Harvesting the Ephemeral
Tuesday February 21, 2006
The legacy of “X” ... in Reading
41 years ago today on February 21, 1965 ...
Three gunmen rushed Malcolm X onstage at a speaking engagement in the Manhattan's Audubon Ballroom. They shot him 15 times at close range. The 39-year-old was pronounced dead on arrival at New York's Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.
I remember when I first head about Malcolm X. I was curious. So I read. And I read "The Ballot or the Bullet." An amazing speech. I read with wide open eyes and forgot to breathe. You may not agree with the message, but you can not deny the passion.
"This is why I say it’s the ballot or the bullet. It’s liberty or it’s death. It’s freedom for everybody or freedom for nobody. America today finds herself in a unique situation. Historically, revolutions are bloody. Oh, yes, they are. They haven’t never had a blood-less revolution, or a non-violent revolution. That don’t happen even in Hollywood. You don’t have a revolution in which you love your enemy, and you don’t have a revolution in which you are begging the system of exploitation to integrate you into it. Revolutions overturn systems. Revolutions destroy systems."
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» Tags: Malcolm X, Black History
Wednesday September 28, 2005
Writers Are Like Otters ... in Reading
Time.com has an interview with Neil Gaiman and Joss Whedon. Good stuff.
"Joss Whedon and Neil Gaiman may well be the two most interesting people creating popular culture right now. Whedon is the man behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, and he wrote and directed the science fiction film Serenity, which opens Sept. 30th. Gaiman created the instant-classic comic book Sandman, and he's the author of the new novel Anansi Boys, out this month. He has a new movie, Mirrormask, which also opens Sept. 30. They chatted on the phone together—chaperoned by TIME's Lev Grossman—about their work, their fans, their Klingon bodyguards and, of course, Timecop."
Wednesday June 22, 2005
The Genius Factory ... in Reading
What if I told you an eccentric millionaire, having decided that America was heading down the genetic tubes (pun intended), went on a crusade to artificially inseminate women with the sperm of geniuses? You probably would tell me that I should stop reading so many scifi books. When I read about "The Genius Factory", I immediately thought of the movie The Boys from Brazil, starring Gregroy Peck. "What a rip off" I thought initially. But then, as I read on, I realized it was true. Holy crap!
"The Genius Factory is the story of the most radical human-breeding experiment in American history: the Nobel Prize sperm bank. It opened to notorious fanfare in 1980, and for two decades, women flocked to the bank from all over the country to choose a sperm donor from its roster of Nobel-laureate scientists, mathematical prodigies, successful businessmen, and star athletes. But the bank quietly closed its doors in 1999--its founder dead, its confidential records sealed, and the fate of its children and donors unknown. While researching Nobelist William Shockley, a donor to the bank, award-winning Slate columnist David Plotz kept coming across references to the Repository. He realized that no one knew how this audacious venture had turned out. So in early 2001, Plotz set out to solve the mystery of the Nobel Prize sperm bank."
Friday June 03, 2005
Do's and Don'ts for Book Signings ... in Reading
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Reading through Neil Gaiman's blog, I came across an entry where he lists some do's and don'ts for people attending on his book signings (which I have done.) I would have to say my favorite helpful hit would be:
"11) Remember your name. Know how to spell it, even under pressure, such as being asked."
I think I am going to add that to my morning checklist. If I can't get past that one, I'm staying in bed until things look better.
My experience on having Neil Gaiman sign some of my books (I have a very large collection os his writings) was a very positive one. He was very patient, which was admirable considering the length of the line and the number of items he was asked to sign. I was nervous, and determined to think of something witty to say (which he also comments on - I laughed.) So finally my turn came, and I handed over my Sandman #1 (see image). He gently removed the comic from the slipcase, handling it with great care, and drew some pretty cool art on the cover before signing it. He signed a couple of more books, and then I asked him a question about the ending of Neverwhere. I was curious if the feather meant anything, and he replied that the feather meant nothing, and it was just a red herring. I then told him "thank you very much." He smiled and answered "you are very welcome." Nice chap.
On a side note, I just discovered they are doing a comic version of his book Neverwhere. Very cool indeed. I'll be adding those to the collection.
Tuesday May 24, 2005
Do the Happy Dance! Make 02 is here ... in Reading
Woohoo! 
Make 02 showed up in my mailbox yesterday. I haven't been this excited about magazines since the days of Epic Illustrated Magazine.
Thursday May 19, 2005
Reading Frenzy ... in Reading
I recently went on a reading binge, going through a bunch of my favorites in rapid succession. In two weeks I had read through:
I've been looking around for more books, and came across Rich Burridge's review of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. So now that's on my wish list, thank you very much. Also I've been on the prowl for the Deryni Series by Katherine Kurtz. For now, I've been eyeing Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson, and so will probably read that again next.
