Look At Our Facebook Page Look At Our Twitter Page Buy Our Books On Amazon Buy Our Books On Our Paypal Shop

Murder Slim Press Updates: 2004-2015

Murder Slim Press: Updates Mark SaFranko's Books Robert McGowan's Books UV Ray's Books Seymour Shubin's Books Jeffrey Frye's Books Steve Hussy's Books Tommy Trantino's Books The Savage Kick Issues Richard Watts' Books Return to MurderSlim.com

We've been running Murder Slim Press for over a decade now. Publishers have come and gone - almost all have gone - but the death of print literature is something to be resisted. Try and read some physical books... it really does help.
We're tenacious bastards and will continue as long as you buy our books. We're still alive and kicking in 2017 and we'll still be boozing in 2050.
Here's MSP's history with MSP's book release in bold. And, of course, there are still-living links to a bunch of good stuff.

--- 2016 ARCHIVE ---

DECEMBER 2016
--- Christmas in Aleppo sees the Bank Robber's Blog tackling a serious subject with sensitivity. The world is fucked up right now... but the New Year is tomorrow. Drink. Lots. And be good to each other.

NOVEMBER 2016
--- Jeffrey P. Frye gloats about the Cubs' World Series victory in his brand new blogpost Someday is Today. As a Mets fan, it's tough to take, but at least it's highly entertaining. Here's the post for all you Cubbies and sympathisers.

OCTOBER 2016
--- David Noone isn't only just dealing with submissions to The Savage Kick because his superb debut novel Saint Of The City is currently being polished off. It's a real doozy... a mix of brutal realism and gothic horror set around the bookstores, pubs and madhouses of Ireland. Expect it in the middle of next year so we can spread the good word.

SEPTEMBER 2016
--- Three 5-star reviews of Black Cradle so far on Amazon. Just read it. It's available in every format, but it's at its cheapest in the Murder Slim Press shop.
--- Another 5-star Amazon review of Mark SaFranko's Sometimes You Just Don't Want to Know: "SaFranko's prose is as crisp and succinct as ever, perhaps even more so." I couldn't agree more.

AUGUST 2016
--- Jeff is in The Hole yet again and it looks like he's being transferred. This will cause a delay with new Bank Robber's Blogposts. Luckily you've got his two books: One Crazy Day and Bank Blogger to keep you company.
--- Two new MSP books on their way in September. And some Kindle stuff too for non-print readers... just never forget that printed books are where the real goodies are.

JULY 2016
--- Lounge Lizard is now available on Kindle. Don't forget it's ALWAYS been available in the Murder Slim Press Paypal Shop, but I know some of you people love Kindle and want to read the sequel to Hating Olivia.
--- Glowing review of The Artistic Life and Sometimes You Just Don't Want To Know by Christopher Brownsword on Word Riot.
--- Robert McGowan's NAM is still running an unbeaten streak of five star reviews on Amazon. Just buy the fucking book, it's as great as everyone else thinks it is. Rob's A Long Perambulation always makes me cry... in a great way. And I've read it four times now. A bunch of other, informed people are having similar responses and you can now read it on Kindle.

JUNE 2016
--- The Charming Man is the literary equivilent of four shots of Grey Goose. It'll open your eyes, and also give you a real-life insight into Black Cradle. These shots from u.v. ray are free and you can read the blogpost here.
--- Jeff is still in The Hole but The Bank Robber's Blog won't stop. Jeff handwrites letters and he's still producing stories. Here's the latest blogpost On The Bench, which is one of Mister Jeffrey P. Frye's best pieces of work.
--- The renowned Scottish author Tony Black carried out in an interview with u.v. ray. It touches on Black Cradle and a lot more. Read it here.
--- Decibel Magazine interviewed Mark SaFranko here. Natty title too: "Vocation of Unhappiness." As ever, Mark is an interesting interviewee. And it's about time people found our shop page and realised they can quickly and easily buy Lounge Lizard, the sequel to Hating Olivia.

MAY 2016
--- u.v. ray's brilliant Black Cradle has been shortlisted in the Saboteur Awards. A vote for u.v. is a vote for good sense... and great writing.
--- New submission guidelines and a new co-editor for The Savage Kick. We're only responding to submissions to the new email address so read the subs' page in full.
--- Make sure to add our Facebook page to your favourites. I tend to add updates to that faster than I do here. MSP has become all Web 2.0 but also believes that Books 1.0 - fucking printed ones - are comfortably the best way to proceed with the printed word. If you post us a bust Kindle we'll send you a free book.
--- The fifth and sixth Max Zajack books are available in the Murder Slim Press Shop NOW. The Artistic Life and Sometimes You Just Don't Want To Know are set after Lounge Lizard and see Max wrestling between the love of writing and the pressures to "settle down." Let's just say Max will always right and never settle...

APRIL 2016
--- After a rough ride over the last coupla months in our real lives, we're back in the saddle. And now we're long-listed as most innovative publisher in the Saboteur Awards. They got taste!
--- Interesting, and positive, developments with Jeff's situation in prison due to new regulations passed by Obama. Stay tuned and keep an eye on his Bank Robber's Blog. Some of the facts are still private, so let Jeff entertain you with some stories in the meantime.
--- Even for the hardened u.v. ray fan, Black Cradle is something new, distinctive and - in the words of one person who has seen the proof - "fucking great." It's u.v.'s first novel and I can't recommend it highly enough as a vision into the strange hell of Birmingham in the 1980s.

MARCH 2016
--- Two new Max Zajack books from Mark SaFranko very close to release, and now with their own webpages: Sometimes You Just Don't Want To Know and The Artistic Life.

FEBRUARY 2016
--- A bunch of new Murder Slim Press books will be released over the next few months. Here's two of them... the next two installments of Mark SaFranko's Max Zajack stories. Set after Dirty Work, Sometimes You Just Don't Want To Know and The Artistic Life see Max wrestling to explore and write when faced with the pressing demands of family life. Here are the covers... they fit together if you buy both books.

JANUARY 2016
--- Jeffrey P. Frye is free again! Well, kinda... Jeff is now out of solitary confinement and has been moved to USP Beaumont, near the Mexican border. The first thing he did in his new digs... he wrote an all-new story for The Bank Robber's Blog. It's a must-read, and try to spread the word about his stuff.
--- It's great that Mark SaFranko's The Favor continues to make Best Of lists almost 30 years after its release. And you can still buy signed first edition copies of the book exclusively through the MSP Online Shop.

--- 2015 ARCHIVE ---

DECEMBER 2015
--- Last post of 2015 is a review of the Eddie Bunker movie adaptation Straight Time. It would have been Bunker's 82nd Birthday today. See you in 2016 with more reviews and - above all - books.
--- Jeffrey Frye is still in "The Hole" (Solitary Confinement) in prison so getting out blogposts is challenging at the moment. But, as his latest story "Orange Is The New Tan" shows, you can't keep a good bank robber down.

NOVEMBER 2015
--- Sorry for the delay in getting back about submissions for The Savage Kick. I haven't died yet, I'm just catching up on the backlog. And it'd be great if people actually read the submission guidelines beforehand, or stumped up some cash to buy at least one MSP book.

OCTOBER 2015
--- My interview about Murder Slim Press is now available on Martin Applby's Lit Fiend:
--- The funny-as-hell "Czech Mate" is the latest superb entry in Jeffrey P. Frye's ongoing Bank Robber's Blog.
--- Savage Kick #2 is now sold out. Fittingly, I handed the last copy to Doug Stanhope in the "Bukowski Grill" myself before his O2 Brixton Academy gig.

SEPTEMBER 2015
--- Great new review of u.v. ray's The Migrant... Abbie Foxton has great taste.
--- Check out the excellent Paper & Ink Magazine. The new issue 6 features Steve Hussy, and previous issues feature Mark SaFranko and u.v. ray. All the issues feature a strong range of writing and I love the 80s' punk zine look.
--- Submissions for The Savage Kick will be closed for a month or so after October 1st while I catch up on old email subs. I'm also putting together SK#8 and SK#9, which are now full.

AUGUST 2015
--- Colman Keane selected Mark SaFranko's The Favor as his pick of the month.
--- Jeffrey Frye's latest Bank Robber's Blogpost is
"Our Own Cell," which links the concept of the hell of being around someone to that hell that lives in all of us. Don't worry, some jokes are included too.
--- Carson Mell - who appears in SK#7 - has a new Tarantula episode up on YouTube. I love it and you will too. Give up three minutes to check it out.

JULY 2015
--- Reviews added for a key documentary (Gonzo), a great Hunter S. Thompson adaptation (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) and a Bukowski book (Shakespeare Never Did This) which has some great photos. We spoil you.
--- I've updated my art page with portraits of Hunter S. Thompson, Jim Goad and Jeffrey P. Frye. I'll continue to do more to celebrate great writers' birthdays.
--- Capsula kindly provided the music for the release video for u.v. ray's The Migrant. Enjoy it on YouTube.

JUNE 2015
--- u.v. ray narrowly missed out on winning the Saboteur Award for Best Novella. His Murder Slim Press book The Migrant finished second. There's always next year, folks! Thanks for all the votes and positive comments.
--- Jeffrey P. Frye continues to write his sometimes funny, sometimes dark tales of life behind bars on the Bank Robber's Blog. The Bloggie-nominated posts are the best insight into prison life you can get.
--- You can watch the release video for Steve Hussy's Back on YouTube. It looks pretty but also proves I can swear as much as ever.

MAY 2015
--- Here's the release video for The Savage Kick #7 on YouTube.
--- And our final release this month is... The Savage Kick #7. Three years in the making it looks pretty but packs a violent kick of confessional and crime stories inside its cover.
--- Another MSP release is the acerbic The Migrant by u.v. ray... It's already been nominated for a British Arts Council "Saboteur Award" so get a copy and pop your vote in. It's clearly the best book on the list for "Best Novella."
--- Back by Steve Hussy is our second release. It's a bitterly honest account of teachers, as written by a real-life teacher. As the book confirms, it's not students you need to worry about... it's the people that teach them.
--- Our first release this month is Seymour Shubin's The Captain. It's an Edgar Allen Poe Award-winning crime/confessional novel by the late and great Seymour Shubin. I can't recommend it highly enough... and I say just that in my introduction.

APRIL 2015
--- Four new books coming out next week, folks. They are Seymour Shubin's The Captain, Steve Hussy's Back, u.v. ray's The Migrant and The Savage Kick #7.
--- I'm beavering away on the new Murder Slim Press books. Check for updates on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

MARCH 2015
--- u.v. ray has an all-new review section on his personal website. His first review looks at the post-punk band Capsula and their album "Dead or Alive."
--- Happy Birthday on March 3rd to both Murder Slim stalwarts Richard Watts and your favourite felon and Bank Blogger, Jeffrey P. Frye.
--- I'm uploading about three book/movie reviews each fortnight on this page. This one for Requiem For A Dream should raise a few eyebrows... although I'm predominantly trying to focus on stuff I love.

FEBRUARY 2015
--- Plugging away on the interior art for The Savage Kick #7. To gaze at their beauty (ahem) MSP Facebook page, where I've been showing a few examples of it.
--- Great new entry called on the Bank Robber's Blog called "Chief Executive Robber." If you looking for an insightful analysis of bank policy, who would know more than a convicted bank robber?
--- Still adding reviews to the website. Have a look at the Outsiders section to find out about lesser known classics like The Quiet Earth and Scarecrow, amongst others.

JANUARY 2015
--- The Bank Robber's Blog continues into 2015 with Jeff's excellent and heart-rending views on the "Je Suis Charlie" incident.
--- Steadily updating reviews onto the new website. Why not check out Murder Slim's book reviews first... there's already a couple of classics on them from Bukowski and John Fante, along with a hidden gem called Hangover Square.
--- Here's a brand new interview with Mark SaFranko on Decibel Magazine. Lounge Lizard and Hating Olivia are part of it, and it's a great read.

--- 2014 ARCHIVE ---

--- Seymour Shubin's obituary is part of his new webpages online --- New Murder Slim webpages for the equally much missed Robert McGowan are available here --- MSP writer and friend Seymour Shubin died on November 2nd. Truly terrible news --- New Murder Slim webpages for u.v. ray are online. Check 'em out --- The new Murder Slim Press Paypal Shop is ready for business --- Jeffrey P. Frye's Bank Robber's Blogposts continue to stack up and I love 'em all for different reasons. They're truly valuable and addictive as hell --- Review of Jeffrey Frye's One Crazy Day on Ujjwal Dey's Freedom Fiction --- New portrait of Mark SaFranko and available on Steve Hussy's new Artwork page, along with my portraits of Bukowski, Dan Fante and others. --- Longer $1 stories from Jeffrey Frye now available through the Free Frye Fund --- Monkey Picks review of u.v. ray's Spiral Out --- Another fantastic Gil De Ray music mix of Tony O'Neill's "Balls" from Savage Kick #2 --- Don't forget our Facebook page is here. "Like" us and all that, and you'll receive plenty more detailed updates. We're also on Twitter here. Vive la Web 2.0. --- Here's Gil De Ray's brilliant mix of Doing Time, a poem by your "Bank Blogger" Jeffrey Frye. It's read by Steve Hussy and you can click here to listen or download the track. ---Five star reviews for One Crazy Day on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com, as well as Dirty Work on Amazon.co.uk --- Jeffrey Frye's One Crazy Day is now available to buy via Amazon (USA), Amazon (UK), and the Murder Slim Press Paypal Shop. It's limited to 200 copies so get it while you still can. --- Mark SaFranko's fourth Zajack novel is now available on Murder Slim Press. Dirty Work is our fifth collaboration with Mark --- Why Me? is selling like hotcakes. It's our bestseller in some time and is in The MSP Shop, Amazon UK and Amazon USA

--- 2013 ARCHIVE ---

--- Jeffrey Frye's Bank Blogger has just been released on Amazon (USA), Amazon (UK), and the Murder Slim Press Online Shop --- The cover for Bank Blogger --- Great reviews for Spiral Out --- Ginger Coyote at Punk Globe on Spiral Out --- Spiral Out by u.v. ray is out now on Amazon UK, Amazon USA and the Murder Slim Press Shop --- The brilliant and lovely Peggy McGowan was killed in a car accident on September 29th, almost a year after her husband (and MSP writer) Robert died --- Jeffrey Frye now on Weebley --- u.v ray's on Facebook and so is Mark SaFranko --- Colum McCann on Lonely No More --- Tremendous review of Seymour Shubin's Why Me? on Amazon and Goodreads by the famed author Barbara Brett... Get reading it --- Artvilla on Why Me? --- Here's the cover of Why Me? and it's now on sale in the MSP shop and through Amazon UK, Amazon USA and wherever else Amazon has infiltrated. --- Loads more on The Bank Robber's Blog --- First draft of the Spiral Out cover --- Gil De Ray's brilliant mix of music and spoken word from u.v. ray --- u.v. ray in Push 2 --- u.v. ray on Monkey Picks --- Good summary of some of the stories in We Are Glass here --- Another five-star review of We Are Glass on Amazon.com --- u.v.'s excellent interview with Adam Campbell - it starts 49 minutes in --- Two great reviews of We Are Glass on Amazon.com --- Joe England reviews We Are Glass --- u.v. ray interviewed by Jason Michel --- We Are Glass now available on Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and the MSP online shop ---

--- 2012 ARCHIVE ---

--- Rob is already solely missed. Here is Murder Slim's eulogy to Robert McGowan, who died November 15th, 2012 --- Robert McGowan's eulogy by Arts Of War On The Web --- Memphis Magazine article on Robert McGowan --- Four five star reviews of A Long Perambulation on Amazon --- Our major new addition to Murder Slim Press is the imprisoned writer Jeffrey P. Frye, who's currently serving 20 years for robbing seven banks. Follow his history, comedy, life and darkest thoughts via The Bank Robber's Blog --- Mark SaFranko played by Al Pacino? --- Interview with Dan Fante --- Five new books were released on November 1st: The Savage Kick #6, Lonely No More, A Long and Indeterminate Perambulation, Steps and The Angel. Buy 'em in the Murder Slim Press shop --- Kevin O'Kendley's The Target was a highlight of SK#5. Here's his follow-up... OTIS MOON. Check out the cover and you can buy it on Amazon, and Barnes and Noble --- Robert McGowan talking about his cancer diagnosis --- Check out the writer of Thirty Cents An Hour from the upcoming SK#7... here's Joel Williams --- Great review of God Bless America from France's La Figaro --- Here's Rob McGowan beating the shit of the guns he'd accumulated - and hated - over the years. 1, 2, destroyed --- Nice article about South Main in Memphis and Rob McGowan --- Savage Kick #6 cover. It's almost here --- Richard Watts' beautiful Lonely No More cover --- Go on, like us. Murder Slim Press is now on Facebook --- We've released a US Kindle Version of NAM and here's the UK one --- Excellent Interview with Mark SaFranko --- God Bless America one of the top books of 2011 --- Mark SaFranko's "Japan" music video

--- 2011 ARCHIVE ---

--- Five five-star reviews for Robert McGowan's NAM on Amazon --- The Memphis Flyer on Robert McGowan Pt. 2 --- --- Merry Christmas from Shubin and SaFranko! --- Great overview of a couple of Shubin books --- The Memphis Flyer on Robert McGowan Pt. 1 --- Shubin's Anyone's My Name is sixth on list of twenty must-read noir novels --- Here's the first MSP interview with Robert McGowan, author of NAM --- Positive noises about Robert McGowan's Stories From The Art World --- Great review of Hating Olivia --- Check out the great looking webpages for our MSP author Robert McGowan, which cover Rob's art as well as his writing --- Positive blurbs and reviews for NAM, and a full review here --- --- Mark SaFranko was interviewed by Steven Brodsky on WCHE radio --- New review of God Bless America --- Robert "NAM" McGowan's Billy is now available in audio format on LITRO --- NAM: Things That Weren't True and Other Stories released through our Meridian Star Press imprint and through Amazon USA and Amazon UK --- Mark SaFranko's Loners breaks into Amazon's Top 100 of crime/mystery books this week --- Seymour Shubin's Witness to Myself and The Man From Yesterday reviewed ---

--- 2010 ARCHIVE ---

--- Mark SaFranko on his childhood influences on Three Guys One Book --- Mark SaFranko Interview --- The Savage Kick #5 Review --- Bookmunch's review of God Bless America --- 3am on God Bless America --- James Reasoner on SK#5 --- Nick Mamatas on God Bless America --- Rod Lott on SK#5 --- Yes... both God Bless America and the triple sized The Savage Kick #5 are available now! --- Confession d'un Loser gets another positive review in France --- Mark SaFranko mentioned in an article on 3am Magazine --- Austrian filmmaker Michael A. Grimm has optioned the German film rights to Mark SaFranko's The Favor ---

--- 2009 ARCHIVE ---

--- SK#1 is SOLD OUT! --- The Hunch gets another strong review --- The Smart Set on outsider literature --- Freedom Friends' interview with Mark SaFranko --- Toro Magazine's Loose Canon #1 review --- Book Crossing's review of The Hunch --- Rough Edges on The Hunch --- Seymour Shubin's The Hunch is OUT NOW! --- New The Hunch website and Seymour Shubin Homepage --- Pics from Mark SaFranko's reading at Marianopolis College in Canada: 1, 2, 3, 4 --- Putain d'Olivia on Tele-Matin --- Putain d'Olivia in France --- Toro Magazine's feature on Mark SaFranko --- Putain d'Olivia cover & promo material --- James Reasoner's review of Loners ---

--- 2008 ARCHIVE ---

--- Mark SaFranko's Loners website and a sample from one of the stories in it --- Mark Safranko's Loners is READY TO BUY! --- The Favor reviewed on The Lounge Of The Lazy Mind --- New 5 star Amazon reviews of Hating Olivia keep popping up --- Mark SaFranko's Buzzwords' interview --- Check out a snapshot of SK#4 with this excerpt of Tony O'Neill's "Marooned" --- Here's a sample from The Angel by Tommy Trantino. And check out its reviews page too... did you know Henry Miller, Howard Zinn and Allen Ginsberg were great fans? --- Two new books! The Savage Kick #4 features Dan "Mooch" Fante and Tony "Digging The Vein" O'Neill. There's also Tommy Trantino's rare The Angel ---

--- 2007 ARCHIVE ---

--- Mark SaFranko's Lounge Lizard is out now! The Lounge Lizard Limited Edition Pack is also available --- Wikipedia entry for Mark SaFranko --- The Mark SaFranko Homepage --- SaFranko's first novel The Favor (1987) available via MSP Shop --- The new pocket sized SK#2 is OUT NOW --- Check out Tony O'Neill's 3am Magazine review of SK#3 --- The Savage Kick interviewed by 3am Magazine --- New pocket sized SK#1 is OUT NOW ---

--- 2006 ARCHIVE ---

--- Tony O'Neill (Digging The Vein) wrote the introduction to Steve Hussy's Steps and here are some pages from it --- Steve Hussy's limited edition Steps is IN STOCK --- Check out a sample of the 12-page Jim Goad interview in SK#3. --- The Savage Kick #3 is OUT NOW and features Jim "ANSWER Me!" Goad and Joe "Peepshow" Matt --- Henry Baum's Hating Olivia review --- Mark SaFranko interview on Scarecrow ---

--- 2005 ARCHIVE ---

--- The Savage Kick #2, featuring Doug Stanhope, is ready to buy --- The first issue of The Savage Kick is here, which includes Dan Fante, Mark SaFranko and the MSP folks --- MSP Book #1 has been released and it's Hating Olivia by Mark SaFranko. The novel is introduced by Dan "Chump Change" Fante ---

--- 2004 ARCHIVE ---

--- Correction, make that two editors. We had to drop one on account of him being a cunt --- Murder Slim Press has been born. You've got three editors very well-schooled in the best crime and confessional literature. And we've already attracted Dan Fante and other renowned writers to our literary magazine The Savage Kick

Copyright (2016) Murder Slim Press, 22 Bridge Meadow, Hemsby, Norfolk. NR29 4NE. United Kingdom.
moonshine@murderslim.com