Connecting

I’ve been reading G.M. Malliet’s mystery book Death of a Cozy Writer, and feeling a bit nosy I sought out her webpage and blog. I posted a comment on her site. A few days later, I find that she has found me out on twitter and is now following me.

There are some who mock me and my twitter usage, but I enjoy connecting with various authors and celebrities. I recently corresponded with Aravind Adiga, Booker prize winning author of The White Tiger. I realize that I am not on a first name basis with these people as much as I would love to be with @neilhimself, but it is nice to ask questions or comment on a work of literature or a question that I may have and to receive immediate contact this way.

The internet may be a lot of things and we all know that Social Networking will be the downfall of all of society as we creep ever closer to a 24/7 network neural life, still, you have to admit its pretty awesome when you ask an author who you respect a question and they respond back. Cheers.

George R.R. Martin is not your bitch.

The rights of the author are often overlooked for the sake of the reader. For those unaware George R.R. Martin is the best selling author of A Song of Ice and Fire (Fantasy Series). What Tolkien was to generations past, he is to ours. Ask anyone who reads heavy fantasy of an epic nature and George R.R. Martin’s name will inevitably pop up, along side Steven Erikson, Terry Brooks, & R.A. Salvatore to name a few. A long running argument on various bulletin boards, discussion forums, and coffee houses focuses on what the author owes the reader, specifically George R.R. Martin. Martin has released only 4 of his books in a series that is projected to be at 5 or 6. Martin on average has released each subsequent book in the series at 4 or 5 year intervals. This frustrates many of his fans because Martin keeps an active blog [ Which I urge you to check out. ] Martin actively tours, blogs, writes short stories, etc, and according to certain critics anything short of writing the next book in the series is betrayal, and this is apparently unacceptable. While I often am frustrated by the length of time that each book takes for the next release, I also understand that he’s a fellow human being and has a life on his own. He doesn’t owe the reader anything, it is our privilege to read works that he shares with the world. 

As Erin put it: “What have you written lately?” 

Neil Gaiman recently responded to a question on his blog which tackles this issue. Enjoy and try to keep in mind Mr. Gaiman’s advice: “George R.R. Martin is not your bitch.” 

Also, Neil Gaiman is one of the most hilarious and fun twitterers(is that right?) to follow, enjoy and follow him @neilhimself. 

Influence

It is somewhat humbling to realize that my tastes in literature has the power to influence people. My brother Chris just confirmed this for me. I guess I cannot take all the credit, some credit must be given to Mr. Neil Gaiman. Chris was looking for something to pick up at the bookstore and we have very similar tastes in literature, fiction, graphic novels, etc. So it was with great pleasure that I listened to him ask me the following question: “What’s the deal with the Sandman series?” BUY IT, BUY IT NOW!!!!

I was surprised to hear just a few minutes later via text that instead of going with the individual trade paperback editions, brother Chris purchased one of four massive Absolute Sandman editions, and they are not simply great in size, but in cost as well at a staggering $100+. I hope that I have set you on the path towards greatness brother Chris, soon enough you’ll be addicted to Neil Gaiman and that is an addiction well worth the pain it will place upon your wallet. Enjoy and good readings.

Miscellany.

Thursdays are usually Blog days. The first part of my week is filled with schoolwork, as well as hotel work and as a result I am either too tired or too busy to update. Quite a bit has happened this past week.

Let us start with the most obvious: Barack Obama: President Elect. While I am pleased to see that there is now a person of color in the Oval Office and that history has indeed been made, I am still wary of this so called “CHANGE!”.

Yes, Barack Obama has a positive message and has run an admirable campaign. But he is also a Harvard Law School Lawyer who has spent his entire life in Politics. Why should I trust this man because of the struggles he’s endured. Or, because of his professing “Yes, We can! Change!” which is a clever rhetorical strategy for any politician to employ, no clever that McCain tried to use this same rhetoric during his speech in the NRC.

I guess that we will all see the results of America’s choice in this President and whether or not he is capable of keeping his promises. Only time will tell. Until then, people will just have to content themselves with a Historical social barrier being broken and the inspiration that this act has engendered in so many people.

Michael Crighton passed away yesterday. And while many will scoff at his “literary” contributions it is still a tragedy when someone as influential as him in the publishing world passes away. I, like most everyone I know who reads on a regular basis, experienced a period where I enjoyed many “airport-books”: Crighton, Clancy, Grisham, etc. And while literary elites will sneer at this type of genre fiction, I would suggest that there is nothing wrong with this particular preference as long as one understands that this is a particular type of fiction and as such to expect Nobel like fiction is to engage in folly. I mean this man has brought us the joy of Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain, Congo, Rising Sun, all books that have been adapted, some good and some not so much. Still his contributions will be missed.

I have yet to figure out what my major Theory paper will focus on. I must choose one particular “piece” and another specific theorists that we have covered in course. I have been considering Ezra Pound’s “The Cantos”, obviously not the entire work, but a few choice Canto and would use this piece in relation with Saussure’s theory on semiotics and language systems. Still not sure yet. We’ll have to see.

Not much else is going in life, just work and school and more work.

Oh and I did pick up the Third Volume of Neil Gaiman’s ABSOLUTE SANDMAN. Only one more to go and I’ll own the entire series in fancy leather-bound volumes. I’m uber excited. I already have the entire series in trade paperback graphic novel form, but this is something altogether different. Cheers.