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Archive for the 'Books' Category

QOTD: Newspaper stories are fleeting things

Wednesday, March 14th, 2007

“Newspaper stories are fleeting things. The thing that makes this business so remarkable, that every day we get a new canvas to paint on, is also what makes it so unsatisfying. The story, almost always, dies with the day, the pages of the day-old paper turning yellow in the sun.”
— Rick Bragg

Sadly, the Internet makes them even more so. In mere hours, or even before the ink dries on the newsprint, the story is outdated or dead, new developments already known and broadcast. But, as he says about it being remarkable, it’s also exciting. There’s always a deadline to work against, and it’s always ASAP.

(P.S. This quote is from the introduction to Bragg’s book Somebody Told Me, which I came across at a used bookstore this weekend. So far I’ve only read a few of his collected stories, but they’re really good.)

Harry Potter and the… can I take my vacation the week after July 21?

Thursday, February 1st, 2007

I heard the news on the radio this morning on my way to work: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be released on July 21. Yep, in just under six months I will have a copy of the last installment in the series.

I do realize these are children’s books. But do you realize, I began reading them when I was about Harry’s age. (OK, I was actually 13. But still.) Imagine the agony of waiting nearly a decade to find out how the story ends. Well, I guess if that’s the worst that happens to me or the longest I wait for anything, than life’s good. But still.

I am so excited about just knowing when I’ll be able to sit down and read the book. It’s nice to know that it’s completed, too. I always worried that some freak accident might occur and she’d never be able to finish the series. We’d be left never knowing what became of Harry and everyone.

Maybe I can call dibs on the story we’ll inevitably do about it? (Kids + reading = education, right?) I remember I got to do the story on the release of the sixth book. It was so exciting to be surrounded by a thousand little kids who were eager to get their hands on a book. Not an iPod, not a PS3 or a Wii. A book. Just words on a page with a few illustrations thrown in for good measure. Of course, the downside was I’d ordered my book from Amazon. So, as those lucky brats got their hands on the books at midnight, I had to wait for UPS to stop by my house the next day.

Speaking of illustrations, the cover Amazon’s displaying is pretty plain compared to the others in the series. Is that the real cover? Hrm. I guess it must be.

Re: Book written in txt msg – CNN.com

Saturday, January 27th, 2007

You have got to be kidding me: Re: Book written in txt msg – CNN.com.

Because reading poor English and incomprehensible acronymns all over the Internet and in e-mails isn’t enough. Now, you can waste your time reading an entire novel. The point of text messages is to be short, to the point. Unless this novel is about one page long, it’s a conversation better left not in text message format.

I still cringe when certain professors, who used to be editors and definitely know better, use the phrase “thnx” is an e-mail. It makes me want to cry. Sadly, I’m not kidding. And while I’m certainly guilty of my share of “lol,” “btw,” “omg” and “wtf,” I do draw the line somewhere.

This book is like from here to China past that line.

Some notes about the blog

Saturday, December 30th, 2006

I’ve officially had this blog for more than a month.

In that time, I’ve missed exactly two days posting. So far, I’ve only missed one day in December. Most days I’ve had several posts. In fact, I’m quickly approaching my 100th post. I’d say that’s not bad.

I switched up the design on the top of the blog. What used to be a composition notebook is now a stack of newspapers. (Note to any of those wondering, that was actually just one week’s worth of the newspapers I’d accumulated in my office. I read four newspapers a day in print, sometimes more.) I think the newspapers hit the journalist part home more than the composition notebook did. Carl had suggested I add a computer, and I took some photos of my MacBook, but I decided my keyboard was enough for now. It’s subtle enough.

I added a calendar to the sidebar this morning. I’m still tweaking the design of it, but yeah. I also may add a few more things to the sidebar. Maybe a “What I’m reading” box, so everyone can follow along with my latest books. Plus, then I could keep a running list of the books I read and buy in 2007. (An idea I totally stole from Katie.)

I also updated the about page and the sidebar about myself. Now the sidebar is a list of random things worth knowing about me. It’s funny, but it’s a pretty quick snapshot of what I’m all about.

I am going to start in January doing a daily quote. (For those who don’t know, I’m obsessed with quotes.) I have a random quote in the sidebar already that changes with each refresh. But, I come across quotes I like every day. So, I think I’m going to start doing a “daily quote” or “daily inspiration.” It could be anything from something I read in a book to something I read in the newspaper to just a really good quote I came across. Today’s entry would be the one I just swapped into my e-mail signature:

“Fate loves the fearless.”
— James Russell Lowell

Finally, I wanted to note that now when you search my name in Google, the first result is this site. I don’t pretend to understand the inner workings of Google and how pages are ranked, added, sorted or anything. But at least now anyone wanting to know about me sees this before some random stories I wrote about May 4 for the 35th anniversary DKS a few years back. That’s reassuring.

Other than that, I think that’s all I have going on.

Kent State College Prowler

Thursday, December 21st, 2006

I just stumbled upon the Kent State University College Prowler book on Amazon. I don’t remember what series of clicks or searches landed me there. But it made me smile.

A book I helped edit can be purchased online on Amazon.com.

Yeah, in my list of things to achieve in life, writing a book is in the top 10. It will be a long time before that happens. But copy editing and fact checking the College Prowler book for Steve was one of those random forays into book publishing. The book is essentially a college students take on Kent State. (College Prowler has one student at each university compile the information and put together the book with his/her team.)

If you look at the “search inside” pages and click on “Copyright” you’ll see my name listed as a member of the bounce-back team. I don’t get any credit or money for the week I didn’t sleep because I had to read and re-read the manuscript or the constant complaining from Steve I had to endure as he struggled to compile the information for the book (with the help of most of the Summer Kent Stater staff). But, in the end, just seeing this on Amazon is kind of cool.

Harry Potter 7?

Thursday, December 21st, 2006

I began reading the Harry Potter series in middle school — early middle school. That I haven’t outgrown or gotten bored with the series is testament to the quality of the content and writing.

I started with book two and have had to wait it out for each subsequent book to arrive. I’ve been eagerly awaiting the final installment for quite some time now.

Apparently, now Scholastic has announced the final book’s title, and drumroll please, it will be “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”

Cue wild fan speculation and fanfic for the next year and a half before the book ever hits stores or even Amazon.com.

UPDATE! Wait, you don’t even have to wait for the speculation and book stores. Borders immediately jumped on this bandwagon with a mass e-mail announcing the name asking users to sign up and reserve copies today. Come on…