At long last, Jose Pepe Arroyo’s book, SONGS OF DESPERATION AND REVENGE made its way into the world (and quickly sold out). Arroyo has been involved in the small press, both writing and also making beautiful woodcuts, for years now (he did some art for a couple of Ridgwell books, and TACO FAIRY), though he remains relatively unknown. If you enjoy my work, you may well enjoy his...so, if you don’t know him, here’s a small introduction.

We’re also hosting a giveaway right here on this very thread, so stay tuned!

7 QUESTIONS

Why should people give a shit about art?

Because it’s the only way. Politics and religion are confusing and misleading; art will always tell the truth. And also because society continues to idolize (and consequently bankroll the lavish lifestyles of ) the talentless while our great novelists, people that have been doing the work for decades, are on food stamps and Medi-Cal, it’s fucking pathetic.

I’m glad to see you’ve recently put together a website/store , why’d you put it off for so long?

Because I have ADD, haha, which, as it turns out, can be a good thing, but for the most part has been disastrous for me, especially when dealing with administrative stuff. Time management is tricky and reading boring ass instructions on something I don’t find interesting will instantly put me to sleep. The thing that motivated me was that in the past few months eBay raised their fees. I’ve been trafficking hats there since 2014 and was trying to figure out where else to do business when the editor who published my book suggested big cartel. At ten bucks a month you really can’t go wrong if you’re selling your art work or even just displaying it. I then decided to not only make it a place to hustle my hats but to display some of my other work as well. 

What's better: writing or woodcuts?

They’re both good for me in their own way but in the end, it’s all fruit that falls from the same tree. I also fuck around with junk art and I make hats and do air conditioning for a living. I say this because it gets complicated when it comes to presenting my work, say on instagram. I’m a terrible instagrammer and what I have noticed is that some people follow me for my writing stuff and then unfollow me because I post too many hats, and vice versa. lol.

Who’s your favorite artist that no one seems to know about?

I have a few. One of them is my friend Mario who I went to high school with. He wrote beautifully back then but he gave it up, kinda like Rimbaud, except in his case he became a contractor. Still, every time I am around him, I am treated to his poetry. He just talks it now, he’s a poet that doesn’t write. 

There’s this musician/poet named Fizzy Water.

He’s brilliant and has written some of the most heartbreaking lines… 

Lastly, my brother. He has this god-given gift. His paintings are so full of life. Hopefully, someday the world will get to see them.   

What's the funniest book you can think of?

A Confederacy of Dunces. Long live John Kennedy Toole. Some say it was the publishing houses that killed him, but I say they had an accomplice: his mom.

What mistake do new writers make?

Being their own editor. You know what they say, “If you are editing your own stuff, you got a fool for a fucking editor…” or something like that, haha. I’m not talking about editing as you go when you’re writing either. I’m talking about putting out your stuff without putting it through some critical process that doesn’t involve you. One of the things I learned from Gerald Locklin is to trust the wisdom of editors. 

What mistake do old writers make?

If you made it to old age and you’re still writing, I say make all the fucking mistakes you want. Hell, edit yourself even, that inner fool should have gained some hard-earned  wisdom by then.

Lastly — I heard, there was talk of a second printing in the works…but why wait? I just happen to have an extra first printing — and I’m giving it away to one lucky winner here!

If you’d like to be in the running for it, just post a comment below. I’ll draw a winner in a week or so.