Full of Lit: Don’t be scared of Jon Paul Fiorentino’s new short story collection

Jon Paul Fiorentino recently questioned whether he needed improvement with his last collection of poetry published by Coach House Books (Needs Improvement, 2013) and now he’s assuring us that he’s not scared of us (or anything for that matter) with his new collection of stories, I’m Not Scared of You or Anything, from Anvil Press. This funny collection also contains beautiful artwork by Maryanna Hardy (you can check out her stuff in her own book, So I’ve Been Told, from Conundrum Press). The title story is included in our Short Story Month collection Full of Lit, available now for only $5.99, where you’ll get a taste of Jon Paul’s humour and Maryanna’s illustrations.

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The stories in Jon Paul Fiorentino’s I’m Not Scared of You or Anything are humorous but poignant. Jon Paul’s writing style is fluid and colloquial, making the stories accessible and entertaining.

The title story, which is included in Full of Lit, is representative of the collection as a whole because it accesses the emotional core via a deceptive humour, which amplifies tension as the story progresses. Many characters in the collection are average Joes and Janes, working class creatives, loners, but they are not dismissed with sarcasm. Instead, they are deeply felt, and linger in the reader’s mind as friends, or as the "dude from Iron Maiden," who appears in the title story "I’m Not Scared of You or Anything," and whom you might just bump into at the local pub.

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We asked the author… Jon Paul Fiorentino

Tell us what your collection is about in 140 characters or less.
It’s a collection of comedic stories and strange concept bits documenting the lives of loners and losers. It’s a very playful, silly book.

Do you have a favourite story in your collection? One that gave you more trouble than the others?
I quite like "Life Is Difficult Business, Perry." It’s a story about an ambitious young man who is haunted by panic attacks but manages to do quite interesting and entertaining things with it. "Systema Vlad" was a challenging story to write. It’s about a beta male who falls in bro love with a fake Russian martial arts expert.

Did you consciously decide to be a short story writer — or did the format choose you?
I love writing short stories because I think it’s an excellent delivery method for comedy. This is my second collection of short stories. I don’t write them as feverishly, frequently as I write poetry. But I do enjoy the process. My stories are very accessible and often ridiculous and absurd. It’s a very welcome break from the experimental work I do in terms of poetry.

Who is your favourite short story writer and why?
George Saunders. He’s perfect in terms of timing and voice. I’m in awe of his ability to speak to political and social issues without sacrificing anything. He is an astonishing artist. In terms of Canadians, I find myself rereading Derek McCormack’s short stories quite often.

What makes short stories so different (besides the obvious) than other writing formats?
Like poetry, principles of economy and timing are essential. I think short stories make great company. Much better company than most humans. 

What would be the title of your memoir, if you were ever to write one.
Selfies for Jesus: One Man’s Journey to the Gas Station to Buy Chips and a Bottle of Wine and Maybe Meet Someone Special in the Parking Lot.

Jon Paul Fiorentino is the author of Needs Improvement (Coach House Books), and the novel Stripmalling, which was shortlisted for the Paragraphe Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction, and five poetry collections, including The Theory of the Loser Class, which was shortlisted for the A.M. Klein Prize, and Indexical Elegies which won the 2009 CBC Book Club "Bookie" Award for Best Book of Poetry. He has written for the National Post, Walrus, Maisonneuve, subTerrain, Huffington Post, and numerous other publications. He lives in Montreal, where he teaches creative writing at Concordia University and is the editor-in-chief of Matrix Magazine. You can follow Jon Paul on Twitter.

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Get to know artist Maryanna Hardy a little better

Maryanna Hardy has worked as an artist, illustrator and screen printer, and has published her work nationally and internationally. She recently exhibited her work through Gallery Pangee and Gallery Youn in Montreal. A book of her drawings, So I’ve Been Told, was published by Conundrum Press in 2010, and was shortlisted for Montreal Expozine’s 2010 Best Canadian Book, as well as a Doug Wright award for Best Avant-Garde Comic Book. She lives in Montreal. You can follow Maryanna on Twitter.

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We asked the publisher… Anvil Press

Tell us why you like reading short stories and what struck you about this collection in particular.
Jon Paul’s short stories are striking to me because engagement occurs on the level of being human; the stories surpass constructions of the ego by appealing to the issues, loves, confusions, habits, and mistakes of another person. There is an acidic sincerity to these stories–without earnestness and a preachy sense of morality. The short story form is particularly suited to transmitting such feelings with immediacy and precision.

–Shazia, Publishing Assistant

Anvil Press is a Vancouver literary press founded in 1991. Now in its twenty-third year of publishing, Anvil has firmly established itself as a publisher of progressive, contemporary Canadian literature with a distinctly urban twist. An award-winning publisher of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction, Anvil has become known for its high quality books and unconventional literary work. National—and local—in its vision, Anvil remains committed to its East Vancouver roots, and doesn’t shy away from work from the wrong side of the tracks. You can follow Anvil on Twitter.

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Thank you Jon Paul and Shazia for answering our questions. Get your copy of Full of Lit below. Want to know who else is featured in our Short Story Month anthology? Get caught up here!
 

_______Edited from the original post, published on the LPG blog