Brian James Lewis – Damaged Skull Writer

The accepted nonfiction piece, “Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em” tells the story of how I managed to stay alive and even be deemed “cool” by some seriously badass dudes in a rough New Jersey neighborhood called “the commons”. It’s a mix of humor, tragedy, and how, in the words of the late, great **BB King,** “Everybody lies a little sometimes.” Writing this story brought back a lot of cool memories and I *will* be submitting more nonfiction in 2022.

Iconoclast editor-in-chief, Phil Wagner will tell writers what he thinks. So even when you get a rejection, it will often come with a quick note explaining what could have been better. When you’re starting out, this kind of feedback is invaluable. He pays in contributor copies and does business the classic old school way, which I really enjoy. Writers and poets send in a physical submission via the post office, along with a SASE for reply and wait to hear back, just like our heroes did. I was previously in issue 114 with my short story “Finally” and look forward to being in issue # 125 soon!

I enjoy writing all kinds of poetry, but there’ll always be a large part of my heart dedicated to the dark, speculative, and horror forms. Life itself is often a big horror movie. Maybe it’s a bit more subtle, and there aren’t clowns with chainsaws running through your living room. But how about getting stuck on the highway at two in morning, or having to slip out the backdoor of your girlfriend’s place because there’s a man out front who wants to introduce you to his pals, Smith & Wesson? To everyone who married their high school sweetheart and lived happily ever after, kudos! For the majority of the world, love hurts, maims, and sometimes kills. People commit suicide because their hearts are broken. Beauty is often only skin deep and it’s easier than one might think to find yourself trapped in a real bad spot. I think “Beautiful Tragedies 2” is going to be a book that slices you to the bone but also offers a solace to those in dark places. Damaged Skull Writer will keep you posted on this book’s progress and let you know when it hits bookstores. Until then…be careful out there. Unless you enjoy pain, then by all means carry on!