New Cover Officially Released Today!

The folks at Mashable broke the story.

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David Ohle’s Devil in Kansas

I’m very honored to have been asked to pen a blurb for David Ohle’s new collection, The Devil in Kansas.

Ohle, if you don’t know, is a lit cult legend stemming from the early 70s publication of Motorman, still one of the weirdest, most beautiful books I’ve ever read.

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Flavorwire Uses Swearwords in Praise of Broken Piano.

This one’s a clusterfuck. A good clusterfuck…Let’s just say this one;s full of conspiracies, alcohol, fast food-speak, alcohol, and uh, well… more alcohol. But there’s so much going on that you may want to read a little slowly, or you might miss something good.

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Broken Piano Madness

Broken Piano for President was featured in just about every place short of Highlights magazine recently. The world’s nicest cease and desist really traveled far.

NPR’s Weekend Edition

The New York Times

Time Magazine

Forbes

The New Yorker

Boing Boing

The Atlantic

Business Week

The Telegraph

Yahoo’s Trending Now

Yahoo News (x2)

Mashable

Mashable (interview)

Business Insider

GalleyCat

The Huffington Post

ABA Journal (American Bar Association)

Ain’t It Cool News

Bookforum

Kenyon Review

TN Whiskey Trail

The Portland Mercury’s Blogtown

WFPL (interview)

LitReactor

The Millions

Outside the Beltway

Critical Mob

Cosby Sweaters

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The Whiskey Rebellion.

[Click to enlarge]

After conferring with my publisher’s legal minds, I’ve been given the green light to post this.

If you haven’t been following, Jack Daniel’s sent me a letter saying the artwork for Broken Piano for President must be changed.

What follows is, perhaps, the most polite cease and desist ever written. If it wasn’t signed by some lawyer, I’d imagine ol’ Gentleman Jack penning it himself, twirling his bushy mustache.

In case you’re wondering, no, my publisher, Lazy Fascist Press, will not be taking them up on their offer. We’re proudly independent and don’t need any of that sweet corporate booze money to redo the cover.

*Good news if you already own a copy of Broken Piano for President: that baby’s going to be a collector’s item.

Powell’s appears to be sold out. [Back in stock, apparently] 

Amazon still has some for sale. Get ’em while they’re legal-ish.

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Goodbye Beautiful Cover Art?

Patrick got a letter in his inbox from Jack Daniel’s.

They are, apparently, not impressed with BROKEN PIANO FOR PRESIDENT’s artwork.

Below is a portion of the letter. Stay tuned for more legal news.

 

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CCLAP review

The Chicago Center for Literature and Photography slapped Broken Piano with a stunning 9.5 rating!

“[D]ark wackiness that will be adored by the same people who enjoy getting wasted and going to Monty Python midnight screenings.”

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Geek Rage Loves Broken Piano

Excellent review up at Geek Rage. 

“Get this book for a friend and get them to read it first if you’re unsure. Do whatever you have to. I wish I could tell you more, but if I spoil any part of the experience for you, you won’t be as surprised and amused as you could be. Go in blind, and tell him I sent you.”
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I Fell in a Hole.

Today’s Drinking Story:

Here we find Tom Williams sinking lower than he’d ever imagined during a drunken visit to his birthplace.

I fell in a hole.

Not a figurative hole. Not a spiritual hole. Not a pothole or chuckhole or gopher hole. A damp, dark opening in the ground, deep enough for me, at six foot four, to be in over my head, wide enough to stand in the center and barely scrape the sides with my fingertips outstretched.

How did I get there?

Continue reading

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Stated Gets Wentastic.

The amazing arts and culture magazine, Stated, did a podcast with Patrick.:

We talked about Kenny Rogers, drinking and writing, whether or not to use outlines, and twee book arts. In the second half of the interview, Wensink’s eight-month-old son Walter makes an appearance.

Listen HERE!

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