Cool things I found around the web! With occasional commentary.
Kara Swisher on speaking truth to power (Transcript).
Listen to this one. So nice to know someone else thinks Jeff Bezos would eat a woman’s face off, if there were a profit in it sell his grandmother for pocket change is a major league asshole.
Here’s a link to the podcast ReThinking.
And, FYI, the Freelancers Union is celebrating its 30th anniversary!
“Now they’re relying on the kindness of Jeff Bezos.” Direct quote from Kara Swisher.
One of her fears about AI: “I’m scared of bad people using these tools as weapons.”
There’s more and well worth a listen!
Ooh! A Soylent Green mention! :)
As for the politicians, we can unelect them! But we can’t unelect Bezos or Zuckerberg.
Welcome to the Summer Writing Challenge!
The First Two Pages: “Making Up for Lost Time” by C.W. Blackwell.
Check out True Pulp: A Noir Anthology!
And in publishing news …
The NEA Has Turned Its Back on Books—Now What?
Revenue Shortfall Prompts the New Press to Cut Staff, Launch Fundraiser.
And an excerpt:
Wachtell said the current austerity measures do not include reducing the number of titles it acquires or publishes. She expressed frustration that a number of what the New Press calls “A” titles—books expected to sell 10,000 titles—have fallen short of that target. She feels sure that a turnaround in the overall environment is coming, but, like so much else connected to Trump, the timing is uncertain: “Will it be in the mid-terms? Will we have to wait another three years?”
In the meantime, the New Press has implemented a few programs it hopes will stop the sales slide. The most notable is the launch of a direct-to-consumer option on its website, the implementation of which was overseen by Mary Beth Jarrad, who was named publisher last October following the retirement of Ellen Adler. Jarrad joined the New Press from NYU Press where she was director of sales and marketing and gained experience working at a publisher with a tight budget. [Bolded text mine.]
And the 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee 2025.
But first, you gotta make a film. I’m working on that.
And this is actually a really great deal if you want to make a documentary.
But it ends soon. Real soon.