I am finally reading this novel. Ironically, I was offered free tickets to a screening of the movie last week, and knew that I'd want to read the book first...Well, I'm at chapter 17, so please post(tell me) nothing about its ending.
I'm not sure if I can comment about this without cliches. A friend had told me that he couldn't "get into it" and so my expectations weren't high...It's not light reading, but it's compelling. My son read the back cover and asked why I'd want to read something so horrible. ! Blurbs gone wrong!
Some times a bestseller is deservedly so.
I think the narrator and I were born in almost the same year...into such extremely distinct settings...I don't know where my ex husband is, but this is the kind of book we talked about and led me to fall in love.
Showing posts with label Comments. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Comments. Show all posts
FictionHQ.com -- Fiction Headquarters
Woo! I picked up FictionHQ.com at a GoDaddy Fire Sale, thinking that I might develop it at some point, but I then discovered that it had already been an active user-generated content fan fiction website, and my parking stats bear this out.
I wonder why the original owner let the site drop? It IS a natural for such a site.
If any original Fiction HQ members of this now-defunct site are out there and would be interested in seeing this website rise from the ashes like the Phoenix, let me know through the comment feature of Post Foetry.
Such a site would have to be user-generated because I'm already stretched thin in this blogging and domaining enterprise.
I just have to learn how to set up a user-generated site (which is why you'll see a similar post on my domaining blog).
Best,
Jennifer
I wonder why the original owner let the site drop? It IS a natural for such a site.
If any original Fiction HQ members of this now-defunct site are out there and would be interested in seeing this website rise from the ashes like the Phoenix, let me know through the comment feature of Post Foetry.
Such a site would have to be user-generated because I'm already stretched thin in this blogging and domaining enterprise.
I just have to learn how to set up a user-generated site (which is why you'll see a similar post on my domaining blog).
Best,
Jennifer
About Press Releases on Post Foetry...
When posting a press release on this blog, Post Foetry is not necessarily endorsing or speaking out against the event or the people involved.
I have just posted a press release from poets.org that arrived in my mailbox. On the surface, the event looks straight forward enough: the event is free and open to those who wish to attend. As to what poet got favors from such-and-such organizations, I don't know.
In any case, the "comment" section is open to anyone who wishes to express opinions about organizations and individual writers featured in the press release. Opinions expressed by individuals do not necessarily reflect my opinion or that of my team members.
I plan to post select future press releases related to poetry and writing in general as they arrive in my inbox, but they will be clearly marked as press releases, which means that the text has not been changed or edited in any way. Thus, when you see "Press Release" in the title line, you will know that, at the time of posting, we have taken a neutral stance on the event and/or people involved.
That could change, of course, so anyone submitting a press release here is well-advised to keep that in mind.
We will not post the following kinds of press releases:
I have just posted a press release from poets.org that arrived in my mailbox. On the surface, the event looks straight forward enough: the event is free and open to those who wish to attend. As to what poet got favors from such-and-such organizations, I don't know.
In any case, the "comment" section is open to anyone who wishes to express opinions about organizations and individual writers featured in the press release. Opinions expressed by individuals do not necessarily reflect my opinion or that of my team members.
I plan to post select future press releases related to poetry and writing in general as they arrive in my inbox, but they will be clearly marked as press releases, which means that the text has not been changed or edited in any way. Thus, when you see "Press Release" in the title line, you will know that, at the time of posting, we have taken a neutral stance on the event and/or people involved.
That could change, of course, so anyone submitting a press release here is well-advised to keep that in mind.
We will not post the following kinds of press releases:
- Announcements of any literary contests, both free and fee-charging
- Vanity press "contest" announcements
- From publications that charge a reading fee
- From known foets and foet vanity presses
- Announcements of paid editorial services and/or fee-charging literary agents
- Announcements selling certain enhancement products (okay, just checking to see if you're still with us)
However, by submitting a press release to any team member's email box, you are granting us permission to quote from it and write up a news clip, which may or may not be favorable to you or your organization.
Kind of well-written press releases we will consider posting:
- Announcements of upcoming FREE and/or charity literary events
- Press releases from individual writers (not presses), who have published a book (novels, stories, poems, and creative non-fiction) and could benefit from a little buzz and exposure; self-publishers are welcome too. Just be aware that by publishing your release, we are not addressing the overall quality of your book.
While Post Foetry would like to keep an eye on certain foet organizations and foets, we also want, whenever possible, to emphasize what's good about the literary arts.
Jennifer
Bugzita (Jennifer Semple Siegel) is NO One's Puppet
I received an e-mail from a reader, suggesting that Post Foetry might be be a "puppet" blog. I decided to answer here and clear up any misconceptions.
I'm in charge of Post Foetry; when Foetry closed, I created the Post Foetry blog, and I'm its sole administrator. I created the blog with great trepidation and some fear, but that wasn't going to stop me. I decided early on that my posting style, for better or worse, would reflect a more moderate tone, which is more in keeping with my basic personality.
As you can clearly see in the left panel, Alan, Matt, and Nomi are team members, but, so far, only Nomi has posted entries, and that is perfectly okay. They understand that I would never censor a team member, so if Alan decided to post something in his own style, no big deal.
However, I make the decision as to what I post, sometimes scathing, sometimes humorous and downright silly, sometimes newsy, sometimes sad, and sometimes just plain fun. I wanted to create a place where I would want to visit time and again--besides, aren't blogs really a form of "literary masturbation"?
But I also want foets to understand that they won't get a free pass here.
I don't have the money, time, or staff to do in-depth investigative work, but if I get a tip and can verify it with two or more sources, I'll do my best to act on it in a timely manner. Also, readers can leave comments (or e-mail me) if they want to tell their side.
I have posted a "Watch List" of contests, and I have yet to receive a message from any of the people running these contests. Perhaps they believe that a wall of silence will shut this site down, but they would be totally wrong. I may be a kinder and gentler soul, but I'm also persistent and stubborn.
In other words, I'm no puppet of anyone.
In his personal blog, Alan Cordle did coin the term "Foet Laureate" (as it pertains to Charles Simic), and after looking at the facts, I agreed with Alan's assessment. Alan had absolutely nothing to do with my launching the "Foet Laureate" web page; he didn't even suggest the possibility. I take full credit and responsibility for the Foet Laureate site, not the term itself.
Believe me, it was a difficult decision for me to challenge a major poet and the Library of Congress, but it was the right decision. Still, my writing career, such as it is, has probably been ruined, at least in a traditional venue.
Alan has made the decision to distance himself from Foetry and Post Foetry, and I respect that. I was disappointed and sad that Foetry closed, but circumstances change and people move on--the cycle of life in motion.
Alan is my cyber friend (we have never met), and I will always admire him for what he risked personally and professionally three years ago.
Of course Alan and Foetry have influenced (to a certain extent) my thinking; two years ago (yes, sadly, I missed the best year of Foetry), I was thoroughly pissed off at the publishing industry, in particular The Iowa Review and The Paris Review. I would never submit to these two publications again, not because they rejected my work, but how they rejected it: no answer from Iowa at all and a mangled manuscript from Paris, with ripped pages and not even a form letter.
All I could see was a wall of red, and, somehow, I stumbled on Foetry and stayed with it for two years (a lifetime on cyberspace).
Writers have long memories, and little magazines would do well to remember that.
I have picked on New Yorker poetry on both Foetry and Post Foetry, but someone has trained their staff well in the art of basic courtesy; once (1988), when I was living in Yugoslavia, I submitted a manuscript to them, with a SASE for "reply only." They rejected the piece, but someone took the time to explain to me that (at that time), they returned all manuscripts, and gently chided me for not including full postage. They actually paid international postage to send the piece back to me. I was embarrassed, but also impressed that they would treat a lowly, totally unknown writer with such respect (and on their dime, and it wasn't cheap, either).
So, here's the deal: love us or hate us (or somewhere in between), Post Foetry will hang around for as long as at least one other person reads us; my posts, for better or worse, will be mine alone; if Alan wants to say something, he will have to say it himself, and he knows that.
I see no reason to "out" the questioner, but if he/she would like to respond, feel free, either anonymously or signed.
Bugzita
Jennifer Semple Siegel
I'm in charge of Post Foetry; when Foetry closed, I created the Post Foetry blog, and I'm its sole administrator. I created the blog with great trepidation and some fear, but that wasn't going to stop me. I decided early on that my posting style, for better or worse, would reflect a more moderate tone, which is more in keeping with my basic personality.
As you can clearly see in the left panel, Alan, Matt, and Nomi are team members, but, so far, only Nomi has posted entries, and that is perfectly okay. They understand that I would never censor a team member, so if Alan decided to post something in his own style, no big deal.
However, I make the decision as to what I post, sometimes scathing, sometimes humorous and downright silly, sometimes newsy, sometimes sad, and sometimes just plain fun. I wanted to create a place where I would want to visit time and again--besides, aren't blogs really a form of "literary masturbation"?
But I also want foets to understand that they won't get a free pass here.
I don't have the money, time, or staff to do in-depth investigative work, but if I get a tip and can verify it with two or more sources, I'll do my best to act on it in a timely manner. Also, readers can leave comments (or e-mail me) if they want to tell their side.
I have posted a "Watch List" of contests, and I have yet to receive a message from any of the people running these contests. Perhaps they believe that a wall of silence will shut this site down, but they would be totally wrong. I may be a kinder and gentler soul, but I'm also persistent and stubborn.
In other words, I'm no puppet of anyone.
In his personal blog, Alan Cordle did coin the term "Foet Laureate" (as it pertains to Charles Simic), and after looking at the facts, I agreed with Alan's assessment. Alan had absolutely nothing to do with my launching the "Foet Laureate" web page; he didn't even suggest the possibility. I take full credit and responsibility for the Foet Laureate site, not the term itself.
Believe me, it was a difficult decision for me to challenge a major poet and the Library of Congress, but it was the right decision. Still, my writing career, such as it is, has probably been ruined, at least in a traditional venue.
Alan has made the decision to distance himself from Foetry and Post Foetry, and I respect that. I was disappointed and sad that Foetry closed, but circumstances change and people move on--the cycle of life in motion.
Alan is my cyber friend (we have never met), and I will always admire him for what he risked personally and professionally three years ago.
Of course Alan and Foetry have influenced (to a certain extent) my thinking; two years ago (yes, sadly, I missed the best year of Foetry), I was thoroughly pissed off at the publishing industry, in particular The Iowa Review and The Paris Review. I would never submit to these two publications again, not because they rejected my work, but how they rejected it: no answer from Iowa at all and a mangled manuscript from Paris, with ripped pages and not even a form letter.
All I could see was a wall of red, and, somehow, I stumbled on Foetry and stayed with it for two years (a lifetime on cyberspace).
Writers have long memories, and little magazines would do well to remember that.
I have picked on New Yorker poetry on both Foetry and Post Foetry, but someone has trained their staff well in the art of basic courtesy; once (1988), when I was living in Yugoslavia, I submitted a manuscript to them, with a SASE for "reply only." They rejected the piece, but someone took the time to explain to me that (at that time), they returned all manuscripts, and gently chided me for not including full postage. They actually paid international postage to send the piece back to me. I was embarrassed, but also impressed that they would treat a lowly, totally unknown writer with such respect (and on their dime, and it wasn't cheap, either).
So, here's the deal: love us or hate us (or somewhere in between), Post Foetry will hang around for as long as at least one other person reads us; my posts, for better or worse, will be mine alone; if Alan wants to say something, he will have to say it himself, and he knows that.
I see no reason to "out" the questioner, but if he/she would like to respond, feel free, either anonymously or signed.
Bugzita
Jennifer Semple Siegel
Does Post Foetry Have a Future?
Maybe it's because it's summer, or, perhaps Al was right: it's possible Foetry has run its course. I reread the last few posts that I wrote, and I can see why readers aren't checking in and/or responding. Post Foetry isn't breaking new ground; in fact, in my opinion, we have taken a step backwards.
At least one comment suggests this fact.
I could just be cranky today; it's hot out, and I'm tired, but I'm getting the sense that writers like the status quo, even though it's a deeply flawed system. Certainly, pobiz benefits those in power, so there is little incentive for real change, unless...
The government gets involved and starts investigating some of these university and private elitist contests, which, in my opinion, are sophisticated versions of poetry.scam. I do believe that a day of reckoning is upon the horizon, but I, as a lonely dissenter, will not be the impetus for such an investigation. I have neither the money nor the ambition to sustain the ire and relentless investigation required of a whistle blower. Perhaps some government wonk will get up off his or her ass and start the ball rolling, but I'm not holding my breath. It will take a truly egregious scandal to get the attention of the right legislators. It will happen: if nothing else, pobiz powers have a bottomless capacity for self-deception--sooner or later, some narcissistic pobizer will piss off the wrong people (read: powerful).
Three years ago, Al, as a private citizen, did a damn good job of ruffling feathers, but he's only one person; even if you dislike him, he stirred up the pobiz and some changes did take place, but now he has had to move on and reclaim his life before Foetry.
I note that pobiz has pretty much lapsed back into its sloppy ways and slimy contest guidelines, but here's the deal: most of you are adults, and if you choose to support these bogus contests, then who am I (or anyone else) to stop you?
For the past few days, I have been doing some serious thinking about where I want to concentrate my limited energies, and I had to admit that it isn't here.
Therefore, I will no longer be updating contest guidelines; you're on your own now. Perhaps another fofighter will take up the fight. However, I'll keep this blog open for comments and team members should anyone have anything important to say.
Post Foetry has an opportunity to become a place where important ideas are discussed, but it isn't there yet, and it may never be there.
So be it.
I'll check in a few days from now.
Bugzita
At least one comment suggests this fact.
I could just be cranky today; it's hot out, and I'm tired, but I'm getting the sense that writers like the status quo, even though it's a deeply flawed system. Certainly, pobiz benefits those in power, so there is little incentive for real change, unless...
The government gets involved and starts investigating some of these university and private elitist contests, which, in my opinion, are sophisticated versions of poetry.scam. I do believe that a day of reckoning is upon the horizon, but I, as a lonely dissenter, will not be the impetus for such an investigation. I have neither the money nor the ambition to sustain the ire and relentless investigation required of a whistle blower. Perhaps some government wonk will get up off his or her ass and start the ball rolling, but I'm not holding my breath. It will take a truly egregious scandal to get the attention of the right legislators. It will happen: if nothing else, pobiz powers have a bottomless capacity for self-deception--sooner or later, some narcissistic pobizer will piss off the wrong people (read: powerful).
Three years ago, Al, as a private citizen, did a damn good job of ruffling feathers, but he's only one person; even if you dislike him, he stirred up the pobiz and some changes did take place, but now he has had to move on and reclaim his life before Foetry.
I note that pobiz has pretty much lapsed back into its sloppy ways and slimy contest guidelines, but here's the deal: most of you are adults, and if you choose to support these bogus contests, then who am I (or anyone else) to stop you?
For the past few days, I have been doing some serious thinking about where I want to concentrate my limited energies, and I had to admit that it isn't here.
Therefore, I will no longer be updating contest guidelines; you're on your own now. Perhaps another fofighter will take up the fight. However, I'll keep this blog open for comments and team members should anyone have anything important to say.
Post Foetry has an opportunity to become a place where important ideas are discussed, but it isn't there yet, and it may never be there.
So be it.
I'll check in a few days from now.
Bugzita
If You Tried to Comment, Read On...
I have just discovered that the comment feature was unavailable to non-members. That was not my intention, so if you wanted to jump in and couldn't, please try again. I thought I had set this blog up for comments, but evidently I hadn't.
If you are still having difficulty, please e-mail me.
This is a moderated form, which means you will have to copy some annoying letters and numbers before shooting off your comment. This is not meant to censor, but to circumvent those annoying spammers.
Best, Bugzita
If you are still having difficulty, please e-mail me.
This is a moderated form, which means you will have to copy some annoying letters and numbers before shooting off your comment. This is not meant to censor, but to circumvent those annoying spammers.
Best, Bugzita
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