Gunn: The final score can't be rigged. I don't care how many players you grease, that last shot always comes up a question mark. But here's the thing. You never know when you're taking it. It could be when you're duking it out with the Legion of Doom, or just crossing the street deciding where to have brunch. So you just treat it like it was up to you—the world in balance—'cause you never know when it is.

'Underneath'


Literary Buffistas 3: Don't Parse the Blurb, Dear.

There's more to life than watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer! No. Really, there is! Honestly! Here's a place for Buffistas to come and discuss what it is they're reading, their favorite authors and poets. "Geez. Crack a book sometime."


Matt the Bruins fan - Feb 10, 2008 1:01:10 pm PST #5051 of 28547
Oh honey, the mentally unwell people have been in the fanbase since Game Changers was Stucky fanfiction on the internet. The calls have been coming from inside the house the whole time!

I don't know... I've only seen people digging for money/trophy spouses in mass media, and other than the one rentboy of my acquaintance have never encountered anyone looking to be supported or seen anyone turned down based on income. Of course, people who are villa-on-the-Mediterranean rich are pretty thin on the ground in my area of the country, so maybe there's more of it going on in Washington.


Jesse - Feb 10, 2008 1:14:45 pm PST #5052 of 28547
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

I think there are certain segments of the gay community where it seems to be a sliding scale--EITHER you're hot and young and probably poor (twink) OR you're older and maybe not as hot (though you're still pressured to be hot) and you've got money...

I was going to say -- there are definitely segments of the straight community where this holds true.


Aims - Feb 13, 2008 11:32:23 am PST #5053 of 28547
Shit's all sorts of different now.

So for my children's lit class, we are doing an author project. I'm doing mine on Mo Willems and making it like a Pigeon book. Hee! I've never had so much fun!


sj - Feb 13, 2008 1:33:52 pm PST #5054 of 28547
"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea."

Anyone whose interested and can actually get the site to load, can download a free copy of Suze Orman's book, Women and Money, at Oprah.com today.


Tom Scola - Feb 18, 2008 11:12:46 am PST #5055 of 28547
hwæt

Oxford American Staffer Arrested for Embezzling $30K


Sue - Feb 19, 2008 3:44:26 am PST #5056 of 28547
hip deep in pie

Oxford American Staffer Arrested for Embezzling $30K

People, man.


DavidS - Feb 19, 2008 8:11:13 am PST #5057 of 28547
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."

I've got to check in with Marc about that. Sheesh. As if Oxford American hasn't already had enough drama for any ten magazines.

A request from my writer's group:

A friend of mine, Kate Bernheimer, runs a small press, Fairy Tale Review Press, out of the U of Alabama that is reprinting Joy Williams's great and underappreciated classic novel from 30 years ago, The Changeling. She has almost no budget for marketing or anything publicity-wise, but is passionate about the book and secured a lovely foreword from Rick Moody. Is anyone out there a fan of Joy's? Does anyone have any advice, counsel, pointers, connections that would help us take this book to a large audience? Immensely grateful for anything you have to offer...


Hayden - Feb 19, 2008 9:05:50 am PST #5058 of 28547
aka "The artist formerly known as Corwood Industries."

I have no advice, but I'm glad to see that the U of AL's creative writing program is still so robust.


Sue - Feb 19, 2008 2:18:52 pm PST #5059 of 28547
hip deep in pie

I don't know if writing the literary blogs would help, like Maud Newton, book slut, and Book Ninja. (I can't think of any other off the top of my head.) And there's also communities like Readerville. But I'm sure they've thought of those venues.


Snacky - Feb 19, 2008 3:01:43 pm PST #5060 of 28547
Like I need a hole in my head

Also, press releases to Booksense, and perhaps to the independent booksellers around the US. A directory is on their website: bookweb.org. Usually there's a buyer or marketing person to contact, and if there are ARCs to send, that helps too.

If there are no ARCs, the press release could be accompanied by a personal letter to all the booksellers/buyers/marketing people, explaining the history of the book, and why this is special, and maybe some kind of hook to help sell it. Like, "people who loved... will love this book!" Something that gives the person who is going to sell it a personal connection to it, and a reason to give it space in their store.

Sorry, former marketing person for an independent here. I will not babble on too much!