Jason Jack Miller's Blog, page 19
June 18, 2012
Happy birthday, Paul! And my PAUL McCARTNEY TOP 9
Happy birthday, Sir Paul!
To note the occasion, here's my PAUL McCARTNEY TOP NINE:
#9 Lady MadonnaReally got into this one during my voice lessons with Elton Martin. Fun to sing as loud as possible.
#8 Paperback WriterThis one's obvious, isn't it?
#7 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club BandHeavy enough for Hendrix to cover it just after it was released.
#6 I've Just Seen A FaceThe lyrics pull you right through. I don't know where he gets the breath to sing it, because I've tried.
#5 Here, There and EverywhereAn achingly beautiful song that shows Paul maturing as a songwriter.
#4 Band on the RunPart of the allure of this song to me is all of the backstory. How Paul had the bright idea that
recording in Lagos would be loads of fun. The three distinctive parts are a more mature version of the kinds of things he was capable of with The Beatles.
#3 All My LovingThe song that helped me see what the fuss was about. So fun to sing while just banging away on the guitar.
#2 Mother Nature's Son I think everybody felt John had cornered the market on simple, thoughtful tunes like this. Totally underrated, in my opinion, because "Blackbird" usually tops this category.
And a bonus Jack White cover version.
#1 ABBEY ROAD Medley
If anybody ever asked what a dream was supposed to sound like, I'd play them this.
Honorable Mention:Hello, Goodbye, Martha My Dear, Two of Us, We Can Work It Out, For No One, I Will.
May 24, 2012
HELLBENDER Preorder!
Although the Collins clan is steeped in Appalachian magic, Henry has never paid it much attention. But when his younger sister dies mysteriously Henry can't shake the feeling that the decades-old feud between his family and another is to blame. Strange things are happening at the edge of reality, deep in the forests and mountains of West Virginia. Let Jason Jack Miller take you to a place where love is forever even when death isn't, where magic doesn't have to be seen to be believed, where a song might be the only thing that saves your soul.Jason Jack Miller's Murder Ballads and Whiskey series is a unique blend of dark fiction, urban fantasy and horror. It's Appalachian Gothic, Alt.Magical.Realism, Hillbilly Horror. It's American Gods meets Justified. True Blood with witches. It's Johnny Cash with a fistful of copperheads singing the devil right back to hell.
Order at Raw Dog Screaming Press!
May 18, 2012
Parents of Pennsylvania Students!
Next Tuesday morning, the Senate Education Committee plans to fast-track legislation by amending House Bill 1307 with provisions that could end collective bargaining rights for school employees in financially distressed districts. In an effort to fast-track the legislative process, members of the Senate Education Committee will attempt to amend the financial distressed provisions of SB 1450 into House Bill 1307. This means the bill would not need to be considered by the House Education Committee and would be one step closer to Governor Tom Corbett’s desk.
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND: While the final details are not yet known, PSEA has learned that the proposal being considered by the committee would permit the state to cancel current collective bargaining agreements. Additionally, it would make it easier for districts to close school buildings or convert them into charter schools. The plan also encourages and promotes sub-contracting and privatization. Worse, it guarantees no additional basic education funds to financially distressed districts. Initially, the plan only will affect four school districts. However, given the current overall state and local education funding situation in Pennsylvania, many more districts are at risk of falling under the provisions of the plan likely to be inserted into House Bill 1307.
Please reach out to your state Senators, read the script below, and ask them to oppose this misguided overreach.
PHONE SCRIPT FOR MEMBERS TO USE WHEN CONTACTING THEIR SENATORS:
Hello, can I speak with Senator ______________?
My name is ____________ and I am a ___________ in the ________________ school district.
I’m calling to ask that you oppose the financially distressed legislation under consideration in the Education Committee.
Struggling schools need help, but placing districts under state control, and then allowing for-profit companies to manage districts, open unaccountable charter schools and negate current contracts is neither a workable solution and is possibly unconstitutional.
Please oppose the financially distressed legislation being considered by the Education Committee. Thank you.
Timothy J. Solobay Senate District 46 (717) 787-1463 or (724) 746-3762 Richard A Kasunic Senate District 32 (717) 787-7175 or (724) 626-1611 Click her for a directory of Pennsylvania state senators.
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND: While the final details are not yet known, PSEA has learned that the proposal being considered by the committee would permit the state to cancel current collective bargaining agreements. Additionally, it would make it easier for districts to close school buildings or convert them into charter schools. The plan also encourages and promotes sub-contracting and privatization. Worse, it guarantees no additional basic education funds to financially distressed districts. Initially, the plan only will affect four school districts. However, given the current overall state and local education funding situation in Pennsylvania, many more districts are at risk of falling under the provisions of the plan likely to be inserted into House Bill 1307.
Please reach out to your state Senators, read the script below, and ask them to oppose this misguided overreach.
PHONE SCRIPT FOR MEMBERS TO USE WHEN CONTACTING THEIR SENATORS:
Hello, can I speak with Senator ______________?
My name is ____________ and I am a ___________ in the ________________ school district.
I’m calling to ask that you oppose the financially distressed legislation under consideration in the Education Committee.
Struggling schools need help, but placing districts under state control, and then allowing for-profit companies to manage districts, open unaccountable charter schools and negate current contracts is neither a workable solution and is possibly unconstitutional.
Please oppose the financially distressed legislation being considered by the Education Committee. Thank you.
Timothy J. Solobay Senate District 46 (717) 787-1463 or (724) 746-3762 Richard A Kasunic Senate District 32 (717) 787-7175 or (724) 626-1611 Click her for a directory of Pennsylvania state senators.
May 11, 2012
G is for Genre
Originally posted at SETON HILL WRITERS, on Friday, April 8, 2011
Today, we're pleased to have a guest post by Jason Jack Miller on GENRE RESPECT.
Does genre fiction receive more respect now than it ever has?
Genre fiction has certainly become more daring in the way it deals with its own tropes. Crossovers and blurred lines between the genres allow readers to dip a toe into new reading waters without fear of having it bitten off. Consider Max Brooks' World War Z--is it horror or SF? Or literature, maybe? And what about the Twilight series? Horror or romance? Are there readers who loved Twilight that would never in a thousand years consider picking up an Anne Rice novel? Certainly. Both have vampires and romance, but only one had the benefit of a rabid fan base accustomed to using social media to take their passions viral.
There have been multitudes of novels that have straddled genre throughout written history, but they have never received the type of marketing attention that books get today. I believe our perceptions of genre are manipulated by the publisher's marketing departments and big budgets. With the right, well-targeted fan base a genre novel can fly or flounder. 'Don't judge a book by its cover' is an old adage that may not apply to 2011 when covers are usually tied to ginormous marketing campaigns and interactive media blitzes. Just look at the evolution of the SF/Fantasy reader stereotype over the last twenty years. From the 1990s it's the Dune/Lord of the Rings/Star Wars fan living in his mom's basement on a diet of Doritos and Cherry Coke. The 2010s stereotype is a tween who wants to know 'Are you Team Edward or Team Jacob?'
Stories evolve and styles come and go, but readers always love what they love. Now publishers can target readers more specifically than they ever have, and book clubs are global institutions no longer confined to library and church basements. So while I'm not certain genre fiction receives more or less respect than it ever has, I know that fans and publishers are changing, and now more than ever fans are able to find, and talk about what they love.
Genre fiction has certainly become more daring in the way it deals with its own tropes. Crossovers and blurred lines between the genres allow readers to dip a toe into new reading waters without fear of having it bitten off. Consider Max Brooks' World War Z--is it horror or SF? Or literature, maybe? And what about the Twilight series? Horror or romance? Are there readers who loved Twilight that would never in a thousand years consider picking up an Anne Rice novel? Certainly. Both have vampires and romance, but only one had the benefit of a rabid fan base accustomed to using social media to take their passions viral.
There have been multitudes of novels that have straddled genre throughout written history, but they have never received the type of marketing attention that books get today. I believe our perceptions of genre are manipulated by the publisher's marketing departments and big budgets. With the right, well-targeted fan base a genre novel can fly or flounder. 'Don't judge a book by its cover' is an old adage that may not apply to 2011 when covers are usually tied to ginormous marketing campaigns and interactive media blitzes. Just look at the evolution of the SF/Fantasy reader stereotype over the last twenty years. From the 1990s it's the Dune/Lord of the Rings/Star Wars fan living in his mom's basement on a diet of Doritos and Cherry Coke. The 2010s stereotype is a tween who wants to know 'Are you Team Edward or Team Jacob?'
Stories evolve and styles come and go, but readers always love what they love. Now publishers can target readers more specifically than they ever have, and book clubs are global institutions no longer confined to library and church basements. So while I'm not certain genre fiction receives more or less respect than it ever has, I know that fans and publishers are changing, and now more than ever fans are able to find, and talk about what they love.
