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Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 5621
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: 
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 27, 2007 - 11:23 am: | 
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IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD--
As an artist I have sought to express my art primarily in print
Such artists are called writers
Like many writers I have sought to purvey my art to the audience mostly in broadsides, chapbooks, newsletters, newspapers, magazines, pamplets, and in the Golden Fleece--the almighty BOOK
The mechanically reproduced word is hundreds of years old (the handwritten thousands of years before that and the spoken word, the original communicant, thousands of years older than that)
In the last centruy you have had new technologies, film, recorded sound, radio, televison, now the internet.
Still print has hung in there. Still print has been the Holy grail.
Getting a novel published is the be all and end all I thought--
Til yesterday
A woman's friends were planning a baby shower.
This past Wednesday they went to a guy and asked him if he could put together an audio visual production by yesterday--Friday.
How can he do that, I wondered. Where is his film camera, his actors, his darkrooms? I offered to help, maybe in writing a script or a poem.
About an hour later hecomes to me holding a voice recorder and a digital still camera.
He snaps several photos of me and asks me for some words of wisdom. I mumble something about "Keep on doing what you're doing)
Yesterday he trots it out.
It's a DVD. He has gone around to several people, snapped pictures, recorded a few sentences. He has
Edited the pictures into a narrative
Provided voice overs
Added music and effects
Put together a digital card with pictures and sound.
I'm sitting there flabbergasted
With this technology a person can make his own movies, I think. Why bother with doing short stories, essays, books when you can do this, which has even more impact on a big screen though a projector.
Some saidhe could even put it on youtube. Or download it and send it around.
Mother of Mercy!
Is this the end of books n things?
Is Print a Thing of the past? |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 10494
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 27, 2007 - 01:28 pm: |
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Probably. Time brings change. Books will become relics, and print wil be like hieroglyphics, the written history of a civilization from the electronic age. A dictionary will be like a Rosetta stone.
All of these artifacts will one day be found among the ruins of the planet earth, and alien archeologists from outer space will be sorting through the debris, looking for the tomb of Queen Hillary and her second-in-command Barak Obama.
"The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all your Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it."
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Hen81
First Time Poster
Username: Hen81
Post Number: 1
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 27, 2007 - 01:36 pm: |
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I'm D T Pollard and this is my first post. This topic is central to the direction many books take today as they compete with a video driven culture. Attention grabbing covers and sex laden tales try to grab attention in an A D D type culture.
I have created several video presentations for birthday parties and added audio, fadeouts etc. with my personal computer. Some of this software comes standard with new computers. Add a low cost copier/printer/scanner and photos both digital or hardcopy can be used.
The public is used to video clips as ways of information delivery. I have created one video of one of my three books and posted it on my website and standalone on YouTube, Vimeo, Google, Yahoo etc. This video gives the same talk I present a book signings. Between all of these postings there have been over 1,100 views of the video.
Its difficult to compete with the video world for attention with books, but it may be possible to use video to our advantage. Books will always be vital, but getting the attention of a visual society is getting tougher. My book Rooftop Diva-A Novel of Triumph After Katrina- has been contracted to an audio book publisher due to demand from libraries. I have had audio requests at signings as some people told me that they didn't have time to read, but hey could listen to it on audio.
www.DTPollard.com
http://www.essence.com/essence/books/0,16109,1661358,00.html
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Urban_scribe
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Urban_scribe
Post Number: 557
Registered: 05-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 27, 2007 - 01:37 pm: |
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I sure hope that printed material will never die! I don't believe it will, but with all of today's technology and what we can expect in the future, it makes you wonder.
I have a PDA cellphone. From my phone I can send and receive text messages, emails, surf the web, pay bills, make purchases over the Internet, take pictures, read, write, and edit Word documents and Excel spreadsheets, convert files to PDF format, listen to music, sychronize with my PC, watch slide shows, record and play videos, record a 2 minute memo to myself, manage my bank accounts, take notes, schedule appointments, store phone numbers, address book, voice dial, (I push a button and say "phone home" and my phone calls my house; I say "Mama" and it dials my mother), play games, and make and receive phone calls - all with a little thingamajig that fits in the palm of my hand.
Last weekend I took pictures of my kids just for fun with my phone. I saved them to my 1G storage card, sent my son to Staples to buy photo paper, inserted the memory card in my printer then printed out as many copies of each photo as I wanted; in various sizes. Who needs the 1-hour photoshop? I did everything they do myself in about 20 minutes for half the price. I then inserted the memory card back in my phone and emailed the pictures to my mom.
The kicker is, this past Tuesday my kids brought home their annual school photo order form. I usually order a package and have my kids' school pictures taken. For the first time, I threw that badboy right in the trash.
I think pix and video are one thing, books are another. I can't get into the whole eBook thang. I like the feel of a printed book in my hands. I enjoy the whole process of licking the tip of my index finger and turning the page. |
Hen81
Newbie Poster
Username: Hen81
Post Number: 2
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 27, 2007 - 01:53 pm: |
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I think that is the point. I had to adjust my thinking on having my book published in audio. It has an isbn #, pays royalties and is a book in every sense, except for paper. When it is available in that format it can be downloaded to an iPOD or other MP3 player or bought on CD.
Books will continue, but liberation from paper will play a larger role as time goes on.
Every book will not become a movie and movie adaptations are not word for word like an unabridged audio version.
www.DTPollard.com |
Enchanted
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Enchanted
Post Number: 1063
Registered: 11-2005
Rating: 
Votes: 4 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 27, 2007 - 02:23 pm: |
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hey DT how come the girl on your cover dont look anyting like the real life katrina victims? that the reason I wont buy your book is she latina? |
Hen81
Newbie Poster
Username: Hen81
Post Number: 3
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 27, 2007 - 02:55 pm: |
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You can judge a book by its cover, but looks can be deceiving. The character is from Louisiana and in other times would be considered a Mulatto. Her mother was a black woman and her father a white doctor who played little part in her upbringing.
That is not unknown in that part of the country. Her parentage actually adds to the overall story. I have the first parts of my book as a read-inside link on my website and it touches on her heritage.
www.DTPollard.com |
Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 5630
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, October 29, 2007 - 10:15 am: |
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Mzuri said that. I don't think books will completely die--the radio is still kicking and tv did not destroy the movies as many thought it would
But this certainly has put something in the game |
Yvettep
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 2406
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, October 29, 2007 - 10:25 am: |
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It is a great myth of technological development that "new" technologies always (or even often) replace old ones. The fact is, in most cases new technologies co-exist side by side with older ones, often for many years or even generations. "Print" has had to adapt to newer times, and will continue to have to do so.
Also, it will remain for years to come the organizing frame for newer technologies. For example, consider the things you have on your computer that you see as soon as the screen lights up and how they are organized: You likely have "documents" that are on your "desktop" that may be grouped into "folders." There is no reason for patterns of 1s and 0s to be called these things except for the fact that these "old" labels are how we still think about our work and our workspaces. |
Yvettep
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 2407
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, October 29, 2007 - 10:29 am: |
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P.S., at a workshop I attended a few years ago about computer games in higher education, a major commercial game developer said that he wished more writers would write for video games. He said most non-gamers think of them as pure action, but the biggest thing driving newer games is a strong sense of concept and narrative. But generally folks who are good at writing game code are not necessarily good at coming up with concepts, characters, plot lines, and such.
Not saying that this will replace the novel or every author should jump on this boat. But it does point out for me that there will be a need for storytellers for some time to come. |
Yvettep
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 2408
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, October 29, 2007 - 10:32 am: |
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Hen81, I love audiobooks. For me they have not replaced the printed word. In fact, I have found that in the years I have been buying audiobooks, my regular reading has actually increased. |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 10530
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, October 29, 2007 - 01:20 pm: |
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How many times in modern day society has it been proven that the old way is the better way. Aspirin is still one of the most effective pain killers around and this over-the-counter remedy available for as little as 99 cents a bottle has been called a wonder drug by some researchers as new uses for it continue to be discovered.
In a computerized world, I think the print-out is here to stay. Maybe.
As the collector of a postal pension I do find myself wondering if snail mail will ever become obsolete, and how much time do I have before I go on welfare. |
Hen81
Newbie Poster
Username: Hen81
Post Number: 7
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, October 29, 2007 - 01:58 pm: |
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Just as music moved from vinyl to CD to digital download, books will move from paper. This will be slow indeed as the main thing with music is hearing and sound. The newer formats actually improved quality and portability.
The same has not happened with books as the need to read them still exists. You can listen, but that requires an expensive step of production with people reading the written version and the production of the final piece has to occur.
If text to voice technology is perfected, then things may change. The investment weight of the current system of producing books is a major barrier to anything new catching on.
www.DTPollard.com |
Jabarnesohio
First Time Poster
Username: Jabarnesohio
Post Number: 1
Registered: 11-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 12, 2007 - 12:11 am: |
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I'm experimenting with other forms of publishing a book besides print. Just this month, I launched a serialized novel (remember those, from Dicken's time) using various epistolary forms (letters, journal entries, official reports, slave narratives) published on a blog. It's an historical novel about the unplanned alliance between the Union army during the March to the Sea and the newly-freed black people who joined them on the march. Check it out at
http://www.shermans5th.blogspot.com/
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Yvettep
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 2446
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 12, 2007 - 07:53 am: |
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Wow. This sounds very, very intriguing. Do you already have the serial pieces written or are you writing them as you go along and post to the blog?
Did you decide explitly to arrange the blog posts in the traditional blogging chronology (w/newest posts appearing first)? I know this is the default for most blogging software. I wonder if, for a serialized novel/writing project, a more book-like chronology--oldest posts to newer posts-- would be better, but then it might be more difficult for folks following your tale from te beginning... |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 10632
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 12, 2007 - 01:21 pm: |
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This is quite an innovative and admirable undertaking. You label it as historical fiction. I'm unclear as to whether this alliance between Sherman and the slaves he encounters on his famous march through Georgia is a well-kept secret, or is it just something the could've happened??
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Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 10637
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 12, 2007 - 04:55 pm: |
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Jabarnesohio
Newbie Poster
Username: Jabarnesohio
Post Number: 4
Registered: 11-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 12, 2007 - 10:53 pm: |
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Yvettep and Cynique: Thanks for your comments about my novel blog. To answer some of the questions: yes, I already have the novel written for the most part, but I also have the flexibility with this form of altering what I have even after it's been published on the blog. I'm always finding new material in some of my old sources, for instance the official records of the Civil War, in the slave narratives, etc.
About the historical fiction element: it is true that thousands (some say tens of thousands) of blacks left their homes (the plantations) and followed the army from Atlanta to Savannah. Many of the soldiers document the interactions in their own journals, but since these are from the soldiers' perspectives, what we get often is a parady of the blacks, and even derision, not an "inside view." For a particularly haunting story about this interaction, check out "Betrayal at Ebeneezer Creek," (on the web at http://www.historynet.com/magazines/civil_war_times/3026396.html. This is one of the stories that led me to research and write the novel. I have chosen to fuse these actual letters, diaries, and slave narratives, with fictional letters, etc. written by my fictional heroine, Jennie Lewis. While the relationship between Jennie and Sherman is fictional in the novel, I came across a letter (and other sources) written by a Southern woman who claimed Sherman had a black mistress on the march. That letter will be part of the Nov. 24 post.
Finally, on the blog format. I have kept the newest posts first, for the very reason you stated. However, I added a note for first time visitors to explain how to find the beginning of the novel.
I hope you will follow the story through January 2008. Thanks! |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 10644
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 13, 2007 - 05:17 pm: |
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Your work is reminiscent of the "belle lettres" genre, Jabarnesohio, which was the style used by Alice Walker in "The Color Purple". |
Troy
Veteran Poster
Username: Troy
Post Number: 916
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 13, 2007 - 09:33 pm: |
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Chrishayden,
While the technology permits us all to create wonderful things like high definition movies, websites and even books; the challenge remains: It simply is not that easy to produce something that is any good.
Despite the challenges this new technology has been a godsend. The benefits to us all have been innumerable and this will continue for the foreseeable future.
We still need good writers and story tellers any media without y’all is just a waste of technology
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