Link Archive
Ten Commandments for the Happy Writer
9. Be thankful for what you have. If you have the time to write you’re doing pretty well. There are millions of starving people around the world, and they’re not writing because they’re starving. If you’re writing: you’re doing just fine. Appreciate it.
Very positive advice from literary agent Nathan Bransford.
The Cows at Night by Hayden Carruth · Audio and text of my man Hayden Carruth and his poem The Cows at Night. Simple, beautiful, and sad.
The Raving Poets Ride Starting April 1, 2009 · The Raving Poets start their 10th year with a series titled “Sofa King”. Looks to be killer. Open mic poetry with music by the always awesome Raving Poets Band. Hosted by Jadon Rempel. Check the link for complete details.
John Gruber & Merlin Mann at SXSW · Inspiring audio recording of John Gruber (Daring Fireball) and Merlin Mann (43 Folders) talking about blogs and creativity at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, TX. A great listen for anyone who makes things on the web.
We are a very mainstream band…But that’s OK, because our fans like that kind of music, and that’s who we’re making music for.
— Chad Kroeger
This is precisely why Nickelback has contributed nothing of enduring value.
Now is a Great Time to be a Media Maker · Great piece by Derek Powazek on creating / publishing / sharing in the internet age with a comparison to same in the pre-net days.
Is Twitter a News System? · Another smart take on Twitter, this one from Dave Winer.
…if Twitter isn’t a bootstrap of or a dry run at the news system of the future, then what is it?
Adamo By Dell · The latest laptop from Dell, which actually looks pretty damn sweet (for a Dell, anyway). The site is a little over the top in an “elegant, breathy, artful” way. Obviously designed to compete directly with the MacBook / MacBook Air. It looks cool, and I’m sure it feels cool, but for $2500.00 to $3200.00, I’d buy a Mac before a Dell.
Length Interrupted · Chantelle Oliver on Twitter. Her question: “What can’t we do with Twitter?” A big question, and I have yet to wrap my head around Twitter fully. The skeptic in me is close to dismissing it as a fad or a useless platform catering to the short-attention masses, but that would be a mistake. I know its uses and potential. When CBC is publishing news headlines on Twitter, it’s more than just a toy.
Jose Antonio Abreu and El Sistema · I could probably link to dozens of TED Lectures; they’re all inspiring and amazing. This one is especially moving and deeply inspiring. It’s a talk by Jose Anotnio Abreu and his work teaching orchestral music to disadvantaged Venezuelan children. He has powerful ideas on the transcendent nature of artistic endeavor and he has the real-world stories and results to back them up. Sadly, these kinds of ideas seem to be non existent in North America. There are too many amazing and profoud passages to quote, but here’s one that really stuck:
I believe that to confront [spiritual] crisis, only art and religion can give proper answers to humanity, to mankind’s deepest aspirations, and to the historic demands of our times.
Well worth 16 minutes of your time.
Newspapers and Thinking the Unthinkable · Essential reading for anyone who cares about the state / future of journalism and news delivery (i.e. anyone who reads and writes). Here’s some lucidity:
Society doesn’t need newspapers. What we need is journalism.
Have a read.
Writing for a Living – A Joy or a Chore? · An older link, but here for my reference too. Nine writers sound off on the slog / joy that is writing for a living. My favorite nugget, from Amit Chaudhuri:
Writing novels is no fun; nor is, generally speaking, reading novels. Reading people writing about novels is not always fun, either, because relatively little of this kind of writing is any good.
A great read for all aspiring writers.
Kutiman, Big Media, and the Future of Creative Entrepreneurship
Because, even in the face of bullying, obfuscating, and throat-clearing from corporations with a homemade timetable for evolution, more and more folks like Kutiman will just keep making and releasing stuff. Cool stuff, “illegal” stuff, niche stuff, and stuff that doesn’t require the benediction of a middle-aged executive in order to reach its precise audience with almost zero friction or overhead.
Excellent to-the-point article from Merlin Mann on the future of creativity on the web.
My Facebook, My Self · Great article on Facebook by Jessica Helfand; sums up my thoughts almost to a tee. I was on Facebook for a few months and then “suspended” my profile. I wonder if I’ve missed anything…
