Guy LeCharles Gonzalez (aka glecharles) (aka loudpoet)

An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

The Unbearable Stiffness of Formal Poetry and Writing for the Page

Interestingly, Spiegelman nails the underlying problem with poetry in general, though he seems to imply it's a flaw related more to a poet's level of experience with form rather than an inherent flaw in poetry in general, but especially that written for the page. While formal poetry has never been my cup of tea, the vast majority of poetry -- formal and free verse, written and oral -- actually bores me to tears for the exact reasons Spiegelman notes.

Continue ReadingThe Unbearable Stiffness of Formal Poetry and Writing for the Page
An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

Penguin’s Modest Self-Publishing Gamble

Being sold for only slightly more than the revenue you brought in the prior year isn't exactly a signal that anyone believes the company has a lot of growth potential, especially not one whose roster theoretically covers the full gamut of shiny author services so many seem to believe are publishing's revenue streams of the future. Plus, ASI was apparently on the block for a while with no buyer, so I find Penguin's CEO John Makinson's claim odd, as reported by Publisher's Lunch, that he expects there will be a "new and growing category of professional authors who are going to gravitate towards the ASI solution rather than the free model." So then, what's the real angle here?

Continue ReadingPenguin’s Modest Self-Publishing Gamble
An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

Big Change for GOOD: When Publishing Content Isn’t Enough

A large part of GOOD's appeal was its unique business model, its compelling mission, and its target audience: "For People Who Give a Damn." While not replicable in any scalable way, it had a far more noble mission than the mercenary and fickle "connecting advertisers to eyeballs" model of most magazines, and it looks like that mission ultimately forced a complete and radical rethinking of the magazine itself.

Continue ReadingBig Change for GOOD: When Publishing Content Isn’t Enough
An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

Random Thoughts on a Summer Friday (In Which I’ve Buried the Lede)

That "Local First" angle is what disturbs me the most, latching on to a legitimate movement whose most compelling hook focuses on locally sourced goods and sustainability, to support booksellers whose primary focus is usually selling the products of multi-national corporations who treat them like second-class citizens. The bookstores that are true pillars of their communities don't need hollow slogans and dreams of going viral on YouTube, because they prove on a daily basis why they matter to their communities.

Continue ReadingRandom Thoughts on a Summer Friday (In Which I’ve Buried the Lede)
NOLA Water Meter Cap

Dear Hipsters: Please Don’t Ruin New Orleans For Me

If you're eyeballing New Orleans, do so with the big picture in mind and think about the future. Their school system is a tangled mess of ill-conceived "reforms," and since I suspect you're going to love it there and some of you will end up living there and having kids, start paying attention now and look for ways to have a positive impact.

Continue ReadingDear Hipsters: Please Don’t Ruin New Orleans For Me
An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

The Avengers, John Carter, and “A little old fashioned…”

Joss Whedon reached deep down and tapped into what made the comics of the 60s and 70s so much fun, inspiring a generation of creators who were subsequently side-tracked by a misunderstanding of Alan Moore's Watchmen. It's the kind of movie DC's stable of characters (other than Batman) are best-suited for and will likely never get, and in some ways, it reminded me of the unfairly maligned John Carter (of Mars).

Continue ReadingThe Avengers, John Carter, and “A little old fashioned…”
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