Remainders and reminders — and Spencer Dew conquers at Literary Death Match

Divide 25 by 8, the number of broadsheets THE2NDHAND’s published since September 11, and you get 3 with a remainder of one, the number of readings we have ever scheduled on that date, before or since. Sept. 11, 2009, join us back in Birmingham for a release event for broadsheet 32, featuring a short story by Patrick Somerville, at Greencup Books; details forthcoming.

Speaking of Greencup — the bookstore, an island of unfiltered music and culture in the deep south — they need your help. They’re trying to raise $3,000, at least, to make needed repairs to get their space to code and stay in business. At the very least, if you’re in or near Birmingham visit the book shop and event space just over the Richard Arrington Blvd. viaduct from downtown and buy some books. Or make a donation — all donations are tax deductible — here: http://www.greencupbooks.org/.

The Chicago Printers’ Ball last Friday saw our rep in the Opium magazine Literary Death Match emerge as the last writer standing — THE2NDHAND’s 30th broadsheet author Spencer Dew (Songs of Insurgency) read this piece, then, when he aadvanced to the final round, managed to identify more pics of dead authors than the competitor. “The other fellow yelled out ‘Ernest Hemingway’ before I did,” Dew says, “but I got Michael Crichton, Saul Bellow, Shel Silverstein and … someone else.  I guess video of the whole thing will be posted soon, at which point I’ll link to it on my site.” It’s not up yet but keep an eye out for it. (Side note: Dew was handed the Chicago crown by former champ, and also a somewhat frequent contributor to THE2NDHAND, Jill Summers.)

Finally, if you haven’t yet managed to pick up Brit Tom McCarthy’s 2007 novel Remainder, consider it. It’s a fantastic tale that, following a fellow Brit’s concurrent treatment of amnesia in the, er, fantastical The Raw Shark Texts: A Novel, is a titillating refreshment that feels more real, true, than the latter. I can’t recommend any novel released in recent years more highly. If only one could reenact McCarthy’s writing of the book. . . it might lead to a finale even more compelling than the original. (Read the book: you’ll see what I mean.) McCarthy is also one of the men behind the lit group the International Necronautical Society; check it out.