Seth sent me this link the other day. It's a website that offers advise and other things for established and aspiring writers. One of the "other things" that the website offers is information on grant money. I looked it over to see if there was something that might help our cause but nothing caught my eye.
However, there does seem to be a lot of information on grants for solo writers (as opposed to groups). In fact, the whole website is geared toward helping writers get paid for their craft. If you are writing (and that would be just about all of us) it would be worth your while to take a few minutes to check it out. There is a free newsletter you can sign up for while you're there.
www.fundsforwriters.com
For some reason, the hyperlink isn't working, so you'll have to copy and paste
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Fear
Cross-posted from my LiveJournal for comment here:
What do we fear?
Collectively, as Americans living in the United States, what do we fear? In the 30s, it was an invasion from Mars (thanks, Orson!) in the 40s: Nazis and the Axis powers. The 50s was the grand fear of The Bomb along with our own ignorance of our place in the universe as our general understanding was expanded, and the 60s gave us Communism and the threat of nuclear war. What was the fear in the 70s? Equal rights for women? Women's empowerment? Radicalism?
The 80s taught us to fear poverty, for greed is good. We were so afraid of being poor that we decided to tread upon everyone who didn't have money to keep them down, and the classes separated. In the 90s, the average American was probably more afraid of our own government than anything else. Sure there were carbombs in Ireland, the Middle East and elsewhere along with a petty, poorly-executed attack on the World Trade Center but those pale in comparison to the shootings at Ruby Ridge and the debacle with the Branch Davidians. Private citizens were gunned down by the American government on American soil. Add to that the persecution of the President for having extra-marital sex, and I bet most of the nation was terrified at some level of the government if they gave it any thought.
This decade (the Naughties?) has taught us that greed is not so good, that the poor aren't just camping, that the classes are more divided than ever, there's still a nuclear threat and Communism doesn't last forever. It's also taught us that women shouldn't strive, that non-whites are still to be feared and that our government doesn't want to change. We won't ever elect the smartest person in the room to the highest office in the land because we can't have politics interfering with our sports and reality entertainments.
I guess we don't fear the invasion of our planet from outer space any more because we've ruined our own home. Why would anyone else want it in the condition we've left it?
So what is there to fear? Loss of personal liberty? We're perfectly willing to give that up, with our representative government passing things like the Patriot Act. Mother Nature? Hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, tornadoes and the like have always done major damage, but the problem isn't the events themselves, it's the response to them that's the issue. No, what we have to fear is our own inadequacies. We have to step up, each of us, on our own and take responsibility for our actions. If we don't, then nothing will change and there's certain comfort in that.
But if we do, if we face the fear of failure, of repercussions for acts in our name, then we can be proud Americans again. Then we'll be able to face anything that comes, whether from outside our country or even outside our world.
The only thing we have to fear, as is said over and over again, is fear itself.
What do we fear?
Collectively, as Americans living in the United States, what do we fear? In the 30s, it was an invasion from Mars (thanks, Orson!) in the 40s: Nazis and the Axis powers. The 50s was the grand fear of The Bomb along with our own ignorance of our place in the universe as our general understanding was expanded, and the 60s gave us Communism and the threat of nuclear war. What was the fear in the 70s? Equal rights for women? Women's empowerment? Radicalism?
The 80s taught us to fear poverty, for greed is good. We were so afraid of being poor that we decided to tread upon everyone who didn't have money to keep them down, and the classes separated. In the 90s, the average American was probably more afraid of our own government than anything else. Sure there were carbombs in Ireland, the Middle East and elsewhere along with a petty, poorly-executed attack on the World Trade Center but those pale in comparison to the shootings at Ruby Ridge and the debacle with the Branch Davidians. Private citizens were gunned down by the American government on American soil. Add to that the persecution of the President for having extra-marital sex, and I bet most of the nation was terrified at some level of the government if they gave it any thought.
This decade (the Naughties?) has taught us that greed is not so good, that the poor aren't just camping, that the classes are more divided than ever, there's still a nuclear threat and Communism doesn't last forever. It's also taught us that women shouldn't strive, that non-whites are still to be feared and that our government doesn't want to change. We won't ever elect the smartest person in the room to the highest office in the land because we can't have politics interfering with our sports and reality entertainments.
I guess we don't fear the invasion of our planet from outer space any more because we've ruined our own home. Why would anyone else want it in the condition we've left it?
So what is there to fear? Loss of personal liberty? We're perfectly willing to give that up, with our representative government passing things like the Patriot Act. Mother Nature? Hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, tornadoes and the like have always done major damage, but the problem isn't the events themselves, it's the response to them that's the issue. No, what we have to fear is our own inadequacies. We have to step up, each of us, on our own and take responsibility for our actions. If we don't, then nothing will change and there's certain comfort in that.
But if we do, if we face the fear of failure, of repercussions for acts in our name, then we can be proud Americans again. Then we'll be able to face anything that comes, whether from outside our country or even outside our world.
The only thing we have to fear, as is said over and over again, is fear itself.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Will Baxter on NPR
You can listen here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90534241
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Random semi-interesting story from last night...
(By the way, you should have your 'zine by now if you live in the U.S.)
So, last night, Evey wakes up at 3 a.m. She's wide awake. Inexplicably. And she refuses to go back to sleep, or even yawn.
So I'm up dealing with her most of the time... she has me wide-awake now too. We move from room to room, trying to get comfortable, trying to get sleepy. To no avail.
It's 5 a.m. I have Evey in her nursery. We're looking out her back window. Might as well admire the first hints of sunrise, I figure. And I hear a weird noise.
There's the de-humidifier running two stories below me, yeah, but there's another sound... it sounds like a power surge or something. It's a "whoooOOO-whoooOOO." "What the hell is that?" I ask myself.
I go over to the other window in Evey's room and look outside, expecting perhaps some construction equipment, or something. And I see SMOKE. Lots of smoke. There's an abandoned home next to us, and then a neighborhood bar next to that. And I can tell that this is coming from the bar. It looks like the bar is on fire.
I run in to tell Adro she needs to watch Evey for a minute... I think Charlie's IS ON FIRE.
That shoots her awake. I'm in my [ajama bottoms and no shirt. I run downstairs and put on some sandals, and then run down the back alley. It's a car that's on fire. I'm about to take a step closer when I see there's someone admiring the fire, standing right next to the car. OK, I don't want to interrupt this dude, no telling WHAT he is up to.
I sprint back to my house and call 911. I was so winded and exasperated, I couldn't remember my own phone number when 911 was quizzing me. Adro yelled it out for me and suddenly they believe me. "There's an officer on the way," 911 told me.
The good news was that the cop was there about 10 seconds later! I was still on the phone with 911 and we had about three cop cars on the scene already.
To end the story, something small on the car exploded before the fire truck could get here, but then they arrived and put it out right away... about 15 minutes later I had an officer in my house asking me questions. This morning, I walked down there to see what was left, and a little crappy red Sunfire was still sitting there, hood popped, melted all to hell.
And Evey finally decided to go to sleep aroung 6 a.m.
So, last night, Evey wakes up at 3 a.m. She's wide awake. Inexplicably. And she refuses to go back to sleep, or even yawn.
So I'm up dealing with her most of the time... she has me wide-awake now too. We move from room to room, trying to get comfortable, trying to get sleepy. To no avail.
It's 5 a.m. I have Evey in her nursery. We're looking out her back window. Might as well admire the first hints of sunrise, I figure. And I hear a weird noise.
There's the de-humidifier running two stories below me, yeah, but there's another sound... it sounds like a power surge or something. It's a "whoooOOO-whoooOOO." "What the hell is that?" I ask myself.
I go over to the other window in Evey's room and look outside, expecting perhaps some construction equipment, or something. And I see SMOKE. Lots of smoke. There's an abandoned home next to us, and then a neighborhood bar next to that. And I can tell that this is coming from the bar. It looks like the bar is on fire.
I run in to tell Adro she needs to watch Evey for a minute... I think Charlie's IS ON FIRE.
That shoots her awake. I'm in my [ajama bottoms and no shirt. I run downstairs and put on some sandals, and then run down the back alley. It's a car that's on fire. I'm about to take a step closer when I see there's someone admiring the fire, standing right next to the car. OK, I don't want to interrupt this dude, no telling WHAT he is up to.
I sprint back to my house and call 911. I was so winded and exasperated, I couldn't remember my own phone number when 911 was quizzing me. Adro yelled it out for me and suddenly they believe me. "There's an officer on the way," 911 told me.
The good news was that the cop was there about 10 seconds later! I was still on the phone with 911 and we had about three cop cars on the scene already.
To end the story, something small on the car exploded before the fire truck could get here, but then they arrived and put it out right away... about 15 minutes later I had an officer in my house asking me questions. This morning, I walked down there to see what was left, and a little crappy red Sunfire was still sitting there, hood popped, melted all to hell.
And Evey finally decided to go to sleep aroung 6 a.m.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Major breakthrough for our own Will Baxter!
Hi guys,
Let's all tip our hat and wish our fellow dreamer WILL BAXTER well as he continues to kick major ass in Myanmar, as a major photographer on the world stage.
If you saw Tuesday's New York Times, you saw a Will Baxter photo on the front page (seriously... front page of the NY Times... I'm freaking out!). If you subscribe to NEWSWEEK, then look inside this week's issue to see more Will Baxter photography. You'll also see him soon in the London Dispatch. And you'll probably see more from him in upcoming issues of NEWSWEEK.
You know, for many of us in the APA, we're hopeful for a breakthrough in our craft -- whether that be writing or drawing or in Will's case, photography. For Will, it's like he suddenly scored Batman (as a penciller or writer, whatever). So my hat is off to him.
You'll forgive him for having a weak contribution this issue, I'm sure, as he's busy making a name for himself as a photographer.
If you want to shoot him an email, you can get to him at baxter515@gmail.com. They don't have Hotmail access in Myanmar (it will always be Burma to me) so don't email him at his old addy. And he might not be able to get back to you right away, but I'm sure he'd appreciate the words of encouragement. He'll be in Myanmar for another three weeks, it looks like.
Go get 'em, WB!
Monday, May 5, 2008
Awesome Video
Check it out. Make sure your speakers are up loud:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBGIQ7ZuuiU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBGIQ7ZuuiU
Marvel Studios Announces Schedule
http://www.iwatchstuff.com/2008/05/marvel_studios_announces_sched.php
The Incredible Hulk - June 13, 2008
Iron Man 2 - April 30, 2010
Thor - June 4, 2010
The First Avenger: Captain America - May 6, 2011
The Avengers - July 2011
Ant-Man - Writer/director engaged
(Also should mention Punisher: War Zone on December 5, 2008.)
The Incredible Hulk - June 13, 2008
Iron Man 2 - April 30, 2010
Thor - June 4, 2010
The First Avenger: Captain America - May 6, 2011
The Avengers - July 2011
Ant-Man - Writer/director engaged
(Also should mention Punisher: War Zone on December 5, 2008.)
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