All Things Pankish

Ask the Editor: Jarrett Haley, Editor, BULL

[Roxane Gay / September 14th, 2009 / Interviews ]

Jarrett Haley, editor of BULL: Fiction for Thinking Men, is trying to grab the literary world by the horns. In today’s interview, we talk about all things man and word.

1. It is the obvious question but I have to ask. What is thinking men’s fiction? Do you ever worry about the implied exclusion (alas, the non-thinking man) of the magazine’s name and premise? What compelled you to start this magazine?

I’ll work backwards on this one.  The compulsion was to create what I wished existed already—a place that one could rely on for a reading experience that catered to male sensibilities, and explored and broadened male understanding.  There was absolutely nothing like that out there.  When I googled “Men’s Fiction” and up came little more than gay erotica sites, I knew something was lacking.  It was sad, really, and frustrating. But I figured I might quit whining and actually do something about it.

Then there was the curiosity—what would I get when I asked writers for Men’s Fiction, or Fiction for Thinking Men? For all the manifesto previous, part of me just wanted to read and publish stories I thought men would like.  I was tired of hearing that “men don’t read fiction”–something thrown around a lot in commercial publishing.  Well, maybe if men had a place they could trust for good work that appealed to them, they might read it for chrissake.

The “Thinking Men” tag line is just a way to brand BULL as a site for thoughtful, literary-influenced work without using the word “literary” and whatever pretentious baggage attends it.  I don’t worry about its being exclusionary–nobody’s going to say “Thinking Men, that’s not for me, I’m just a dummy.”  If anything, Lit and Literary are the terms most likely to exclude or scare off.  Plus I’m not even sure some of our stuff is properly literary, so we don’t bother to go there.  I feel gross typing it so much already.

So what is Fiction for Thinking Men? I suppose we’re finding out, and what we’ve found so far is up on the site.  What are thinking men sending us? I’ve seen some recurring themes: pain, reflection, assessment, revelation, worry, bewilderment, regret.  With some thrills and vulgarity, sex, violence, and humor thrown in to keep things interesting.  It’s the “Thinking” clause that keeps the latter from being all there is to a story, usually.

2. In looking through your archives, only one story is written by a woman. Do you receive many submissions from women? Can women write “fiction for thinking men”?

In our 7 months I’ve seen maybe 7 or so submissions by women.  I don’t really know how to account for this.  I’d have to be crazy to say women can’t write Men’s Fiction, and I don’t think that’s the case anyway.  It’s hard, I think, just as hard as it would be vice-versa.  I’m guessing the Women’s Fiction journals have the same phenomenon as well?

I’ve always considered writing as a direct injection of thought into another’s consciousness.  So if men and women think differently—given there’s all this data that says certain synapses fire quicker and certain tasks are easier or harder for one or the other and whatnot–then the burden for the writer (should he/she choose to accept it) is how to go about creating thought that can jive convincingly with the thought process of the opposite sex?

But if I had to guess I’d say that guys are the ones picking up the flyers or clicking on the links or getting inspired by the stories we’ve published so far.  It’s to be expected.  I am always thrilled when a woman submits, however.

3. What are ten of the best books, short stories, or poems that would exemplify this notion of thinking men’s fiction?

I hate to taint the inquiry and dub what I think Men’s Fiction is, so I’ll just throw out some gents who I think produce thought-provoking work:

Barry Hannah’s stories linger with you a long time after they’re entertainment.  You could literally dwell on every sentence.  Anything by him. That should count for three.  Cormac McCarthy’s in that boat, too.

Padgett Powell has such a interesting style that the mind swells when you read.  “Dump”, “Typical”, “Mr. Irony” are the most man-centric.  Leonard Michaels’ style is very different but damn interesting too.

Raymond Carver of course gives so little you can’t help but think about what else is going on. And Hemingway; you know, that guy.  I’ve always thought “A Very Short Story” used a particularly manly mode of expression.

But all this is just my bias and taste and off the top of my head.  I’m sure Tim would want some early Jim Harrison in there too.

One more.  Okay.  Homer.  There’s plenty of ‘em.

4. What do you look for in Bull submissions? What kind of writing excites you most?

Since we’re after a more thorough understanding of what Men’s Fiction is or could be, I especially like to be surprised by some facet of male life I’ve never considered, though I can’t really say what that might be.  I’m always up for a good plot, as long as you can’t see it coming.  It’s interesting, too, to see how Men’s Fiction might get experimental—something hard to pull off, I think, because I assume our readers have well-honed bullshit detectors.

Lively writing.  And precision.

I also appreciate it–and I think other men do too–when stories aren’t just well-written but make a little bit of sense.

5. What are the biggest flaws in submissions you reject?

I hate to say flaws because it’s again an issue of taste.  Obvious plots, and stories that so obviously happened get tiresome, especially when they come across as boastful, which most do.  I think fiction exists to make real-life stories better and more meaningful.  But most of the stories we don’t take are good, only like I say, not right for us.  PANK’s anatomy of rejection does a good job with this point.

6. Are you also a writer? If so, does your editorial work inform your writing?

I write, more accurately, think about writing.   Inform, help, hinder, make self-conscious and overly self-critical of… all that.

7. Other than PANK, what is your favorite magazine?

One Story is perhaps the only journal that I’ve found wholly digestible, in frequency and presentation—not a massive, vertiginous roster of names and titles indirectly competing with each other.  BULL tries for a similar kind of production–one a week, three in the horns at a time.

8. What is the thinking man’s favorite: beer, cologne, brand of underwear, cut of steak, fast food chain, home improvement store?

A thinking man’s beer is a free beer, which requires savvy to obtain.  They served a sensational free beer at the Chicago Printer’s Ball—Founder’s Porter.  Michigan makes fine beer; but I assume PANK knows that.

If a thinking man owned cologne he’d likely forget to put it on before leaving the house, being so lost in thought.  In which case he might stash some GQ ads in his glovebox, or those little sample bottles like Chapstick only smaller.  Something woody, maybe; something that wouldn’t make him sneeze.  (Note: thinking men aren’t cheap, just resourceful.  See below.)

Underwear: Something that lasts.  Calvins.  An investment.

Steak is easy.  Porterhouse; filet and strip at once.  It’s just logical.  Along those lines, a thinking man might frequent Steak n’ Shake, because it’s clean and classic.  But these 5 Guys joints are giving a sincere run for the money.

“Home Improvement Stores” frustrate the thinking man–the enormity wears on his patience and he’ll probably know much more than the teenager charged to help him.  He’ll go to the hardware store, Ace or Do It Best or something local, where a sage man in a red vest will chaperone through every facet of his project.

That was fun.

9. Who else do you work with at Bull and how does your staff work together? How do you divide responsibilities?

Tim Chilcote does most Twittering and Facebooking, and is co-conspirator and sounding board regarding the plans for the future.  I work with the writers, stories, what you see on the site and blog.

10. What has the response to Bull been?

Great so far.  Our fans are loyal and I think for them BULL is that sort of reliable, safe haven that I hoped it would be.  That’s what they say at least—whether it’s up-buttering who can say—but I think our submitters are beyond that.  We have great, personal rapport with all those who make contact.  We’ve still got more work to do as far as advertising, getting the word out, etc… (This helps by the way, my thanks, PANK) But those who’ve found us already seem to identify strongly with us and what we’re doing.

11. You offer an interesting DIY printing option for each issue of Bull. How did that come about? Does Bull have ambitions beyond publishing online?

It came about in part to the fanzine culture of the 90’s, which I liked a lot, and figured it ridiculous not to bring onto the web because the technology makes it relatively effortless to distribute and self-manufacture.  The print option is intended to accommodate the reader–I, for one, prefer to read on paper, or people may not have time to read each new story as it goes up– so BULL is either an online weekly or print quarterly.  Ambition abounds on this end.  I think we’ll start subscriptions proper since people may not have a double-sided printer, and the color issues I make and send out myself are increasingly good-looking.  I found red staples the other day.  Red staples.

12. Bull and PANK meet at a bar, have drinks, hit it off. Do they a. go to a sleazy motel and have a one night stand or b. make out in the bar but leave it at that or c. exchange phone numbers, start dating, and live happily ever after? Show your math.

I’ll have to say d.–Should sparks begin to fly between them, BULL would likely pull out a phone and show PANK a picture of the baby boy, eliciting “oohs” and “awws” all around.  BULL might then feel a touch of nostalgia for those days of tomcatting around, but ultimately remember the wretchedness of that period and feel some resolve. BULL gulps down the beer he’s stared at for five minutes, goes home and sleeps like a rock.  PANK is better off.

13. What would Bull do if you found yourself in a china shop?

Find somewhere to sit and wait until she’s done.

14. What reality television are you currently enjoying? Talk to us.

I just thank God Hell’s Kitchen had a summer season. What doldrums these months have been. (ed: I need three risotto please! Bloody Hell! DONKEY! We love that show.)

15. What question should we have asked?

What does BULL need? Submissions!!  Good ones and lots of them.  Since we’re relatively new we’re still playing catch up; I’d like to work a month, perhaps an issue in advance, maybe get the print out before the web weeklies.  So we need a stockpile, folks. Send yours here.