Nouns of Assemblage - What the hell comes out of that dark mess of word and image association: every story in this collection was written from a different collective noun, or "noun of assemblage," such as 'A murder of cow', or 'A litter of pups', or 'A plague of locusts'

Nouns of Assemblage, Riley Michael Parker, ed., Housefire, 2011.







"NOUNS OF ASSEMBLAGE collects sixty-three of the strongest voices in small press fiction, from J. A. Tyler to xTx, from Kevin Sampsell to Cameron C. Pierce, with stories ranging from romantic to absurd to over-the-top violent and back again, covering the full gamut of what small press has to offer. Every story in this collection was written from a different collective noun, or "noun of assemblage," such as A MURDER OF CROW (by Tyler Gobble), or A LITTER OF PUPS (by Joseph Riippi), or A PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS (by Frank Hinton), and none of these stories are available anywhere else. This is the first official title from HOUSEFIRE, the innovative and groundbreaking publishing company located in Portland Oregon."

"Featuring a worship of writers, NOUNS OF ASSEMBLAGE is a high-concept collection of fiction and poetry, featuring some of the strongest voices from the small press world. Every piece in the collection was inspired by a noun of assemblage, from A SKULK OF FOXES to AN UNKINDNESS OF RAVENS, or from AN ECLIPSE OF MOTH to A PARLIAMENT OF OWLS, and each of our authors has found a unique way to take their title and create an amazing one-of-a-kind story that would not exist without this project. With over sixty-five stories between the covers, this collection runs the gamut from heartfelt to ironic, beautiful to grotesque, uplifting to world-ending, and everywhere in between.

FEATURED STORIES

AN AMBUSH OF TIGERS (by Kevin Sampsell)
A young woman stumbles into a fetish bar and ends up face to face with someone whom she struggles to even consider as a human being, then finds herself inexplicably connected to this stranger…

A PARLIAMENT OF OWLS (by Matty Byloos)
In the last days before the final judgment, a group of owls assemble once again as a committee to discuss what can be done, if anything, to stop the one-man Motorcycle Gang AKA the bringer of the end, and in the process they isolate themselves from/bond themselves to one another a dozen different ways.

A SMACK OF JELLYFISH (by Stephen Tully Dierks)
A young man recounts fake memories of his ex-girlfriend concerning whether or not she might consider swimming in the ocean, and an early romance she had involving a kiddie pool.

AN ABOMINATION OF PLATYPUS (by Cameron C. Pierce)
An abomination indeed… A graphic absurdity about an amputee and his sex slave, about a leopard tucked away in his room and trying to write a piece of fiction, and about a platypus that quietly dominates over the lot of them.

A CULTURE OF BACTERIA (by Len Kuntz)
A man ruminates on his memories–from childhood and adulthood both–that cling to him and devour him like a thousand hungry parasites.

FULL LIST OF AUTHORS
Andrew Borgstrom
Ashley-Elizabeth Best
Ben Tanzer
Bradley Sands
Brian Carr
Caitlin Laura Galway
Cameron C. Pierce
Carrie Seitzinger
Chelsea Laine Wells
Christy Crutchfield
Colleen Elizabeth Rowley
Crispin Best
David Doc Luben
David Drury
David Tomaloff
DJ Berndt
Frances E. Dinger
Frank Hinton
Gabriel Blackwell
Hazel Cummings
J. A. Tyler
J. Bradley
Jamie Iredell
Janey Smith
Jarrid Deaton
Jess Dutschmann
Jess Rowan
Jessica Knauss
Jim Ruland
Joseph Riippi
Kevin Sampsell
Kirsten Alene Pierce
Lauren Tamraz
Len Kuntz
Lindsay Allison Ruoff
Matt Ferner
Matt Hill
Matthew Simmons
Matty Byloos
Maurice Burford
Megan Lent
Mel Bosworth
Michael Kimball
Mike Topp
Morris Hawthorne
Nate Quiroga
Nicky Tiso
Peter Schwartz
Poncho Peligroso
Riley Michael Parker
Robert Duncan Gray
Robert Vaughan
Robyn Bateman
Ryan Boyd
Ryan W. Bradley
Stephen Tully Dierks
Suzanne Burns
Ted Powers
Tom De Beauchamp
Tyler Gobble
Willie Fitzgerald
yt sumner
xTx


"If you make it your business to attend readings in Portland, you've probably come across one of Housefire publishing's bacchanals, or seen one of its founders reading at our many local events. Started in January, Housefire is already responsible for chapbooks, readings, a pretty happening Tumblr, and on Tuesday, August 23, its first book, Nouns of Assemblage.
As editor Riley Michael Parker tells it, Housefire spawned as a side project to a literary magazine Parker helps edit, Metazen. Curated by Frank Hinton, Metazen introduced Parker to new abstract and absurdist writers. With Hinton's blessing, Parker began soliciting fiction from his favorite writers to publish on his own offshoot, Housefire, which quickly grew to become the upstart publisher now taking form.
The basic model is unique. While writers are free to contact Housefire and share their work, all projects associated with the publisher are solicited. The editors are most interested in pushing writers outside of their comfort zones to create more provocative work, which fits with the atmospheric, experimental bent of its founders. Not all solicited work is published, but Parker and his cohorts work closely with writers, workshopping stories into publishable shape whether they run it or not.
The resulting work is impressive. Nouns of Assemblage evolved from an unfinished gallery project into a short-story collection. Prompt subject structures the book; contributors were given only story titles—nouns—to work with. The theme is creatures: mammals, reptiles, bacteria, etc. Considering that the stories have little to do with one another, the overall structural and stylistic integrity is astounding. The book contains over 60 whirlwind stories, some as short as three sentences, but each one thoughtful and considered. Readers will find a host of familiar names from the small-press stratosphere; locals Matty Byloos, Colleen Rowley, Kevin Sampsell, and Carrie Seitzinger are featured along with the likes of Jamie Iredell and Matthew Simmons.
Nouns of Assemblage is a book of ideas. Some are fables, some are sketches, and some are perfect exercises. Nothing is sentimental, though many of the stories are touching. There is also a menace, a recklessness to the collection. Each section trends towards violence and darkness, assault and death, or ugly and inquisitive sex, before veering into calmer, more reflective waters. It's hard to zero in on one piece when you're in the midst of a menagerie of horrors and wonders, but every now and then a story will stop you in your tracks and hold your breath.
That reading experience is a testament to good editing and consideration. Aside from Parker, web master and reigning X-rated haiku champ (which is a real thing and his haikus are wonderful) Rob Gray and Lindsay Ruoff, their chief designer, are dedicated to putting out quality literature. Nouns of Assemblage will be distributed mainly online through their website and Amazon, as well as in local bookstores; the August 23 release party will feature a handful of contributors including Kevin Sampsell and Carrie Seitzinger.
The release date hardly marks a period of rest for the enterprising trio, however. Parker is preparing to release his first novel next month through Lazy Fascist Press, while also editing The Alphabet Book, another concept-driven collection though Metazen." - Jacob Schraer

ON FIRE: An Interview With Riley Michael Parker