Lit Rant: A Few Thousand People Does Not a Movement Make (Or Why Podcasting Ain’t That Great)
One thing that irks me about all these online movements is the people of these movements–particularly the folks who hold some sort of fame–assume that their “successes” have had a legitimate affect on the publishing industry (or whatever industry they are a part of). This is especially so with the podcasting world. Those of us […]
The Universe, the Library, and Everything
I spent several hours in the library yesterday, avoiding human contact because I promised I would do so in order to curb any potential of my catching swine flu or some other wicked demon disease launched upon the Earth to wipe out mankind. That wasn’t the only reason I was in the library, though. I’m […]
Why I’m Not Going to Talk About RaceFail09 (even though I’m talking about it now)
I know this is a big deal in the blogosphere (or at least it was) and I suspect there are some folks wondering why I haven’t chimed in. I have some valid reasons and some not-so-valid ones. First, I came into the discussion late. It’s impossible to keep up with RaceFail. Even though the arguments […]
E-Book Prices: Calling B.S. on the Publishing Industry
HarperStudio (of HarperCollins) recently had a post about why they price eBooks as high as they do. There has been a big stink in the e-publishing world lately about the price of eBooks, so hearing a publisher try to explain why things are the way they are is interesting and useful…except when it’s a load […]
Reader Question: Why won’t you read George R. R. Martin?
I suspect that this question was meant partially in jest, but I see fit to answer it. For the record, I know that this question is directed at GRRM’s fantasy series, and not his other writings, which I have had the privilege to read. So I will direct my answer to the intent of the […]
Young Adult Fiction Can’t Win
Is it just me or does it seem like YA fiction is incapable of winning in the lit world? On the one hand there are literature enthusiasts and academics who decry that YA is an unimportant, insignificant, and juvenile form of literature, while on the other there are parents, teachers, religious fanatics, and irresponsible anti-realistic-lit […]