The past never goes anywhere. It is with us always. In the culture of the “now” we risk losing out on the transformative power of recollecting that which has passed away. Reflecting upon personal gains and losses through the lenses of accumulated experience and knowledge guides one towards a more meaningful life. Ignoring the past is folly. Know where you’ve been to get where you’re… [Read More]
If you want to watch a rising star with a bestselling book, look to Andrew Kessler and Martian Summer. He’s part gonzo journalist, i.e. Mary Roach with gonads, and part wacky hip ad-man, i. e. his real life gig as Creative Director, HUGE. The social media buzz isn’t shameless self-promotion; it’s comedy central. Yup, the book trailers are only a piece to this sweet marketing mix… [Read More]
Art Spiegelman wrote the only comic book ever to have won a Pulitzer Prize. Maus: A Survivor’s Tale is a memoir of his father, Vladek, a Polish Jew and Holocaust survivor. In Spiegelman’s comic book, Jews are depicted as mice, while Nazis are depicted as cats. In an obvious nod to Spiegelman’s artistic genius, this animation video by Evgeny Morozov uses mice to represent citizens… [Read More]
In light of the recent Mid-East upheavals, I came across this video that I consider a new perspective, and wanted to share it with you. The assumption has been that The Internet helps promote democracy. That’s what the Buzz Leaders tell us. You’ve probably heard the stories of bloggers and Twitter users helping to protest against evil dictators or unfair governments. In an effort to… [Read More]
HarperCollins now offers prospective authors AUTHONOMY. This is more than a self-publishing venture. It’s a cash cow based on wannabe authors’ vanity; not on selling books. They get writers to register at their exclusive site and gain feedback from other writers in a community of commentators and critics. Posting their writing on this corporate site is also a breeding ground for new ideas beyond agents’… [Read More]