Friday, February 10, 2017

Here is my interview with Ben John Smith

09 Thursday Feb 2017

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

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Name Ben John Smith

Age Thirty one, or thirty two – ill have to check with my wife…

Where are you from

Melbourne, Australia. The legit most dudest place in all the world. Love to travel but Melbourne will always be my home.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

Just had my first child! Well, he’s 9 months old now but its been the biggest trip out of my life and im still running on a high. His name is Hunter Lee Smith (After Hunter S Thompson). All three of us are flying to Japan for a month in April for cherry blossom season. Working on a comic with local legend Grid Boonekamp which is setting to be fucking epic. Me and Tran Linh are doing some cool shit (https://shredsomething.wordpress.com/2011/07/31/tran-trung-linh-pop-arts-not-dead/) that’s a bit of a surprise

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

Started young, didnt take it seriously till i was in my twentys. Still dont really take it all that seriously. Its all a bit of a circle wank really.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Haha when i sold my first poem. Was to a magazine called “Fuck”. i still have the issue and the 30 USD they paid me in a frame that my wife got made for my 30th birthday.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

a series of long boozy and drug addled weekend in london that led to me running my mouth about writing a book of poetry. Im not one to say somethin and not do it so i had a crack. it was called Air A boire – or “songs you wing when you are drunk”… and now im here. that will teach me to not be such a cocky asshole when im drunk haha

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

I usually just smash things into my phone when the ideas hit me. I get a lot of people asking me about “the writing process” and rather than lie and say that it pains me to bring out every line or that I labor over every sentence; the truth is if it comes it comes. If it doesn’t I don’t force it. Some times I will go a few months with out writing a poem… other times I will write 5 poems a day. I wish it was more consistant and I wish I had more of a drive, but truth is im busy and lazy. In the wild times the wild poems came, in the happy times I just enjoyed my moments of being alive. There is no in between.

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

I only want the people that read my shit to know how I felt, who I am as a person. I want them to know that I was genuine and that I don’t mince my words. I mean what I say. Love or hate I mean what I say. I want my readers to figure me out. I don’t want to be misunderstood – writing is my attempt at removing pleasantries and exposing myself. More for the people who know me, if they take the time to read this bullshit, know what I mean?

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic and are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Every thing I write is born from life. I don’t make things up. If I wrote it down it happened. I don’t get these writers that make up stories for poems. A poem is part of your heart. You cant feel something that didn’t happen. Poetry is the only written form that must be soiled in truth. But that’s just like, my opinion, man.

full interview here : https://authorsinterviews.wordpress.com/2017/02/09/here-is-my-interview-with-ben-john-smith/

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HORROR SLEAZE TRASH

Two years in the making, Ben John Smith's second hard cover collection of poetry, and predecessor to Air a Boire, is finally here, and ready to be flogged! Featuring the extremely brilliant composition work and inlay design of German trash artist THS (www.ths.nu).

My horrible typos and silly word slinging has been painstakingly edited by my good friend and fellow writer for HST, Ian Shearer; with special thanks to Mike Daily for being such a dude. This is not the collection of artists featured in HST over the past few months, this is a book i started long before the HST was even thought about.

108 pages; 6" x 9", jacket-hardcover binding, cream interior paper (50# weight), black and white interior ink, white exterior paper (100# weight), full-color exterior ink. Jacket Wrap and gold embossing on cloth spine.

While i have tried to keep the price as absolutely low as possible (I'm making about 1 dollar from each book) i know it's still scrapped in a little steep but with out pissing in my pocket - it really is worth the money spent, not only for my poetry but for the entire feel and complete package only a hard cover like this can embody.

Obviously for adults only, i am very pleased to send this sucker out into the world and hope for a wide reception of feedback in any form, from any one! Please DO NOT buy this book if you are easily offended, have any shred of respect for me at all, don't want to hear stories about my penis, fear you may be exposed in one of these poems, are a family member of mine of D'Arnes,if you drink soy latte's or enjoy poetry about flowers and rivers. Any one else, please check it out with a grain of salt and a giggle and i thank you in advance for your support and on going communication.

Lets all get pissed and say silly things!

Double Peneteration

Double Penetration is Horror Sleaze And Trash's first publication; featuring the poetry of Ryan Quinn Flanagan and Ben Smith. A collection of 70 off-beat and low brow poems you imagine the pair to come up with in this mix of madness. 10 Aussie bucks will get this sucker to your door. A5 in size, about 80 pages, soft card cover with black and white insides. Buy it now, or don't, and wish you hadda, 25 limited copies. Great gift idea for your Grandmothers!