Originally posted on www.davidbowie.com “Lend us a book we can read up alone” It’s likely that most people reading this will have already seen either the original story on openbookstoronto.com last week, or a version of it referring back to that original list of “DAVID BOWIE'S TOP 100 BOOKS”. There have also been numerous suggestions of a Bowie Book Club to tackle each of the 100 volumes. However, there was a problem with that particular openbookstoronto.com feature in that only 75% of the books were actually listed! For anybody planning on completing this epic voyage of discovery, we’ve listed every single one of the 100 books here (in no particular order) for your reference. You may have also noticed the two chaps in the middle of our montage. Well, it’s none other than David Bowie sporting a Clockwork Orange T-shirt (the book by Anthony Burgess is in the list) with his old chum, George Underwood. George kindly supplied the previously unpublished photograph, which according to him was taken aboard Amtrak somewhere between New Orleans and Chicago on the first US … [Read more...] about Bowie’s top 100 books – the complete list – David Bowie Latest News
What Writers can Learn from Bruce Lee.
Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one— Bruce Lee What can writers learn from Bruce Lee? He defied the odds. He adapted to his environment. He set high standards for himself. He was a creative force, inventing his own style of fighting, Jeet Kune Do, based on traditional Wing Chun. He was a philosopher and communicator who changed the way the West thinks about Martial Arts. What did Bruce Lee think was important? He once said, "Training is one of the most neglected phases of athletics. Too much time is given to the development of skill and too little to the development of the individual for participation. ... Jeet Kune Do, ultimately is not a matter of petty techniques but of highly developed spirituality and physique." As a teacher, Bruce Lee advised his students to "Be like Water." “You must be shapeless, formless, like water. When you pour water in a cup, it becomes the cup. When you pour water in a bottle, it becomes the bottle. When you pour water in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can drip and it can crash. Become like … [Read more...] about What Writers can Learn from Bruce Lee.
The Traditional Publishing Industry Is Killing Books | Opinion | teleSUR English
An interesting opinion piece by Tamara Pearson, author of the novel, The Butterfly Prison (Open Books, 2015). She is an activist, journalist, and editor living in Latin America— The publishing industry’s focus on profits amounts to a censoring of a diversity of viewpoints and experience.Books are lives compressed, humanity summarised into screaming or striking stories. One would think the book world would be a safe haven from inequality, but instead the traditional publishing industry – the big corporate publishers - is perpetuating prejudice and limiting ideas by elevating certain authors, characters, and thoughts above all others, with significant social consequences.The big publishers are big businesses with monopolies over a product, as much as other industries. They are driven by profit, rather than the social importance of books, and only publish books that are a sure thing, causing quality to be lost to lowest-common-denominator marketability. Sure things are books by celebrities, books with a guaranteed (forced) market such as text books and required readings in … [Read more...] about The Traditional Publishing Industry Is Killing Books | Opinion | teleSUR English
A Glimpse Behind the Mask: Bill Cosby by Alan P. Sloan
Who is Bill Cosby? Is he a funny, charming performer, doling out sage advice and entertaining children? Or does his warm smile hide a decadent and unrepentant serial rapist? Is he wearing a mask? On Monday, the Associated Press obtained 2005 documents where Bill Cosby admitted to obtaining quaaludes to give to young women and "other people" for sex. With at least 42 women accusing Cosby of sexual assault, observers are left with the uncomfortable revelation that this amusing comic that many of us grew up with, was wearing a mask. With that in mind I want to share an extraordinary excerpt from an upcoming memoir by a long-time Hollywood insider Alan P. Sloan, who worked as a high level executive and producer in Hollywood, recalling a revealing encounter with Bill Cosby. BILL COSBY (Excerpted from the memoirs of Alan P. Sloan) The day I spent with Bill Cosby was one of the most unpleasant experiences in my career as a television producer. Unlike the public picture of the witty, relaxed comedian he was a bully who went out of his way to make certain we … [Read more...] about A Glimpse Behind the Mask: Bill Cosby by Alan P. Sloan
Author Robert Gregory Browne on Storytelling and the Art of Composing
The age of eBooks has opened the door to an exuberant array of writers. We have new voices, bright with potential. Sometimes they are raw, tentative and hobbled by an uncertain grasp of spelling, grammar or technique, but the talent is there. On the other end of the scale are the seasoned pros, writers with a past who for one reason or another have stepped away from traditional publishing. When I run into these writers, it’s always a bit of a surprise. They have old school polish but are producing work in the new frontier of the Internet, riding the cutting edge of technology. These writers are sleek and agile craftsman, wordsmiths who know how to turn a phrase, build tension and create tight, well paced plots. Why are they good? Because they’ve done it before. ALOT. They are professionals. Robert Gregory Browne is one of those writers. Robert has been to the mountaintop. An ITW Thriller Award nominated novelist, he started his career penning short stories and went on to write books for St. Martin's Press and Penguin Dutton. He’s worked under his own name and under top … [Read more...] about Author Robert Gregory Browne on Storytelling and the Art of Composing
Is SHE Available: Defying the Physics of e books
Igor Goldkind’s genre busting book Is SHE Available: Tales of Sedition and SUBVERSION released by Chameleon Publishing, challenges the typical boundaries of literature, maybe even space and time. The book uses graphic art, poetry, spoken word, music and animation to create an immersive, multimedia experience. Having worked with Igor at Titan Books, UK, I’ve seen his innovative instincts before when, for example, he took the term “Graphic Novel” (with permission from Will Eisner) and propagated the phrase around the world without the help of the Internet. So I listened to his description of his book with growing curiosity. A book that incorporates art, music, poetry and motion? Igor Goldkind defying convention didn’t surprise me, it’s sort of his M.O. After graduating from San Diego University with a degree in Philosophy, Igor worked as a political journalist in Paris, studying with the French post structuralist Michel Foucault and graduating with a certificate from the Sorbonne. He’d always been an iconoclast. What did surprise me when I opened the book was that he would defy the … [Read more...] about Is SHE Available: Defying the Physics of e books
Cringeworthy One Star Reviews of Classic Books
Kindle Direct Publishing has given writers an amazing gift, a way to reach a worldwide audience. Anyone who meets Amazon's standards can publish a book or story, and anyone can leave a review to haunt you. Every KDP writer will eventually have to endure the Amazon one star review. They are part of the new publishing landscape. Negative reviews range from illiterate, crazy diatribes, revealing more about the reviewer's state of mind than the book itself, to pointed critiques by shrewd and pissed off readers. Why do people leave one star reviews? It's simple, they're experiencing a strong emotional reaction. Maybe the reviewer doesn't like swear words, or they had to read the book for school or book club, or they just saw the movie and the book's not the same, or the book conflicts with their personal philosophy about life, or they don't think this is what a story should be. Whether the one star review is a raw, visceral slap or a deeply cutting dissection that stings, they can be a shock for writers who took a big emotional risk to release their work in the first place. … [Read more...] about Cringeworthy One Star Reviews of Classic Books