Commentary on various aspects of publishing and marketing, primarily focused on books, magazines, and social media.
Last week came and went and I feel like I didn't get nearly enough done, at work or at home. With the new boss operating at half-speed - she's asked me to slow down three different times while explaining aspects of her job that got dumped on my desk in the transition - work feels like it's ground to a screeching halt. I think she's in way over her head as she's floundering already and hasn't even seen half of what she's responsible for! They really screwed us with the botched transition and I'm concerned it's going to change this…
"I know where weapons of mass destruction are... Joblessness is a weapon of mass destruction. Poverty is a weapon of mass destruction. Homelessness is a weapon of mass destruction. Poor health care is a weapon of mass destruction. And when the government lies to the American people, that is a weapon of mass destruction!!" -- Dennis Kucinich, 21 May 2003 (www.kucinich.us) Assuming the building doesn't catch fire or some other random act of randomness, at about 3pm today, I'll be getting three of my wisdom teeth ripped out of my mouth. Joy! On the off-chance I don't survive (the potential…
I love New York. Now, more than ever. Really. It's more than just some marketing slogan for me. The good, bad and ugly; I can't imagine living anywhere else. Went for a walk at lunch today, up Water Street to the South Street Seaport, walked the pier, then went across on Fulton Street to Nassau Street and headed back south to the office. The weather outside is beautiful - finally! - not too warm, nice and breezy. The Seaport was bustling with NYers and tourists alike. I picked up a Mango Italian Ice for a little childhood flashback. (Only partial,…
Smallville is the best dramatic adaptation of a comic book to ever appear on TV. Don't hate, appreciate. Just started watching it again a few weeks ago after missing the latter half of the first season and the first half of this season and what they've managed to develop over that time makes for one of the most engaging shows out there. The overlay of teen angst and trials of adolescence breathes a life into the Superman mythos that has never been present in its other incarnations. I'd always found him one of the most boring comic book characters out…
This just in: Def Poetry on Broadway will be closing on Sunday! Not sure how I feel about that to be honest. Not having seen it, I can't really comment but, based on what I've heard from people I respect that HAVE seen it, it's sort of a double-edged sword. Many poets (good ones, at least) felt it was a dumbed-down version of the best of what we do. A polished spin on Friday nights at the Nuyorican a couple of years back, perhaps. Most agree that they failed to take full advantage of the medium and, on top of…
The snow is blowing wildly across the gray, depressed skyline as I'm looking north - I think! - from my office on the 25th floor. Mind you, I'm in a cubicle but our section sits next to a huge ceiling-to-floor window. I've started bringing in some things to personalize my space. Not the playroom again but it feels comfy and that's what counts. Have a nice picture frame with 5 pictures of the kids, Salomé and me. Jungle Attack He-Man's here; Shea Stadium, my Jets flask, my "I'm Not Bossy, I just have better ideas" sign. Brought in only a…
Well, being back to work is certainly making it hard to get to this journal!
Readjusting – AGAIN! – has been rough and it didn’t help that I stayed out so late on Monday night after the show. We ended a bit late as it was but afterwards, Jerry Quickley was in town for the night before heading to Iraq the next day to shoot a documentary about the effects of the US sanctions and bombings. That’s one brave MF who truly walks the walk in everything he does. Needless to say, we all got a little toasted and I got home at 2:30am! This was right after Oscar and I got pulled over two blocks from the building by a cop looking for weed.
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