Author | Lightnews

Eleni Vlachos @youbigtalker.bsky.social · Sep 16

I am #currentlyreading Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar.

In the vein of Pound's observation "poetry is news that stays news," there is much to appreciate here in Akbar's astute observations. Have you read it?

#martyr #kavehakbar

Eleni Vlachos @youbigtalker.bsky.social · Aug 19

Currently reading #LastExitToBrooklyn. A little rough around the edges (a little?) & most likely added "to read" due to author's lack of a guiding hand & my own novel's attempting same [(no use of " " -- even no apostrophes to avoid holding down the "shift" key (!) used "/" instead (eg, isn/t)].

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Eleni Vlachos @youbigtalker.bsky.social · Aug 14

Pelvis chickens 😆

McSweeney's @mcsweeneys.net · Aug 11

"Perimenopause is triggered when your ovaries—or 'pelvis chickens'—quit dependably laying eggs each month. Maybe some months they lay eggs, but other months they just sit on the couch, drinking a nice Malbec, eating corn nuts, and watching Better Call Saul."

Thank You for Calling the Perimenopause Hotline, Where Our Hold Times Are Completely Unpredictable

Thank you for calling the perimenopause hotline. Our phone lines are flooded with an unexpected gush of calls right now, but we assure you that our...

buff.ly

Eleni Vlachos @youbigtalker.bsky.social · Aug 14

Introducing...Paxon's Prose Pantomime! A new weekly series where Paxon interprets prose from established literature via his pantomime talents. Up first: "they jog their hands around their waist..."

open.substack.com/pub/elenidvl...

Introducing...Paxon's Prose Pantomime!

Interpretations of published prose

open.substack.com

Eleni Vlachos @youbigtalker.bsky.social · Aug 14

Just finished reading #SelfHelp by #LorrieMoore. Picked up the collection after reading "How to become a writer." Such excellent work, published in 1985--how did I not know about this author/book? So good. Have you read any of her work?

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Eleni Vlachos @youbigtalker.bsky.social · Jul 22

I’ve made the (controversial) choice not to use quotation marks (speech tags) around dialogue in my #WIP. Should I die on this hill?

More in this short #Substack:
elenidvlachos.substack.com/p/dont-quote...

#litfic #literaryfiction #speechtags #writing #writers #howto #books #novels

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Eleni Vlachos @youbigtalker.bsky.social · Jul 22

Finally bought this for my new #Kobo. How beautifully O' Brien breaks writing rules.

Admittedly, I was intrigued by the author's own life trajectory and autobiographical nature of this work. Have you read?

#nowreading #literaryfiction #litfic #writing #writers #books #novels #leavinglasvegas

Pictures of casinos on the book cover of Leaving Las Vegas

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Eleni Vlachos @youbigtalker.bsky.social · Jul 15

In what other industry do we celebrate rejection?

My latest on tiered rejections: elenidvlachos.substack.com/p/for-the-lo...

Have you received a tiered rejection? ❌ Leave a comment below 📩

#tieredrejections #submitting #writers #writing #literaryjournals #literaryfiction

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Eleni Vlachos @youbigtalker.bsky.social · Jul 14

Thank you for the tip! I love Vuong's titles. I would be curious to give him another try. I ended up not enjoying The Emperor of Gladness as I got further into the story, but his writing can be so beautiful that I would give it another go.

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Eleni Vlachos @youbigtalker.bsky.social · Jul 14

Ah, interesting about the break! I felt the same way, but plodded on. Overall I ended up not enjoying the characters/story but the observations & language was still beautiful.

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Eleni Vlachos @youbigtalker.bsky.social · Jul 14

Ah! Enjoyed that book, overall. Maybe 3/4 of the way in I felt a bit lost/tired of the trajectory, but found my way back as I recall. Enjoy!

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Eleni Vlachos @youbigtalker.bsky.social · Jun 24

Now reading! Enjoying the gorgeous prose so far ... have you read anything by Vuong?

#literaryfiction #vuong

book cover with title The Emperor of Gladness, A novel by Ocean Vuong. Pic of a young man in orange slightly slouching.

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Eleni Vlachos @youbigtalker.bsky.social · Jun 18

Anyone else in the writing community here on Substack? Let me know your link. Mine follows:

elenidvlachos.substack.com?r=ez5db&utm_...

Eleni D. Vlachos | Substack

I write literary fiction exploring our need to be heard and the interplay between compassion, civilization, and wildness. Eleni's latest short story, A View of Hotel Poseidon, was published by Roi Fai...

elenidvlachos.substack.com

Eleni Vlachos @youbigtalker.bsky.social · Jun 10

From my 2019 piece, Stranger.
"Xenos is the needle that weaves unknown threads into the fabric of civilization. Sometimes that needle is piercing, invasion, colonialism. Other times, it’s holding everything together — including our civilization."

medium.com/@elenivlacho...

Stranger

The word “xenos” translated as “stranger” in Greek embodies a range of meanings from possible enemy to a most welcoming “guest friend.”…

medium.com

Eleni Vlachos @youbigtalker.bsky.social · Jun 1

Began #4321 by Paul Auster. Adjusting to 4 different lives of the protagonist, but enjoying overall. Have you read?

My husband thought it was Auster's own efforts to encapsulate his life's possibilities near the edge of his own end, which I find possible.

#nowreading #paulauster

Eleni Vlachos @youbigtalker.bsky.social · May 28

The story: www.roifaineantpress.com/post/a-view-...

"A View of Hotel Poseidon" by Eleni Vlachos

Reviews are actual. Story is fictitious. *1 starwe all basically had to get drunk so we could make it through the night When the five-star reviews slipped, George’s family gossiped: He was never equip...

www.roifaineantpress.com

Eleni Vlachos @youbigtalker.bsky.social · May 28

Do people make trailers for short stories? It is a lot of fun. I made a 30-second trailer to celebrate A View of Hotel Poseidon. I think I captured its "tone."

#humor #fiction #shortstories

www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1Wr...

New fiction #humor

YouTube video by You Big Talker

www.youtube.com

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Eleni Vlachos @youbigtalker.bsky.social · May 26

A View of Hotel Poseidon takes a satirical look at the fictitious story behind actual terrible reviews of a hotel. For this is a time we all need to laugh, especially at our own species.

Big thanks to @rfpress.bsky.social (love the graphic!)

#newfiction

www.roifaineantpress.com/post/a-view-...

"A View of Hotel Poseidon" by Eleni Vlachos

Reviews are actual. Story is fictitious. *1 starwe all basically had to get drunk so we could make it through the night When the five-star reviews slipped, George’s family gossiped: He was never equip...

www.roifaineantpress.com

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Eleni Vlachos @youbigtalker.bsky.social · May 26

Hello living beings--check out the latest from Roi Fainéant Press, including some of my words arranged in a humorous fashion. Link below:

Roi Fainéant Press @rfpress.bsky.social · May 25

Ah, bonjour!

Guess what time it is? It's time for a star-studded issue of all the good words.

Still Alive 85 is live. Tell your nearest living being.

www.roifaineantpress.com/blog

#WritingCommunity

Graphic of a skull with flowers, a fist in the air, wings and lightning bolts. A woman with big hair in the background. Text reads: STILL ALIVE EIGHTY FIVE

Eleni Vlachos @youbigtalker.bsky.social · May 26

It's live! www.roifaineantpress.com/post/a-view-...

"A View of Hotel Poseidon" by Eleni Vlachos

Reviews are actual. Story is fictitious. *1 starwe all basically had to get drunk so we could make it through the night When the five-star reviews slipped, George’s family gossiped: He was never equip...

www.roifaineantpress.com

Eleni Vlachos @youbigtalker.bsky.social · May 22

Sunday! So excited to share this story with you, and read all of the incredible authors in this edition. You can follow this great press below ⏬

Roi Fainéant Press @rfpress.bsky.social · May 22

Ready for some amazing fiction! Join us Sunday for a satirical look at the fictitious story behind actual terrible reviews of a hotel. “A View of Hotel Poseidon” by Eleni Vlachos @youbigtalker.bsky.social is a welcome bit of humor as our own Poseidon sinks under the weight of late stage capitalism.

we all basically had to get drunk so we could make it through the night

Reposted by Eleni Vlachos

Roi Fainéant Press @rfpress.bsky.social · May 22

Ready for some amazing fiction! Join us Sunday for a satirical look at the fictitious story behind actual terrible reviews of a hotel. “A View of Hotel Poseidon” by Eleni Vlachos @youbigtalker.bsky.social is a welcome bit of humor as our own Poseidon sinks under the weight of late stage capitalism.

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Eleni Vlachos @youbigtalker.bsky.social · May 22

So excited to be publishing my short story "A View of Hotel Poseidon" in the fab @rfpress.bsky.social Sunday!

Story is fictitious, reviews are actual. IRL the hotel's reviews were so bad they were comical. Bugs, bloody sheets, drunken staff. How did things get so bad?

#newfiction #shortstory

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Eleni Vlachos @youbigtalker.bsky.social · Apr 29

Just finished: Orbital (review on Goodreads)
Now reading: American Pastoral.

And you?

Eleni Vlachos @youbigtalker.bsky.social · Mar 7

Thanks for sharing! Our indie rock rooted-in-a-DIY art-pot duo just released a new track, Godwit--a hopeful hymn, an mourning dirge--found here belovedbinge.bandcamp.com

Beloved Binge

Indie rock rooted in a DIY art pot since '02.

belovedbinge.bandcamp.com

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