Jim Hanas

I am the author of Cassingle: Five Stories (2009) and Single: Two Stories (2006), two e-book collections of short stories that previously appeared in McSweeney's, Fence, One Story, the Land-Grant College Review, Joyland, and elsewhere. In the fall, Joyland and ECW Press will release Why They Cried, an expanded e-book collection including these and other stories. (If you'd like to know the moment Why They Cried is available, join my mailing list.) Meanwhile, my nonfiction and humor pieces have appeared in Slate, Radar, Print, the New York Daily News, and the New York Post. I also help out with Adult Education, a "useless lecture series" that has been a frequent critic's pick in Time Out New York. I curate shows here and there and occasionally deliver lectures myself. You can read more about my work history here. Links to my clips, e-books, lectures, and other work can be found below.

The Latest

PANGAEA
A new short story about work, layoffs, and naps.
Joyland [3.29.10]

WHY THEY CRIED
For the all hidden object games Significant Objects project—where writers contribute stories about objects, which are then auctioned off for charity—I did a weeklong series leading up to the sale of a wire basket. Sale price? $27.
Significant Objects [2.22.10 – 2.26.10]

JULY 4: EASTER
This story—also available in my e-book collection Cassingle (below)—was recently featured at CellStories.net, a cellphone-only literary journal. You can access these links with your mobile phone.
CellStories [2.17.10]

E-Books

My latest e-book, Cassingle, includes stories that originally appeared in McSweeney's, Fence, Bridge, and Twelve Stories—plus my serialized story "The Arab Bank."

2006's Single features two previously published short stories: "Miss Tennessee" and "The Cryerer," which originally appeared in the Land-Grant College Review and One Story, respectively.

Lectures

On November 11, 2008, the pet vitamins topic of Adult Education was "Lies and Liars." I decided to debunk America's Big Lie by arguing—in part with statistics—that you are not going to be famous. I'm as disappointed as you are.

A video based on my talk from the October 7, 2009, installment of Adult Education—wherein I consider the respective careers of myself and my astrological twin Christian Slater.

In January 2008, I gave a talk about my blog, "Shiny, Pointy & Tall." As you'll see, the blog (while it existed, from 2004-2005) consisted entirely of pictures of people taking pictures of the Chrysler Building.

More Hilarity

In July, the Post printed this updated version of my Adult Education talk "You Are Not Going to be Famous" in its Sunday op-ed section.

THE GAWKER GUIDE TO CONQUERING ALL MEDIA
I contributed a few charticles to this snarky guide to the media- entertainment complex. Here are two of them.
Sub Standards and Fight Club [2007]

CLOG JAM
How hideous rubber shoes became summer's most unfortunate fad.
Radar Online [9.15.06]

SPACE INVADER
Rupert Mudoch's MySpace page.
Slate [7.04.06]

DO GOODIES
This Sunday, MTV will lure celebs to Miami with boatloads of swag. How many water buffaloes can fit in those gift bags?
Radar Online [8.25.05]

BORING BORING: A DIRECTORY OF DULL THINGS
This parody of Boing Boing cracked the top ten at both Daypop and Blogdex.(Created with Francis Heaney and Deborah Levinson.)
[4.01.05]

Selected Non-Fiction

AND THAT'S THE WAY IT ISN'T
Have fake news graphics taken over the role of the political cartoon? We report. You decide.
PRINT [Oct 2008]

THE BUBBLE BOY
Josh Harris was the golden boy of the dot-com boom. $100 million later, he's plotting his comeback
Radar [Feb 2008]

GEORGE SAUNDERS, AMERICAN
An interview with the author of In Persuasion Nation.
Stay Free! [6.14.07]

THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS
It took him three months and $20,000 to film two amorous armchairs making love on a Manhattan rooftop. Four years later, PES is still discovering the madness of household objects.
PRINT [Sept/Oct 2006]

Blog Posts I Still Like (Mostly)

THE BABY NAME SHORTAGE
[4.24.06]

THE STORY DOESN'T CARE:
AN INTERVIEW WITH SEAN STEWART
[1.25.06]

MORE FAMOUS LITERARY LIARS
[1.10.06]

SPOOFING TRUTH
[9.15.05]

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO TOOTHING?
[4.04.05]