Russell Davis's Blog, page 2
March 29, 2015
The Rare Public Appearance
As many of my close friends and family know, I'm not very comfortable with public appearances and even less so with giving readings. Nonetheless, I do them on occasion, and one of those occasions is coming up on April 2nd at 7:30pm.
I'll be in Gunnison, Colorado at Western State Colorado University (yes, where I teach grad school) as part of their Contemporary Writer Series. (Follow the link for detailed information.)
While I don't know for sure what else I'll be reading, I do know that I'll be sharing a brand new creative non-fiction work, and if I'm feeling particularly brave, I may also share a new short story that has yet to be seen/published/etc.
In any event, if you're in the area and want to come to the reading, please feel free to come by. Doing readings makes me nervous; doing readings to an empty auditorium is far, far worse.
Write on,
Russell
I'll be in Gunnison, Colorado at Western State Colorado University (yes, where I teach grad school) as part of their Contemporary Writer Series. (Follow the link for detailed information.)
While I don't know for sure what else I'll be reading, I do know that I'll be sharing a brand new creative non-fiction work, and if I'm feeling particularly brave, I may also share a new short story that has yet to be seen/published/etc.
In any event, if you're in the area and want to come to the reading, please feel free to come by. Doing readings makes me nervous; doing readings to an empty auditorium is far, far worse.
Write on,
Russell
March 9, 2015
Speaking of MFA Programs...
One of the questions I often field from potential students to the MFA program at Western State Colorado University is what makes us different than other programs. That would be a very long post indeed, and I may write about it someday, but here's a (very) short answer: we're a curriculum-based genre fiction program. Put simply, our students don't just workshop pieces back and forth with a single instructor or a peer group. Instead, we have a curriculum plan that has actual classes where students both write/workshop and study the various genres of fiction. There are also required courses in pedagogy, the business of being a writer and the publishing industry, and so on. It's an intense program.
So, since there's clearly an issue out there in the world with the idea that one type of fiction is more worthy than another (utter bullshit, of course), I thought people might find it amusing to take a look at the required reading (and watching) materials for my genre studies course this semester:
Hondo by Louis L'Amour
True Grit by Charles Portis
Unforgiven (1992) - Directed by Clint Eastwood
Firefly, Season 1, Episode 1 or 2 (depending on source): The Train Job (2002) - Directed by Joss Whedon
Dune by Frank Herbert
20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill
Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Dragonbreath #1 by Ursula Vernon
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Now, I didn't post this to engage in a long discussion with anyone about what I *should* have chosen, or how I could've chosen differently. I only post it to share with anyone who cares one simple idea: if you want to be a successful writer, you need to study successful writers. You need to read (or watch) a lot of different things and figure out how they succeed and how they fail. How you respond to them as a writer, so you know how to respond to your own ideas on the page.
If you're considering an MFA program, ask to see the reading list. If you've never heard of anyone on it, you might think about the kind of writer you really want to be.
Write on,
Russell
So, since there's clearly an issue out there in the world with the idea that one type of fiction is more worthy than another (utter bullshit, of course), I thought people might find it amusing to take a look at the required reading (and watching) materials for my genre studies course this semester:
Hondo by Louis L'Amour
True Grit by Charles Portis
Unforgiven (1992) - Directed by Clint Eastwood
Firefly, Season 1, Episode 1 or 2 (depending on source): The Train Job (2002) - Directed by Joss Whedon
Dune by Frank Herbert
20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill
Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Dragonbreath #1 by Ursula Vernon
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Now, I didn't post this to engage in a long discussion with anyone about what I *should* have chosen, or how I could've chosen differently. I only post it to share with anyone who cares one simple idea: if you want to be a successful writer, you need to study successful writers. You need to read (or watch) a lot of different things and figure out how they succeed and how they fail. How you respond to them as a writer, so you know how to respond to your own ideas on the page.
If you're considering an MFA program, ask to see the reading list. If you've never heard of anyone on it, you might think about the kind of writer you really want to be.
Write on,
Russell
March 4, 2015
On MFA Programs and the Numerous Internet Articles of Late
The last couple of weeks have brought an interesting spate of articles to light in regards to MFA programs. Before I dive in - and believe me, I'm going to dive in, so brace yourself - I should be upfront about... let's call it perspective.
First, I should tell you that I have an MFA, and I teach for a low-residency MFA program in genre fiction at Western State Colorado University. I'll get into that in more detail shortly, but in all fairness, a part of my perspective comes from being on the inside of it all.
Second, if you cruise around this very website, you'll see that I've written and published quite a number of books, under a whole bunch of different names. This isn't even all of them, since there are a handful I can't admit to due to contractual obligations. Now, going back to that perspective thing... they're all genre books, and even worse, many of them are either media tie-in or work for hire. No doubt those of you reading this who have a more "literary" world view just shivered a little bit, or perhaps even threw up in your mouth before you had to swallow the bile back down. Sorry about that. I understand your reaction, you see, because I'm... this is hard to admit... give me a moment... okay, I'm a sellout. You see, I studied poetics for almost all of my undergraduate education (University of Wisconsin - Green Bay, if you're curious) under people like Denise Sweet (who later become the Wisconsin Poet Laureate) and published work in literary magazines you've never heard of and are no doubt already defunct. My first chapbook of poetry was given great blurbs by (you'll never believe this) Kyoko Mori and Patrick McKinnon. I almost convinced Amiri Baraka, but I wasn't angry enough at the time.
Anyway, I studied poetics and then I realized something: I loved writing and I also loved eating and paying my rent and going out to coffee and things like that. So, I turned to fiction and not literary fiction (because let's face it - that pays about as well as poetry), but genre fiction. The same genres I grew up reading. The same genres my mother spent pretty much every spare dime and then some keeping me in books to the best of her ability. The same genres that made me fall in love with story and character and the written word way back when I was too young to even know what genre meant.
So, that's part of my perspective, too, right? And if it isn't totally clear, I need to make it so: in space no one can hear you scream, and in poetry and literary fiction, damn few people can hear you, either. It's a very small world of people, some of whom are quite lovely and nice and amazingly knowledgeable, and some of whom are so invested in mental and mutual literary masturbation that to any vaguely objective outsider, the whole thing looks like a giant, self-congratulatory circle jerk. I didn't fit well into that world when push came to shove because I wanted people - lots of people - to read what I wrote while I was still around to enjoy it. I wanted to be loud.
And I mean all this in the nicest of ways because really - totally honest? - I do not give one flying fuck what you write, so long as you do. Write poems, write literary stories, write science fiction, mystery, action, memoir, anything and everything. Write what you want, read what you want... but don't look down your nose at anyone else for what they write or read. The truth is there's no such thing as a sellout, and if you think there is, you're wrong. We're writers. We tell stories and if you want to claim the writing moral high ground because you're "literary," have I got news for you: Twain was a genre writer. Poe was a genre writer. So was Dickens. And Hemingway. Steinbeck. Hawthorne. Melville. I could go on and on, but let's end with this: so are you. Dress it up how you want, literary fiction is a genre, too.
Okay, so now we've gotten the perspective part out of the way, and you'll know where I'm coming from, even if you disagree with my perspective, let alone what I've got to say next.
The article that apparently started it all was THINGS I CAN SAY ABOUT MFA WRITING PROGRAMS NOW THAT I NO LONGER TEACH IN ONE by Ryan Boudinot. Mr. Boudinot had some pretty interesting things to say about MFA programs, beginning with the assumption (I think) that they're all pretty much the same. I'm not going to refute every point he made, but there's a couple I'd like to highlight.
He asserts that writers are born with talent. He goes on to clarify this in a couple of minor ways, essentially concluding that not all writers are born equal. This is silliness, of course. Absolutely NO writers are born with automatic writing talent of any kind. The reason for this is because we cannot write when we emerge from the womb. We cannot read, either. Some writers show talent earlier than others. Some later. Some have an amazing grasp of story or plot or character early on, but struggle with dialogue for years. Some have this, some have that. There is no special magic dust that the talent fairy sprinkles on you at birth or in the womb that makes you a better writer at birth than someone else. What is undeniably true, however, is that some writers are better than others, at certain aspects of the art or craft, at certain times, and maybe at all times. That doesn't automatically invalidate the work of one or the other. Students don't need to be Joyce or Orwell or Wallace or even Clancy, Grisham, King, or Koontz to be the "REAL DEAL." All they need is to be themselves and dedicated to getting better. The fact that Mr. Boudinot apparently had, by his own admission, less than five "REAL DEAL" students the entire time he was teaching is, I suspect, a reflection on him, not his students. (And if you were one of his students, I'm so sorry.)The taking it seriously by the time you were a teenager thing is just... idiotic and unaware.The "serious reader" thing I almost get. Almost. I don't know what he actually means by serious reader. I get the feeling that he means serious in terms of the works being read, as opposed to the quantity. See, in the real world of writing (more on that shortly), a serious reader is someone who reads a lot - really a lot. In a lot of different genres. They read good books and bad books (which teach you more anyway). They re-read books they love and chuck books they hate across the room. That's a serious reader. If that's what Mr. Boudinot means, I'm on board. On the other hand, if he means that you must read serious works of literature... well, then he doesn't get this whole writing and reading thing very well, anyway.Last note on this particular article. Mr. Boudinot reveals that after he got his degree, he spent seven years - seven fucking years! - writing work that no one has ever read. He asserts that in this time frame, he managed two novels and some stories totaling (sound of trumpets) 1500 pages! So... in 2555 days (not accounting for leap years), he wrote an average of 0.59 pages a day. That's... I mean... that's less than 150 words a day. Was he writing in his own blood? With a quill? How long did it take him to write that fucking article? Seriously, sir, if you're out there and reading this, two things: 1) Write faster for God's sake. Put some muscle into it and actually work the damn page. 2) Writing that no one will ever see is the exact opposite goal of the students you "taught" in your role as an MFA instructor. Even if they were literary students, they wanted someone to see it. Share your writing with the world, otherwise, well... we're back to the masturbation thing, and this time, you're all alone.The next article I read was AN OPEN LETTER TO THAT EX-MFA CREATIVE WRITING TEACHER DUDE by Chuck Wendig. I don't have to say much about this one, because Chuck is pretty awesome all on his own, and way funnier than I am. Plus, bees.
After that, I sort of thought it would all die down, and then I read two more:
HOW THE MFA GLUT IS A DISSERVICE TO STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND WRITERS by Anonymous and VOCATIONAL GRATITUDE AND THE MFA by Adrian Van Young. This is already a long post, so I'm going to go fast here. In regards to the first article... if you aren't willing to put your name on it - or at least a good pseudonym - you may as well stick to writing online erotica (and, btw, the name Buck Naked is already taken, so don't go there). Seriously, though, this article raises some valid points, especially about pay for play programs. The problem I have is with the assertion that there are only two potential benefits to an MFA, one of which the author immediately eliminates, and the other of which he or she dismisses.
The best part of the article is this: "If you don’t like expanding your reading tastes (or reading, period), if you can’t meet deadlines, if you have no desire to receive feedback from other people, if you have no interest in improving your work, if you just want an echo chamber instead of a critique, if you aren’t interested in questions of craft, if you think writing is a get-rich-quick scheme and are looking to write the next [insert blockbuster here], if you can’t handle rejection or criticism, if you have no desire to revise, and if you’re not comfortable with the idea that some stuff you write will never see the light of day, then don’t get an MFA. You don’t belong there. (Also, all of these qualities will make being a writer very difficult.) It is a waste of your time and money, and the time of your instructor, and your classmates who have potential and who care about their classes." That part is worth reading over a couple of times. The rest of the article... your mileage will vary.
The other article is a partial rebuttal of the very first one, and I'll leave you to read it or not, as you see fit.
Now, coming back to those things I said we would, I want to be sure that people contemplating getting their MFA actually do know a couple of things, since Mr. Boudinot is only one of a fairly significant number of people that have been in a hue and cry over MFA programs in the last five or so years.
1) Not all MFA programs are created equal. Some are funded, some are not (which means either loans or paying out of pocket). Some are full-time, on campus. Some are low-residency (and this doesn't mean the same thing at every program, either). Some are focused on the workshop model that came out of Iowa. Some (like the one I teach for) uses a curriculum-based model combined with continual workshop activity. Some, I'm sure, do it in other ways. What matters is that if you are contemplating getting your MFA, do your research. Talk to the program about curriculum and pedagogy and ask if you can talk to students in the program. In short, act like a reasonable human being about something that will require a lot of your time, if not your money, and do some homework. Make sure it's a fit for what you want as a writer, rather than trying to mold yourself into what you think the program believes is a writer.
2) Not all MFA teachers are created equal. Wait, let me rephrase: not all teachers are created equal. Sure, some of us are born with the talent to teach, but many others will struggle all their lives to even grasp the very basics of how to give a lecture on the shape of plot to a group of hung-over twenty-somethings with the idea that they'll be the next ______. Okay, that was snark. Of course there are good teachers and bad teachers. You do remember your undergraduate experience, right? Some good, some bad. How about high school? Same thing. The good news for MFA students is that even when they stumble upon the so-called "bad" teacher, there are still things to learn, even if it's what you shouldn't do, if you decide to teach someday yourself. Even if it's what you disagree with, because part of learning to write well IS learning what not to do, what you don't agree with with, what doesn't work for you as a writer.
3) For the sake of argument, let's assume you do want to get an MFA. Here's what comes with it at the very end: ideally, you will have read a lot, written a lot more, engaged/talked a lot with fellow students and/or instructor(s), and you'll get a nice piece of paper when you graduate that says you have an MFA. Any program that promises more than this is lying. There are no guarantees of publication or a teaching job of any kind. To be fair, there are no guarantees of a job with any degree, but finding a full-time, tenure track position these days is very difficult. Not impossible. Just very difficult. Welcome to life. If this is what you love to do and you want to do it, then very difficult won't matter one bit to you, and oh, btw, writing well is very difficult, too.
So, now the end of this very long rant. If any article on the Internet is enough to convince you to get or not get your MFA, please seek immediate help from a qualified professional of some kind. It's your life and, more importantly, your dream. Chase it in the way that seems best to you, and trust me, born with talent or not, you'll have a far better chance of achieving it.
Write on,
Russell
First, I should tell you that I have an MFA, and I teach for a low-residency MFA program in genre fiction at Western State Colorado University. I'll get into that in more detail shortly, but in all fairness, a part of my perspective comes from being on the inside of it all.
Second, if you cruise around this very website, you'll see that I've written and published quite a number of books, under a whole bunch of different names. This isn't even all of them, since there are a handful I can't admit to due to contractual obligations. Now, going back to that perspective thing... they're all genre books, and even worse, many of them are either media tie-in or work for hire. No doubt those of you reading this who have a more "literary" world view just shivered a little bit, or perhaps even threw up in your mouth before you had to swallow the bile back down. Sorry about that. I understand your reaction, you see, because I'm... this is hard to admit... give me a moment... okay, I'm a sellout. You see, I studied poetics for almost all of my undergraduate education (University of Wisconsin - Green Bay, if you're curious) under people like Denise Sweet (who later become the Wisconsin Poet Laureate) and published work in literary magazines you've never heard of and are no doubt already defunct. My first chapbook of poetry was given great blurbs by (you'll never believe this) Kyoko Mori and Patrick McKinnon. I almost convinced Amiri Baraka, but I wasn't angry enough at the time.
Anyway, I studied poetics and then I realized something: I loved writing and I also loved eating and paying my rent and going out to coffee and things like that. So, I turned to fiction and not literary fiction (because let's face it - that pays about as well as poetry), but genre fiction. The same genres I grew up reading. The same genres my mother spent pretty much every spare dime and then some keeping me in books to the best of her ability. The same genres that made me fall in love with story and character and the written word way back when I was too young to even know what genre meant.
So, that's part of my perspective, too, right? And if it isn't totally clear, I need to make it so: in space no one can hear you scream, and in poetry and literary fiction, damn few people can hear you, either. It's a very small world of people, some of whom are quite lovely and nice and amazingly knowledgeable, and some of whom are so invested in mental and mutual literary masturbation that to any vaguely objective outsider, the whole thing looks like a giant, self-congratulatory circle jerk. I didn't fit well into that world when push came to shove because I wanted people - lots of people - to read what I wrote while I was still around to enjoy it. I wanted to be loud.
And I mean all this in the nicest of ways because really - totally honest? - I do not give one flying fuck what you write, so long as you do. Write poems, write literary stories, write science fiction, mystery, action, memoir, anything and everything. Write what you want, read what you want... but don't look down your nose at anyone else for what they write or read. The truth is there's no such thing as a sellout, and if you think there is, you're wrong. We're writers. We tell stories and if you want to claim the writing moral high ground because you're "literary," have I got news for you: Twain was a genre writer. Poe was a genre writer. So was Dickens. And Hemingway. Steinbeck. Hawthorne. Melville. I could go on and on, but let's end with this: so are you. Dress it up how you want, literary fiction is a genre, too.
Okay, so now we've gotten the perspective part out of the way, and you'll know where I'm coming from, even if you disagree with my perspective, let alone what I've got to say next.
The article that apparently started it all was THINGS I CAN SAY ABOUT MFA WRITING PROGRAMS NOW THAT I NO LONGER TEACH IN ONE by Ryan Boudinot. Mr. Boudinot had some pretty interesting things to say about MFA programs, beginning with the assumption (I think) that they're all pretty much the same. I'm not going to refute every point he made, but there's a couple I'd like to highlight.
He asserts that writers are born with talent. He goes on to clarify this in a couple of minor ways, essentially concluding that not all writers are born equal. This is silliness, of course. Absolutely NO writers are born with automatic writing talent of any kind. The reason for this is because we cannot write when we emerge from the womb. We cannot read, either. Some writers show talent earlier than others. Some later. Some have an amazing grasp of story or plot or character early on, but struggle with dialogue for years. Some have this, some have that. There is no special magic dust that the talent fairy sprinkles on you at birth or in the womb that makes you a better writer at birth than someone else. What is undeniably true, however, is that some writers are better than others, at certain aspects of the art or craft, at certain times, and maybe at all times. That doesn't automatically invalidate the work of one or the other. Students don't need to be Joyce or Orwell or Wallace or even Clancy, Grisham, King, or Koontz to be the "REAL DEAL." All they need is to be themselves and dedicated to getting better. The fact that Mr. Boudinot apparently had, by his own admission, less than five "REAL DEAL" students the entire time he was teaching is, I suspect, a reflection on him, not his students. (And if you were one of his students, I'm so sorry.)The taking it seriously by the time you were a teenager thing is just... idiotic and unaware.The "serious reader" thing I almost get. Almost. I don't know what he actually means by serious reader. I get the feeling that he means serious in terms of the works being read, as opposed to the quantity. See, in the real world of writing (more on that shortly), a serious reader is someone who reads a lot - really a lot. In a lot of different genres. They read good books and bad books (which teach you more anyway). They re-read books they love and chuck books they hate across the room. That's a serious reader. If that's what Mr. Boudinot means, I'm on board. On the other hand, if he means that you must read serious works of literature... well, then he doesn't get this whole writing and reading thing very well, anyway.Last note on this particular article. Mr. Boudinot reveals that after he got his degree, he spent seven years - seven fucking years! - writing work that no one has ever read. He asserts that in this time frame, he managed two novels and some stories totaling (sound of trumpets) 1500 pages! So... in 2555 days (not accounting for leap years), he wrote an average of 0.59 pages a day. That's... I mean... that's less than 150 words a day. Was he writing in his own blood? With a quill? How long did it take him to write that fucking article? Seriously, sir, if you're out there and reading this, two things: 1) Write faster for God's sake. Put some muscle into it and actually work the damn page. 2) Writing that no one will ever see is the exact opposite goal of the students you "taught" in your role as an MFA instructor. Even if they were literary students, they wanted someone to see it. Share your writing with the world, otherwise, well... we're back to the masturbation thing, and this time, you're all alone.The next article I read was AN OPEN LETTER TO THAT EX-MFA CREATIVE WRITING TEACHER DUDE by Chuck Wendig. I don't have to say much about this one, because Chuck is pretty awesome all on his own, and way funnier than I am. Plus, bees.
After that, I sort of thought it would all die down, and then I read two more:
HOW THE MFA GLUT IS A DISSERVICE TO STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND WRITERS by Anonymous and VOCATIONAL GRATITUDE AND THE MFA by Adrian Van Young. This is already a long post, so I'm going to go fast here. In regards to the first article... if you aren't willing to put your name on it - or at least a good pseudonym - you may as well stick to writing online erotica (and, btw, the name Buck Naked is already taken, so don't go there). Seriously, though, this article raises some valid points, especially about pay for play programs. The problem I have is with the assertion that there are only two potential benefits to an MFA, one of which the author immediately eliminates, and the other of which he or she dismisses.
The best part of the article is this: "If you don’t like expanding your reading tastes (or reading, period), if you can’t meet deadlines, if you have no desire to receive feedback from other people, if you have no interest in improving your work, if you just want an echo chamber instead of a critique, if you aren’t interested in questions of craft, if you think writing is a get-rich-quick scheme and are looking to write the next [insert blockbuster here], if you can’t handle rejection or criticism, if you have no desire to revise, and if you’re not comfortable with the idea that some stuff you write will never see the light of day, then don’t get an MFA. You don’t belong there. (Also, all of these qualities will make being a writer very difficult.) It is a waste of your time and money, and the time of your instructor, and your classmates who have potential and who care about their classes." That part is worth reading over a couple of times. The rest of the article... your mileage will vary.
The other article is a partial rebuttal of the very first one, and I'll leave you to read it or not, as you see fit.
Now, coming back to those things I said we would, I want to be sure that people contemplating getting their MFA actually do know a couple of things, since Mr. Boudinot is only one of a fairly significant number of people that have been in a hue and cry over MFA programs in the last five or so years.
1) Not all MFA programs are created equal. Some are funded, some are not (which means either loans or paying out of pocket). Some are full-time, on campus. Some are low-residency (and this doesn't mean the same thing at every program, either). Some are focused on the workshop model that came out of Iowa. Some (like the one I teach for) uses a curriculum-based model combined with continual workshop activity. Some, I'm sure, do it in other ways. What matters is that if you are contemplating getting your MFA, do your research. Talk to the program about curriculum and pedagogy and ask if you can talk to students in the program. In short, act like a reasonable human being about something that will require a lot of your time, if not your money, and do some homework. Make sure it's a fit for what you want as a writer, rather than trying to mold yourself into what you think the program believes is a writer.
2) Not all MFA teachers are created equal. Wait, let me rephrase: not all teachers are created equal. Sure, some of us are born with the talent to teach, but many others will struggle all their lives to even grasp the very basics of how to give a lecture on the shape of plot to a group of hung-over twenty-somethings with the idea that they'll be the next ______. Okay, that was snark. Of course there are good teachers and bad teachers. You do remember your undergraduate experience, right? Some good, some bad. How about high school? Same thing. The good news for MFA students is that even when they stumble upon the so-called "bad" teacher, there are still things to learn, even if it's what you shouldn't do, if you decide to teach someday yourself. Even if it's what you disagree with, because part of learning to write well IS learning what not to do, what you don't agree with with, what doesn't work for you as a writer.
3) For the sake of argument, let's assume you do want to get an MFA. Here's what comes with it at the very end: ideally, you will have read a lot, written a lot more, engaged/talked a lot with fellow students and/or instructor(s), and you'll get a nice piece of paper when you graduate that says you have an MFA. Any program that promises more than this is lying. There are no guarantees of publication or a teaching job of any kind. To be fair, there are no guarantees of a job with any degree, but finding a full-time, tenure track position these days is very difficult. Not impossible. Just very difficult. Welcome to life. If this is what you love to do and you want to do it, then very difficult won't matter one bit to you, and oh, btw, writing well is very difficult, too.
So, now the end of this very long rant. If any article on the Internet is enough to convince you to get or not get your MFA, please seek immediate help from a qualified professional of some kind. It's your life and, more importantly, your dream. Chase it in the way that seems best to you, and trust me, born with talent or not, you'll have a far better chance of achieving it.
Write on,
Russell
January 12, 2015
The Uber Rare Blog Post
I realized early this morning that I haven't updated this blog since last June. Last June. That's ridiculous, of course. I'm committed to doing a better job with that this year, and am going to try and post at least once a month. With that in mind...
2015 is off to a busy start. My spring semester classes at Western State Colorado University start today, and my first 8 week class for Excelsior college started last Monday. Teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses - in the same subject - is challenging. The students bring differing sets of skills and concerns to the material, but at both institutions, the vast majority of my students are non-traditional: ages and backgrounds vary greatly. At Excelsior, many of the students are active military, so the online environment is perfectly suited for them, but it can be tricky, too, as they are often called to be away from their computer at the last second. At Western, we're still working through the new curriculum, which means a lot of regular staff meetings and adjustments based on student input.
On the writing front, last fall, I co-wrote a feature film script with a friend, and we're now jumping through the usual Hollywood hoops in terms of rewrites with a producer. We're also working on a television show treatment together and planning our next feature script. I've found the break from traditional fiction really exhilarating from a creative point of view. I imagine I'll come back to it - in fact, I know I will, as I have at least a couple of novel ideas that I want to pursue - but the industry has changed so much that I'm not sure what it will even look like when I do write those projects. (More on that subject later.) I also have a nonfiction book I'd like to finish this year.
In other news... I quit smoking on Monday, January 5th. It's been a week now. People tell me it gets easier, but so far no joy on that front. It's pure fucking misery. We also switched our diet here in the household to a primarily Mediterranean diet. It's working pretty well for Sherri, and I can live with it. One of the things we rapidly discovered was that after a week on that, heavier foods feel really heavy - even things I typically love, like red meat. We're allowing ourselves one cheat day a week, but when we did that, both of us were kind of "blech" with it.
I'll do another post soon on books I've read over the relatively recent past, and I may dive into the delicate subject of what's gone wrong with the book publishing industry. In the meantime, it's back to work for me. I hope your 2015 is off to a great start.
Write on,
Russell
2015 is off to a busy start. My spring semester classes at Western State Colorado University start today, and my first 8 week class for Excelsior college started last Monday. Teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses - in the same subject - is challenging. The students bring differing sets of skills and concerns to the material, but at both institutions, the vast majority of my students are non-traditional: ages and backgrounds vary greatly. At Excelsior, many of the students are active military, so the online environment is perfectly suited for them, but it can be tricky, too, as they are often called to be away from their computer at the last second. At Western, we're still working through the new curriculum, which means a lot of regular staff meetings and adjustments based on student input.
On the writing front, last fall, I co-wrote a feature film script with a friend, and we're now jumping through the usual Hollywood hoops in terms of rewrites with a producer. We're also working on a television show treatment together and planning our next feature script. I've found the break from traditional fiction really exhilarating from a creative point of view. I imagine I'll come back to it - in fact, I know I will, as I have at least a couple of novel ideas that I want to pursue - but the industry has changed so much that I'm not sure what it will even look like when I do write those projects. (More on that subject later.) I also have a nonfiction book I'd like to finish this year.
In other news... I quit smoking on Monday, January 5th. It's been a week now. People tell me it gets easier, but so far no joy on that front. It's pure fucking misery. We also switched our diet here in the household to a primarily Mediterranean diet. It's working pretty well for Sherri, and I can live with it. One of the things we rapidly discovered was that after a week on that, heavier foods feel really heavy - even things I typically love, like red meat. We're allowing ourselves one cheat day a week, but when we did that, both of us were kind of "blech" with it.
I'll do another post soon on books I've read over the relatively recent past, and I may dive into the delicate subject of what's gone wrong with the book publishing industry. In the meantime, it's back to work for me. I hope your 2015 is off to a great start.
Write on,
Russell
June 11, 2014
Recent Reading Thoughts
It's ridiculous how difficult I find it to update this blog. The only excuse I can offer is being far too busy, and that (while true) sounds lame even to me. Still, one of the things I have been working on this past year is getting my annual reading back up to my own standards. I like to clear between 125 and 150 books a year, and I'm closing in on that pace once again.
So, without further ado, I thought I'd share some very brief thoughts on some of the books I've read recently - and no, I don't mention books I didn't like. Authors have a tough enough go of it without me piling on. These are presented in no particular order or sequence.
THE BROKEN EMPIRE TRILOGY by Mark Lawrence (Prince of Thorns, King of Thorns, and Emperor of Thorns): Aside from the fact that long before Mr. Lawrence published his series, I had a short story with the title "King of Thorns", there's a lot to like about this series. I read the first two titles, waited for the third, and then reread all of them at one go. The story of Jorg Ancrath as he rises from the ruins of his youth to the top of a massive empire is one that will stay with me a long time. Time and again, Lawrence delivers on multiple levels, especially in terms of character and world-building. This is primarily a fantasy series, but there's also a touch of science fiction. I don't want to ruin it for you, so let me just say this: go forth and buy it. You won't be disappointed.
THE DRESDEN FILES by Jim Butcher (Storm Front, Fool Moon, Grave Peril, and Summer Knight): Obviously, if you follow this series at all, you'll immediately recognize that this isn't even close to all of them. I stopped after four because I needed a break. Butcher's popularity is well deserved, though I actually like his Codex Alera series a tiny bit better. In any case, smooth writing and plotting make for enjoyable reading in the urban fantasy arena and following the harrowing adventures of wizard Harry Dresden is a good time.
THE LINE by J.D. Horn (Book 1 of the Witching Savannah series): An enjoyable, fast read about a witching family in Savannah, Georgia. At times, it suffered from a bit too much deus ex machina, but it made up for this with its genuine charm and engaging main character - Mercy Taylor - the only one in her family who isn't a witch.
CINDER by Marissa Meyer (Book 1 of the Lunar Chronicles): A futuristic riff on Cinderella, featuring a cyborg mechanic and a world where class is everything, I was quite intrigued by this novel. It's a little slow at the beginning, but more than makes up for it as the story moves along and introduces more and more complexities as Cinder gets caught up in the intrigue of international politics and a plague that could kills thousands.
THRONE OF GLASS and CROWN OF MIDNIGHT by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass series): A fantasy novel featuring an 18-year-old assassin named Celaena Sardothien in a contest to become the royal assassin, and what keeping up the charade of serving an evil king will ultimately cost. I really like this series so far, and look forward to reading the next installment.
In addition to those listed above, I've read a number of other enjoyable books recently, including: Legacy: The Arthurian Saga by Mary Stewart, Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz, The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett, the first two installments in the Vampire Academy series by Rachel Mead, a couple of Richard Castle novels, The Winter Witch by Paula Brackston, the first three books in Kim Harrison's Hollow's series, and the most recent Sandman Slim novel by Richard Kadrey.
Back in the days when I was a full-time editor, I found that reading for pleasure - just for the joy of finding a story to get lost in - was being slowly sapped away. Now that I don't edit full time, I've been able to resume reading for just that reason, and I must say I've missed it quite a bit.
And with that, let me encourage you to read on and share your own recent reads in the comments below.
Write on,
Russell
So, without further ado, I thought I'd share some very brief thoughts on some of the books I've read recently - and no, I don't mention books I didn't like. Authors have a tough enough go of it without me piling on. These are presented in no particular order or sequence.
THE BROKEN EMPIRE TRILOGY by Mark Lawrence (Prince of Thorns, King of Thorns, and Emperor of Thorns): Aside from the fact that long before Mr. Lawrence published his series, I had a short story with the title "King of Thorns", there's a lot to like about this series. I read the first two titles, waited for the third, and then reread all of them at one go. The story of Jorg Ancrath as he rises from the ruins of his youth to the top of a massive empire is one that will stay with me a long time. Time and again, Lawrence delivers on multiple levels, especially in terms of character and world-building. This is primarily a fantasy series, but there's also a touch of science fiction. I don't want to ruin it for you, so let me just say this: go forth and buy it. You won't be disappointed.
THE DRESDEN FILES by Jim Butcher (Storm Front, Fool Moon, Grave Peril, and Summer Knight): Obviously, if you follow this series at all, you'll immediately recognize that this isn't even close to all of them. I stopped after four because I needed a break. Butcher's popularity is well deserved, though I actually like his Codex Alera series a tiny bit better. In any case, smooth writing and plotting make for enjoyable reading in the urban fantasy arena and following the harrowing adventures of wizard Harry Dresden is a good time.
THE LINE by J.D. Horn (Book 1 of the Witching Savannah series): An enjoyable, fast read about a witching family in Savannah, Georgia. At times, it suffered from a bit too much deus ex machina, but it made up for this with its genuine charm and engaging main character - Mercy Taylor - the only one in her family who isn't a witch.
CINDER by Marissa Meyer (Book 1 of the Lunar Chronicles): A futuristic riff on Cinderella, featuring a cyborg mechanic and a world where class is everything, I was quite intrigued by this novel. It's a little slow at the beginning, but more than makes up for it as the story moves along and introduces more and more complexities as Cinder gets caught up in the intrigue of international politics and a plague that could kills thousands.
THRONE OF GLASS and CROWN OF MIDNIGHT by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass series): A fantasy novel featuring an 18-year-old assassin named Celaena Sardothien in a contest to become the royal assassin, and what keeping up the charade of serving an evil king will ultimately cost. I really like this series so far, and look forward to reading the next installment.
In addition to those listed above, I've read a number of other enjoyable books recently, including: Legacy: The Arthurian Saga by Mary Stewart, Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz, The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett, the first two installments in the Vampire Academy series by Rachel Mead, a couple of Richard Castle novels, The Winter Witch by Paula Brackston, the first three books in Kim Harrison's Hollow's series, and the most recent Sandman Slim novel by Richard Kadrey.
Back in the days when I was a full-time editor, I found that reading for pleasure - just for the joy of finding a story to get lost in - was being slowly sapped away. Now that I don't edit full time, I've been able to resume reading for just that reason, and I must say I've missed it quite a bit.
And with that, let me encourage you to read on and share your own recent reads in the comments below.
Write on,
Russell
February 19, 2014
The End of a Long Road
It's been far too long since I've had the time to update this blog. One of the stranger things I've noted about growing older and busier, with teenagers in the house, is that it's entirely possible to feel like you've blinked your eyes and six months have passed. I'll try to do better in updating things here.
As it's been such a long time, here are some updates from my life, in no particular order that may or may not be of interest to the handful of people reading along:
1. My daughter, Morgan, is a senior this year and heading off to college next year. We've had many, many household discussions on this topic, ranging from excitement to frustration to tears and recriminations. I suspect this happens more than I thought to other parents, too. When I did my undergraduate work, I picked the nearest college with a creative writing program, which happened to be the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. I got lucky and studied under the fabulous poet Denise Sweet, among others. There was no angst. For my daughter, there seems to be a lot of angst. As she now appears to have narrowed it down to three or four schools, I'm hopeful the end of the angst is in sight.
2. I finally finished and turned in my very last Don Pendeleton's The Executioner (Mack Bolan) novel this month. I believe I wrote nine or ten of them. That was the end of a very long road, indeed, since I started writing them in 2007. Ol' Mack has appeared in more than 600 books, and there were times when I enjoyed the ride very much, but by the end, I was more than ready to let him go. For the first time since 2000, I'm not under contract to write any novels. (There was a brief, panic-inducing blip in 2006, where I was without a contract for perhaps four months or so.) This time, there's no panic. I'm turning (most of) my attention away from work-for-hire projects and back to my own work... after a break to wrap up a short story, do some editing projects, and breathe a little bit.
3. I've been quite busy teaching for Western State Colorado University, with a really excellent crop of students. I've also been working away for Excelsior College, teaching and developing a new course for them.
4. What's that, you say? What have I been reading? I've been reading a lot over the past year, and damn you Amazon and Kindle for making it so easy to buy books. Here's a super quick list of some of the titles that I've read recently: Books 1-3 of Kim Harrison's THE HOLLOWS series, THE ATLANTIS GENE by A.G. Riddle, GUARDS OF THE SHADOWLANDS (Books 1 & 2) by by Sarah Fine, WOOL, DUST, and SHIFT by Hugh Howey, plus keeping up with some of my current favorite series by Richard Kadrey (Sandman Slim), Larry Correia (Monster Hunters), and Brent Weeks (the Night Angel trilogy). That's not all of them, of course, but a nice sampling. I try to read at least 100 books a year. If time permits, I'm going to try and do at least one or two short reviews a month on this blog, but no promises. What's in your to-be-read pile that I should take a look at?
5. Oh, and in case you've been wondering, winter this year has been like living north of the Wall in a George R.R. Martin novel. There have been times when I've looked out the window and expected to see white walkers... They say spring is coming, but I'm not holding my breath.
And that's about all the news that's fit to share. I hope you and yours are well, that wherever you are, spring has started to show signs of appearing, and that if you are a writer, you do your best to...
Write on,
Russell
As it's been such a long time, here are some updates from my life, in no particular order that may or may not be of interest to the handful of people reading along:
1. My daughter, Morgan, is a senior this year and heading off to college next year. We've had many, many household discussions on this topic, ranging from excitement to frustration to tears and recriminations. I suspect this happens more than I thought to other parents, too. When I did my undergraduate work, I picked the nearest college with a creative writing program, which happened to be the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. I got lucky and studied under the fabulous poet Denise Sweet, among others. There was no angst. For my daughter, there seems to be a lot of angst. As she now appears to have narrowed it down to three or four schools, I'm hopeful the end of the angst is in sight.
2. I finally finished and turned in my very last Don Pendeleton's The Executioner (Mack Bolan) novel this month. I believe I wrote nine or ten of them. That was the end of a very long road, indeed, since I started writing them in 2007. Ol' Mack has appeared in more than 600 books, and there were times when I enjoyed the ride very much, but by the end, I was more than ready to let him go. For the first time since 2000, I'm not under contract to write any novels. (There was a brief, panic-inducing blip in 2006, where I was without a contract for perhaps four months or so.) This time, there's no panic. I'm turning (most of) my attention away from work-for-hire projects and back to my own work... after a break to wrap up a short story, do some editing projects, and breathe a little bit.
3. I've been quite busy teaching for Western State Colorado University, with a really excellent crop of students. I've also been working away for Excelsior College, teaching and developing a new course for them.
4. What's that, you say? What have I been reading? I've been reading a lot over the past year, and damn you Amazon and Kindle for making it so easy to buy books. Here's a super quick list of some of the titles that I've read recently: Books 1-3 of Kim Harrison's THE HOLLOWS series, THE ATLANTIS GENE by A.G. Riddle, GUARDS OF THE SHADOWLANDS (Books 1 & 2) by by Sarah Fine, WOOL, DUST, and SHIFT by Hugh Howey, plus keeping up with some of my current favorite series by Richard Kadrey (Sandman Slim), Larry Correia (Monster Hunters), and Brent Weeks (the Night Angel trilogy). That's not all of them, of course, but a nice sampling. I try to read at least 100 books a year. If time permits, I'm going to try and do at least one or two short reviews a month on this blog, but no promises. What's in your to-be-read pile that I should take a look at?
5. Oh, and in case you've been wondering, winter this year has been like living north of the Wall in a George R.R. Martin novel. There have been times when I've looked out the window and expected to see white walkers... They say spring is coming, but I'm not holding my breath.
And that's about all the news that's fit to share. I hope you and yours are well, that wherever you are, spring has started to show signs of appearing, and that if you are a writer, you do your best to...
Write on,
Russell
August 2, 2013
Back in the Land of Oxygen
Once again, I survived the WSCU MFA Summer Residency, though I admit that in spite of clear, convincing evidence otherwise, I would swear these things get longer every year. I was quite a bit busier this year, between teaching the first year students, panels, meeting with fall students, meeting with new thesis-level students, introducing outgoing thesis student presentations, and even doing a couple of panels at Writing the Rockies.
As anyone who travels in that part of the world can tell you, altitude sickness is a real thing, and I generally avoid it without any problems. This year, I thought I avoided it, but I suspect that the altitude affected me more than usual. First, I don't think I ever managed to catch my breath. A short walk was enough to have me huffing and puffing - and not in a good, wholesome, I love Marlboro's kind of way. Second, with only two drug-induced exceptions, I don't think I slept more than a few hours a night. And third, as an added bonus, the above and the extra work combined to kick my MS into very high gear on a couple of days.
All that said, and while I'm happy to be back in the land of oxygen, and I still had a great time meeting new students, visiting with continuing students and congratulating the outgoing graduates. Plus, it's always nice to get together with the other faculty and residency/conference guests. I think the classes went very well, and I'm hopeful the students felt the same. At Writing the Rockies, Jim Minz and I were able to catch up over a few evenings out, and I got to know literary agent Andy Zack a bit better, too. (My biggest disappointment of the whole month was that I only got to say howdy in passing to W.C. Jameson and totally missed seeing his lovely wife, Laurie.)
Now that I'm almost back to normal, I've got a very long list of things to do before the end of the month, ranging from writing projects to prepping for fall classes to getting the kids ready for the school year. Like most reasonable parents, I'm very much in favor of year round education, so I can't wait for summer to end so they can be gone all day. We are going to sneak down to Six Flags - Chicago for a day, and I may try to sneak in a little fishing before they head back to classes, but otherwise, it's work-work-and more work from now until the Thanksgiving break.
And speaking of work, it's time for me to sign off from this blog and...
Write on,
Russell Davis
As anyone who travels in that part of the world can tell you, altitude sickness is a real thing, and I generally avoid it without any problems. This year, I thought I avoided it, but I suspect that the altitude affected me more than usual. First, I don't think I ever managed to catch my breath. A short walk was enough to have me huffing and puffing - and not in a good, wholesome, I love Marlboro's kind of way. Second, with only two drug-induced exceptions, I don't think I slept more than a few hours a night. And third, as an added bonus, the above and the extra work combined to kick my MS into very high gear on a couple of days.
All that said, and while I'm happy to be back in the land of oxygen, and I still had a great time meeting new students, visiting with continuing students and congratulating the outgoing graduates. Plus, it's always nice to get together with the other faculty and residency/conference guests. I think the classes went very well, and I'm hopeful the students felt the same. At Writing the Rockies, Jim Minz and I were able to catch up over a few evenings out, and I got to know literary agent Andy Zack a bit better, too. (My biggest disappointment of the whole month was that I only got to say howdy in passing to W.C. Jameson and totally missed seeing his lovely wife, Laurie.)
Now that I'm almost back to normal, I've got a very long list of things to do before the end of the month, ranging from writing projects to prepping for fall classes to getting the kids ready for the school year. Like most reasonable parents, I'm very much in favor of year round education, so I can't wait for summer to end so they can be gone all day. We are going to sneak down to Six Flags - Chicago for a day, and I may try to sneak in a little fishing before they head back to classes, but otherwise, it's work-work-and more work from now until the Thanksgiving break.
And speaking of work, it's time for me to sign off from this blog and...
Write on,
Russell Davis
July 9, 2013
Living in the Wild, Wild West
Sort of.
Tomorrow, I'm off to Gunnison, Colorado for the Western State Colorado University MFA program summer residency. I very much enjoy visiting the western slope of the Rockies, getting to see current students and meet new ones, plus spending quality time with faculty and friends. It's basically three weeks of work in a beautiful setting, capped with a small writing conference (Writing the Rockies). This year, my good friend and Baen editor Jim Minz will be there, along with literary agent Andy Zack, and another old friend, W.C. Jameson and his wonderful wife, Laurie (who's a damn fine writer, too) will also be in attendance, so a good time should be had by all. (In all seriousness, if you EVER get a chance to hear W.C. Jameson give a reading or sing, make the time to do it. The man has an incredible voice.)
In the graduating group, I've got three students who have officially wrapped their thesis projects, and in the students entering their second year, I've got three more thesis students starting their journey. If I handle it properly, the three graduating students will tell (possibly exaggerated) tales to the three second year students, ensuring an appropriate amount of fear and dismay. For the incoming class, I've prepared an entirely updated curriculum with new tortures... erm, exercises, yes that's what I meant... so that even if they talk to the students who've taken my summer course before, they won't be as prepared as they think. And, btw, if you are one of those students who've previously taken my summer course, do the incoming students a solid: lie to them about what to expect. That will be fun for you and me!
While I'm there, I'll also be busy putting the final touches on the last Bolan novel on the current contract. I'd desperately hoped to finish it up by now, but no such luck. I'm making it a point to consider this time a chance to completely catch up on things that I've been putting off, because when I return to Wisconsin, I'm 150% committed to a much better, more efficient schedule. With Sherri going a hundred different directions and each of the kids going another two hundred, getting on track and on schedule is absolutely critical. Writers sort of suck at that kind of thing, in general, but I'm going to make it happen.
In other writing news, I'm still waiting to hear back on a pitch that I sent to Steve Saffel at Titan. He's been great at putting up with my regular check-in's, and I'm still hopeful that it may result in a new project REAL SOON NOW. Beginning in August, I'll start writing the draft of a textbook I've been planning, as well as developing a new class for Excelsior College that they've asked me to put together. I think the overall response to the Vampires in Literature & Film class I developed was very good, and most of the students appeared to enjoy it quite a lot.
I don't know how much, if any, blogging I'll do over the rest of the month, but I'll try to do at least a couple of posts - with pics, maybe - about the happenings in the wild, wild west. In the meantime, I hope you continue to...
Write on,
Russell Davis
Tomorrow, I'm off to Gunnison, Colorado for the Western State Colorado University MFA program summer residency. I very much enjoy visiting the western slope of the Rockies, getting to see current students and meet new ones, plus spending quality time with faculty and friends. It's basically three weeks of work in a beautiful setting, capped with a small writing conference (Writing the Rockies). This year, my good friend and Baen editor Jim Minz will be there, along with literary agent Andy Zack, and another old friend, W.C. Jameson and his wonderful wife, Laurie (who's a damn fine writer, too) will also be in attendance, so a good time should be had by all. (In all seriousness, if you EVER get a chance to hear W.C. Jameson give a reading or sing, make the time to do it. The man has an incredible voice.)
In the graduating group, I've got three students who have officially wrapped their thesis projects, and in the students entering their second year, I've got three more thesis students starting their journey. If I handle it properly, the three graduating students will tell (possibly exaggerated) tales to the three second year students, ensuring an appropriate amount of fear and dismay. For the incoming class, I've prepared an entirely updated curriculum with new tortures... erm, exercises, yes that's what I meant... so that even if they talk to the students who've taken my summer course before, they won't be as prepared as they think. And, btw, if you are one of those students who've previously taken my summer course, do the incoming students a solid: lie to them about what to expect. That will be fun for you and me!
While I'm there, I'll also be busy putting the final touches on the last Bolan novel on the current contract. I'd desperately hoped to finish it up by now, but no such luck. I'm making it a point to consider this time a chance to completely catch up on things that I've been putting off, because when I return to Wisconsin, I'm 150% committed to a much better, more efficient schedule. With Sherri going a hundred different directions and each of the kids going another two hundred, getting on track and on schedule is absolutely critical. Writers sort of suck at that kind of thing, in general, but I'm going to make it happen.
In other writing news, I'm still waiting to hear back on a pitch that I sent to Steve Saffel at Titan. He's been great at putting up with my regular check-in's, and I'm still hopeful that it may result in a new project REAL SOON NOW. Beginning in August, I'll start writing the draft of a textbook I've been planning, as well as developing a new class for Excelsior College that they've asked me to put together. I think the overall response to the Vampires in Literature & Film class I developed was very good, and most of the students appeared to enjoy it quite a lot.
I don't know how much, if any, blogging I'll do over the rest of the month, but I'll try to do at least a couple of posts - with pics, maybe - about the happenings in the wild, wild west. In the meantime, I hope you continue to...
Write on,
Russell Davis
July 4, 2013
Definitions
In the ongoing SFWA / Spec Fic community battle regarding issues of sexism, harassment, censorship, etc., I note that one of the primary problems seems to be the matter of definitions. Words do have specific meanings, some more specific from a legal perspective than others, but when these meanings get conflated, it's not very helpful to the discussion. I suspect this is why there is more than one color of blue available when we buy paint.
In regards to SFWA itself, there are two primary concerns: 1) the legal issues that the organization must concern itself with, in order to comply with the law and to protect the corporation from potential suits; and 2) the social issues (such as conventions or discussion forums) that the organization should or may concern itself with, in order to ensure that member concerns are being addressed in a successful, proactive manner. It is possible that these two concerns may conflict.
So, with all that in mind, I thought I might provide a simple guide to some of the terminology being tossed around, in the hopes that it may help the clarity of communication. These are presented in alphabetical order, and offered without comment. These are terms I've seen invoked over the course of the last few months, especially, and I may add to this list from time to time, if I think it will be helpful. (Note: if I could not find a dictionary definition, or thought additional reading might be helpful, I deferred to Wikipedia as a starting point only, and encourage further investigation.)
Ageism:
1) prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of a persons age. [Oxford English Dictionary, Online - OED]
2) prejudice or discrimination against a particular age group and especially the elderly. [Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Online - MWD]
Censorship:
1) examine (a book, film, etc.) officially and suppress unacceptable parts of it. [OED]
2) the institution, system, or practice of censoring;
3) the actions or practices of censors; especially : censorial control exercised repressively;
4) act of changing or suppressing speech or writing that is considered subversive of the common good. [MWD]
5) Censorship, the suppression of words, images, or ideas that are "offensive," happens whenever some people succeed in imposing their personal political or moral values on others. Censorship can be carried out by the government as well as private pressure groups. Censorship by the government is unconstitutional. [American Civil Liberties Union Online]
Discrimination:
1) the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex;
2) recognition and understanding of the difference between one thing and another. [OED]
3) the act, practice, or an instance of discriminating categorically rather than individually
4) prejudiced or prejudicial outlook, action, or treatment. [MWD]
Diversity:
1) the state of being diverse;
2) showing a great deal of variety; very different. [OED]
3) the condition of having or being composed of differing elements : variety; especially : the inclusion of different types of people (as people of different races or cultures) in a group or organization. [MWD]
Feminism:
1) the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes. [OED]
2) the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes;
3) organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests. [MWD]
4) a collection of movements and ideologies aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights for women. [Wikipedia]
Misogyny/Misogynist:
1) dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women (misogyny);
2) a person who dislikes, despises, or is strongly prejudiced against women (misogynist). [OED]
3) a hatred of women (misogyny). [MWD]
Rape Culture:
1) a concept which links rape and sexual violence to the culture of a society,and in which prevalent attitudes and practices normalize, excuse, tolerate, or even condone rape. [Wikipedia]
Sexism:
1) prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex. [OED]
2) prejudice or discrimination based on sex; especially: discrimination against women.
3) behavior, conditions, or attitudes that foster stereotypes of social roles based on sex. [MWD]
Sexual Harassment:
1) harassment (typically of a woman) in a workplace, or other professional or social situation, involving the making of unwanted sexual advances or obscene remarks. [OED]
2) uninvited and unwelcome verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature especially by a person in authority toward a subordinate (as an employee or student) [MWD]
3) unwanted sexual approaches (including touching, feeling, groping) and/or repeated unpleasant, degrading and/or sexist remarks directed toward an employee with the implied suggestion that the target's employment status, promotion or favorable treatment depend upon a positive response and/or "cooperation." Sexual harassment is a private nuisance, unfair labor practice or, in some states, a civil wrong (tort) which may be the basis for a lawsuit against the individual who made the advances and against the employer who did not take steps to halt the harassment.[Legal Dictionary, Law.Com]
White Privilege:
1) refers to the set of societal privileges that white people are argued to benefit from beyond those commonly experienced by people of color in the same social, political, or economic spaces (nation, community, workplace, income, etc.). [Wikipedia]
Witch Hunt:
1) a campaign directed against a person or group holding views considered unorthodox or a threat to society. [OED]
2) the searching out and deliberate harassment of those (as political opponents) with unpopular views. [MWD]
* * * * *
One last one, out of sequence. SFWA is the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Under the current bylaws, the purpose of the organization is as follows:
Article II: The purpose of the Corporation shall be to promote the furtherance of the writing of science fiction, fantasy, and related genres as a profession; in so doing, its activities shall include, but not be limited to, informing science fiction and fantasy writers on professional matters, protecting their interests, and helping them deal effectively with agents, editors, anthologists, and producers in print and non-print media; encouraging public interest in and appreciation for science fiction and fantasy literature; sponsoring, editing, and disseminating writings, papers, books, pamphlets, and other publications which exemplify science fiction and fantasy literature of high quality; conducting conferences, public discussion groups, forums, lectures, and seminar programs; and furnishing any service or performing any kind of work connected with this stated purpose.
The Corporation is organized exclusively for charitable, scientific, and educational purposes as a nonprofit organization, and its activities shall be conducted for the aforesaid purposes in such a manner that no part of its net earnings shall inure to the benefit of any officer or individual.
Under the new bylaws, which are part of the ongoing re-incorporation process, and have been approved by the membership, the purpose of the organization is as follows:
Article I (2)(3): SFWA is a nonprofit public benefit corporation organized under the California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation Law. SFWA is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time (the “Code”).
Such purposes for which SFWA is formed are (1) to promote the writing and appreciation of
science fiction, fantasy and related genres and field; (2) to inform, support, promote, defend, and
advocate for writers of science fiction, fantasy and related genres; (3) to be a comprehensive
source for information, education, support and fellowship for authors of science fiction, fantasy
and related genres in the stream of commerce; (4) to promote and defend the interests of writers
in said genres within the various aspects of the publishing industry; and (5) to engage in any
lawful act or activity arising from or related to the foregoing purposes.
I would encourage anyone involved in these important matters to bear the above definitions and information in mind, while engaging in the currently ongoing discussions.
Write on,
Russell Davis
In regards to SFWA itself, there are two primary concerns: 1) the legal issues that the organization must concern itself with, in order to comply with the law and to protect the corporation from potential suits; and 2) the social issues (such as conventions or discussion forums) that the organization should or may concern itself with, in order to ensure that member concerns are being addressed in a successful, proactive manner. It is possible that these two concerns may conflict.
So, with all that in mind, I thought I might provide a simple guide to some of the terminology being tossed around, in the hopes that it may help the clarity of communication. These are presented in alphabetical order, and offered without comment. These are terms I've seen invoked over the course of the last few months, especially, and I may add to this list from time to time, if I think it will be helpful. (Note: if I could not find a dictionary definition, or thought additional reading might be helpful, I deferred to Wikipedia as a starting point only, and encourage further investigation.)
Ageism:
1) prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of a persons age. [Oxford English Dictionary, Online - OED]
2) prejudice or discrimination against a particular age group and especially the elderly. [Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Online - MWD]
Censorship:
1) examine (a book, film, etc.) officially and suppress unacceptable parts of it. [OED]
2) the institution, system, or practice of censoring;
3) the actions or practices of censors; especially : censorial control exercised repressively;
4) act of changing or suppressing speech or writing that is considered subversive of the common good. [MWD]
5) Censorship, the suppression of words, images, or ideas that are "offensive," happens whenever some people succeed in imposing their personal political or moral values on others. Censorship can be carried out by the government as well as private pressure groups. Censorship by the government is unconstitutional. [American Civil Liberties Union Online]
Discrimination:
1) the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex;
2) recognition and understanding of the difference between one thing and another. [OED]
3) the act, practice, or an instance of discriminating categorically rather than individually
4) prejudiced or prejudicial outlook, action, or treatment. [MWD]
Diversity:
1) the state of being diverse;
2) showing a great deal of variety; very different. [OED]
3) the condition of having or being composed of differing elements : variety; especially : the inclusion of different types of people (as people of different races or cultures) in a group or organization. [MWD]
Feminism:
1) the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes. [OED]
2) the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes;
3) organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests. [MWD]
4) a collection of movements and ideologies aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights for women. [Wikipedia]
Misogyny/Misogynist:
1) dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women (misogyny);
2) a person who dislikes, despises, or is strongly prejudiced against women (misogynist). [OED]
3) a hatred of women (misogyny). [MWD]
Rape Culture:
1) a concept which links rape and sexual violence to the culture of a society,and in which prevalent attitudes and practices normalize, excuse, tolerate, or even condone rape. [Wikipedia]
Sexism:
1) prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex. [OED]
2) prejudice or discrimination based on sex; especially: discrimination against women.
3) behavior, conditions, or attitudes that foster stereotypes of social roles based on sex. [MWD]
Sexual Harassment:
1) harassment (typically of a woman) in a workplace, or other professional or social situation, involving the making of unwanted sexual advances or obscene remarks. [OED]
2) uninvited and unwelcome verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature especially by a person in authority toward a subordinate (as an employee or student) [MWD]
3) unwanted sexual approaches (including touching, feeling, groping) and/or repeated unpleasant, degrading and/or sexist remarks directed toward an employee with the implied suggestion that the target's employment status, promotion or favorable treatment depend upon a positive response and/or "cooperation." Sexual harassment is a private nuisance, unfair labor practice or, in some states, a civil wrong (tort) which may be the basis for a lawsuit against the individual who made the advances and against the employer who did not take steps to halt the harassment.[Legal Dictionary, Law.Com]
White Privilege:
1) refers to the set of societal privileges that white people are argued to benefit from beyond those commonly experienced by people of color in the same social, political, or economic spaces (nation, community, workplace, income, etc.). [Wikipedia]
Witch Hunt:
1) a campaign directed against a person or group holding views considered unorthodox or a threat to society. [OED]
2) the searching out and deliberate harassment of those (as political opponents) with unpopular views. [MWD]
* * * * *
One last one, out of sequence. SFWA is the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Under the current bylaws, the purpose of the organization is as follows:
Article II: The purpose of the Corporation shall be to promote the furtherance of the writing of science fiction, fantasy, and related genres as a profession; in so doing, its activities shall include, but not be limited to, informing science fiction and fantasy writers on professional matters, protecting their interests, and helping them deal effectively with agents, editors, anthologists, and producers in print and non-print media; encouraging public interest in and appreciation for science fiction and fantasy literature; sponsoring, editing, and disseminating writings, papers, books, pamphlets, and other publications which exemplify science fiction and fantasy literature of high quality; conducting conferences, public discussion groups, forums, lectures, and seminar programs; and furnishing any service or performing any kind of work connected with this stated purpose.
The Corporation is organized exclusively for charitable, scientific, and educational purposes as a nonprofit organization, and its activities shall be conducted for the aforesaid purposes in such a manner that no part of its net earnings shall inure to the benefit of any officer or individual.
Under the new bylaws, which are part of the ongoing re-incorporation process, and have been approved by the membership, the purpose of the organization is as follows:
Article I (2)(3): SFWA is a nonprofit public benefit corporation organized under the California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation Law. SFWA is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time (the “Code”).
Such purposes for which SFWA is formed are (1) to promote the writing and appreciation of
science fiction, fantasy and related genres and field; (2) to inform, support, promote, defend, and
advocate for writers of science fiction, fantasy and related genres; (3) to be a comprehensive
source for information, education, support and fellowship for authors of science fiction, fantasy
and related genres in the stream of commerce; (4) to promote and defend the interests of writers
in said genres within the various aspects of the publishing industry; and (5) to engage in any
lawful act or activity arising from or related to the foregoing purposes.
I would encourage anyone involved in these important matters to bear the above definitions and information in mind, while engaging in the currently ongoing discussions.
Write on,
Russell Davis
June 27, 2013
Meet Jake the St. Bernard
In my previous post, I mentioned our dog. He's a St. Bernard, and his name is Jake. Meet Jake:
Isn't he cute? He's a wonderful dog. Great with the kids (our son Ryan, age 7, practically uses him as a pony). He even knows some words/commands like: sit, cookie, out, and (when it suits him) down. Jake thinks he's a people, which would be fine, except that he's not. He also sheds. A lot. Like a Pomeranian's worth of hair per day, regardless of season. And when he eats, drinks, or is upset, he drools. A lot. We've found it on the ceiling when he shakes his head. But, you know, he's Jake. And he's cute, when he wants to be:
Why wouldn't you want a St. Bernard like Jake, right? I mean, in spite of the drooling and the shedding and the fact that he thinks he's a person. Let me show you why:
Do you see that? This is in my living room ALL THE TIME. Maybe it's not so bad, you say? He's still kind of cute in an upside Cujo way. Okay, how about this, instead:
When I say "in my living room", what I mean is he's the entire living room. All the space that's available where people feet should go there is only Jake. Jake legs. Jake hair. Jake ears. Jake paws, which are about the size of pie plates. It's all Jake, all the time.
Did I mention that he snores like a runaway freight train and is scared of thunderstorms to the point of needing therapeutic medical intervention? So, who wouldn't want a Jake in their home?
Write on,
Russell
Isn't he cute? He's a wonderful dog. Great with the kids (our son Ryan, age 7, practically uses him as a pony). He even knows some words/commands like: sit, cookie, out, and (when it suits him) down. Jake thinks he's a people, which would be fine, except that he's not. He also sheds. A lot. Like a Pomeranian's worth of hair per day, regardless of season. And when he eats, drinks, or is upset, he drools. A lot. We've found it on the ceiling when he shakes his head. But, you know, he's Jake. And he's cute, when he wants to be:
Why wouldn't you want a St. Bernard like Jake, right? I mean, in spite of the drooling and the shedding and the fact that he thinks he's a person. Let me show you why:
Do you see that? This is in my living room ALL THE TIME. Maybe it's not so bad, you say? He's still kind of cute in an upside Cujo way. Okay, how about this, instead:
When I say "in my living room", what I mean is he's the entire living room. All the space that's available where people feet should go there is only Jake. Jake legs. Jake hair. Jake ears. Jake paws, which are about the size of pie plates. It's all Jake, all the time.Did I mention that he snores like a runaway freight train and is scared of thunderstorms to the point of needing therapeutic medical intervention? So, who wouldn't want a Jake in their home?
Write on,
Russell
