Interview with Linda Crate

Our latest interview is with Linda Crate, who contributed the poem “scoundrel” to the latest issue. 

 

 

Describe your work in 25 words or less.

Whimsical, emotional, honest, raw, full of color and life I cannot contain.

 

Tell me about your poem “scoundrel.” 

This one was about an ex of mine who was everything he claimed he wasn’t. 

 

Who or what inspires you to write?

It depends on the day. Sometimes inspiration seems to jolt me out of bed in the morning or when I’m in the shower. Music and interesting turns of phrases I hear are my biggest inspirations at times. Right now, I seem to be drawing a lot of inspiration from the bands VNV Nation, The Cruxshadows, and Apoptygma Berzerk. Kate Bush also seems to inspire me a lot. 

 

What authors have influenced you as a writer?

T.S. Eliot, e.e. cummings, Emily Dickinson, Shakespeare (sometimes I have a penchant for inventing words as he did, but it doesn’t always seem to catch on. Pity that.), etc. 

 

Do you have a blog/website?

I do. I have a Facebook page that I maintain daily located here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Linda-M-Crate/129813357119547, and my blog that is updated a little less frequently here: http://theravensnevermore.blogspot.com/.

 

What are you reading at the moment?

Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald. 

 

What are you working on right now?

Poetry, and a few ideas for my novels.

 

Any advice for other writers?

Never give up no matter how many rejections you get. It’s easy to throw in the towel when you receive more rejections a day than acceptances, but a lot of famous authors have been rejected time and time again, people like J.K. Rowling, C.S. Lewis, and the like. So never let anyone tell you that you can’t do it (I had a cousin who once told me that, and that motivated me to prove him wrong). So take all those negative experiences and turn them into something positive.

 

Anything else you’d like to say?

If anyone would like to contact me, though, they can reach me at the following email: amethystepiphany@hotmail.com. Amethyst Epiphany happens to be the title of my first finished novel – I’m just pursuing different publishers/editors in an attempt to get it out into the world. 

Interview with Elizabeth Cook

Today, we’re interviewing Elizabeth Cook, who contributed the poem “Apple Seed” to this issue, and was a close, unofficial second in our contest too. She’s also the first Canadian we’ve published, and I would say that I would’ve saved a ton of money paying her in Canadian dollars if she had won, but that joke doesn’t work anymore.

Interview with Natalie Byers

Finally, I’m getting around to these. Our first interview is with Natalie Byers, who contributed “The Discovery of Oz, The Terrible” to our third and latest issue. It’s also our best selling issue (largely due to one author and her supportive friends, but still), and if you haven’t bought one yet, find out what you’re missing by clicking the “Buy” tab above. 

 

Now, here’s Natalie’s interview. Let me just say I totally agree with her views on narrative structure and on supporting your local literary magazine.

Buy Issue 3!

I finally got it printed and now all of you can buy a copy (or 12) for three bucks. We’ve got poetry by Knar Gavin, Elizabeth Cook, Natalie Byers, Linda M. Crate, and Georgia Bellas, with fiction by Olga Zelenova and Jim Eigo. All you contributors should receive your issues (and prize money, for some) at the beginning of next week.

But seriously, I’m awfully proud of this issue. I mean, I didn’t really do anything aside from pick what went in it, but I think I did a damn fine job of that. (Someone read the issue and said “there’s really good poetry in here,” and I replied “Thanks” like I had written it all. I’m such a dick). So by all means, forgo your venti latte or half of your next crack rock and buy an issue so you can read them all.

Also, Issue 3’s interviews will be posted soon, so keep an eye out for smart answers to the stupid questions I pose to Bop Dead City’s lovely authors.

Issue 3 Cover Art

Just a teaser for the new issue. The art is “I Scream” by Georgia Bellas, who also has a poem in the issue. The mag’s currently at the printer, and they’ll be sent out tomorrow.

And the winners are…

It took longer than I thought, but Bop Dead City is ready to announce the winners of the First Annual Flash Fiction and Poetry Contest!

Knar Gavin’s “Eggplant” was the winner for poetry, and Olga Zelenova’s “Topcoat” was the winner for flash fiction. Thanks to everyone who submitted a piece that qualified, but unfortunately the only people getting TWENTY WHOLE DOLLARS are these two. The prizes will be mailed out when I mail out the contributor’s copies, which will happen whenever I finish the layout for this issue, which should be.,..soon. I’ll update here when it’s printed and available for purchase.

Closed to submissions!

Issue 3’s submission period has ended (as of yesterday, actually). We’ve got a bunch of great poems and stories this time around, and we’ve got to decide the winners of the fabulous prizes as well. We’ll announce those winners later in the week, and the issue should be available for purchase shortly after that. 

Finally, let me take this opportunity to thank all the authors who contributed for this go-around. There were even more tough calls this time than last time, and the amount of submissions is creeping up every time, so I’m excited to see what else you all have a month from now.