Odds and Ends

Not one in the genre particularly, but perchance of interest nonetheless: author and blogger Karen Scott is conducting a survey on racism in publishing. She is looking for African American or black authors who have been published for at least a year. In all, there are twenty questions in the survey, and all that she asks is that people be as honest as possible. Confidentiality is assured if requested, but for the findings to yield more weight, she would request that she be granted permission to directly quote from the answers given by the authors.

She’s hoping to poll at least 100 AA authors, in an effort to ensure that a fair representation is achieved. Interested parties e-mail Karen at hairylemony@gmail dotcom with the subject header ‘Please send me the survey.’

The deadline for the survey to be completed and returned to Karen is March 1st 2007
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Ah, graduate school, and the days of completely tearing apart literature until it is but shredded rags within your all-knowing hands. Via GalleyCat, another take on the racism of Curious George, although this one goes further than I’d ever heard. I already thought it was weird that the man in the yellow hat takes a child-monkey from its home and just … takes him, but I hadn’t thought of it as an allegory of the slave trade…? Hm… In honor of the Super Bowl I give you another sports celebrity book, from NY Yankee great “A-Rod” — no comparisons to the …surprising effort by the fist-fighting, spitting, brawling, childhood role model Terrell Owens…

Via the PW Newsletter the 21-and-below-set can win a free mint condition X-Men Comic, or various iPods in “The Third Thing” Essay Contest, which is, of course, related to the very cool Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy & Goth Girl. It’s a great time to be a young adult who can read and write!

I TOTALLY blew it!!!!!! First it was Jane Eyre, and then it was the one I was really waiting for: Philip Pullman’s The Ruby in the Smoke, the first title in his Sally Lockhart Mysteries quartet, which was adapted for television by the BBC (from whence all good things flow). It was broadcast on PBS as part of Masterpiece Theatre on Sunday, and even had Billie Piper from Dr. Who, and I cannot believe that I missed it. But, the joys of Bay Area living have saved me again… we have four public TV stations, and so tonight – well, let’s just say I don’t plan to answer the phone for awhile.

Hope you’re enjoying your week as well!