[spectre] MELODRAMZ press release

[Chiara Passa]

Sorry for crossposting and thanks for sharing!


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Toronto art critic David Balzer gets melodramatic with the launch of
his first short-fiction e-book, containing illustrations by a roster
of acclaimed international artists.
April 24, 2012: Art critic David Balzer—a contributor to The Globe and
Mail, The Believer and Artforum, among others—launches his first
collection of short fiction, Contrivances, on Friday, May 11, at 8pm
at The White House Studio Project, 277.5 Augusta Ave., in Toronto’s
Kensington market.  Brooklyn-based online fiction magazine and e-book
imprint Joyland are the publishers—and they’ve approached the project
with unconventional panache.

“This is the best-looking e-book we’ve ever seen,” says co-publisher
Brian Joseph Davis, referring to the eleven different artist
illustrations in the book, one for each story. Marcel Dzama, Oliver
Husain, Margaux Williamson and  Janet Werner are some of the artists
who have contributed work.

The stories in Contrivances are dark, whimsical melodramas—influenced
by Victorian lit, Lifetime movies, fan fiction, Old Hollywood and
art-world gossip.

MELODRAMZ: A Night of Contrivances is the name of the party—an
inventive approach to launching an e-book "in real life." An art
exhibition of work in and related to the book, co-curated by Balzer
and Daniel Gallay, is on view for one night only. In the tradition of
Ronald Firbank and Pedro Almodovar, literary drag queens and kings do
readings throughout the night—including Regina the Gentlelady (Light
Fires/Gentleman Reg). After the readings, there’s a dance party with
DJs Kevin Ritchie (Big Primpin), Luis Jacob (Love Saves the Day) and
reeraw (Sheroes), who curates wall-projected gif-art of classic
melodramas, on view throughout the evening. Admission is $8 and
includes a copy of Contrivances, downloadable through a QR-coded
postcard.

Full list of exhibiting artists: Marcel Dzama (NYC), Oliver Husain
(Toronto), Margaux Williamson (Toronto), Sholem Krishtalka (Toronto),
Janet Werner (Montreal), Alexandra Flood (London, UK), Emily Stoddart
(NYC), Derek Aubichon (Toronto), Alison Fleming (Montreal), Vanessa
Rieger (Toronto).

Full list of drag performers: Regina the Gentlelady (Light
Fires/Gentleman Reg), Sean O’Neill and Liz Peterson (Events in Real
Time), Lauren Bride, Bojana Stancic.

Full list of gif artists: Helen Adamidou (Barcelona), Gaby Cepeda
(Buenos Aires), Manuel Fernández (Madrid), Tony Halmos (Toronto),
Georges Jacotey (Drama, Greece), Rollin Leonard (Cape Elizabeth,
Maine), Grace McEvoy (Dublin), Sally McKay (Toronto), Rea McNamara
(Toronto), Lorna Mills (Toronto), Chiara Passa (Rome), Yoshi Sodeoka
(NYC) and Giselle Zatonyl (NYC).

For review-copy or interview requests, please contact:
Sarah Dunn, sarah at ecwpress.com, 416-694-3348, ext. 152
David Balzer, contrivances.collection at gmail.com or
info at davidkbalzer.com, 416-735-9918

GENERAL INFORMATION:
davidkbalzer.com/contrivances
ecwpress.com/books/contrivances-epub