Ryan Field's Blog, page 533
September 13, 2011
Gay Weddings on Long Island...
I've begun a new novel that deals with gay weddings in a different way than I've written about them before. This novel takes place in NY, after gay marriage was legalized. This, to me, even though same sex marriage is not federally recognized, makes all the difference in the world. And I don't even live in NY.
I've been invited to more than a few gay weddings in NY myself so far. I've heard there are many more coming up, too. It's fun, even though it can be expensive. So I decided to write about some of these weddings...strictly fiction...and I've been doing a little research while I'm at it.
This looks like fun:
Lessing's Long Island Gay Wedding
I've been invited to more than a few gay weddings in NY myself so far. I've heard there are many more coming up, too. It's fun, even though it can be expensive. So I decided to write about some of these weddings...strictly fiction...and I've been doing a little research while I'm at it.
This looks like fun:
Lessing's Long Island Gay Wedding
Do Literary Agents Tamper With Gay Characters?
I honestly don't know the answer to this. I've never worked with an agent myself. But I do know, and this is first hand not hearsay, gay agents who will not live openly gay lives in New York. I don't know why. I've never asked because I never thought it was any of my business. But it's there and I know this for a fact.
The article below is interesting. I find it especially interesting because I've been thinking of querying agents with a mainstream novel that has gay characters. This isn't erotica or erotic romance. And I've been hesitating because I don't want to waste my time querying if agents aren't interested in mainstream gay material. I can self-publish it and probably promote it better that way.
Here's part of the article, and here's a link to the rest. It's worth reading if you're interested in gay fiction of any kind.
Authors Say Agents Try to "Straighten" Gay Characters in YA
Rose Fox -- September 12th, 2011
Editor's note: The text of this post was written by Rachel Manija Brown, author of All the Fishes Come Home to Roost, and Sherwood Smith, author of Crown Duel and a great many other novels for adults and young adults. I am posting it in order to provide a pseudonymity-friendly space for comments from authors who have had similar experiences to the ones that Rachel and Sherwood describe. I strongly encourage all authors, agents, editors, publishers, and readers to contribute to a serious and honest conversation on the value and drawbacks of gatekeeping with regard to minority characters, authors, and readers, and to continue that conversation in all areas of the industry. –Rose
Say Yes To Gay YA
By Rachel Manija Brown and Sherwood Smith
We are published authors who co-wrote a post-apocalyptic young adult novel. When we set out to find an agent for it, we expected to get some rejections. But we never expected to be offered representation… on the condition that we make a gay character straight, or cut him out altogether.
Our novel, Stranger, has five viewpoint characters; one, Yuki Nakamura, is gay and has a boyfriend. Yuki's romance, like the heterosexual ones in the novel, involves nothing more explicit than kissing.
An agent from a major agency, one which represents a bestselling YA novel in the same genre as ours, called us.
The agent offered to sign us on the condition that we make the gay character straight, or else remove his viewpoint and all references to his sexual orientation.
The article below is interesting. I find it especially interesting because I've been thinking of querying agents with a mainstream novel that has gay characters. This isn't erotica or erotic romance. And I've been hesitating because I don't want to waste my time querying if agents aren't interested in mainstream gay material. I can self-publish it and probably promote it better that way.
Here's part of the article, and here's a link to the rest. It's worth reading if you're interested in gay fiction of any kind.
Authors Say Agents Try to "Straighten" Gay Characters in YA
Rose Fox -- September 12th, 2011
Editor's note: The text of this post was written by Rachel Manija Brown, author of All the Fishes Come Home to Roost, and Sherwood Smith, author of Crown Duel and a great many other novels for adults and young adults. I am posting it in order to provide a pseudonymity-friendly space for comments from authors who have had similar experiences to the ones that Rachel and Sherwood describe. I strongly encourage all authors, agents, editors, publishers, and readers to contribute to a serious and honest conversation on the value and drawbacks of gatekeeping with regard to minority characters, authors, and readers, and to continue that conversation in all areas of the industry. –Rose
Say Yes To Gay YA
By Rachel Manija Brown and Sherwood Smith
We are published authors who co-wrote a post-apocalyptic young adult novel. When we set out to find an agent for it, we expected to get some rejections. But we never expected to be offered representation… on the condition that we make a gay character straight, or cut him out altogether.
Our novel, Stranger, has five viewpoint characters; one, Yuki Nakamura, is gay and has a boyfriend. Yuki's romance, like the heterosexual ones in the novel, involves nothing more explicit than kissing.
An agent from a major agency, one which represents a bestselling YA novel in the same genre as ours, called us.
The agent offered to sign us on the condition that we make the gay character straight, or else remove his viewpoint and all references to his sexual orientation.
Published Author Self-Publishes...An Experiment?
This is interesting on many different levels. But the main focus for me was how I think this author isn't totally getting the concept of digital books...and the people who read them. I get the feeling he's using self-publishing as a vehicle to promote his hardcover/print release. It's more like an experiment than an author taking digital publishing seriously.
I could be wrong. But if I'm not, the author is underestimating people who read digital books. People like me. I don't even consider buying hardcover books anymore. I only buy and read digital. I prefer the digital reading experience. And so far, I've never met anyone who has switched to digital books and said they can't wait to go back to reading print books, especially not after they've spent so much on e-readers. They ain't cheap!! Once you get used to your e-reader and find out how it improves the reading experience, it's almost impossible to go back to print.
And the day I spend a buck per chapter for any e-book is going to be the day I stop reading altogether...or the day a book has no more than ten long chapters.
I applaud what the author is doing. But I can't help wondering how it's going to turn out.
Despite having publishing deals with four major houses, bestselling African-American novelist Omar Tyree is experimenting with technology, self-publishing his latest novel, Corrupted, a feverish portrayal of power and ambition in the book industry, as a serialized Kindle edition e-book, releasing a chapter every week. Since July 15 and each Friday thereafter, Tyree has posted a chapter for readers to download for $1 each on Amazon.com, on his website omartyree.com, or at other e-book retail sites.
If this author had been checking out online retail web sites where e-books are sold, he'd know that most offer entire chapters for free. People who read e-books read more often and shop more often, therefore they want to (expect to) spend less. And I see nothing wrong with publishers and authors making money in volume.
Corrupted examines what Tyree calls "the dark side of the publishing industry," through the actions of his protagonist Vincent Biddle, a power-drunk African-American editor at a fictitious major New York City publishing house. The novel, he said, was inspired by the way both the current economy and new technology are affecting the publishing world.
This sounds interesting to me. I'd love to read it. I'm dying to read it. But not for a buck a chapter. I'll pass until he lowers the price to at least 9.99 for the entire e-book. For e-books, that's where I personally draw the line. And I think I'm being generous. I know people who draw the line far lower and complain about 9.99.
Hyping the novel as "raw and unedited"—the book has been proofread by Tyree but not yet professionally edited—he invites his readers to post critiques and comments to either his website or his Twitter account @OmarTyree. He said he is open to revising the work if he considers the critiques worthy. He told PW that he expects the book to contain between 23 and 27 chapters.
This worries me. As I've posted before, there are already too many unedited digital books out there filled with poor quality. Do we really need another, and for a buck a chapter?
"Authors with the old traditional contracts can't make the numbers," Tyree said referring to sales. "In one day, an editor can be fired and if you were signed by that editor, you get a new editor who does not necessarily understand your work. Here we have a black editor trying to keep his job and move up to become a senior editor, when African American [sales] numbers are not doing well," he said. "So [the editor's] African American authors are getting dropped. How is he going to navigate? Editors are in positions of power, but they are scared to death too because if they pick a book that doesn't fly, they are out the door."
Again, this sounds fascinating. I'd love to read it. But not at a buck a chapter. I can't help wondering if it's mentioned in the book that so many publishers still don't "get" digital books...or how to price them.
Tyree has published more than 16 books and has book deals with four publishers. But he didn't believe that Corrupted would have been an easy sell to any of them. "Most of my books are with Simon & Schuster," Tyree said. "I have a business book with Wiley, two with Urban Books–a subsidiary of Kensington–and Scholastic is printing and distributing 12 Brown Boys," a short story collection aimed at black pre-teen boys originally published by Just Us Books.
"I didn't bring [Corrupted] to a publisher because it's brand new and experimental—it's my own individual project to connect with my readers," he said, pointing out also that, "this book does not fit a genre." Tyree explained that, "If I'm locked into a genre like African-American, or street, or crime, then I have to put certain things in it. A traditional publisher would [look at Corrupted and] warn, 'Omar, you are getting away from your base!' But this way, I can connect with a new set of readers."
This sounds interesting, too. I'd buy it. But lower the price.
Tyree mentioned that another reason he's self-publishing is that he didn't come up with the idea until May, but still wanted to get the book out in the summer to catch the summer reading season. The project also works to fill in the gap until his next hardcover release, scheduled for 2012. "But I wouldn't have been able to rush it, even as an e-book," Tyree said, "So I thought, anyone who's going to download it is someone who probably downloads all the time. So that's an advantage to me–just give them a chapter a week."
He's on the right track. Anyone who's going to download it is probably someone who reads digital books all the time. But not at that price. People who read e-books do, in fact, read a lot more these days, which is even more important to consider how a book is priced. People have reading budgets. They draw lines.
Tyree said Kindle Edition has a 90-day royalty period and he will not have sales figures for the book project until mid-October. Even then, he added, he isn't planning to be affected by them. "Back in 2001 I was so focused on sales numbers–-but I learned the hard way that the numbers game can drive you crazy," Tyree said. "So [for Corrupted] I decided I'm not even going to break down the numbers when the royalty statement comes. I've already learned: don't think about the numbers; just think about the book."
I could be wrong here. But I can't help wondering how many books he would have sold if he'd priced the book like other e-books instead of at a dollar a chapter. I know that sounds cheap to some. But if the book has 27 chapters, or more, that's going to add up.
Tyree promised lots of drama and intrigue in upcoming chapters, "You will see the behind-the-scenes action: the meetings at the publishing house, the bidding wars, the decisions about which authors the editors have to cut loose. It's going to get vicious!"
Once again, for the last time, absolutely fascinating content. I'd love to read this book. But as my grandmother used to say, "He'll die with his secret as far as I'm concerned." I want a quality e-book at a fair price, not an experiment in publishing.
I could be wrong. But if I'm not, the author is underestimating people who read digital books. People like me. I don't even consider buying hardcover books anymore. I only buy and read digital. I prefer the digital reading experience. And so far, I've never met anyone who has switched to digital books and said they can't wait to go back to reading print books, especially not after they've spent so much on e-readers. They ain't cheap!! Once you get used to your e-reader and find out how it improves the reading experience, it's almost impossible to go back to print.
And the day I spend a buck per chapter for any e-book is going to be the day I stop reading altogether...or the day a book has no more than ten long chapters.
I applaud what the author is doing. But I can't help wondering how it's going to turn out.
Despite having publishing deals with four major houses, bestselling African-American novelist Omar Tyree is experimenting with technology, self-publishing his latest novel, Corrupted, a feverish portrayal of power and ambition in the book industry, as a serialized Kindle edition e-book, releasing a chapter every week. Since July 15 and each Friday thereafter, Tyree has posted a chapter for readers to download for $1 each on Amazon.com, on his website omartyree.com, or at other e-book retail sites.
If this author had been checking out online retail web sites where e-books are sold, he'd know that most offer entire chapters for free. People who read e-books read more often and shop more often, therefore they want to (expect to) spend less. And I see nothing wrong with publishers and authors making money in volume.
Corrupted examines what Tyree calls "the dark side of the publishing industry," through the actions of his protagonist Vincent Biddle, a power-drunk African-American editor at a fictitious major New York City publishing house. The novel, he said, was inspired by the way both the current economy and new technology are affecting the publishing world.
This sounds interesting to me. I'd love to read it. I'm dying to read it. But not for a buck a chapter. I'll pass until he lowers the price to at least 9.99 for the entire e-book. For e-books, that's where I personally draw the line. And I think I'm being generous. I know people who draw the line far lower and complain about 9.99.
Hyping the novel as "raw and unedited"—the book has been proofread by Tyree but not yet professionally edited—he invites his readers to post critiques and comments to either his website or his Twitter account @OmarTyree. He said he is open to revising the work if he considers the critiques worthy. He told PW that he expects the book to contain between 23 and 27 chapters.
This worries me. As I've posted before, there are already too many unedited digital books out there filled with poor quality. Do we really need another, and for a buck a chapter?
"Authors with the old traditional contracts can't make the numbers," Tyree said referring to sales. "In one day, an editor can be fired and if you were signed by that editor, you get a new editor who does not necessarily understand your work. Here we have a black editor trying to keep his job and move up to become a senior editor, when African American [sales] numbers are not doing well," he said. "So [the editor's] African American authors are getting dropped. How is he going to navigate? Editors are in positions of power, but they are scared to death too because if they pick a book that doesn't fly, they are out the door."
Again, this sounds fascinating. I'd love to read it. But not at a buck a chapter. I can't help wondering if it's mentioned in the book that so many publishers still don't "get" digital books...or how to price them.
Tyree has published more than 16 books and has book deals with four publishers. But he didn't believe that Corrupted would have been an easy sell to any of them. "Most of my books are with Simon & Schuster," Tyree said. "I have a business book with Wiley, two with Urban Books–a subsidiary of Kensington–and Scholastic is printing and distributing 12 Brown Boys," a short story collection aimed at black pre-teen boys originally published by Just Us Books.
"I didn't bring [Corrupted] to a publisher because it's brand new and experimental—it's my own individual project to connect with my readers," he said, pointing out also that, "this book does not fit a genre." Tyree explained that, "If I'm locked into a genre like African-American, or street, or crime, then I have to put certain things in it. A traditional publisher would [look at Corrupted and] warn, 'Omar, you are getting away from your base!' But this way, I can connect with a new set of readers."
This sounds interesting, too. I'd buy it. But lower the price.
Tyree mentioned that another reason he's self-publishing is that he didn't come up with the idea until May, but still wanted to get the book out in the summer to catch the summer reading season. The project also works to fill in the gap until his next hardcover release, scheduled for 2012. "But I wouldn't have been able to rush it, even as an e-book," Tyree said, "So I thought, anyone who's going to download it is someone who probably downloads all the time. So that's an advantage to me–just give them a chapter a week."
He's on the right track. Anyone who's going to download it is probably someone who reads digital books all the time. But not at that price. People who read e-books do, in fact, read a lot more these days, which is even more important to consider how a book is priced. People have reading budgets. They draw lines.
Tyree said Kindle Edition has a 90-day royalty period and he will not have sales figures for the book project until mid-October. Even then, he added, he isn't planning to be affected by them. "Back in 2001 I was so focused on sales numbers–-but I learned the hard way that the numbers game can drive you crazy," Tyree said. "So [for Corrupted] I decided I'm not even going to break down the numbers when the royalty statement comes. I've already learned: don't think about the numbers; just think about the book."
I could be wrong here. But I can't help wondering how many books he would have sold if he'd priced the book like other e-books instead of at a dollar a chapter. I know that sounds cheap to some. But if the book has 27 chapters, or more, that's going to add up.
Tyree promised lots of drama and intrigue in upcoming chapters, "You will see the behind-the-scenes action: the meetings at the publishing house, the bidding wars, the decisions about which authors the editors have to cut loose. It's going to get vicious!"
Once again, for the last time, absolutely fascinating content. I'd love to read this book. But as my grandmother used to say, "He'll die with his secret as far as I'm concerned." I want a quality e-book at a fair price, not an experiment in publishing.
September 12, 2011
Follow Up Post: Self-Published Authors and QED
As a follow up post to this one, I contacted Matt at QED about self-published books and authors and whether or not they could participate. I wanted to know, first hand. And this is how he replied:
Yes, self-published books are absolutely allowed to participate. We have a special category of the PIAs that are specifically devoted to self-published titles, if you decide you would prefer to compete in that section. A self-published author is also allowed to compete in the general categories as well; the self-published category is only optional. Hope that answers your question!
So if you are self-published, I think it might be wise to keep this in mind. I know it's an added expense. But in this case, I think the added expense will pay off in the end.
For Self-Published Authors? QED Seal of Approval
I've been running an ongoing series of blog posts, with guest bloggers, who have self-published. It's no secret I'm a huge fan of self-publishing...for many reasons I've already stated. This is also a seal of approval for publishers, too. But I'm focusing this post on self-published authors because I'm not sure whether or not any publishers will actually participate in something like this. Publishers...all of them...do what they want to do. And there's a fee, check it out here.
I don't know much about this seal of approval, but I will find out more. Mainly because I'm thinking about self-publishing a few things myself. Fiction that's not erotica or erotic romance.
But if I had a self-published book out there right now, I'd be looking into this and finding out how I can get this seal of approval. Let's face it, there are a few really bad self-pubbed e-books (not to mention e-books with publishers), which makes it even more difficult for those of you who have taken the time to produce a quality product. And readers only have to buy one bad book to feel slighted and cheated, self-pubbed or professionally pubbed. With something like this QED seal, it will give them a little more security. I know I'll be looking for it when I'm shopping for books.
Again, I'll post more when I find out more. The one thing that slightly bothers me is that is sounds a little gimmicky, in a promotional way, and I'm not sure if it's a contest or an actual seal of approval you pay to get. But I'm really hoping this will be something self-published authors can do to prove they have quality products.
If anyone has anymore info, please feel free to share. I did e-mail them and I'm waiting to hear more about self-pubbed authors and books.
The QED
"A well-crafted ebook is essential both from the reader's perspective, as well as the publishers'—a reader will respond to a well-crafted, beautifully designed ebook. They will feel like they got their money's worth when they interact with a professional-quality product. A quality ebook is going to be increasingly crucial as a component of a publisher's brand going forward."
—Pablo Defendini, Interactive Producer, Open Road Integrated Media
New to the Publishing Innovation Awards this year is the QED Seal, which stands for Quality, Excellence, Design. The QED is the "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval™" for ebooks – it signals to an ebook reader that the title will render well in whatever their preferred reading format and that they can buy with confidence. It is an emblem that publishers, authors, and content creators can affix to their ebook cover and metadata that assures readers they can read that title where they want, how they want.
Ebook titles entered into the Publishing Innovation Awards will go through a thorough, professional 13-point design review with an eye towards readability across multiple devices and in multiple formats. The QED is judged on the criteria established on the recommendation of the Publishing Innovation Awards advisory council, who are respected leaders in the digital production and design space.
QED consideration is included in the entry fee for all entries in the Ebook and Enhanced Ebook categories.
QED Inspection Check-List
1. Front matter: the title does not open on a blank page.
2. Information hierarchy: content is arranged in such a way that the relative importance of the content (heads, text, sidebars, etc) are visually presented clearly.
3. Order of content: check of the content to be sure that none of it is missing or rearranged.
4. Consistency of font treatment: consistent application of styles and white space.
5. Links: hyperlinks to the web, cross references to other sections in the book, and the table of contents all work and point to the right areas. If the title has an index, it should be linked.
6. Cover: The cover does not refer to any print edition only related content.
7. Consumable Content: The title does not contain any fill-in content, such as workbooks and puzzle books, unless the content has been re-crafted to direct the reader on how to approach using the fill-in content.
8. Print References: Content does not contain cross references to un-hyperlinked, static print page numbers (unless the ebook is intentionally mimicking its print counterpart for reference).
9. Breaks: New sections break and/or start at logical places.
10. Images: Art is appropriately sized, is in color where appropriate, loads relatively quickly, and if it contains text is legible. If images are removed for rights reasons, that portion is disclaimed or all references to that image are removed.
11. Tables: Table text fits the screen comfortably, and if rendered as art is legible.
12. Symbols: Text does not contain odd characters.
13. Metadata: Basic metadata for the title (author, title, etc.) is in place and accurate.
QED Judging Process
The QED supports a reader's ability to access their ebooks how they want, when they want, and on the screen they want. To ensure that a title meets the demands of the ebook reader, each title will go through the above check-list on multiple devices and in multiple formats.
To ensure that an ebook title submitted for a QED will render well on the device a reader chooses, be reviewed on three devices: a small, mobile-sized screen, an eInk reader-sized screen, and a tablet-sized screen.
To confirm that the title looks good in the most widely adopted formats, each ebook will be reviewed in ePub in a Webkit-based ereader application (like Apple's iBooks), in ePub in an Adobe SDK-based ereader (like Bluefire or Adobe Digital Editions), and in Mobi in Kindle Previewer.
September 11, 2011
The Interesting Thing About Social Media...
I've talked about social media a few times on this blog, especially Facebook. I've been kicked off Facebook for no apparent reason and then put back on...without an explanation. (They do this to gay people sometimes, whenever someone complains about gay content of any kind, even if it's a simple status update about gay marriage. Facebook isn't a democracy.)
And, frankly, I'm not even on Facebook that much. I usually post something fast once in the morning and then once again later at night. Then I take a few minutes to check out what friends are posting; just to keep up and to see how everyone is doing. I honestly do look forward to most status updates. I like the people I met on all the social networks I've joined.
I've had gay friends kicked off facebook for no apparent reason, too. Some are authors who write gay fiction, others are gay people who just post information about gay events and trivia. I rarely ever see anything harmful.
But there is a good side to all this in spite of this drawback. At least Facebook allows us to pick and choose with whom we want to be friendly. You can manage your account so that you don't have to read anything you'd rather not read. Which makes me wonder how deeply the hate goes for gay people when it's so simple to just "unfriend" someone and never read their status updates again.
And let's face it, we're never all going to love what everyone is posting on facebook. With me there are two negatives: one is when people post political rants and the other is when people post religious rants. I personally go to facebook to socialize, not to read about politics. I go other places for that. And I certainly don't go to facebook to read about religion...or disdain for religion. I have my own personal faith, thank you, and I don't need to read about anyone else's faith...or their lack of faith.
Sometimes I just "hide" people. I usually do this when they do annoying things. For example, one or two friends might be watching a football game on TV and they might be posting information about the game on Facebook every ten seconds. I'm thrilled they are so excited. I really am. But I couldn't care less and I hide them so I don't have to read a whole page of status updates about the game they are watching. You have to have good manners on social media, too, just like in real life.
And I have "unfriended" people, just like I'm sure people have done the same to me. I don't know when it's happened to me, because I don't really care (it's Facebook, seriously) and I'm certainly not going to take the time to go through my entire friend list. I used to feel guilty about "unfriending" people. And then I stopped feeling guilty when I realized it doesn't really matter. You can rant and post about how proud you are to be an athiest all you want. But I don't have to read it. You can rant about how much you hate Sarah Palin or Barrack Obama all you want. But, again, I don't have to read it. I guess there are people who do care what your relgious or political beliefs are, but I'm not one of them. I just want to have fun on social networks. And I think that's the main reason why they were designed.
I do think authors should beware of posting political or religious rants or opinions. You're shooting yoursleves in the foot if you think people are going to buy your books if you piss them off on social media. And they have every right to feel that way, because we do, indeed, have choices.
And, frankly, I'm not even on Facebook that much. I usually post something fast once in the morning and then once again later at night. Then I take a few minutes to check out what friends are posting; just to keep up and to see how everyone is doing. I honestly do look forward to most status updates. I like the people I met on all the social networks I've joined.
I've had gay friends kicked off facebook for no apparent reason, too. Some are authors who write gay fiction, others are gay people who just post information about gay events and trivia. I rarely ever see anything harmful.
But there is a good side to all this in spite of this drawback. At least Facebook allows us to pick and choose with whom we want to be friendly. You can manage your account so that you don't have to read anything you'd rather not read. Which makes me wonder how deeply the hate goes for gay people when it's so simple to just "unfriend" someone and never read their status updates again.
And let's face it, we're never all going to love what everyone is posting on facebook. With me there are two negatives: one is when people post political rants and the other is when people post religious rants. I personally go to facebook to socialize, not to read about politics. I go other places for that. And I certainly don't go to facebook to read about religion...or disdain for religion. I have my own personal faith, thank you, and I don't need to read about anyone else's faith...or their lack of faith.
Sometimes I just "hide" people. I usually do this when they do annoying things. For example, one or two friends might be watching a football game on TV and they might be posting information about the game on Facebook every ten seconds. I'm thrilled they are so excited. I really am. But I couldn't care less and I hide them so I don't have to read a whole page of status updates about the game they are watching. You have to have good manners on social media, too, just like in real life.
And I have "unfriended" people, just like I'm sure people have done the same to me. I don't know when it's happened to me, because I don't really care (it's Facebook, seriously) and I'm certainly not going to take the time to go through my entire friend list. I used to feel guilty about "unfriending" people. And then I stopped feeling guilty when I realized it doesn't really matter. You can rant and post about how proud you are to be an athiest all you want. But I don't have to read it. You can rant about how much you hate Sarah Palin or Barrack Obama all you want. But, again, I don't have to read it. I guess there are people who do care what your relgious or political beliefs are, but I'm not one of them. I just want to have fun on social networks. And I think that's the main reason why they were designed.
I do think authors should beware of posting political or religious rants or opinions. You're shooting yoursleves in the foot if you think people are going to buy your books if you piss them off on social media. And they have every right to feel that way, because we do, indeed, have choices.
September 10, 2011
Remembering 9/11 Ten Years Later
I've already written a 9/11 post, here. I even posted a photo of mail I didn't receive until months later from the Princeton, NJ post office. This was one of the post offices that went through the anthrax scare. If you click the link, and then click on the photo, you can actually read the print on the plastic packaging. It's interesting. And I never thought I'd see the day that would happen.
This anthrax scare was just one of the side effects here in the east coast that happened in the days that followed the terrorist attacks on the United States. I remember terrorist threats on bridges between Wilmington, DE, all the way up to New England. And driving into NY, at the end of the tunnels and bridges, was like driving into a war zone. And the funerals and memorials seemed never ending.
I can't believe it's been ten years already. It seems like just yesterday. I have family and friends in Manhattan and I don't think I've ever felt that kind of panic before. Everything changed after that day, from the way we travel to the way we view certain things. I know I changed. But we came back even stronger and better than before. And it's proof that no matter how hard they try to knock us, we're still the greatest country in the world.
More Rain Today?
This is what's left of my driveway after Lee. And the rain is still coming down hard.
September 9, 2011
Tyler Clementi and Roommate: The Advocate
In case you haven't been following this story like I have, here are a few more details about Tyler Clementi and the events that led to his death. Evidently, there's a lot that remains to be seen about this case.
Here's the link: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/09/09/Tensions_Documented_Between_Clementi_and_Roommate/
Tensions Documented Between Clementi and Roommate
By Julie Bolcer
Court documents released in recent weeks show a tense relationship between Tyler Clementi and Rutgers roommate Dharun Ravi marked by wariness about each other's sexual orientation and race.
The Associated Press reports on the documents ahead of a Friday court hearing for Ravi, who stands accused of charges including a hate crime and invasion of privacy for using a webcam to spy on Clementi's intimate encounter with another man. Clementi, a freshman, jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge last year and became a symbol of the tragedy of antigay bullying.
According to the AP, "The court papers show modern intrigue spelled out in texts and tweets, many jokey, some confessional. Along with computer records are interview transcripts that could become the heart of the evidence if the case goes to trial. The tension between the roommates began before the campus move in date of Aug. 28, 2010."
The communications show that Clementi found Ravi to be "soo Indian/first gen Americanish," and thought it "awkward" that his roommate changed his pants in the closet. He also noticed that his roommate pointed a webcam at his bed.
Ravi frequently discussed and joked about his roommate's sexual orientation with friends including Molly Wei, who lived across the hall. The two and others viewed Clementi's encounter with the unidentified man from her room, and Ravi discussed what they saw on Twitter, which prompted Clementi to complain to a resident assistant shortly before he took his own life.
Ravi sent a long text message to Clementi after he posted his suicide threat on Facebook, but it remains unclear whether Clementi ever read the note in which Ravi said he had "no problem" with him being gay.
Lawyers for Ravi on Friday will seek to have the indictment dismissed and compel prosecutors to reveal the identity of the man in the intimate encounter with Clementi. Prosecutors argue that he is the victim of a sex crime and can remain unknown.
Here's the link: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/09/09/Tensions_Documented_Between_Clementi_and_Roommate/
Tensions Documented Between Clementi and Roommate
By Julie Bolcer
Court documents released in recent weeks show a tense relationship between Tyler Clementi and Rutgers roommate Dharun Ravi marked by wariness about each other's sexual orientation and race.
The Associated Press reports on the documents ahead of a Friday court hearing for Ravi, who stands accused of charges including a hate crime and invasion of privacy for using a webcam to spy on Clementi's intimate encounter with another man. Clementi, a freshman, jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge last year and became a symbol of the tragedy of antigay bullying.
According to the AP, "The court papers show modern intrigue spelled out in texts and tweets, many jokey, some confessional. Along with computer records are interview transcripts that could become the heart of the evidence if the case goes to trial. The tension between the roommates began before the campus move in date of Aug. 28, 2010."
The communications show that Clementi found Ravi to be "soo Indian/first gen Americanish," and thought it "awkward" that his roommate changed his pants in the closet. He also noticed that his roommate pointed a webcam at his bed.
Ravi frequently discussed and joked about his roommate's sexual orientation with friends including Molly Wei, who lived across the hall. The two and others viewed Clementi's encounter with the unidentified man from her room, and Ravi discussed what they saw on Twitter, which prompted Clementi to complain to a resident assistant shortly before he took his own life.
Ravi sent a long text message to Clementi after he posted his suicide threat on Facebook, but it remains unclear whether Clementi ever read the note in which Ravi said he had "no problem" with him being gay.
Lawyers for Ravi on Friday will seek to have the indictment dismissed and compel prosecutors to reveal the identity of the man in the intimate encounter with Clementi. Prosecutors argue that he is the victim of a sex crime and can remain unknown.
September 8, 2011
Big Jeff Schroeder - A Graceful Exit?
If you don't follow the game, Big Brother, you won't care about this post. But I've been following the game since the first season and the one thing I've always admired is the way all the contestants lose with grace and dignity. They work hard to stay in the house. They fight for the grand prize, a half million dollars. And when they get evicted you can almost feel their pain. But they all know it's only a game. And when it's time to leave, they leave with smiles.
But this time, when Big Jeff Schroeder was evicted, grace under pressure clearly wasn't something that concerned him. And for those who don't know, if you watch this video, his eviction was more than valid. It had reached a point where Big Jeff thought he was king of the house (maybe the world), and a few smart players who'd been considered underdogs in the house weren't going to let him get away with it. They were tired of being intimidated by him. And they were not going to hand him a half million dollar check for being a bully. So they outsmarted him, which didn't take much, and got him out just in time.
In case you didn't hear Big-Jeff-the-football-player's homophobic rants about how wrong it would be to have positive gay characters in kid's books, here's a link to a previous post I wrote, where he's trashing this very topic. And it wasn't the first time he did this either. The only thing I can't understand is why any network in Hollywood would have him back a second time. If he'd ranted about race this way, he'd have gone into oblivion. But it doesn't seem to matter when he rants about gays.
Interesting. But none of that matters, because Karma got good old Big Jeffie this time in spite of the network's bad decision. Karma, and a few smart women players did him in.
