Words, Words, Words

I spent the mid-week in New York City. Besides working on my jaded deadpan "I have seen it all" look for the subway and street, which seems to be a pre-req for citizen status (at least honorary) in N.Y.C., I had a rich time at the Media Bistro E-Book conference. It is certainly a time of great transition in publishing. From what I can discern, the book market is going to bifurcate into two halves.

First, the boutique store, either used or new, that caters to what makes bookstores interesting. Discovering literary gems by walking around...to find books that you know you are looking for without knowing that you are looking for them. Second, the E-Book, content delivered to your computer screen or some facsimile.

Media mediators play a big role in both types...people who can help one narrow the search, either indirectly by what they choose to draw attention to in terms of offerings or helping make a selection in regards to what is presented as choices. There will be the middle-ground, but kiss good-bye to Barnes and Noble, Border's, and the Public Library. It will take awhile, yet the death rattle is shaking.

Also, see ya to large top-heavy publishers, used to taking the lion's share of the cut because they used to take the risk. The risk is now gone from E-Publishing. The media mediators have more credibility if they choose books on the basis of what they really think is good versus what they are paid to parrot what they are told to by their supervisors within the company confines.

While my wife was purchasing clothes at trendy stores on Washington Street in Hoboken, I skirted away to the Symposia, a non-profit bookstore. That seemed better than doing time on the "Man Bench" in the women's clothing store. Lina encouraged me to go to the bookstore and I didn't require much cajoling. I also thought I might be able to not only hang out at the bookstore but also make some purchases. In the Yin-Yang of clothes vs. books, when Lina buys clothes, it creates justification for me to buy books. As a rule, we are both economical...so cutting loose and buying a few sweaters and books is about as wild as it gets. Financial libertines, I know.

I will blog more about the three books I bought. They are all intensely personal...telling me things about myself that I need to discover, uncover, and recover.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shake the Dust: Anis Mojgani

Pslam 90:2 "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." I am not real certain where Anis Mojgani comes from belief-wise. Cats like him tend to be synchrestic spiritually rather than Christ-centered. Yet, this poem captures the spirit of Jesus. What this poem also needs is grace....we shake off sin and mortality and take on Christ and immortality. This is for the fat girls This is for the little brothers For the former prom queen And for the milk crate ball players This is for the school yard wimps And the childhood bullies that tormented them Shake the dust. This is for the benches and the people sitting upon them. This is for the bus drivers driving a million broken hymns And for the men who have to hold down 3 jobs, Simply to hold up their children. For the nighttime schoolers And for the midnight bike riders trying to fly Shake the dust. For the two year olds who cann
Read more

White Shoes, White Stones

Rev 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it. (ASV) With the white stone mentioned above in the Scripture verse, "And will give him a white stone" it is "Supposed that by the white stone is meant pardon or acquittance, and the evidence of it; and that there is an allusion here to the custom observed by judges in ancient times, who were accustomed to give their suffrages by white and black pebbles; those who gave the former were for absolving the culprit, those who gave the latter were for his condemnation." (Clarke) What has brought about this essay was my purchasing the other day of some very white and new Nike jogging shoes. My old pair of Nike's have been worn down. I was developing serious pain in my feet which is a solid sign that it is t
Read more

Going Rogue: Dare, Risk, Dream

Image
I picked up a bumper sticker at a Pub recently from the Rogue Brewery . On it there are the words: DARE, RISK, DREAM. Typically, the word Rogue is a negative term. I will let you decide if Sarah Palin and her book has made the word less or more so. Initially, I taped the bumper sticker to my computer lap top with the backing still on it in case I wanted to remove it. Just a second ago, I committed fully, and pulled the backing off and affixed it to my Dell. No turning back. Is that not an illustration of how to accomplish great things? We have to stick and commit. If we go taping ourselves to the backs of things, it leads to easier removal but also to tepid efforts. Now, if I take this bumper sticker off the back of my lap top it is going to be a mess...I am all in. Consequences be damned. My summer vacation officially began today at noon (why else would I be blogging at 3:26 am?) and my creed for the summer is DARE, RISK, DREAM. A Kerouac quote to light the fireworks... "Great th
Read more