Mark Budman’s works have appeared in such magazines as Mississippi Review, Virginia Quarterly, Exquisite Corpse, Iowa Review, McSweeney’s, Turnrow, Connecticut Review, Swink, WW Norton anthology “Flash Fiction Forward,” Chizine, Talebones and elsewhere. He is the publisher of the flash fiction magazine Vestal Review, the interview editor for Web Del Sol, and a book reviewer for The Bloomsbury Review and the American Book Review. His novel My Life at First Try is forthcoming from Counterpoint in the fall of 2008, and the anthology he has co-edited is coming out in November 2007 from Ooligan Press (Portland University).

You are perhaps best known as the publisher and editor of Vestal Review, which is, I understand, the oldest continuously published flash fiction magazine. When did you start Vestal? What is your vision for the magazine, and how has it carried you through all these years?

I began to publish Vestal Review, together with my dear friend Sue O’Neill, back in March 2000. Our magazine grew both in size (now we have a staff of five people, all volunteers) and in format. We started as an e-zine and now have become a perfect bound print magazine. My goal is to make Vestal Review *the* name associated with flash. When you think flash, think Vestal. Like most ambitious goals, it’s a tough one, both in terms of money (I finance the magazine from my own pocket) and in terms of time. But the pleasure of holding a newly minted issue in my hand, the pleasure of helping writers see their names in print, and above all, the pleasure of discovering great flash stories, makes the effort worthwhile.

Flash fiction seems to be gaining in popularity and credibility. From your seat, talk about the development of the flash format and where you see it going from here.

The brevity and energy of flash is alluring to the writer. But the pleasure of writing is obviously not a goal in itself. The writer should be able to transfer this creative energy to the reader. That is the mother of all writing goals. If it’s achieved, then the flash should be the media of choice for today’s discriminating reader. If you, the reader, can’t afford to read a story under 500 words, if you don’t have time for this, then literature is in trouble. I see the energy level rising within this compact space, thus leading to the explosion of the reader’s interest in flash and fine literature at large. Because flash fiction is not only a genre in itself, but also a stepping stone to longer works.

What techniques do you think are underutilized in story, and flash in particular?

Brevity comes to mind first. I cringe when I see wasted words. Cut out the unneeded mercilessly. The reader will thank you.

The flash fiction anthology you co-edited—You Have Time For This: Contemporary American Short-Short Stories—is forthcoming from Ooligan Press in November. Tell us about the process of putting this anthology together. Do you plan to turn it into a series?

This anthology is by invitation only. Most of the stories came from previously published works in Vestal Review. However, Tom Hazuka, considered by many as the father of flash fiction, brought a fair chunk as well through his contacts. The rest was business as usual. Writing a query letter. E-mailing it to the prospective publishers.

The allure of Ooligan Press is that it’s run by students enrolled in the Book Publishing graduate program at Portland State University. Tom and I thought that they would put their best efforts into publishing and promoting this book—and they did. Yes, we do have the option of continuing to publish the series. If the first book sells well, of course.

To celebrate the book’s release, my publisher is conducting a contest. There is no entry fee, but you must be a student to enter.

Your novel My Life at First Try is forthcoming from Counterpoint Press. What is the novel about, and when will it be available to purchase?

My Life at First Try is a semi-autobiographical novel-in-stories. Each story is a near-flash, mostly around 1000 words or so. It’s basically the story of my life. However the people around my protagonist may not be what they really were or are. Rather, they are presented through the lens of the protagonist’s mind. The Russian word for “lens” comes from the same Latin root as the English word “objective” in this meaning: “not influenced by personal feelings, interpretations, or prejudice; based on facts; unbiased: an objective opinion.” However, this lens may not be objective in many cases. So instead of a series of coldly realistic photographs, this novel becomes a series of emotional paintings.

From the story of my grandparents persecuted by Stalin to my coming to America to my becoming an English-language writer– it’s a turbulent, rollercoaster tale. The story of its publication is as turbulent as the story of my life. When I finished writing the novel, I had offers to represent it from seven New York City agents. My agent of choice sold the novel to Counterpoint. I was assigned a wonderful editor who mostly finished editing the novel in a month or so. But then disaster struck. Perseus Books, the owner of Counterpoint, sold it to another publisher. My editor lost her job, along with many other employees. I was left hanging. Just very recently, the new publisher was able to assign a new editor and a new publication date in the Fall of 2008.

Though Stalin was a monster when he was alive, death made him a bit milder. I am helping him to maintain a MySpace presence here.

So you are behind Stalin’s page on MySpace? I’m not sure I understand the point of this. Enlighten me!

There are many dead guys on MySpace. Among several impostors Stalins, mine is the only Real McCoy. It’s fun to utter controversial ideas through his mouthpiece.

You also have another completed novel, entitled “The Great Pillow Chase,” and are working on a new one called “Mr. L of Red Square.” Give us a synopsis of both, if you will, and tell us when we can likely expect them to be published.

“The Great Pillow Chase”

Piotr, a Russian immigrant in America, is fifty-two, and he looks it. He is poor, he doesn’t have a job, and he barely speaks English. Women don’t love him anymore (in fact, they never did). If this is not enough, his Aunt stuffed a family diamond, the Ziggurat, in one of seven throw pillows, and they are lost, dispersed all over the country. The lovable con man Vadim, a former compatriot, offers to help him find the diamond. Piotr agrees, because he is desperate, and because Vadim has earned his trust by saving his life. In their quest, the mismatched fellowship of the diamond meets vegans and Rabbis, students and rednecks, farmers and poets, unemployed and millionaires. In the end the Ziggurat loses some of its luster, but Piotr and Vadim find courage, friendship, self-sacrifice, and, above all, unconditional love from two American women, a love they hope they deserve.

Wry, observant, and charming, “The Great Pillow Chase” is a satire of American life as newcomers to this country see it. The novel is a modern riff on the classic Russian novel THE TWELVE CHAIRS known to the American audience by its Mel Brooks’ screen adaptation. The tone of “The Great Pillow Chase” brings to mind Aleksandar Hemon’s NOWHERE MAN and Gary Shteyngart’s THE RUSSIAN DEBUTANTE’S HANDBOOK, as well as John Kennedy Toole’s A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES. Cinematographically, it’s similar to Guy Ritchie’s movie “Snatch.”

My agent just began the submission process for this novel.

“Mr. L of Red Square”

Lenin comes to life spontaneously in the second decade of the 21st century, and the scientists fail to explain it. He escapes from the Mausoleum because of the negligence of Nikifor, his janitor. Nikifor and Lenin have a spiritual connection: Lenin comes to him in his dreams. While hiding, Lenin meets Vera, his young devotee, who falls in love with him. He gets caught and then is sent by the Russian government to America for a lecture tour to earn some cash. He insists that Vera should come with him. Meanwhile, Nikifor and his family immigrate to America. While on tour, Lenin gets kidnapped by the Russian mafia who demand ransom from both the American and Russian government. Victor, an FBI consultant of Russian descent, finds him with the help of Nikifor. Freed, Lenin asks for political asylum, marries Vera, and runs for the US Senate from New York. Victor and Vera work on his staff, and Nikifor becomes his butler and bodyguard. New York State and the US Senate will never be same.

This novel is not completed yet.

I’m a bit familiar with the difficulties you encountered when it came to signing with an agent. Would you mind discussing your experiences, and what one should realistically expect out of the agent seeking process?

As I mentioned before, I had offers from seven New York City agents to represent my novel “My Life at First Try.” Against my better judgment, I went with an agent who wooed me the hardest. A few weeks later, I realized that her vision of what my novel should look like clashed with mine. So we parted, and I settled with my current agent. I’m happy. I hope he is too.

I’m a firm believer that a good book, a good query letter, coupled with persistence, will always lead to a successful agent hunt. Just don’t settle with the first offer. A bad agent is worse than no agent at all.

When you are searching, be patient and polite, but still self-assured. After all, the agent wants your great book and wants to work with you.

How do you deal with rejection on a personal level? As an editor?

No one likes rejection. I may hate them even more than your average writer. But they are a fact of life. The reader or the editor is human. All humans have ups and downs. All humans make mistakes. All humans make judgment calls. There are only two things inexcusable for an editor. First is to refuse to answer a query letter. I am striving to reply to all queries in 24 hours if they are identified as such and if I am in town. Second is to send a form rejection to a solicited submission.

Talk about your role as interview editor for Web Del Sol’s Literary Dialogues. How did you get the job? Do you have a favorite interview?

I was brought aboard by the previous editor, Lisa Kavchak. I did an interview for her while she was still the editor, and when she stepped down, she introduced me to the Web Del Sol editor-in-chief Michael Neff. Like most of those types of jobs, it’s not paying, but I have the freedom to select the writer to be interviewed, and I find it to be a great educational experience. As for which of my interviews is my favorite, they all are. I am proud of them all.

You were born and raised in the former Soviet Union. When did you come to the United States? What was the transition like?

I came to the US back in 1980 as a refugee. It was a cultural shock, naturally, especially in terms of the language. I was always very proud that I could express myself clearly. When I came to this country, I lost this ability. It was depressing. Now, I have recovered it somewhat.

You come across as a very serious person. How would those who know you in real life (as opposed to virtually) describe your personality?

I am very impatient and very persistent. I am struggling with the former and am proud of the latter. I hope that people who know me describe me as reliable, witty, smart and, above all, as a good friend. They know the difference between rudeness and directness, and they know that I am always willing to help.