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Leave a comment«Marcus Speh writes beautifully constructed, highly original, energizing fiction. Readable, masterful and inspiring, his stories stay with you for a very long time afterwards.» —Pippa Anais Gaubert
«Marcus Speh is so alt lit he (literally) doesn’t know it. Somebody had to tell him.» —Beachsloth, blogger, alt lit author of Beachsloth’s Collected Thoughts.
«This is quirky mimsy tender & packs a sly punch, made me feel so sad & i didn’t expect it at all!» —Penny Goring, author of The Zoom Zoom, on “Meeting Marie Calloway Without Adrien Brody” (in Yareah Magazine, April 2012).
“Loved this: the emptiness and the fullness of it.” —Christopher Allen, author of Conversations with S Teri O’Type: a Satire, on “The Berlin Party Is Over, 1961“.
«There is definitely a unique, mysteriousness to your work. I feel sometimes that you are in another dimension in some of your pieces. Added with your voice, you write in the way the true tales were told–of ghosts, of other realms.» —Bobbi Lurie, author of Grief Suite.
Roxane Gay, editor of PANK Magazine and author of ‘Ayiti’, on “The Sodomized Dictator“, published in: [PANK] 7.01.
« Speh, of course, drives flash fiction like it’s a vintage Alfa Romeo, knowing always how to handle the gearshift because he’s so comfy in the bucket seat. He never crashes. » — Katrina Gray on “Before the Bloodbath” (in: Atticus Review vol 1 (3), 31/05/2011)
«What’s great about this, Marcus, is not just your wry imagination or your observational strength or your elastic empathy or your sure-footed whimsy or your volcanic wit, but your prose rhythm. Section #2, for example, is read-out-loud gorgeous. You are a rare musician of the written word.» – Bill Yarrow, author of ‘Pointed Sentences’ on “Little People“, (Emprise review 16, 09/2010)
«The monks in Bhutan did it for me, but, my God man, I’ll be damned if I’m going to choose. Like a box of chock-lits, this, and not a bad one to be found. When I get very, very old, grey heron’s wings are what I want. If not that, then may I be the bomb that never went ‘boom.’ Marcus, you’re a genius. And I mean that in a good way.» – James Lloyd Davis on “All Of Us Everywhere“ (Metazen e-book, 12/2010).
« You are continually verging on new explorations of themes and stories and methods in which to write them. I like the German title and the nearly one-sentence paragraph, very Whitman-esque. And to end on love. Ahhh. Without the Disney schmaltz. » – Robert Vaughan on “Frau im Mond“ (52|250 01/2011).
« Your prose is like thread unrolling from a spool, long sentences that rise and fall into each other….there is never that jarring sound of effortful writing. But man, so many surprises and delights here. And so much sad truth. »– Kathy Fish, author of “Wild Life”, on “Tickled Pink“ (Metazen 06/2009).
« Such a fascinating piece to read. It really captures the oddity, even the scariness that is actually in that fairy tale… » Cherise Wolas on “Hänsel und Gretel” (Camroc Press Review, 11/2010).
«There is only one thing better than a cryptically stunningly brilliant write and that is a fascinating read by the author to accompany it. That is precisely what you’ll find at Kill Author which is featuring an erotic and mind bending short by Marcus Speh entitled La Pointe Courte. It will shell you.» –Michael J Solender on “La Pointe Courte” (> kill author, issue 10/2010).
« The story is as wild and cyclical and organic as the title would suggest. Boundaries between animal and human, self and other, body and dream, writer and world shift and merge and occasionally dissolve altogether. » –Amber Sparks in her review of “Rites of Spring” (kill author 06/2010)
«I like that you didn’t do the common thing – construct a narrative from elements of the photo. Ho hum. No, you demonstrated what prose fiction is for, what it can do that the other arts can’t. And yet with the title you suggest a narrative that the reader can play out in his mind.» — Mark Kerstetter on “Before the Bloodbath” (in: Atticus Review vol 1 (3), 31/05/2011)
«I really like how the title of the magazine opens up how I read these pieces – Life connected to film criticism strikes me as a great approach. Life as film, certainly. Each part here is marvelous in its own way. But, they never fail to harmonize. I’m thinking Godard, as well, as I read these. Part three made my head explode – in fact I’m typing telepathically now since I scooting around the room to gather the pieces – There I’m done.» – Sam Rasnake on “Cahiers du Cinéma” (in: Blue Fifth Review 10/10)
« Addresses at once the age old question of how much does size matter and in what context with Speh’s signature ability to enlist humor as a tool in crafting that philosophical exploration.» — Sheldon Lee Compton on “The Serious Writer And His Penis” (Best of Metazen 09/10)
«’Surprise’ pushes the outside of the envelope then tears up the envelope then sets it on fire and all with elan, and the deadpan-est humor ever. Gold star.» — James Robison on “Surprise” (Metazen 09/10)
«Great work, Marcus. This reminds me a lot of Rosemary’s Baby. There’s a sinister element to it that I just adore.»– Marcelle Heath on “The Disciples” (at 52|250 – 09/10)
«Secretly, I want these lines on my headstone when the big day comes: “Today someone flashed me at the park. It made all flowers seem irrelevant.” God, you’re good.» — Katrina Gray on “Little People” (Emprise Review 09/10)
«I mean: I REALLY like! This is quirky, sad, and invigorating. Action, drama, reflection, dream — all packed in tight!» — Michelle Elvy on “Asthmatic” (A-Minor 08/10)
«Crazy good. Paused after reading and sighed.» – Jules Archer on “La Pointe Courte” (> kill author 12/2010)
« This felt like the center of something rather than a stand-alone piece, and because it felt “center” it had a strong impact on me. I wanted to see what surrounded this “center” that was so fraught with a type of frenetic energy squeezed down for the sake of safety, propriety and sanity. You always manage to tantalize in some way and this is no exception. » — Susan Tepper on “At the Ministry” (shown at Fictionaut 09/10, to appear in quarrtsiluni)
« You are the original original (sic), and absolute master of the unexpected, the imaginative. I’m wowed. Wowwowed. » – Jack Swenson on “Mother burning” (shown at Fictionaut)
… more praise lathered on my alter ego Finnegan Flawnt is here. Thank you all.
