The very good folks at the very good ZYZZYVA have a piece of fiction running from yours truly in their Winter 2008 issue.

It is a hallucinatory work about our current excellent adventure in Iraq and, more directly, Saddam Hussein’s last day prior to capture. I’ve taken a ninety-five percent true portrait of Saddam– he was a novelist and a poet, he clearly believed that he was the reincarnation of Saladin, he loved Western fantasy art, he was an enormous murderous dick– and expanded it outwards into another thing entirely. There’s also a lot about Walt Whitman in there, plus a diversionary discussion of the Ronald Reagan film Bedtime for Bonzo.

Frankly, I’m amazed that anyone published it. Thanks again to ZYZZYVA, who have been remarkably generous to a young man on the make. Not a word of the piece was changed, money exchanged hands, my name was never once misspelt and they nominated the piece for a Pushcart Prize.

This is called class.

Thus: it is resolved that readers herein should go and subscribe to ZYZZYVA. Here is the website. Those amongst you without good graces or manners can opt for a single copy of the Winter 08 issue. If you fear Internet commerce, independent bookstores are your second most honorable option. For those of you living in the sticks, you should be able to find a copy at Borders– I always see it here in Sunny SoCal, anyway. But really, don’t be a tosser and just give ZYZZYVA your money. Times ain’t that tough.

For further reading, you are directed to the blog of ZYZZYVA‘s editor and founder, Howard Junker. Not naming names, but most things of this sort are dreadfully polite and lifeless affairs– typically, the best that can be expected are rare instances in which an intern or staffer experiments with sass. On the other hand, Howard’s blog is– gasp!– truly interesting, full of San Fran fun and more than occasionally bitchy.

Which is how you like it.

So. Read.

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