

Portland Book Review asked me to ask the question: How Much Advice Can One Book Take? I ask and answer that question in their “Writers on Writing” section.

“The addiction began in an informal writing workshop. We would meet in bars and restaurants, have a bite and some drinks, and dig into one another’s fiction. Over beer and wine, we would both rip apart and wax poetic about one another’s work. Oh, it wasn’t the drink that became habit-forming. I craved the feedback …”

Read the “How Much Advice Can One Book Take” in the most recent issue of Portland Book Review. You can find it at the link below.

http://www.portlandbookreview.com/how-much-advice-can-one-book-take-by-eric-d-goodman/

How much advice can YOUR book take?

Meet Local Authors over Wine and Cheese

If you like wine, artisan cheeses, desserts, and books, you won’t want to miss this Friday’s hottest ticket! Words and Wine (and Cheese) at the Catonsville Library, this Friday, October 19, 7 to 9 p.m.

Mingle with fellow book-lovers in the library stacks; engage in conversation with local authors; sip on wine varietals provided by The Wine Bin in historic Ellicott City; savor gourmet cheeses and desserts; listen to jazz guitarist Bob Margolis.

Hosted by the Friends of the Catonsville Library, tickets cost $25 and proceeds benefit the library and are tax deductible.

More than a dozen authors will be mingling with guests. Featured authors include Shawn Peters, Rob Kasper, Tom Beck, Deborah Rudacille, Louis Diggs, Katherine Kenny, Elie Rudrup, Dave Shackelford, Dan Toomey, Rafael Alvarez, Steve Luxenberg, Stephanie Verni, Jim Frank, Eric D. Goodman, and Nataliya Goodman.

These authors will be happy to chat with you, and to sell and sign copies of their books. Tracks: A Novel in Stories and Flightless Goose will both be available.

Learn more at the following link.

http://atticusbooksonline.com/event/eric-d-goodman-reads-at-words-and-wine-social-in-md/

 

Poets in Preston Park Features Tracks Tuesday

Looking for a lunch hour that’s less filling and more fulfilling? Stop by Preston Gardens (along St. Paul Street in downtown Baltimore) for free munchies, a hearty serving of poetry, and a reading from Tracks. The event takes place Tuesday, October 16 at noon.

The Downtown Partnership Baltimore and Cyclops Books + Music present Poets in Preston every Tuesday from noon to 1:30 p.m. Each event offers some hot poetry and literature in the cool shade—along with free, tio-notch refreshments.

Learn more about Poets in Preston at the city’s link.

http://www.godowntownbaltimore.com/events/Default.aspx?eid=6aad35be-1178-e111-93fe-000c29caa908

Pledge your attendance at the Facebook Page!

http://www.facebook.com/DowntownBaltimore?v=wall#!/events/353693694716402/?fref=ts

 

Featured Author at Frostburg Indie Lit Fest

This weekend, Frostburg State University hosts the Sixth Annual Western Maryland Independent Lit Festival. The festival kicks off at 5:30 this Friday, October 12 with a reading and panel discussion on the author/publisher relationship.

I’ll be one of this year’s featured authors. The evening begins at Main Street Books at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, October 12. Other participants at the author/publisher relationship-themed reading include Gerry LaFemina, Richard Peabody, Jason Jack Miller, and Nathan Leslie.

The reading will be followed by a reception to welcome festival attendees at the Center for Creative Writing.

Then, at 7:30, a panel discussion portraying the editor/author relationship will be held at the Frostburg Public Library. The evening’s reading authors will participate, along with publishers Jamie Brown of Broadkill Publishing, Dan Cafaro of Atticus Books, Heidi Ruby Miller of Raw Dog Screaming Press, and Rick Campbell of Anhinga Press.

Three events rolled into one night, all free and open to the public!

Learn more about the kickoff evening at the Indie Lit Reading Facebook page.

www.facebook.com/events/309399842500826

Visit the Indie Lit Festival website for more about the weekend’s events.

www.frostburg.edu/cwcenter/indie-lit-festival

Good Day for Idle Chatter

Today seems like a good day for some idle chatter. If you’re in the mood for some small talk, how about spending a few minutes listening to my reading of “Idle Chatter,” a story from Tracks: A Novel in Stories, as broadcast on Baltimore’s NPR station earlier this year?

In the story, Franklin, the conductor of the train, keeps everyone on board comfortable as he contemplates his own addiction to small talk and how it has caused him both pain and pleasure.

Produced by Aaron Henkin at WYPR, the broadcast is about 18 minutes and accented by music for just the right tone. Let the conductor chat you up at the link below.

http://yourlisten.com/channel/content/130094/Idle_Chatter?rn=8lnowic1glmo

You can find additional Tracks readings from NPR at the Tracks website.

http://www.tracksnovel.com/radio.html

Selling Books Abroad in Writers Weekly

Recently, Writers Weekly, the highest-circulation freelance writing ezine in the world, published my story, “Selling Books Abroad,” as their weekly Featured Story.

In the article, I share my experience of doing a book event for Tracks in Madrid, Spain. Here’s a taste of the books and beer coverage:

“We were planning a vacation to (and travel story on) Spain anyway. Adding a book event to the visit was a great way of mixing business with pleasure - and it proved to be an effective way to sell books and create some buzz with a new readership.”

Read more by visiting the link below.

http://writersweekly.com/success_stories/007513_08152012.html

Words Toll On

A bit of sad news hung over this weekend’s Baltimore Book Festival: the passing of local poet Chris Toll.

A regular on the Baltimore literary scene, Chris Toll, 64, was remembered by a number of emcees and readers at this weekend’s events.

A memorial service will be held this evening, Monday, October 1, 2012 at 7 p.m. at Ruck Towson Funeral Home, 1050 York Road, Towson, Maryland. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Chris Toll to the Baltimore Humane Society, 1601 Nicodemus Road, Reisterstown, MD, or to the Poetry Project

Read Chris Toll’s Obituary in The Baltimore Sun.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/baltimoresun/obituary.aspx?pid=160210013#fbLoggedOut

Chris Toll’s words will toll on.