I’m open for suggestions on a better name than “Author Photo Comics.”
Tag: other writers
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This post brought to you by Roxane Gay®
Roxane Gay comes clean about her approval of dirty money over at HTML Giant. She forces me to ask similar questions of my own moral aversion to sponsorship dollars. Historically, when presented with the opportunity to accept money by way of advertising, sponsorship, etc. I’ve justified the decision by passing the dollars along to those who I feel it rightfully belongs to (authors, editors, etc.). I’ve never kept any for myself. But Gay makes me ask: why not?
For me, the decision comes down to a basic function of economics. Authors need time to write. Money buys time. The moral ambiguity part comes into play when an author is offered money before the author has something worth writing about. Then it becomes an issue of monetary motivation, which I think, kills the idea of art. <meta>Unless the intention of the art is to comment on the monetization of art. </meta>
Of course, this one-sided conversation of mine hinges on the highly unlikely problem of being offered sponsorship dollars enough to feel morally conflicted.
What are your thoughts on money and art?
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Twitter Review: In the Mean Time by Paul Tremblay
Jason Behrends over at Orange Alert once frequently posted what he called Tweet Reviews, which are basically collections of <=140 character reviews of each track on a single album. Really cool idea. I don’t think he ever actually tweeting the reviews though. So, I am going to steal/borrow…sterrow…his idea, and take it to the logical next level.
I’ll be focusing on books, specifically books which are organized in a way conducive to individual tweets. This would be short story collections, literary journals, online zines, anything comprised of individual works.
Perhaps the best way to explain this would be by way of example.
Twitter Review: #ITMT In The Mean Time by Paul Tremblay @paulGtremblay http://bit.ly/bfWKjw
#ITMT story1: The ticking clock is a child’s impending pain. Incredible suspense. I suffered an entire life during this story.
#ITMT story2: Does simple psychosis explain the girl’s 2nd head? Her mother’s unhealthy support of the condition tears me apart.
#ITMT story3: like a scary retelling of Barthleme’s The Balloon through the meta lens of academic legacy.Starts simply clever but ends deep.
#ITMT story4: Procreation, like hunger, is instinctual and ultimately insatiable. One character grows a child. The other eats dirt.
#ITMT story5: Sketches map a metamorphosis plague. Evenson-esque imagery with all the Tremblay emotion I am coming to love.
#ITMT story6: Plant-like growths overtake the world. Two sisters watch it steal their parents. The life cycle through magical realism.
#ITMT story7: Secret-eating spiders wait patiently for food. A lighter story in terms of theme, but no less creepy than the rest.
#ITMT story8: the Jewish aspect feels forced but otherwise a truly haunting tale. Nothing sadder than a caste teased with hope.
#ITMT story9: One brother escapes a childhood he remembers by billboard advertisements. Too short of a story. I want more pages.
#ITMT story10: Blog comments document a recent string of aneurysm deaths. The juxtaposition of casual banter and the serious epidemic works.
#ITMT story11: An isolated neighborhood feels like an unreal limbo. Residential expansion means personal implosion.
#ITMT story12: 2 people literally trapped between the floors of a multi-storied building. Are the floors meant to be heaven and hell?
#ITMT story13: A border patrol agent confiscates a child’s tooth. The stolen sentiment tears him apart. Meant to be a novel, @paulGtremblay
#ITMT story14: A comparatively traditional story. A family trying to hide its poverty from the kids. Probably better if I wasn’t drunk.
#ITMT story15: surviving an apocalypse in an amusement park. Like trying to end the collection on a happy note, but still fitting blood in.
#ITMT review: At times Aimee Bender minus the domesticity, add humor, mix with welcomed introspection. I’ll be reading more @paulGtremblay
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Oprah Read This to be taken down on November 27th! Hurry Oprah; read this!
Hard to believe that the Oprah Read This site has been live for almost a full year. Harder to believe that in just 29 days it will be gone forever. Check out the site now, or you’ll forever be denied such wonder stories as…
Bleaching Bills with Henry Miller, Jockey Extraordinaire by Mel Bosworth
Chinaski’s Nirvana by Chris Deal
I Fucked Jane Austen by Christopher Dwyer
Is That You, Kurt Vonnegut? by Paul Eckert
Untitled Stephenie Meyer Novel by Gordon Highland
Dexter Morgan, Marriage Counselor by Nik Korpon
Sarah Palin, 12, strikes for workers by Caleb J Ross
Mary Gaitskill Makes Shitty Cupcakes by Kevin Sampsell
Stephen King Ate My Brain by Richard Thomas
I Dreamed I Fucked Stephen King While We Were Both on Vacation in the Cayman Islands With Our Spouses by xTx -
Stranger Will popping up in strange places
News aggregator sites collect information in strange ways. Ever since Otherworld Publications went public with their 2011 book lineup, many unrelated aggregator sites have picked up the story. Usually, even with the seemingly unrelated, there is something within the text of a press release that would cause aggregators to jump on board. Let’s see if we can find those reasons.
First, here’s the release in full:
Otherworld Publications is Excited To Announce the 2011 Publication Line-up
04/10/2010
Otherworld PublicationsLouisville, KY (PRWEB) October 4, 2010
Otherworld Publications is tickled to denote the 2011 publication line-up. We have another breathless year ahead of us
About the Authors:
Michael Wallace
Michael Wallace grew up reading all the history texts and novels he could find. His library shelves are filled up with a range of genres from H.G Wells and Jules Verne to Michael Crichton and Tom Clancy. It is only biological he writes thriller adventures with a science fiction twist and some history shed in for fun. At the point the reader becomes at ease with the pace of his stories, he will struck you with a plot twist, which will change the game
His first novel, The Red Fire Fly, broke new ground when it was released with its own soundtrack. The combination of music with a novel adds a third dimension by permitting the readers get word the background of the scenes
He lives in Colorado where on weekends you will find him rock climbing, or kayaking, or backpacking, or snowshoeing, or hiking, but most likely, you will find him running a trail somewhere. He runs 30 to 40 miles a week and he does it unshod. Yep, he is one of those amok barefoot runners and to make it worse he hopes to one day run in all the stages of the Four Deserts Race. You can larn more about him and his books at http://thehashwriter.com
Jennifer Cloud
Jennifer Cloud was born in Asheville, North Carolina. She got down her love of books at a young age and soon after observed her love for composing. Her husband boosted her to finish up her first novel after happening a biased manuscript she had concealed away in an armoire. She now resides in Missouri with her husband and two daughters. She is the author of many novels in both print and electronic versions. She has also had two dozen little stories printed and many novellas.
David Donaghe
David H. Donaghe lives and works in the eminent desert of austral California. David has three passions in life: scanning, composing and teasing his motorcycle. When not cutting into into an acceptable book or setting his face in the wind on his motorcycle, David writes little stories and novels. He has had three short stories printed so far and another coming out in an anthology
David’s other hobbies include, fishing, hunting, karate, camping, horsemanship and other outdoor activities. He uses these experiences and other life experiences in his composing. David is currently sunning life and working on his next novel.
Brandon Tietz
Brandon Tietz is the author of the novel, “Out of Touch,” a transgressive take on nightlife, socialites, and sensory deficiency. He enjoys a well-poured vodka tonic, acceptable conversation, and the ariose stylings of Röyksopp.
Currently, Tietz serves as one of the moderators of the Chuck Palahniuk Writers’ Workshop and is working on his second book, a themed collection, entitled, “Vanity.”
His work can be seen on Lobster Cult Magazine and Outsider Writers Collective. He is also a three-time Chuck Palahniuk anthology finalist
Thomas Matthews
Thomas K. Matthews is a printed author, award acquiring designer, feted illustrator and nonrecreational communication coach. He has composed twelve novels and teaches composing workshops, speaks at eminent schools and localised colleges as well as lectures for the localised Learning Annex on self printing. The son of a retired American Literature professor he has been engrossed in the written word since birth. Thomas lives in California with his wife and son
Caleb J. Ross
Caleb has a degree in English with a minor in creative writing from Emporia State University in Emporia, KS. Based on his composing merit, ESU funded his attendance to the Tin House Writer’s Workshop in Portland, Oregon during the summer of 2004 where he had the opportunity to study with novelist Peter Rock. He has recently finished a six-week writing intense with Craig Clevenger, author of the novels The Contortionist’s Handbook and Dermaphoria (MacAdam/Cage). His fiction and non-fiction have came out widely. His fiction chapbook, Charactered Pieces, was let go of in 2009 from OW Press, and traded out of its first print run within two months.
Beth Ann Masarik
Beth Ann has been writing since she was 15 years old, and was published in the 2002 Schreiber Times. She took constructive composing classes in college, and feels that they assisted her go the writer she is today. In addition to writing the sequel to The World Among Us, she participates in a foreign anthology project, where writers from around the world come together to share their talent.
Originally starting as a writing assignment for college, The World Among Us series has sparked up a role playing group online, and a fan base of over 170 followers on Facebook, and over 200 followers on Twitter. Beth Ann lives in New York where she is a legal assistant and teaches for her Family Time program, a religion program for the kids in her parish. She is also a lector on the weekends
Stephen Prosapio
Stephen Prosapio received his Bachelors of Arts degree in Political Science from DePaul University in Chicago. After announcing for one of the nation’s largest fantasy football websites, footballguys.com, Stephen composed his first novel. Competing against 2,676 other novels, he acquired a Top Five Finalist award in Gather.com’s 2007 First Chapters contest
Articles about him have been featured in the San Diego Union Tribune, The North County Times, Today’s Local News, San Diego Magazine and the DePaul University Alumni magazine.
In January of 2010, Stephen established a Facebook XPI Fan Club for people interested in things paranormal. The group stood out 1,600 members in April and continues to mature approximately 500 members a month
Stephen works as an executive recruiter and resides in Oceanside, California. He is currently crafting a sequel to Ghosts of Rosewood Asylum that chronicles the ongoing adventures of Zach Kalusky and the Xavier Paranormal Investigators
Michael Sonbert
Michael currently teaches ninth grade English in South Philadelphia and his first novel, The Never Enders, was released in September 2008 by IBOOKS Inc., an act upon of Brick Tower Press in Manhattan. Presently, he runs a workshop intense on Chuck Palahniuk’s Official Website.
About Otherworld Publications:
What makes Otherworld Publications different? We are revolutionizing the publishing business. We are a publisher with the Author in mind. Our goal is to assist Authors be boffo. Let’s form the future together!
We have a team of authors, editors and graphic artists to help make your publishing dreams come true. Most of us are printed authors and we key out with the trials and tribulations for the printing industry. That’s why we organized Otherworld Publications with the Author in mind.
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Here are the aggregators:
Renewable Alternative Energy
Solar power – Wind power – Save money with Alternative EnergyMy guess is that the word “wind” mentioned once in the press release, interested this aggregator. Pretty desperate. I can’t imagine anyone thinking, “I’d like to know about wind,” to which a friend asks, “what aspect of wind?” “Oh, anything,” says the first. “Wind power, wind energy, and hell, just the word ‘wind’ shoved into any paragraph would be great.” I know, this entire scenario is stupid, as it supposes this wind searcher has a friend.
iPhone – iPod – iPad
iPhone, iPod, iPad Hacks and Tricks
I am equally confused with this one. Maybe “broke new ground when it was released with its own soundtrack. The combination of music with a novel” iTeased this iAggregator. iHope not. That would be iDiotic.
JAG’s Sports News
This one is pretty easy, though no less irrelevant than the others. The phrase “After reporting for one of the nation’s largest fantasy football websites, footballguys.com…,” has got to be the culprit. But again, what the hell is so relevant about the simple combination of vague terms (the words football and website)? Time to tease the aggregator: “baseball and modem,” “Foosball and screen resolution,” “fantasy and internet.” That last one will probably be popular for dirty reasons.
WP Themes Choice
Judging by the url, this one was tagged as “publication.” Surely this blog doesn’t pull in any press release with the world “publication.” Wait, aggregators are stupid. Never mind.
good news – Awesome Blog
Again, I don’t know why the press release appeared here, but honestly, I can’t be mad at a site with such an awesome name.
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Read Mel Bosworth’s Grease Stains, Kismet, and Maternal Wisdom
Grease Stains, Kismet, and Maternal Wisdom by Mel BosworthMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Mel Bosworth’s second bound book, Grease Stains, Kismet, and Maternal Wisdom, reads like a sequel to the recently released i am here And You Are Gone by Shome Dasgupta. The two books share simplistic linguistic style and an explored relationship that is both as awkward and beautiful as the characters themselves. The hook with this novella, if the somewhat commercial term like “hook” can be used, is the strangely absent origin story of the two characters, David and Samantha. How these characters met remains unsaid, which allows a unique tension in this fairly traditional story. Grease Stains, Kismet, and Maternal Wisdom is a great example of how a single detail is all a true writer needs to turn a story into his story.
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Stay God by Nik Korpon is available for preorder
Stop reading this and order the book, dammit!
Preorder now. Releases December 16th.