Slings and Arrows of Outrageous Fortune

Enter at Your Own Risk, an anthology of Dark Fiction, now available (Bayou Life)

noreply@blogger.com (John A. Karr) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 19:00:00 +0000

My short story, Bayou Life, is part of Dr. Alex Scully's anthology of Gothic Fiction called Enter at Your Own Risk.

Dr. Alex Scully has pulled together

Old Masters, New Voices: Looking into the dark past, Enter At Your Own Risk resurrects the Gothic masters and for the first time, they meet their modern counterparts. Poe, de Maupassant, Bierce, Lovecraft, Yeats, Stoker and more walk the haunted literary halls with B.E. Scully, Carole Gill, Joshua Skye, Mari Adkins, Edward Medina, John A. Karr, E.P. Berglund, A.A. Garrison, Robbie Anderson, David Thomas, Alex McDermott, Nicky Peacock, Drew Keaton, and Benjamin Sperduto. Enter... at your own risk...

Irving Stone's 'Lust for Life' a Vincent van Gogh story, chronicled by Giridhar Khasnis

noreply@blogger.com (John A. Karr) — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 19:14:00 +0000

I have yet to see anyone play Vincent on screen better than Kirk Douglas in the 1950's adaptation of Irving Stone's biographical novel, Lust for Life. Douglas embraced the feverish and chaotic aspects of Vincent to the nth degree, to the point where the actor's wife at the time got a bit spooked. That he was passed up for the Oscar while Anthony Quinn was awarded Best Supporting for his eight minute role as Gauguin is criminal. Such is life.

Giridhar Khasnis has an excellent write-up at the Deccan Herald of Stone's labors, including the rejections of the book by major publishers and it's eventual wild success in print and film adaptation.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/178565/vincents-chronicles.html

Writes Khasnis:

It was quite by chance that Irwing Stone (1903 - 89) — then a young, prolific, but struggling playwright — visited the Rosenberg Galleries in Paris and ‘discovered’ the blazing canvases of Vincent van Gogh (1853 - 1890).

The visit, he confessed, turned out to be ‘the single most compelling emotional experience’ of his life. He also at once felt compelled to find out more about the Dutch impressionist. “Even though I was far too young and felt I did not have sufficient technique to write a book about Vincent van Gogh, I knew I had to try. If I didn’t, I would never write anything else.”

His elaborate and intense research — based primarily on van Gogh’s prolific and eloquent letters to his brother Theo — spanned six long months, followed by another six months of writing. By early 1931, the manuscript of Lust for Life was ready. Then began the frustrating ordeal of finding a publisher. Over the next three years — one after another — more than 15 publishers rejected Stone’s manuscript.

When he took it to Alfred Knopf, ‘they never opened it — the package with the manuscript got home before I did.’ When he approached Doubleday, they seemed impressed, but the sales department put its foot down and said there was ‘no way to sell a book about an unknown Dutch painter.’

Finally, in 1934, the manuscript was accepted and published by Longmans, Green & Company. Stone received a $250 advance which, according to the author, was “a tremendous amount of money”, especially during the Depression.

Lust for Life became an immediate bestseller. The book (which was dedicated to the author’s mother) sold in millions of copies. It also set in motion Stone’s brilliant writing career. He was hailed as a pioneer of biographical novel in its contemporary form and indisputably the most successful master of the genre.

Stone described the biographical novel as “a true and documented story of one human being’s journey across the face of the years, transmuted from the raw material of life into the delight and purity of an authentic art form.”

Van Gogh's Sunflowers browning from chemical assimilation

noreply@blogger.com (John A. Karr) — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 22:14:00 +0000

Unfortunately, Vincent's use of white mixed with chromium yellow, a technique that made his Sunflower paintings so brilliant, is now causing them to brown in sunlight.

Sad on many levels. The yellows were so strong and achieved Vincent's brightness goal ... to have them fade now robs of us his intent and result. Nothing lasts forever, it's true, but with the professional care of the Van Gogh Museum in the Netherlands, one would have hoped they'd last a lot longer. Not to fault them, however. I'm sure the finding by the chemists was not welcome news. Now the museum must display Sunflowers in darker settings, or commission someone to figure out an antidote.

To see Sunflowers anywhere but in a bright setting robs them of their power.

The Boston Globe is one of many news outlets to carry the story, but I do not agree that the browning of Vincent's most powerful works is "weirdly appropriate" as Josh Rothman states:

It's definitely sad that the paintings are fading, but you can't deny that it's weirdly appropriate, too: The sun is fading the painted sunflowers, just as it faded the real ones.

It is another tragic event in a life already fraught with tragedy.

Vincent had his brown period of painting while in the North. When he came to France, his works exploded with color. Such were his techniques and manner until his final days, if he'd wanted to return to brown, he'd have done so.

I'll also add this, it is Vincent's powerful manipulation of color that made him, posthumously though it was. If he'd stayed with browns and greys, he would not have gained global status as an artist.

Review, Emerald by M.L. Hamilton

noreply@blogger.com (John A. Karr) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 13:34:00 +0000

Review, Emerald by M.L. Hamilton

The premise:

In one terrible instant, Kai is thrown from his privileged life and plunged into a conflict that began before he was born. Worse yet, he learns that the one man who can help him is his enemy.
Kiameron is the crown prince of DiNolfol. He is torn between two destinies - assuming the crown upon his father's death or answering the call of his non-Human traits, abilities associated with the mysterious Stravad.

The decision is made for him with the destruction of everything he holds dear. Armed with his burgeoning powers and a mysterious talisman that he does not know how to use, Kai strikes back at Gava, the despot who destroyed his life.

Crippled by self-doubt and fear, he falters in his quest, until he meets a man who forces him to take action. However, his new ally is hiding secrets, secrets that will rob Kai of everything he holds sacred.

Reaction:

Prince Kai has inexplicable dreams that disturb and compel him to seek answers. He’s at odds with his father, the King, on how the kingdom of DiNolfol should best handle the encroaching threat of a powerful enemy. Kai has powers that set him apart from other humans ...

And that’s only the start of the conflicts that set in motion this well-crafted and detailed epic fantasy. The settings and world building are fashioned with great attention, counter-balanced by the all-important interplay between characters. To prevent these characters from appearing one-dimensional, the reader is provided insights to their emotions. We experience Kai’s desires and limitations and his quest for vengeance ... always a compelling motive in the fantasy genre. Also, Kai’s princess sister provides another vantage in which to experience Hamilton’s world, as do the villains.

Hamilton then takes more steps to add complexity and intrigue to this saga. Characters that seem one way reveal other facets, and some are not altogether expected by Kai or the reader. There’s plenty of tragedy and devastation to go around, entertaining action sequences, and automatons that seem all but insurmountable. In the end, Emerald proves itself an engrossing fantasy saga.

Zombie tale, Death Clause, available at Amazon Kindle

noreply@blogger.com (John A. Karr) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 14:32:00 +0000

Now available on Amazon Kindle: Death Clause is the 2011 resurrection of Dark Resurrection.

Surgeon Victor Galloway kept death at bay in the operating room. Now death has claimed him. Resurrected against his will, forced to sign a Death Clause, he must fight for his family and his soul.

Victor Galloway is a prominent surgeon and family man. When he suffers a heart attack, he claws his way to the phone and dials 911. The paramedics arrive, smile down at him and quickly administer a lethal injection. Victors life is ending, but his nightmare has just begun.Close to death and strapped to a gurney, hes offered an unholy deal by Tobias, H.E.L.L.s CEO: Use his surgical skills to harvest the living to feed the undead in exchange for immortality. Refused but not to be denied, Tobias presses his unwilling recruit into the ranks of the undead.

Whether by chance or divine intervention, Victor is different from the others.He is a monster with a conscience, a force for good ensnared by evil, and the only one willing to stand against Tobias and his burgeoning nest of zombies.He must destroy them, but doing so risks the lives of his family and the last hospital employee with a pulse.

New cover art below.

WSJ video on Kepler Project: Another Earth in Outer Space?

noreply@blogger.com (John A. Karr) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 16:35:00 +0000

WSJ video on Kepler Project: Another Earth in Space?

Very cool, both the Video and the Keplar Project for continuing to explore the galaxy, and by extension, the universe, for Earth-like planets. Just ten years ago other astronomers scoffed at the idea. Now Kepler, led by Dr. Geoff Marcy, is trailblazing through Space and pushing back the naysayers.

The Wall Street Journal's Michael Kofsky and his team have done an outstanding job with the video. Informative and entertaining.

Robert E. Howard, the fantasy world marked his 105th Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (John A. Karr) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 13:27:00 +0000

Robert Ervin Howard (January 23, 1906 - June 11, 1936).

Happy birthday, REH. And while some may deem it strange to wish birthday tidings to a man long dead, his works live on and, as he wrote in a Conan story, we "drink to his shade."

Having read no one's works who could surpass the action writing of Robert E. Howard, to me he is the best sword and sorcery writer to ever live. Karl Edward Wagner runs at second place, and Edgar Rice Burroughs at third, but no one takes Howard for clean, bold imagery and action in the span of a short story, a novella or two, and one novel.

Hardcore REH fans often point to his boxing or western stories as the best of the best, forgoing the more popular stories of the king of all barbarians, Conan. Not for me. Kull and Solomon Kane and his horror stories are very cool, but don't rise to the level of his Conan stories. I wish he'd typed up more novels, but that's a long medium and back in the day he was shooting stories to more than just Weird Tales for his living. If I recall my readings correctly, Weird Tales didn't pay REH his due for a Conan story, so he abandoned the character. Not cool, Weird Tales. You essentially killed Conan.

"Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandalled feet."
— Robert E. Howard, The Phoenix on the Sword, 1932.

The folks at Black Gate have a cool post of favorite Howard writings.

As I commented there, all the while I read REH in my younger days, I always pictured him a wizened old timer, perhaps an ex-soldier or historian, and here he only made it to 30 years old.

Genius writing. The power …!

Absolutely.

Below is Howard's photo. It's probably his most popular picture, but he rarely dressed that way out in West Texas. Also below, a favorite clip from the movie, Whole Wide World, about Howard and his love interest, Novalyne Price.

Gauguin's tribute to Van Gogh auctioning big

noreply@blogger.com (John A. Karr) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 02:00:00 +0000

Eleven years after Vincent van Gogh's death, the fellow artist who basically drove Vincent over the edge painted sunflowers on Vincent's behalf, supposedly. Maybe he honestly missed him, more likely he wanted to capture some of Vincent's intensity and drive, at least that's my admittedly limited impression of the man.

I don't care much for Gauguin, and even less of his art. To me he was a villain who took advantage of Theo's money and Vincent's naivete and desire for artistic fellowship. And no good man does that.

Anita Singh has an article in The Telegraph on Gauguin's Sunflowers, and the pretty penny they'll be fetching at auction.

Singh states that Vincent's drinking and instability led to the end of their friendship. Surely they were factors ... ones that Gauguin took advantage of. To boot, Gauguin had sizeable mental issues of his own after he left for the tropics. Difficult to believe they hadn't manifested earlier.

Below is Gauguin's painting, which is flat and lifeless compared to Vincent's, imo. See link and example below.

Van Gogh masterpieces in chocolate, or, The Edible Van Gogh

noreply@blogger.com (John A. Karr) — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 16:50:00 +0000

The UK Daily Mail UK has a story about a confectioner, Jean Zaun, who creates chocolate versions of masterpieces, including Vincent Van Gogh's portrait and sunflowers.

The edible Van Gogh.

But her larger reproductions are more for display, as it turns out.

According to Mrs Zaun, each picture can last for up to nine years if properly stored at a temperature of 68 degrees or less.

She added: 'They must also not be exposed to sunlight, heat, hungry dogs or humans.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1342779/Vincent-Van-Choc-Confectioner-creates-chocolate-versions-art-masterpieces.html#ixzz19thSg46P

Grace Krispy of MotherLode, Book Reviews and Original Photography, reviews Van Gogh, Encore

noreply@blogger.com (John A. Karr) — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 23:53:00 +0000

Grace Krispy of MotherLode, Book Reviews and Original Photography has kindly posted a review of Van Gogh, Encore

Excerpts from Grace Krispy's review of Van Gogh, Encore:

What if... what if Vincent Van Gogh were alive today, in modern times? What if his life took a different turn, if he met someone he could love? What might be in store for him? Van Gogh is famous for his powerful works of art, and infamous for his mental health issues and resulting bizarre behavior. How would that play out in the context of today?

In this work of speculative fiction, John A. Karr portrays the last 18 months of Van Gogh's life in the United States, and presents possibilities of a different future for the troubled, but gifted, artist. Given a different setting and nationality (Van Gogh is Canadian in this book), and a blossoming love with a vivacious woman, Van Gogh gets another chance at life.

...

At nearly twice the size of the average ebook, this was a page-turner. Descriptive and eloquent, this book really allows you to feel what it might be like to be Van Gogh, to live inside his tormented mind as he attempts to make sense of contradictory stimuli. The author uses carefully selected words and phrasing to portray Van Gogh's thoughts in a way that really highlights his inner turmoil, as well as his artistic passion. The characters were nicely drawn, but the star of this story is really Vincent, whose character is well-established.

NASA JPL's Blue Sunset on Mars, and did Rhone see it?

noreply@blogger.com (John A. Karr) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 18:42:00 +0000

Incredible footage from NASA's JPL of the Mars rover tracking a blue sunset on Mars.

Did my character Rhone observe such sunsets? Perhaps only when trekking through Purgatory would the landscape have been so featureless in Rhone's time. Up until his final explosive battle with a god (in an upcoming volume of The Marsii Saga), the landscape had generally been populated with forest and grassy plains and jungle, with a true atmosphere capable of supporting life. In essence, a brother-planet to Earth.

noreply@blogger.com (John A. Karr) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 13:57:00 +0000

Great to have Van Gogh, Encore as the Kindleboards KB Book of the day.

The irony was inescapable. My favorite artist labored daily for ten years without commercial or personal success -- yet now the images he created sell for millions and are found worldwide.

There's even a Kindle cover of his Starry Night:http://www.amazon.com/GelaSkins-Kindle-2-Starry-Night/dp/B002A1RU5K

When I was considering writing a novel about Vincent van Gogh, my first inclination was to make it a purely Historical Fiction piece, where settings and characters would pay strict attention to history. But the overwhelming counter kept cropping up; so many people know at least a few things about Vincent, why not make him more accessible by having him occupy modern time and space?

So I did it.

And took another, far more speculative step by putting Vincent's historical fate into question. If he gained that which he desired for so long (in addition to some commercial success with his art) ... namely, a family ... would he be able to overcome mental challenges and the ultimate lure of self-destruction?

Modern Vincent is French-Canadian. Rides his Harley Davidson motorcycle -- it's economical and appeals to his sense of freedom -- to the North Carolina coast where he encounters a divorcee with a young son. Theo is an art dealer in Atlanta, Georgia. The rest is unveiled in the book.

Van Gogh, Encore

XERIA -- a space opera short story

noreply@blogger.com (John A. Karr) — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 16:47:00 +0000

XERIA

Ebook Description:

Xeria's home planet of Iegaké had nearly been purged of life by demons with greater technology and firepower. Their spaceships hold hostage not only the paltry number of survivors -- including her father -- but the entire solar system. If Xeria does not return from a neighboring planet with the Drayden Dust that allows demons to dream, Mizk will destroy the entire planet, and prey upon the next.

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/XERIA-short-story-ebook/dp/B004FV5BOU/
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/33017

Cool banner created by author/artist Daphne Coleridge

Three versions of Van Gogh's Bedroom

noreply@blogger.com (John A. Karr) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 17:14:00 +0000

The Van Gogh Museum blog details three versions of Vincent's Bedroom paintings.

The painting

What I particularly find interesting is his seemingly casual prowess at creating the sketches in his letters to Theo and Gauguin. How he could basically whisk them off and have them appear so solid is astounding.

From the Van Gogh Museum blog:

Vincent van Gogh considered The bedroom an important painting. In early 1889, Van Gogh returned home from the hospital in Arles. He had been admitted there after his psychological crisis and the injury to his ear. As he wrote to Theo, ‘When I saw my canvases again after my illness, what seemed to me the best was the bedroom.’

revised version of Rhone (The Marsii Saga), epic fantasy of Mars, released in Kindle ebook and as second print

noreply@blogger.com (John A. Karr) — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 12:48:00 +0000

The revised version of Rhone (The Marsii Saga), epic fantasy of Mars, is now available in Kindle ebook, and soon as a second printing from Wild Wolf Publishing.

Product Description

Mars has a hero that will defy both god and man ...

Rhone is an ex-soldier of mixed blood, more man than demon but with reserves of hellish power. He has led a peaceful life as a fisherman since his soldiering days and is raising a daughter, Enna. Returning home one day he finds Enna murdered -- or so he believes.

And so begins Rhone's manipulation by Ducain, a demigod hell-bent on ruling the heavens. After avenging his daughter's death, Rhone grieves and isolates himself in the mountains. Ducain tells him his daughter's soul is locked in purgatory but can be retrieved ... and if Rhone also frees the titan who once defied the king of gods, Enna will live again.

Your vote could garner a review for Van Gogh, Encore at guyscanread.com

noreply@blogger.com (John A. Karr) — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 12:58:00 +0000

If you get a chance, I'd appreciate your vote for Van Gogh, Encore at

http://www.guyscanread.com/contest/

thanks and I promise not to raise taxes,

John

Dear Finalists,

Congratulations on making it to the final round of the Indie Author Contest. One of you will get the chance to have your book reviewed and promoted to a fast growing audience, but first, we need to get out the vote!

Tell all your friends, family and co-workers to take sec to vote here: http://www.guyscanread.com/contest/

Watched The Wolfman (2010) for Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (John A. Karr) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 15:34:00 +0000

Watched The Wolfman (2010) last night to get my Halloween on. It was a toss-up between that and the latest Predators flick. Went for the classic theme and was pleasantly surprised at how well done it was, not just in special effects but the excellent build-up that didn't throw all of it in your face all at once. The scenery and mood were perfect, and the plot exceeded expectations. As an intermittent writer of horror, a decent plot almost brings a tear to the eye, as opposed to the superficial monster/bad guy just laying waste around him/her.

The actors were excellent as well. Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Art Malik, Hugo Weaving, and others.

http://www.thewolfmanmovie.com/index.html

Robert E. Howard: A New Manifesto by Mark Finn

noreply@blogger.com (John A. Karr) — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 23:28:00 +0000

As a HUGE fan of Robert E. Howard's writings, and the man himself, I find it odd there are those who disparage him four decades after his death. Mark Finn, noted REH scholar, has a manifesto on the subject that I have posted here. From the REH Forums: http://www.conan.com/invboard/index.php?showtopic=8537

A New Robert E. Howard Manifesto

I am a fan of Robert E. Howard, the Texas author who created a multitude of unique characters, wrote original and inventive fiction, defined the genre of epic fantasy as we understand it, and inspired me to become a professional writer. There are tens of thousands of other fans just like myself. As fans of Robert E. Howard and his works, we are interested in reading more about our favorite author. We are interested in sharing and exchanging new ideas about his life and work, and we actively seek out these new ideas online, in print, and elsewhere.

What we do not want to see are semi-uninformed retreads of the same discussions that were in vogue circa 1984. The field of Howard Studies is alive and well, with new discoveries and voices appearing all the time. Interest in the author is high and remains so. If you have a thought or an opinion, even a controversial or untested one, and want to share it with the world at large, we encourage that you do so.

We expect responsibility and accountability on your part. We are not interested in your grand pronouncement on a subject which has yet to be settled by people who have spent decades studying the issue at hand. We expect you to do your homework. There are a number of websites and literally stacks of new books that likely cover or answer most of your questions regarding Robert E. Howard. To not utilize those sources when doing your research smacks of willful ignorance and will not be tolerated by the fans of Robert E. Howard.

If you want to write a review about how much you didn't like Kull: Exile of Atlantis, have at it. Take it apart for any and all textual reasons you choose to invoke. We may not agree because Howard's work isn't for everyone, and we understand that. But the minute you start bringing Robert E. Howard's life story into your Kull review, it will garner a much more careful reading, and if you don't have your facts straight, or your opinions backed up by same, then we will call you on it.

The online Robert E. Howard fanbase calls itself the "Shield Wall." Some writers who have been on the business end of the Shield Wall's attacks have accused us of being bullies and overly-obsessed for the protective stance we take.

While it is not our intention to bully anyone, and while we may get a little carried away on occasion, let me be very clear here as to why this is so: Robert E. Howard has not had a voice for 75 years now. For four decades after his death, he had very few advocates who would defend him against the libel and slander of those who stood to profit from his work. He has been misunderstood and misrepresented for years. The Shield Wall's goal has been to stop in its entirety the kind of character assassination employed by L. Sprague de Camp and others who would adopt his methodology.

Consider this a challenge to survey the amount of work that has been done in Howard Studies in the last ten years alone and then try to come up with your own take on a topic or angle of discussion that has not been beaten to death. Do not make the mistake that so many others have made; just because Robert E. Howard isn't considered a "classic" author by the literary establishment that you can beat his literary reputation (or his personal life) like a rented mule and you will not get kicked for your efforts.

We expect you to accord Robert E. Howard the same respect as any other 20^th century American author with continued and perennial popularity. No more back handed compliments. No more snide insinuations. No more rampant and irresponsible speculation with no basis of fact or evidence to bolster it. And for God's Sake, no more "oedipal complex" crap, either. Those theories are thirty years out of date, and we are sick and tired of seeing it. Give us something new, or keep your parochial and backwards thinking to yourself.

Mark Finn
Author of Blood & Thunder: The Life and Art of Robert E. Howard
And Commander of the Texas Shield Wall

Mexican sunflowers on a beautiful fall day in Raleigh

noreply@blogger.com (John A. Karr) — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 18:21:00 +0000

Temps in the upper 70's to low 80's, and saturating sunshine. Was on the the deck taking it in with my wife and reading Bradbury's Something Wicked. I planted two patches of Mexican sunflowers that come back year after year. Today they enjoyed the sun as much as we did. Couldn't help but wonder how Vincent van Gogh would have painted the photo I took ... even one of our dogs took advantage and did some poolside sunning.

Van Gogh, Encore receives first reader review

noreply@blogger.com (John A. Karr) — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 21:50:00 +0000

Reader Review on Kindle site of Van Gogh, Encore:

Interesting idea expertly handled, October 11, 2010
By bandcandy "bandcandy" (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Van Gogh, Encore (Kindle Edition)
I tend to approach with caution any book which starts with a rather original and interesting premise - in this case re-examining the last year and a half of Van Gogh's life in the context of modern America and with the benefit of a genuinely loving female companion - because I often find that the promise of that idea is not always explored with enough thought and sensitivity. In this case, however, Karr as both writer and thinker is well up to the job. Van Gogh, Encore makes for a sometimes gritty, challenging read, - inevitably because we are being invited inside the mind of a troubled, possibly mentally ill and certainly disillusioned genius. We are also witnessing the difficulties encountered by anyone considered an outsider and a failure with all the issues of identity and self-worth that this raises. The balance of the book is good, however, and we are given some lights to offset the darks in the course of the narrative and there are some enjoyable and charming descriptions of how Van Gogh relates to Lynn and her son David. I was also interested to see how Karr handled the tricky job of transporting Van Gogh to modern times whilst keeping the integrity of his life and character and also allowing himself some room for manoeuvre in making the story his own. In this I think Karr was masterly and I found the characters and happenings at all times credible. We follow Van Gogh through familiar episode in his life (Gauguin's visit, Van Gogh's mutilation of his own ear) but there was scope for significant changes and I must confess that right up until the end I wasn't sure how the book would conclude. Suffice is to say that I had tears in my eyes at the end, but whether they were tears of joy or sorrow, I will not reveal.

Van Gogh, Encore now available in print

noreply@blogger.com (John A. Karr) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 15:02:00 +0000

Van Gogh, Encore now available in print

Product Description

Imagine Vincent van Gogh in our modern world. Suppose, during the last year and a half of his life, when he severs part of his ear and commits himself to the insane asylum, he stumbles into the very circumstance he has longed for his entire adult life -- a family. Would his life change for the better, or would his self-destructive tendencies again prevail? Van Gogh, Encore is a speculative novel based upon the last year and a half of Vincent van Gogh's life. The tale, set in the United States, presents an alternative dimension to the complex and fascinating artist who died impoverished and unappreciated ... while the images he created went on to have global impact, and can be found on everything from vodka bottles to vehicle dashboard covers, television commercials to t-shirts, and whose original works sell for millions.

About the Author

Fiction writing each day helps keep the demons at bay. Van Gogh, Encore is the novelization of my interest in Vincent Van Gogh and the connections I have with aspects of his life and so many of his works. My horror novel, Dark Resurrection, was revised in October 2007. Asylett Press published my medical thriller, Hippocrates Shattered, and Wild Wolf Publishing has pubbed my heroic sword and sorcery novel, Rhone, in trade print. Rhone will soon be available in ebook from another publisher. My short stories have appeared on webzines, including Allegory and The Absent Willow Review, and now Expressions. More novels are in the marketing queue. I work as an IT Analyst in Raleigh, NC, and attempt to balance family life with writing. www.johnakarr.com

Product Details

Paperback: 394 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (September 18, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1453816828
ISBN-13: 978-1453816820
Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

physorg.com: Early sunflower family fossil found in South America

noreply@blogger.com (John A. Karr) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 03:59:00 +0000

Neanderthal Van Gogh painted them? Sunflower family fossil http://tw.physorg.com/204880473

(PhysOrg.com) -- A beautifully preserved fossil identified as being of an early relative of the Asteraceae, or aster, family nearly 50 million years old suggests the plant family, which has now colonized much of the planet, originated in South America after Gondwana separated, forming South America, Australia, Africa, Antarctica and India.

The most striking feature of the fossil, which resembles a painting of sunflowers by 19th century Dutch painter Van Gogh, is a dense flower head (capitulum) like that forming the central part of a sunflower and providing a strong attraction for pollinators.

Van Gogh, Encore now available in Kindle

noreply@blogger.com (John A. Karr) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 12:56:00 +0000

Van Gogh, Encore now available in Kindle e-book. Wrestled with the whole endeavor a few times but once I get my own Kindle To PC straight, the book should be in Times New Roman font, as it is in the Download Preview.

Van Gogh, Encore submitted to Kindle for 48 hour acceptance wait

noreply@blogger.com (John A. Karr) — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 22:28:00 +0000

Today I submitted Van Gogh, Encore to Amazon's Digital Text Platform for acceptance into their Kindle publishing program. Took a while to get the html format down, along with encapsulating the cover art image but the Previewer looked good in the end.

Here's the description for Van Gogh, Encore that will appear in Kindle:

Imagine Vincent van Gogh in our modern world.

Suppose, during the last year and a half of his life, when he severs part of his ear and commits himself to the insane asylum, he stumbles into the very circumstance he has longed for his entire adult life -- a family. Would his life change for the better, or would his self-destructive tendencies again prevail?

Van Gogh, Encore is a speculative novel based upon the last year and a half of Vincent van Gogh's life.

The tale, set in the United States, presents an alternative dimension to the complex and fascinating artist who died impoverished and unappreciated ... while the images he created went on to have global impact, and can be found on everything from vodka bottles to vehicle dashboard covers, and whose original works sell for millions.

Below is a banner Annie Melton made for me to go along with a bunch of her cover art images. Now I'm going to hunt down some places that have contests for cover art and submit hers.

Norton museum trades up by swapping Gauguin painting for Van Gogh Portrait

noreply@blogger.com (John A. Karr) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 03:31:00 +0000

Vincent van Gogh’s Self-Portrait from the National Gallery of Art visits Norton Museum

West Palm Beach , Florida -- 30 August 2010

VINCENT VAN GOGH (Dutch, 1853–1890): Self-Portrait, 1889. Oil on canvas, 22 ½ by 17 ¼ inches. National Gallery of Art, Washington, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. John Hay Whitney, 1998.74.5

(ArtfixDaily.com)

Artfix Daily reports that the Norton Museum has swapped out Paul Gauguin, Christ in the Garden of Olives, 1889, for the Van Gogh Self Portrait at right.

For me, they traded up big-time.

Not only is Van Gogh's art far more powerful than Gauguin's, to me Paul Gauguin was the villain who instigated Van Gogh's ear-slicing incident. Instead of plunging the knife in Gauguin's back, Vincent took part of his own ear.

A scene in my modern Van Gogh novel -- Van Gogh, Encore -- deals with this incident in detail. The way I see it, Gauguin is to Van Gogh what Salieri was (possibly) to Mozart. That is, the villain who manipulates the more trusting and naive and more talented colleague.

The ArtFix Daily article linked above does give fine insight into Vincent's techniques and expressionism via color and texture:

But the haunting—indeed, the haunted—quality of Van Gogh’s picture is unforgettable. The dark blue-violet of the smock and ground, the vivid orange of his hair and beard, create a startling contrast to the yellow and green tones of his face and heighten the gauntness of his features and sallow complexion. The dynamic, even frenzied brushwork lends an uncommon immediacy and expressiveness to the Washington Self-Portrait: it is not just a record of the artist’s appearance, but a revelation of his precarious psychological state.