Jason Behrends’ blog caught my eye because it has a singularly badass title: What to Wear During an Orange Alert. Then I got into the clever mix of indie culture and politics he posts regularly, and was hooked. So I’m thankful for this interview, which I got way too wordy with, and thankful that someone finally used my ridiculous “hiding out” author photo.

I feel bad about the tone of that last post. It’s a little demanding of your attention. That’s not how I meant it. Forgive me.

So we’re going to do this with bullet points.

• Hiding Out is now available for pre-order. You can order it now and we’ll ship it to arrive at your home before it’s in stores. And it’s only $10.
• Everyone who pre-orders it gets an essay on the topic of their choice. No joke. Just fill it into the “notes” field when you order it. Any topic.
• I had a lot of fun in this interview with Chicagoist, about the Dollar Store, Hiding Out and how my destiny was manifested for me.
• The release party is ready to go. It’s going to be a blast.
• You can befriend Hiding Outon MySpace.
• Yes, it’s true, as a monthly show, The Dollar Store will cease after November 2. But we’ll probably bring it back soon enough, either as a monthly or in some other form. We just need a break. But every time I’m forced to say it I regret it more and more.

There’s lots more, but I just got back from vacation and can’t seem to get out from under the piles of e-mail and incomplete tasks from a week off. More soon!

I need to come up with a new way to introduce the Dollar Store, as this video reminds me. Regardless, here’s a story from a long time ago. A revamped version of this guy actually kicks off Hiding Out, so this is something of a sneak preview, I suppose:

Here’s a Friday, August 3 (7pm, $1, Hideout) Dollar Store FAQ:

Q. Who’s on the bill?
A. Short story extraordinaire Elizabeth Crane (When the Messenger Is Hot, All This Heavenly Glory and the forthcoming You Must Be This Happy to Enter) and solo guru Ian Belknap (Wide Open Beaver Shot of My Heart).

Q. What about Abraham, will he be back?
A. Of course!

Q. What else can I expect on Friday?
A. We’ll play another audio piece from our Third Coast collaboration. Abraham will sing a lot. And friend of the Dollar Store Lara Marsh will raise money for her humanitarian trip to India by selling baked goods and handmade notecards!

Q. What kind of baked goods?
A. The kind that taste good.

Q. May I still contribute to the Third Coast Short Doc competition/Dollar Store collaboration?
A. You may.

Q. I happened to notice that the brilliantly booked Hideout Block Party occurs on the first Friday of the month in September. What does that mean for The Dollar Store?
A. It means we’re taking the month off. So you should come out this month, because it’s going to be a while till we’re back at it. October 5, to be exact.

Q. I heard Jonathan has a book out, or sort of out. Is it out? Is it a Dollar Store thing?
A. Jonathan’s book, Hiding Out, will be released in October. It’s a collection of his short stories, and about half of them found their first home at the Dollar Store, but many have been revised (i.e. vastly improved), and the others have been published elsewhere, etc. The book goes on pre-sale August 28, and the release party is scheduled for September 27 at the Hideout. More info is available here. Thanks for asking!

Q. Enough about that guy, I kind of like Abraham more.
A. Finally, someone said it. Well, you should check out his band Baby Teeth, who play West Fest on August 12.

Q. Anything else I should know?
A. Jonathan’s parents will be in town from Boston for this one. Their accents are wicked awesome.

Q. What about Abraham?
A. His mom will be there.

Q. Is that it?
A. That’s it. Thanks for being so thorough.

http://www.dollarstoreshow.com
http://www.hideoutchicago.com