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Evil Men

Evil Men
An alphabet book of 26 short stories, each telling the tale of an "Evil Man."

Other Works

  1. Hybrid Beasts - Chai Vang 3 weeks ago (Published)
  2. I am Falun Gong 21 weeks ago (Published)
  3. WINTER 24 weeks ago (Published)
Erik Wennermark
26 short stories, letters A - Z, about fictional Evil Men. The stories come in all shapes and sizes, much like the guys, and were written as much (or more) for fun as for a serious exploration of violence, male sexuality and idea(l)s of contemporary masculine identity. Several of the stories have been published or are forthcoming from a variety of journals (I'm putting stories up here that either have been published a while or I don't plan to submit--a few new ones up in recent weeks!).

Table of Contents

Comments

Marco Maisto 10 April 2012 - 1:34am
These make me want to read the abcedary in one shot. Fact, thinking about it, for the true believers this would be good for a marathon reading alongside something like Ashberry's Can You Hear, Bird?. Seems like there a lot gained by juxtaposing one story against another and then those two against the next one, and so on. I would suggest that taken as stand alones they chance suffering from the NOISE of embodying the protagonist- who is a creature not from but referential of (M. Barney's...) cosmology, and all of the outside knowledge this demands- reconciling with the proximity of the narrator, if there be any at all...etc. But in transition between a least what you have here there is a pleasant- even pleasurable - smooth space I get to repair to, where the miasma of what I've read is left at the door. THAT in my view is where your treasure is, because there the reader and the narratorial presence get to feel some collusion in the business of slipping in and out of these stories we would rather not have as our own. If you aren't familiar with John Yau's (mostly) prose poems on Ghengis (Charlie) Chan, Lon Chaney, or, especially his short about Norman Rockwell as a battering husband, they are of a peace with what I like about what you've got here.
Erik Wennermark 18 April 2012 - 10:03am
thanks so much for the thoughtful comment. will check out yau for sure - sounds like an interesting dude.
Michael Vagnetti 17 September 2011 - 3:54pm
What if the alphabet is somehow a character, too? Nabokov's story "The Vane Sisters" comes to mind. One of the characters could be trying to take over the book. Or, it is slowly revealed, they are trying to form a cabal with others that will "spell a word," to make something happen, however you interpret that. A metanarrative, collective power, something through and around the parts. Or an omission. Perhaps you leave out the letter Z: it must be found in another letter's story.
Erik Wennermark 25 July 2011 - 8:01pm
also, if anyone is interested. there are two (rather silly) readings of evil men stories on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/kirebatt?feature=mhee
Mikita Brottman 25 July 2011 - 7:29pm
Yes, some interesting parallels between the two books, for sure. Out of curiosity, have you sent Evil Men to any agents or publishers? Everyone has told me the problem with Thirteen Girls is that is doesn't fit any genre category - it's based on "true crime" (like Evil Men), but the stories are fictionalized. I can't understand why this seems to give people so much trouble, but apparently it does.
Erik Wennermark 25 July 2011 - 7:46pm
no, i haven't actually finished it. i wanted to have every letter of the alphabet represented (a lot of stories!). but the approach i've been taking re publication is to try to get most of them in journals first i think, maybe it will be more appealing if they've already been peer reviewed? but, all the stories, and men, in my book are fictitious. i thought about including some real guys but decided not to--maybe i didn't want to confuse matters and bring up the problem you mention, but i hadn't thought about it really. i'm surprised you say that's been a problem though, it seems standard for criminal cop shows i have seen: take a story out the newspaper and turn it into loose fiction. seems like those boundaries have broken down for most genres, maybe literature is late to the party? (though people are writing a fair bit of lyric essays lately it seems)
Mikita Brottman 25 July 2011 - 12:24pm
I love these little vignettes of evil men. I love the pink cover, too. A sweet contrast.
Erik Wennermark 25 July 2011 - 4:56pm
thanks! yeah, i thought the cover worked out ;)
Erik Wennermark 6 April 2012 - 7:54pm
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