Tower Point Lookout—nonfiction

My essay "Tower Point Lookout" now up at the latest LAMMERGEIER MAG! They also chose to interview me as the 'featured' nonfiction/hybrid writer of the issue!

 

Pitch letter sample

Here's a 'pitch' letter I wrote to Harper's, the place I'd most like to write for. Alas. The big boo-boo was maybe the "re: nonfiction query" since it's a pitch. A query is for a longer piece, to a lit agent or publisher. I did actually write an essay, here, which ended up at Comics Bulletin. For free. Where I was already writing reviews. For free. I never heard from Harper's at all. Still, I think it's a decent pitch. This was a hard copy letter, and I included a list of my previous publications, or some. Which I would not do now. You can find them all at my website: johnyohe.com

john yohe

____________

portland, or 97210

503.317.0851

*****@gmail.com

www.johnyohe.com

March 20, 2014

Harper’s Magazine
666 Broadway, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10012

re: nonfiction query

I nod hello to Spider Man, but he's distracted by the third Catwoman of the day walking by in a tight black body suit. I'm on my way to the Feminism in Comics program—t was that or Metaphysics in Comics—but I may be late, because getting through the mob of superheroes is proving difficult, especially with a life-size Totoro taking up the aisle. Except, it's a Bat Totoro: he has a bat utility belt and what must be a bat cowl.

This is the world of ComiCons: Comic Conventions, where the freaks come out to meet their favorite comic book writers and illustrators, or to see and obtain autographs from the newest tv movie stars. Or to just engage in what is called 'cosplay'—costume play. In the meantime in the main convention hall there are booths galore, from indie comic publishing companies like Dark Horse, to local comic book stores selling new and used single-issues, compilations, and graphic novels. There are also panels galore, on anything from how to break into the comics industry, to the unique problems gaming couples experience and work through.

I will be attending the Emerald City ComiCon in Seattle at the end of March, and propose writing an ethnographic-type essay, 3,000-6,000 words about this sub-pop-culture phenomenon. My main question will be, Why? What makes these ComiCons so popular, especially since many of the participants may not even read comics.

Bio:

John Yohe holds a MA in Written Communication, and a MFA in Poetry Writing. He is a regular reviewer at the website Comics Bulletin. Recent published nonfiction pieces on pop culture include “The Many Faces of Red Sonja” and “Slayer! : An Essay in Thirteen Parts.” A partial list of published works is included. Please see his website, www.johnyohe.com, for a complete list, with links.

John Yohe

503.317.0851

www.johnyohe.com

John Yohe: Published writing

Creative Non-Fiction:

"Holy Water." Scheduled to appear in the anthology On Foot: Essays on hiking in the Grand Canyon. Vishnu Press. Flagstaff: 2014.

“Slayer! : An Essay in 13 Parts.” SLOW TRAINS. March 2013. http://www.slowtrains.com/vol12spring2013/yohevol12spring2013.html

“Puerto Rico in the Late 60s.” SALT RIVER REVIEW. October 2010. http://www.poetserv.org/

“Barefoot Running Allowed Me To Run Again.” BAREFOOT RUNNING SOCIETY WEBSITE. July 2010. http://barefootrunners.org/

“Academic” WRITING ON THE EDGE. Volume 19 #2 Spring 2009. UC Davis. Davis, CA. 2009.

Book Reviews:

“Dynamite’s Many Faces of Red Sonja.” COMICS BULLETIN. February 2014. http://www.comicsbulletin.com/columns/6541/dynamites-many-faces-of-red-sonja/

“What I’ve Stolen, What I’ve Earned by Sherman Alexie: A Review.” WORD RIOT.  February 2014. http://www.wordriot.org/archives/6689

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter #1 “Sanctuary.” COMICS BULLETIN. February 2014. http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/6492/review-turok-dinosaur-hunter-1-forces-dinosaurs-into-an-alternate-reality-storyline-the-mix-is-awkward/

Wonder Woman Volume 4: War. COMICS BULLETIN. February 2014. http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/6478/advance-review-wonder-woman-war-shows-a-character-who-has-transitioned-wonderfully-to-the-new-52/

The Black Beetle: No Way Out. COMICS BULLETIN. January 2014. http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/6452/review-the-black-beetle-vol-1-no-way-out-is-an-interesting-european-take-on-classic-american-pulp-culture/

Lazarus Book 1: Family. COMICS BULLETIN. January 2014. http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/6435/review-lazarus-book-1-family-is-a-fantastic-graphic-novel-by-a-great-creative-team/

Bandette Volume 1: Presto!  COMICS BULLETIN. January 2014. http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/6422/review-bandette-is-a-loose-weird-fun-comic-for-all-ages/

X Volume 1: Big Bad. COMICS BULLETIN. December 2013. http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/6415/review-x-volume-1-big-bad-is-engaging-but-feels-like-an-excuse-for-hardcore-violent-action-and-a-lot-of-gore/

“The Day of the Triffids by David Wyndham.” WORD RIOT. December 2013. http://www.wordriot.org/archives/6381.

“Who Will Save Red Sonja? Enter Gail Simone.” COMICS BULLETIN. December 2013. http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/6394/who-can-rescue-red-sonja-enter-gail-simone/.

“Ten Thousand Voices by Rick Kempa.” RATTLE. Summer 2013. http://www.rattle.com/poetry/2013/07/ten-thousand-voices-by-rick-kempa/

“Keeping The Quiet by Rick Kempa.” BOXCAR POETRY REVIEW Spring 2011. http://www.boxcarpoetry.com/027/review_rick_kempa_yohe.html

“The Poetry and Life of Allen Ginsberg: a narrative poem by Edward Sanders: A Review.” CLOCKWISE CAT. Issue #18 Summer 2010. http://clockwisecat.blogspot.com/

“American Salvage by Bonnie Jo Campbell: A Review.” thecollagist.com. Issue #7 February 2010. http://www.thecollagist.com/archive/February2010/Yohe/index.html

“The Great Fires by Jack Gilbert: A Book Review” RATTLE #23. Fall 2005.

Academic:

“Ready Or Not.” WRITING ON THE EDGE Volume 20 #2 Spring 2010. UC Davis. Davis, CA.

“What Works For Me: Using Six Word Memoirs As Icebreaker and Intro To The Writing Process.” TEACHING ENGLISH IN THE TWO-YEAR COLLEGE. The National Council of Teachers of English. Spring 2010.

“Academic.” WRITING ON THE EDGE Volume 19 #2 Spring 2009. UC Davis. Davis, CA. Winter/Spring 2009.

Fiction:

"Brainstorm." Flash fiction at SMASHED CAT. Scheduled for January 2014. http://www.smashedcat.com/

“The Jacket.” FAT CITY REVIEW. June 2013. http://fatcityreview.com/the-jacket-john-yohe/.

"Humiliation." BLACK HEART MAGAZINE. June 2013. http://blackheartmagazine.com/2013/06/14/humiliation-by-john-yohe/.

“La Chingada.” SOL: English Writing in Mexico. scheduled for July 2013. Mexico City, Mexico. http://www.solliterarymagazine.com/.

"Umbrellas." AMARILLO BAY Volume 14, number 4. November 2012. http://www.amarillobay.org/contents/yohe-john/umbrellas.html.

“María José.” SOL: English Writing in Mexico: SOL Literary Magazine Anthology, edited by Eva Hunter. 2012: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. (Originally appeared in SOL: English Writing in Mexico. July 2011. Mexico City, Mexico. http://www.solliterarymagazine.com/fiction/john-yohe-maria-jose/).

“Horses.” SUBTLE TEA. Winter 2011. http://subtletea.com/johnyohehorses.html.

“Riding Dragons.” SLOW TRAINS. Volume 10, Issue 1, 2010. http://www.slowtrains.com/vol10issue1/yohevol10issue1.html.

“A Northern Michigan Myth.” HURON RIVER REVIEW #9. Ann Arbor, MI. Spring 2010.

 “Masquerade” CELLARROOTS. Eastern Michigan University. Ypsilanti, MI. Winter 2008.

“Water” LEFT CURVE Literary Journal Oakland, CA. Spring 2006.

“Piñata” RIVERSEDGE Literary Magazine Winter 2006.

“Punta Concepción” BRIDGE Literary Magazine, issue 13, spring 2005 Chicago, IL.

“They’re For My Husband” BEST AMERICAN EROTICA OF 2004, ed. Suzie Bright, Touchstone Books, Simon and Shuster Publishing.

“What You Are” short story: LEFT CURVE Literary Journal. Oakland, CA. 2003.

“They’re For My Husband” LEG SHOW. May 2002. New York, NY.

“Violent Sex” RATTAPALLAX. New York, NY. 2002.

Leaving Barcelona

My poem "Leaving Barcelona" now up at TOPOLOGY:

(photo by Κύριος Καρπούζης)

In The Solitary Confinement of My Mind

My poem "In The Solitary Confinement of My Mind" now up at SICK LIT MAG:

"A Frame" in the new Clackamas Literary Review

I'm honored to have my poem "A Frame" appear in the new Clackamas Literary Review. Available locally in Portland (like at Powell's) or click on the pic to order:

For Cigarettes

Appeared in BLACK HEART way back in April 2007 for Erotic Poetry Day:
 

For cigarettes

For a pack of cigarettes he let me see his sister naked

through a hole between their rooms

at first when he checked he said she wasn’t doing anything

I looked she was on her bed talking on the phone reading a fashion magazine

we waited reading comic books, he would check every ten minutes

then finally he said alright and I knelt down and looked again

she took off her jeans and t-shirt then her bra and panties

put on different underwear, white cotton for shiny black

black tights black skirt red shiny blouse high heel shoes

brushed her hair gold earrings red lipstick

looking at herself like she knew she looked good

A car honked outside and she left

we waited hours playing video games listening for the click of her door

I’d never stayed up that late before

for one of my comic books he let me watch again

she opened her window sat on the bed crossed her legs lit a cigarette

blew the smoke out into the night and watched it

undressed in front of the mirror

folding the blouse and skirt bending to put them in a drawer

her underwear smooth and shiny on the floor

she put on her white panties and the t-shirt and turned out the light

we went to bed too in sleeping bags on the floor

I waited till he was asleep got out in my underwear

went to the hole stared at the darkness

wondering if she knew about it, if she ever looked

listening for anything only hearing his slow breathing

Passing Influence—poem

This appeared in FENCE way back in 2001. My first 'big' publication in a 'big' literary journal:

 

Passing Influence

                                    for Susan Wheeler

This is the best part, hate which now

brings you the whole head in reality–

the man’s SUV slides down the road.

Dancing on the (I don’t know the word) tile

you look down slowly;

this is exercise or punishment.

For only a few minutes you have reeled in, forgetting to

lose (you forget cacti), and before it was obscure:

the driveway which surrounds this dry desert

is the dawn entrance of rapists. In this life

they catch children at the critical moment

and undress the bodies in the heat.

The real stupidity, you know, is always

                                    paying the asking price.

Then the plane lands, and the man

lights your joint and takes a stone from his briefcase

and leaves a ship of idiocy in the seat.

You are sinking; he has bent your arm, whispering

you are under the boot of a man.

Clumsiness is insect-like, it means punishment.

So you did everything expected, and in your pain

you remembered not to ask whether it was irrational

or only a steady pool on the floor. Loss, fade

distinguish, worms crawling in the dirt,

a maze of arrivals uncrossed like coathangers around which

during pleasant days, voices make mounds of death.

Every night you have locked a door and turned on a lamp

that leaves only the best comfort.

He calls to say he is ready to come. There is

nothing. Now you can’t recognize the abyss

for what it was, now in there, under the dying river,

a goatman is leaving you, nervously straight; promising death.