Articles from June 2005

More On Controlling The Story

June 30th, 2005 · Comments Off on More On Controlling The Story

Mary Beth Lucas once said to us, “Bias is everywhere. Your job is to try to keep it out of your work as much as possible.” We were young, freshman year in high school, and quite sure we would write as neutrally as required. We were going to be Brenda Starr and journalists reported without […]

File Under: Square Pegs

All Hail Warrior Librarians

June 30th, 2005 · Comments Off on All Hail Warrior Librarians

Words are dangerous, dangerous things. Access to words can lead to the one thing oppressors hate most: thinking. A thoughtful, questioning populace is the most dangerous threat a dictator can face. In times of fear, cutting off access to words becomes the weapon of choice. In Cuba, though largely underreported by the media, librarians are […]

File Under: Square Pegs

Putting The Breaking Back In News

June 29th, 2005 · Comments Off on Putting The Breaking Back In News

We admit it: we delighted in the mental image of the Paris literary scene being shaken to the core. Absent live video, we were left to make do with a monolithic scene of Jacques-Louis David clarity, one where all members of said literary scene were conveniently located in the same cafe. The flaw with this […]

File Under: Square Pegs

And Reviews. Again.

June 29th, 2005 · Comments Off on And Reviews. Again.

We still have mixed feelings about anonymous reviews. Sure, a huge part of us demands that reviewers stand up and take responsibility for their work. What’s wrong with standing behind your opinion? Then we start thinking that anonymity allows for a certain level of freedom, especially if the reviewer is part of the community they’re […]

File Under: Books/Mags/Blogs

This Really Cute Guy Just Moved Next Door

June 28th, 2005 · Comments Off on This Really Cute Guy Just Moved Next Door

So there we were, swinging in the hammock, watching the hummingbirds chase each other (they really do have a lot of excess energy). Suddenly, the sound of a moving van interrupted our half-sleep. What? A new neighbor? And here things had been so quiet. What’s with the excitement on our block? On one side, we […]

File Under: Books/Mags/Blogs

AgentSpeak: Bold Voices

June 28th, 2005 · Comments Off on AgentSpeak: Bold Voices

There were lots of words we didn’t understand in MediaBistro’s profile of Larry Weissman Literary LLC. Media landscape, cultural taste-trackers, that sort of thing. What we did understand that there’s an agent out there eager to represent bold young journalists who specialize in literary narrative nonfiction (something, we presume, you know when you see it). […]

File Under: Agents

Writers Need Income Too

June 28th, 2005 · Comments Off on Writers Need Income Too

If you’re looking for a reason not to write for the Village Voice, might we point you to the latest offer from management to staff? In addition to the traditional benefit cuts (which we’re sure somebody is going to fix — you want your crisis? Try health care, and not just for artists), there’s a […]

File Under: Square Pegs

Either The Numbers Are Lying, Or Someone Out There Is Reading

June 28th, 2005 · Comments Off on Either The Numbers Are Lying, Or Someone Out There Is Reading

At some point, someone will need to reconcile the fact that kids today don’t read with the fact that Harry Potter orders are skyrocketing. But we’ll leave that task to those who understand bell curves and whatnot. We want to focus on the positive for the moment. At this rate, pre-orders should top the 1.3 […]

File Under: Books/Mags/Blogs

Continuing Our Train of Thought

June 27th, 2005 · Comments Off on Continuing Our Train of Thought

Laws always have a hard time keeping up with rapid changes in society and technology. In many ways, this is a good thing. Laws should be deliberate, not reactionary. Sometimes, however, a slow pace can be destructive. Which is why, like music clearances, you’re going to be hearing more about patent infringements. Which, by the […]

File Under: Square Pegs

Taking The Fair Out of Use

June 27th, 2005 · Comments Off on Taking The Fair Out of Use

It is a generally accepted principle that art builds upon art. Books, movies, songs, even paintings take cues from what has come before. Stories and themes are reexamined. Pieces of other works are incorporated into new works. But then art became big business. It was no longer controlled by the artist — once art became […]

File Under: Square Pegs