This Is Not a Camera provides a behind-the-scenes look at a year in the life of an employee at Thunderclap Casino. It also serves as a companion piece to the novel Forest of Fortune.
* 75 pages * Black and white * Slick cover * Professionally printed * Features 17 installments * Repurposed promo materials * Terrible photos * Fake logos
This Is Not a Camera provides a behind-the-scenes look at a year in the life of an employee at Thunderclap Casino. It also serves as a companion piece to the novel Forest of Fortune.
* 75 pages * Black and white * Slick cover * Professionally printed * Features 17 installments * Repurposed promo materials * Terrible photos * Fake logos
Here’s a great preview in the Village Voice of the Franklin Park Reading Series that I’m participating in Monday, March 9 at 8pm.
The Franklin Park Reading Series celebrates its sixth year with six illustrious writers. Time magazine book critic Lev Grossman’s Magicians trilogy has been described as Harry Potter for adults and, comparisons aside, is powerful in its own right. James Hannaham’s forthcoming “Southern Gothic” Delicious Foods has been praised by Jennifer Egan and Dave Eggers. Matt Sumell reads from his hilarious and touching new Making Nice, and Jim Ruland reads from his novel Forest of Fortune, based on his own experiences working in a Native American–run casino. Sarah Gerard’s Binary Star, a poetic and semiautobiographical story about self-destructive lovers…
On Monday March 9 at 8pm I’ll be getting a head start on the paperback release of Forest of Fortune with a reading at Penina Roth’s august and auspicious Franklin Park Reading Series with Michele Filgate, Sarah Gerard, Lev Grossman, James Hannaham & Matt Sumell. This has been in the works for a long time and I’m honored to participate. Come check it out at 618 St. Johns Place, between Classon and Franklin Avenues in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Info about this and other readings is available on my events page.
Bonnie ZoBell: I know you worked in an Indian casino outside of San Diego as a copywriter. This type of huge establishment with an all-powerful management calling the shots often seems like some big dysfunctional family, probably worse since the rules are different in casinos. From what I’ve seen, there are a lot of bizarre, off-the-grid individuals visiting these properties, and the people who work there get to see them more up close and personal. Is this partly what made you write the book—the unusual characters?
Jim Ruland: Absolutely. I knew almost immediately that I was going to write about my experiences at the casino. I’m also drawn to historical subjects, and the framework that created casino culture in the United States is pretty fascinating. Casinos attract people who are somewhat less risk averse than others so you get some interesting characters coming through the doors at all hours of the day and night. I think that also applies to the people who work there.
Sheldon Lee Compton served up a whole bunch of anarchy in the form of a short interview for Enclave’s Chaos Questions. Here’s a sample.
E: So there’s this painting by Jackson Pollock called “Mural” and there’s this six-year-old kid who wants to know what it’s all about. Tell them whatever you think’s best and share it with me here.
JR: “Look, kid, art isn’t “about” anything. It just is. Like when you pick your nose and wipe your boogers on the wall, that isn’t “about” anything is it? Fuck no. It’s boogers on a wall. Don’t tell your mother we had this conversation.”
I’ll be reading at Tongue & Groove with Steve Westbrook, William Hillyard, Sheila Sadr and Michael McBrideon Sunday January 25 at The Continental Room 115 W. Santa Fe Ave, Fullerton, CA. Show starts at 7pm and I’ll have books available for sale. Check out the event invite for more details.
I’ll be reading at the Fallbrook Library on Tuesday January 13 at 6pm as part of Writers Read. The Fallbrook Library is located at 124 S. Mission Road in, uh, Fallbrook. See you there!
