Tyrant Books Returns to Counter MFA Fiction
Stephen Piccarella noted the return of Tyrant Books as a counter to MFA-driven literary fiction, praising its diverse styles amid debates on "bad taste" in contemporary works. The publisher's revival signals a pushback against homogenized literary fiction coming from academic writing programs. Tyrant Books aims to publish work that challenges conventional literary sensibilities and embraces more experimental or controversial approaches to storytelling.
Tyrant Books was founded in 2009 by Giancarlo DiTrapano as an offshoot of his *New York Tyrant Magazine*, which he started in 2006 to publish writers overlooked by large publishing houses. DiTrapano, who passed away in 2021 at the age of 47, was known for his singular eye for talent and a passion for work that pushed against boundaries. The press went dormant following his death. The revival of the press is led by author and screenwriter Luke Goebel, who acquired a 50% stake in the company. The other half remains with Matthew Johnson of Fat Possum Records, who partnered with DiTrapano in 2013 to provide financial stability and handle the business aspects of the press. Goebel, who once worked as an unpaid assistant for Tyrant, has described his role as a "stewardship rather than a takeover," aiming to continue DiTrapano's original vision. A major critique of MFA programs is that they can produce homogenous writing, focusing heavily on craft to the point of creating "borderline-competent" but ultimately mediocre fiction that saturates the market. Tyrant Books positioned itself as an antidote to this, publishing works that were often raw and unconventional. DiTrapano famously said, "Tyrant stuff isn't for everyone, but nothing should be for everyone...You know what's for everyone? Water. And if you're publishing something for everyone, well, you're publishing water." The publisher gained wider recognition in 2015 when its author Atticus Lish won the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction for his novel *Preparation for the Next Life*. Other notable and controversial publications include Marie Calloway's *what purpose did i serve in your life*, a book so explicit that a printing company initially refused to produce it. This history highlights the press's commitment to challenging mainstream literary tastes.
