Not that you are. The Wild Westness trampling over the publishing industry right now is kind of fun to watch. Fun in the sense that anticipation is fun. As a hockey fan, I decry the shootout as an idiotic way to win a game but watching it is the definition of fun. You have fun […]
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Don’t Cry for the Publishers (though you are free to shake your head)
Posted in Blog
Tagged big 6, Big Six, Hollywood, libraries, music industry, Napster, Nero, Penguin, Penguin Books, Publishing, shootout, Wild West
3 Responses
Books Vs Words
Jonathan Franzen has weighed in on the rise of e-readers. He doesn’t like them (predictably) and he fears the loss of permanence in our lives. (You can read the story here). Franzen seems to get himself in trouble every time he opens his mouth, or at least to annoy people and I think it has […]
The Male (Writer) Conundrum
Perhaps not conundrum. But last week my agent sent me an email that contained these lines: I wonder if this one might be better off with a male editor, or someone with a slightly different sensibility? This from an editor at a major publishing house. And this wasn’t the first time he’s received a response […]
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Tagged agents, Bono, cowboys and aliens, Franzen, Jersey Shore, queries, Raymond Carver, Salon, Snooki, U2, vampires, writing, zombies
5 Responses
From Small Publishing House to Multinational
My first job was with Tundra Books. By first job, I mean first job that didn’t involve serving people food, cleaning pools, delivering something or counting the hours until the shift was done. I was just out of university and I applied to some publishing houses in Montreal and Tundra called and I got the […]
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Tagged editor, job, McClelland & Stewart, Random House of Canada, Tundra Books
1 Response
Some Insignificant Thoughts As 2011 Comes To A Merciful Close
Random thoughts during the holiday season: 2011 was interesting for all the wrong reasons. If it’s going to be winter, let it be winter. Drawn out autumn-ish weather stinks. The rink across the street from my house isn’t done yet because of the weather. If we’re going to live in Canada, snow is part of […]
Posted in Blog
Tagged 2011, 2012, Canada, climate, college sports, Egypt, Habs, Hollywood, Kim Jung-Il, Louis CK, North Korea, plastic, snow, Squishy, Steve Jobs, Tahrir Square, Team America, tribalism, Twitter, weather, winter
2 Responses
The First Novel as Constipation
Every year around this time I find myself tired for no reason, as if my mind somehow feels the weight of the year and decides to shut down. Either that or I’m getting ready for winter by wanting to hibernate. It’s also a birthday thing. My birthday, which normally I don’t care much about (no […]
Posted in Blog
Tagged agents, birthday, Christmas, constipation, Kraft Dinner, novel, writing, Yes
2 Responses
Useless? Or Process?
I wrote about 4,000 words last weekend. Mostly on Sunday. I had the house to myself and got to work. I’ve been working on a short story off and on for the last month or so and the story keeps changing and I keep writing more words. Soon this thing is going to have to […]
Siri Parody Ad
Am I a MILF I helped write this. I’m pretty sure one of my jokes made it in. Maybe. Unless you don’t find it funny. Then NONE of my jokes made it in here. For real. Click on the link.
Meeting Salman Rushdie on the Toronto Island Ferry
No really. Oddest thing. He was on the ferry in the morning (arriving in Toronto from New York) and then again in the afternoon (leaving). We weren’t sharing flights. (for those who don’t know Toronto, the city has a second airport just offshore on an island in Lake Ontario.) He was in town checking in […]
