Results tagged “endicott” from News | Tmesis Magazine

What can I say about Perry Pitetic? Not much, really, owing to the fact that he comes and goes like an apparition, constantly morphing and changing course with his frequent twists of creative thought. (Contrary to popular belief, he is not merely a figment of my imagination.) There has apparently been only one witness to his corporeal state: He, himself! So good luck in trying to track him down. Fortunately, he's given some insight into who he is with the scandalous release of this self-portrait.

While I can't characterize his personality or nature, I can tell you that his voyeuristic tales will have you plastered to your neighbors' lounge windows for more of the same. Daring, stimulating, engrossing and, most of all, odd, you can expect them to defy the beaten path of dark fiction. Truth be told, they remind me of Hitchcock's work, and the original B&W Twilight Zones.

His Solo stories, which will be a series of separate short stories, will show you just what I'm talking about. The first of the series will be Four Awkward Guests, which will center around a group of... that's right: four awkward guests; vibrant characters that vivify the meaning of strange. Well, add an annual dinner party to which each of these characters have been mysteriously invited, and you've got yourself a hootenanny of premeditated silence and thorny twitching. That is, until someone decides to open their mouth.

Mr. Pitetic is also contributing to Inter Bella, our 1930s alternate-period thriller. His main character is, in a manner of speaking, dirty, though in a clean and wholesome way. While Germany and the Central Powers prosper after the stalemate of World War I, the rest of the world suffers from economic depression, and Henry Woodward is caught right in the thick of the Dust Bowl desolation. While he and his remaining family try to make ends meet, men like Roderick Endicott have him pinned. (Quite literally, as the story will show.) What will poor ol' Henry do when he's reached the end of his rope? Tune in to find out!

Come back next time when I'll have written a little something about myself and my stories. It'll be grand. (Like the canyon, minus the gaping hole.)

-Ray

While we scramble to get all our literature and web pages in order, I thought I'd take a little bit of time to talk about our stories and where we're coming from with them. In order to do that, I guess I'd have to start with a little bit of who we are.

It's long been the idea that college English majors are destined to become teachers of the fine arts (which, make no mistake, is one hell of an admirable profession), but the three of us had passions that took us away from the classroom. We had interests, not just in writing, but in the entire editorial process, starting with the early conception of literary ideas and ending with purified end product - a book, short story or what have you - that's meant to be the articulate window into the author's mind. So, we were just crazy enough to enter the world of publishing.

Our focus has been on artisanship, which is to say that we think of publishing as both an art (which requires some taste and intuition) and a craft (which encourages us to build upon experience and practice.) The same applies to the way in which we approach writing; but before I begin to sound too much like I know what I'm talking about, let me just add that we're somewhat new at all this, so, in reality, we're just trying to make our way through the pitch dark with one hand following the wall.

Now about our stories... We each like to think that we're adding a unique flavor to the Tmesis Magazine mix while keeping with the theme of fictional drama and intrigue. Let's take Kevin Wright's stories to begin with.

I'd say Kevin is a very matter-of-fact writer, but I always seem to pull away some unspoken message from his stories. Maybe it's just me, but it definitely adds to the experience.

His Solo story is currently entitled Face in the Crowd. I don't want to give too much away, but I'll note that it explores the duality of oneself and manifests the hardships that make life such a big fight for the finish. Of course, with Kevin's writing, there's always that unexpected twist you're not quite ready for when it suddenly comes at you.

We've been talking about this story for a while now, and I knew it would make a great addition to the magazine, but I'll let you all decide for yourselves once we publish it.

Kevin's also writing a part for Inter Bella, which is our collaborative writing project. While I can't reveal too much of the story itself, I can say a few things about the setting and his lead character, Roderick Endicott. Just by the sound of his name, you know that he's marked by an air of importance. (Or maybe just hoity-toitiness.) But he's got secrets. Oh... does he have secrets.

In the alternate history world of Inter Bella, he's one of the greatest tycoons to spring up in New York during the 1920s depression. You might be asking yourself how he could have profited during a depression. Well, use your imagination. Tycoons live complicated lives - more complicated that we might give them credit for. While Endicott is on the brink of historic success, there are things a-brewin', just waiting to reach that tipping point.

Sorry, but that's all I'm going to reveal about ol' Roderick - you'll have come back later to learn more. As we move along, we'll eventually have an about page exclusively for these stories and characters, but I'll continue to give these little glimpses into what we've got going.

Tune in later for a little taste of Perry Pitetic. (That is, if he doesn't beat me to the punch.)

-Ray