Monthly Archives: June 2011

Huck Finn: An Alternate Take

Posted on June 30, 2011 by

When Alan Gribben, a Mark Twain scholar from Montgomery, decided to put out an edited version of Huck Finn minus the racial slurs, the blogosphere and the newsosphere went nuts. Bloggers, columnists, writers, academics–all jumped on the topic, most to … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Great Story Songs of Yore

Posted on June 28, 2011 by

Is it just me or is the melodramatic story song a lost art? Here are some gems from the long-ago time before “niche programming” made pop songs about cannibalism all but impossible to pull off. Run, Joey, Run Thank you, … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Pop Culture | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Some Kickin’ Book Signings

Posted on June 27, 2011 by

I worked at Tattered Cover Book Store for ten years, and in that time, was present for roughly a thousand book signings. Which ones worked? Which didn’t? Here are a few that stand out:

Posted in Marketing, Self-Promotion | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Some Thoughts on Book Signings (while they still exist)

Posted on June 25, 2011 by

Though the days of extended book tours at brick-and-mortar stores might be fading fast, good self-promotional skills never die. So if you’re lucky enough to find yourself in front of an audience of potential buyers at an event, here are … Continue reading →

Posted in Marketing, Self-Promotion | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Summer TV; Not an Oxymoron Anymore

Posted on June 23, 2011 by

Just when you thought it was safe to turn off your TV and go outside for awhile, the cable networks come along and make sure you keep power-lounging. Here’s what I’m programming into the DVR this summer:

Posted in Pop Culture, Reviews, TV | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Some of the Loudest Movies Ever

Posted on June 21, 2011 by

Ever notice the sound effects editors seem to work overtime on some films? From explosions to machines to screaming to music, and all combinations of the above, have your remote handy so you can keep adjusting the volume for these … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies, Pop Culture, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Websites That Fail

Posted on June 19, 2011 by

Previously, I highlighted some websites and blogs that I found to be awesome. In the yin to that yang, here’s the awesome-not-so-much.  I won’t pick on anyone specific, but there were some booboos I noticed over and over that really … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Marketing, New Media, Self-Promotion | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Websites That Win

Posted on June 18, 2011 by

When I was surfing the web, as the techies say, trying to envision my own website, I checked out seemingly millions of blogs and websites. I discovered something: some of them suck. I decided I didn’t want to have one … Continue reading →

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Twitterpated

Posted on June 16, 2011 by

Twitterpated: adj., confused by affection or infatuation. I hear you, Twitterers. Tweeters? Twits? I know you think people must join you or they will waste away in the new media landscape like zombies with no brains to eat. I hear … Continue reading →

Posted in Marketing, New Media | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Another Writer Jumps on the Blogwagon.

Posted on June 14, 2011 by

I’m an aspiring novelist and decided after years of waffling to merge onto the information highway. (This is back when the internet was still called that.) First exit: Stop calling it the information highway, there, 1995.

Posted in Blogging, New Media | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments