publishing

Even though I've never read Blender, much less paid for 12 monthly issues, I am now a subscriber. I'm a bit at a loss how this happened. A few possible scenarios:

1. A friend or family member thought this would make a great gift. The problem with that scenario is my friends and family members are perpetually broke
2. My wife decided there aren't enough photos of scantily clad 19 year old starlets around the house
3. Some intern came across my byline somewhere online and somehow mistook me for a person of tastemaking influence
4. Bender decided to trump Paste's pay-what-you-want deal and are now signing up random people for subscriptions

Interesting article in the Boston Phoenix yesterday noted the growing improtance of hotness to what we consider literary talent, which makes it the only article I've ever read in the newspaper that caused me to make a haircut appointment:

"Literature, unlike so many other media industries, is technically a meritocracy. But that won’t stop book marketers, bloggers, critics, and the literary community at large from collectively slobbering over a pretty author. No, the literary rules changed ages ago. Books no longer need to be serious in order to be published; there are fewer and fewer venues available for reviews (rendering competition more intense with every passing catalogue season), and critics aren’t doing their job unless they are merciless."

So I finally got something published. It's called "Three-Piece Suit Deceit" and it's presently at 400 Words, at the very top of the main page. I imagine it will slowly slide down into page two over the next couple of days, so go and get your reading fix while the getting is convenient.