Here at Transmission we get sent many things, some good, some bad, some utterly baffling. Not so long ago, we were sent an interesting little self-produced chapbook. It was titled Paul Simon, and judging from the handwritten numbering on the back, a very limited edition. It’s a haunting affair, where the eponymous singer-songwriter recovers from a trip to the casino with friend and colleague Chevy Chase. It’s a trigger for a modern existential crisis which results in Paul Simon plopping his guitar in a fish tank, shouting ‘Fuck America’ and putting all of his furniture in the front yard. It is written with wit, and is a wry comment on the role of the creative individual in the modern world – Paul Simon even gets lost on Facebook.

The author of this chapbook is previous Transmission contributor Chris Killen. Chris deserves a mention as his success (he has a book deal with Canongate) is matched with his genuine passion for literature. He is doing interesting things over on his blog, and finds time to post most days. He is also planning a new kind of reading night in Manchester, something that will (hopefully) revitalise the ailing literary community. The reading night is to be called There’s No Point in Not Being Friends with Someone If You Want to Be Friends with Them. Follow the link for an excellent short film, and for more information. We’ll also post more details when they arrive on our International News Desk. The night is to be co-organised by Sally Cook, who also has an interesting blog, so make sure you take a look at what she’s up to…

(The picture is a screen-grab of Chris’ own publicity video for the Paul Simon chapbook – the full video can be seen at this location).