Angus Woodward: Half-Mast Summer

Caution: Guy Writing

Angus Woodward is a writer and a teacher of writing. He has taught college writing since 1990 and is the founding director of the Center for Innovative Teaching & Engagement at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His books of fiction are Down at the End of the River (Margaret Media, 2008), Americanisation (Livingston Press, 2011), and Oily (upcoming in 2018 from Spaceboy Books). His writing has been published a variety of periodicals, including recent scholarly pieces in Faculty Focus and Impact, short stories in Fiction Southeast and Alimentum, and personal essays in Medical Literary Messenger and Normal School.

Oxford American hailed Americanisation as “a hilariously crafted postmodern novel wedged into the template of a social-studies textbook for immigrants.” Of Americanisation’s innovative form, the New York Journal of Books said, “Since the novel is 500 years old, it has been hypothesized that the idiom is exhausted of original ideas. With Americanisation, Mr. Woodward disproves this hypothesis….” Americanisation also made Library Journal’s list of notable first novels for fall 2011. Michael Griffith called it " A darkly comic, delightful book.” Michael Martone said it was "...a hilarious simulacrum, a map more detailed than the thing it is meant to represent," and added, "It is drop-dead, deadpan funny.” You can contact Angus at awoodw64(at)gmail.com.

Journal and Anthology Publications

NON-FICTION:

*"I Wrote Something. This Is Not It," (Normal School, 2009)

*"Eleven in the Huddle," (Sport Literate, 2008)

*“Louisiana’s New Political Landscape,” (Living Blue in the Red States [anthology], University of Nebraska Press, 2007)

*“Lessons from Joe,” (Voices of Lung Cancer [anthology], LaChance, 2007)

*“Subjects for Other Conversations by John Stigall,” (Xavier Review, Summer 2002)

*“Frozen Embraces/Zamrznuti Zagrljaji by Biljana Obradovic,” (World Literature Today, Winter 2002).

*“Le Riche Monde by Biljana Obradovic,” (Prairie Schooner, Fall 2001).

*“Voodoo Poems and Magic Prose,” (The Writer's Chronicle, March/April
2001).

*“Trespassers,” (Brevity, Fall 1999).

*“Aviary Slag by Jacques Servin,” (Iowa Review, December 1997).

*“Anthony Kellman's Watercourse,” (Northwest Review, Spring 1992).

*“Toward a Definition of Poetic Fiction,” (Calypso, December 1990).

*“Anne Waldman's Helping the Dreamer,” (New Delta Review, Fall 1989).

*FICTION:

*"Applesauce" (Stolen Stories [anthology], Forest Publications)

*“The Product Tester’s Report” (Mochila Review, 2007)

*“Bad Word Storm” (Nightsun, 2007)

*“A Brief History of Toast” (Alimentum, Summer 2006)

*“Captivated” (Xavier Review, Spring 2004)

*“One Thing You Must Never Do” ( Sudden Stories [anthology], Mammoth Books, 2003)

*“Out There in TV Land,” (Pennsylvania English, Spring 2001).

*“Don't Put Me Down,” (Talking River Review, Summer 2000).

*“All Hail Digredi,” (In Praise of Pedagogy [anthology], Calendar Islands,
2000).

*“The Ride,” (Habersham Review, Spring 1998).

*“Hampton Figs,” (Gulf Stream Magazine, Spring 1997).

*“Qatar Is an Emirate,” (Louisiana Literature, Fall 1992).

*“The Story of Jane and George,” (The Dominion Review, Spring 1992).

*“Arrivals and Departures,” (The Laurel Review, Winter 1992).

*“Sooner or Later,” (Innisfree, July-August 1991).

*“Ice Cold,” (Innisfree, May-June 1991).

*“First Things First,”(Tucumcari Literary Review, September 1990).

*“Curiosities,” (Soundings East, July 1990).

*“That Particular Incident,” (Poultry, Fall 1989).

*POETRY:

*“The Recipe for Tomato Cabal” (Alimentum, Summer 2006).

*“A Tour of the Ferocious,” (Visual Poetry: An Artistic Dialogue, Baton Rouge Gallery exhibit and exhibition catalog, 1999).

*“Sisterhood,” “Gunland,” and “El Cheapo Poem About My Old Guitar Teacher,” (KingLog, Fall 1998: ).

*“Untitled Ode #5,772,” (Satire, Spring 1997).

*“The Seven Thousandth Day,” (Wisconsin Review, Winter 1993).

*“Azalea Street Winter,” (The Bellingham Review, Spring 1992).

*“The Newsman's Premonition,” (Birmingham Poetry Review, Summer 1991).

*“Love Song in Two Dimensions,” (Rhino, Fall 1990).

The city of Baton Rouge had a terrible summer in 2016. On July 5, police officers shot and killed Alton Sterling in the parking lot of the Triple S Food Mart, sparking protests. On July 17, Gavin Long ambushed police officers and deputies, shooting six (three of them fatally) near a BQuik convenience store. Four weeks later, a 1,000-year storm caused widespread flooding throughout the Baton Rouge metro area, killing 13 people and ruining tens of thousands of homes.

The big American flags at car dealerships along Airline Highway flew at half mast for a total of 20 days that summer: June 12-16 in honor of the victims of the Pulse shooting in Orlando, July 8-12 in honor of the victims of the ambush of police in Dallas, July 15-19 in honor of the victims of the terrorist attack in Nice, and July 18-22 in honor of the victims of the ambush of police in Baton Rouge. They did not fly at half mast for Alton Sterling or those who died in the flood.

I'm honored that the editors of Slag Glass City have published my graphic narrative about my family's experience of the summer of 2016.

Angus Woodward

Caution: Guy Writing

Journal and Anthology Publications

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Half-Mast Summer

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