Favorite Quote of the Day: East of Eden, Pidgin

I was reading one of my favorite blogs (I’m Just Walkin), about a man who walked across the Northern United States to get to the Pacific in 517 days. He’s now planning on walking through New York state.

This quote he posted as he’s preparing for his next walk, struck me as absolutely perfect:

Samuel sat in the buggy beside Lee, and his clobber-footed saddle horse shuffled clumsily behind.
“What’s your name?” Samuel asked pleasantly.
“Lee. Got more name. Lee papa family name. Call Lee.”
“I’ve read quite a lot about China. You born in China?”
“No. Born here.”
Samuel was silent for quite a long time while the buggy lurched down the wheel track toward the dusty valley. “Lee,” he said at last, “I mean no disrespect, but I’ve never been able to figure why you people still talk pidgin when an illiterate baboon [like myself] from the black bogs of Ireland, with a head full of Gaelic and a tongue like a potato, learns to talk a poor grade of English in ten years.”
Lee grinned. “Me talkee Chinese talk,” he said.
“Well, I guess you have your reasons. And it’s not my affair. I hope you’ll forgive me if I don’t believe it, Lee.”
Lee looked at him and the brown eyes under their rounded upper lids seemed to open and deepen until they weren’t foreign any more, but man’s eyes, warm with understanding. Lee chuckled. “It’s more than a convenience,” he said. “It’s even more than self-protection. Mostly we have to use it to be understood at all.”
Samuel showed no sign of having observed any change. “I can understand the first two,” he said thoughtfully, “but the third escapes me.”
Lee said, “I know it’s hard to believe, but it has happened so often to me and to my friends that we take it for granted. If I should go up to a lady or a gentleman, for instance, and speak as I am doing now, I wouldn’t be understood.”
“Why not?”
“Pidgin they expect, and pidgin they’ll listen to. But English from me they don’t listen to, and so they don’t understand it.”
“Can that be possible? How do I understand you?”
“That’s why I’m talking to you. You are one of the rare people who can separate your observation from your preconception. You see what is, where most people see what they expect.”

As a person with a foreign accent, this happens to me all the time. People have been aggressive, childishly curious, and entitled when they notice I have an accent. When I come to these situations I’m kind but straightforward. But I can’t help  wonder about people’s cognitive abilities, their tolerance levels, and their people skills when this happens.

Are we really still that troubled by accents that their carriers (as if it was a disease) must be defined, boxed, and classified, even in 2011-2012?

Does this happen to you too? Or are you guilty of it?

Writing Fail of the Day: Tom & Eddie’s Half Pounder Monday’s

I was very saddened when I received an email from one of my favorite fast casual restaurants, extolling their new “Half Pounder Monday’s” program (see screen print image at bottom of this post). Someone forgot that there’s no possessive apostrophe required (Monday’s) when we’re referring to number (Mondays) only.

I’ve been reading Lynn Truss’ famous book, Eats, Shoots & Leaves, over the last few days. This email from Tom & Eddie’s would just be her cup of tea.

A wisened editor or writer can be left shaken by these travesties–either with laughter or with tears! /rantover

Copywriter: It Dices, it Slices, it even sells tickets

The following job listing embarrasses the HR community by its brazen attempt to add ticket agent work to a copywriter position.

We all know we need to be jack of all trades and play the “team member” role in our jobs — often taking on tasks we had very little idea we would ever take on. Often times getting leftover tasks that more senior team members weaseled out of. But this copywriter job listing by Entertainment Cruises, Inc. on Indeed.com is taking things too far:

“Our Copywriter/Content Coordinator will ensure sufficient coverage of phones and ticketing system and resolution of help desk tickets in order to meet the companies’ Operational Level Agreement and ensuring accurate information to maximize technical operation.”

Then it goes into a description of actual copywriter tasks:

“Essential Functions: Provide copy files for all internal marketing projects including radio scripts, advertising, direct mail, sales collateral, tradeshow materials, promotions, email marketing, online and web initiatives Supports and maintains all brand identities and positions through promotional and marketing messages by using tones and descriptors as defined by graphic standards guidelines Develops and maintains clear, accurate consistent messages that are on-strategy Proof-reads and edits all marketing projects, materials and print proofs as needed during production process.”

The entire listing could have benefited from the services of a copywriter. It’s just a huge, run-on paragraph missing periods and commas every which way you look.

If HR professionals stop taking their intended audiences seriously, not even making the effort, their own seriousness and the companies they represent will be put into question.

The Importance of Reading for Young Writers

Today I read a great article from Science Daily, (Simple Teaching Tool Boosts Student Reading Performance, Study Finds) about a simple tool that can help teachers and parents work on their children’s/students’ reading fluency–”a child’s ability to read with sufficient speed and accuracy, while also reading with good expression.”

When I read that approximately 40% of US students don’t have good reading fluency, I was shocked.

The tool discussed in the article is just a program (Helping Early Literacy with Practice Strategies or HELPS) that emphasizes reading comprehension through a variety of reading skill set development techniques. I looked up the HELPS website (http://www.helpsprogram.org) and learned that it really only takes a 10-12 session two to three times a week! That could be as little as twenty extra minutes.

Here I am quoting directly from the HELPS about page:

“The evidence-based strategies integrated into each 10-12 minute HELPS session include:

1. Structured, repeated readings of ability-appropriate text
2. Having students listen to a more skilled reader read aloud, such as an adult (i.e., Model reading)
3. Systematic error-correction procedures
4. Verbal cues for students to read with fluency
5. Verbal cues for students to read for comprehension
6. Goal-setting (i.e., practicing text until a pre-determined performance criterion is met)
7. Performance feedback, combined with graphical displays of student progress
8. Use of systematic praise and a structured reward system for student reading behaviors and successes”

Well, the article brought back some memories for me, about my own struggles learning to read and write as a first grade student. I felt that my teacher was trying to punish me when she kept me in her classroom during afternoon snack time, away from my classmates–like some sort of punished criminal or leper. She wanted me to practice memorizing the alphabet and vowels, then practice reading until I got it, and finally writing until I was able to write my dad letters since he was overseas at that time.

I was ashamed but, eventually, her effort and patience got me to struggle through it. Hell, now I speak four languages and have a Masters Degree in Written Communications (English), and I wouldn’t be here where I am if she and my mom and grandpa hadn’t taken the time to struggle through my learning challenges as I grew up.

When I was in second grade, my grandfather wanted me to work on my ability to write on a straight line by matching the start of each upper-case letter and take breathing pauses during commas and periods whenever I read out loud or inside my head.

He explained that I should count inside my head “one” for each comma, and “one, two” for each period. I could also count “one” for each semicolon and colon. The act of mentally counting out would slow me down enough to make for a more pleasant reading experience for myself, and listening experience for others. I remember this like it was yesterday. And his lessons followed me through primary school, high school, college, and even now.

I always have had a soft spot for students who struggle through reading and writing, or learning languages. The time and effort they and their instructors (and families/friends/tutors,etc.) take in helping work through each challenge has direct repercussions for their homework in the short term and intellectual and analytical skills for the long term.

It is SO very important to freely and liberally provide a non-judging environment for helpful guidance to overcome the challenges students suffer through, perhaps silently.

Let’s work on creating a fantastic generation of readers and writers. Texting shortcuts or not! Let’s stop worrying about Why Are Finland’s Schools Successful? and instead make our own students successful from the ground up.

Creativity is the mother of writing invention (I’m taking some poetic liberty here), who knows what great writers are in the making now. While they text in short-hand today, they may be able to have a fantastic perspective on communicating what’s inside them in a way that makes them comfortable, tomorrow.

Few things in life are as entertaining and enriching as being able to read an enjoyable book or article, or being able to write clearly to communicate one’s feelings and inner-most thoughts…or sharing a moment with someone else to help spread the enthusiasm for writing and reading.

The Attack of Digital Publishing Models

I was just shocked when I read that J.K. Rowling is going to use e-book self-publishing moving forward. This speaks volumes about how writers can leverage their slot on the publishing totem!

News of this amazing turnabout came to me via a quick post from a writer friend on Facebook. I looked up the news on Google and found a juicy article from The Atlantic (J.K. Rowling’s New Pottermore Site Will Change Digital Publishing) that helped me catch up to speed.

So why is this change so momentous? Well, a resurgence in women writer’s interest in writing in recent years could be partly attributed to the more visible successes of other women authors–much like Rowling, or Suzanne Collins. It can’t be denied that, after seeing the incredible, global success that Rowling experienced–from her now 13-year old Harry Potter series of books–there’s quite a bit of enthusiasm behind writing again, within many different spheres.

Finding out that even Rowling, with gazillions of sales under her belt, was not satisfied with the publishing process, well, spoke quite loudly about the conditions, copyrights, and contract burdens writers have to put up with in the professional publishing world.

According to the article in The Atlantic, Rowling teamed up with a gaming company, and e-publishing platform, and Sony to create an alternate universe on her new site, Pottermore. The e-books, and potentially audio books are to go live this October. Yes, you read that right. The e-Books won’t be published on Amazon, nor on the iBook store.

Rowling taped a video recording saying: “The digital generation will be able to enjoy a safe, unique online reading experience built around the Harry Potter books.” It actually sounds a bit fun, like a virtual, literary theme park of sorts.

Of course, what sets Rowling up for a more-than-likely success–and also sets her apart from millions of other writers–are two main aspects: 1) the books are incredibly and eternally famous, and 2) whenever she says something, people listen.

I believe that’s what they call leverage? Good for her. However, the article goes on to say that Rowling’s British (Bloomsbury) and US (Scholastic) publishers will still get a slice of the pie. Contracts are very stretchy and publishers know how to cover their bases!

I’m sure she also had some very wise people look over her contracts when she originally signed up with her publisher. Else she would not enjoy as much latitude now.

Learn More: Digital Self-Publishing

A helpful follow-up article by Wired UK (Digital Book Publishing Models To The Rescue) outlines the digital publishing avenues that writers can avail of for themselves today. The discussion is a broad-stroke overview of Kindle/iBooks, Unbound, and agents-as-publishers.

Since this area is a booming, there is much to learn yet about best practices and legal aspects. With so much change over a relatively small time-span, it’s definitely an area to keep reading up about as so many new developments continuously arise.

Argentina Mulls Over Writers’ Pension

Wouldn’t you love getting a retirement safety net for doing what you love to do best? I certainly would!

Argentina was in the news lately (Argentina Considers Paying Writers Pension, The Guardian), when press caught wind of an initiative the government was mulling over.

For me, living in a country where social security and healthcare are hot buttons, this inspires a lot of hopeful daydreaming of “what if.”

Then of course, comes a little bit of a reality check: “Some analysts said the proposal, coming from a party which supports the president, Cristina Kirchner, appeared linked to her expected run for a second term in October’s election. Recent populist measures include sending trucks with cheaply priced meat to poor neighbourhoods.”

In Latin America there is a great cultural heritage and prestige associated to their famous writers. For some reason, these prolific and famous writers are growing in number there. It would make Argentina rise up in the eyes of overseas observers, as well as within the literary world.

However, how would this impact those less fortunate Argentinians, already struggling to make ends meet? Quite the interesting conundrum this situation–especially since the announcement came out amid Argentina’s famed literary festival.

A Singular Bookstore

A story (A Book Store. That’s Right. Book, Singular) in the New York Times recently caught my attention. Big time. A writer opened a bookstore that features 3,000 copies of his latest book. And nothing else.

The charming, indie-looking West Village store was opened by enterprising, 32-year-old writer/author Andrew Kessler.

Martian Summer: Robot Arms, Cowboy Spacemen, and My 90 Days With the Phoenix Mars Mission was printed by Pegasus this year and is available for US$27.95.

According to the story in the Times, “The book is Mr. Kessler’s account of NASA’s 2008 Phoenix Mars Lander mission, reported during 90 days inside mission control, in Tucson, alongside 130 leading scientists and engineers.”

The Times goes on to say: “Publishers Weekly calls the book a ‘slightly offbeat firsthand account of scientific determination and stubborn intellect’ that ‘delivers a fascinating journey of discovery peppered with humor.’”

That’s definitely one way to move print-on-demand book inventory, if I ever did see one. No storage problems, just deliver to the bookstore and open up for business.

Definitely an innovative approach to the recently popular “pop-up” stores, where companies or brands typically try to push some visibility in an otherwise untapped market.

For a writer, and his publisher, to come up with this concept, it’s quite inventive. And hopefully, they’ll find it to be a profitable exercise as well. So far, the author says they’ve been able to move a few hundred copies.

Is Borders Closing Shop for Good?

The media outlets (social or otherwise) have been going non-stop for the past couple of days, ever since the book seller first announced  it was going into Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization (Borders Group Files for Reorganization Relief Under Chapter 11 [PDF]).

The New York Times headline today (Borders’ Bankruptcy Shakes Industry) was a little alarmist, at best, but very representative of online commentary. They did mention that the “40-year-old retail chain…helped define the age of the book superstore,” and ominously adds that ever since the announcement, “the struggling book industry was left wondering what was next — and maybe even who was next.” Is it really this bad?

An analyst with Standard & Poor’s says that this is a market where significant transformation has taken place in recent years, and bookstores have gradually been loosing prominence as a whole. The analyst predicts this is a growing trend as eBooks are becoming ubiquitous.

Not only is this a volatile industry per se (changing trends, eBooks, etc.), but the bookstore market is very saturated.  The NY Times article mentions that Borders is probably finally suffering the results of a number of missteps along the way–one of which was over-expansion.

As Borders began to wildly expand and taking over mom-and-pop shops throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, its image as “the brainier of the large chains” gradually decreased. Now that they’re in Bankruptcy, one hopes they are able to recalibrate and emerge, not unlike a Phoenix, from a particularly nasty ashy tumble.

The NY Times article goes on to share that: “[p]ublishers, mourning the loss of valuable shelf space, said they hoped the bankruptcy filing would be a chance for the bookseller to reinvent itself. But they were also skeptical that the company’s deep-rooted problems could be overcome.”

Strong pressures from lower-priced online providers as well as a more successful (and substantial) online presence by Barnes & Noble, are being named as the main indicators behind the final blow for Borders.

Groups like IndieBound might be secretly pumping their firsts in the air in victory, after struggling for years to develop their unique niche against big-box book sellers.

The IndieBound front page announces in bold, colorful letters a collaboration with Google (Independent Bookstores Selling Google eBooks). Their avoidance of the Borders newsbyte is almost a dismissive wave of the hand to the old, as they open their arms to usher in the new.

The American Booksellers Association, which hosts IndieBound, had a prominent note (ABA Statement on Borders’ Bankruptcy Filing) on the front page of their website, describing their reaction to the news. The ABA’s statement begins: “[t]hough Borders is not a member of the American Booksellers Association, we are always saddened when any bookstore closes.”

The statement continues to say, “[h]owever, despite the doom and gloom expressed by some about the future of full-service bricks-and-mortar bookstores – and, while we don’t underestimate the challenges that lie ahead – ABA believes that the indie bookstore model is well positioned for the future.” You can almost hear snickering in the background: so there, evil big-box booksellers! Your comeuppance at last.

What does this mean for writers and publishers? It means we first of all shouldn’t put all our eggs in one basket, and secondly, local writers can find better success and acclaim with local bookstores, and build on that to go national. Local bookstore patrons usually love to hear about local writers, because the writing will undoubtedly strike a familiar chord with the audience.

Are we becoming writing localvores? Why not give it a try. I know I always prefer to shop at independent stores whenever I have the option to. Their unique personality and offerings shine far brighter in my eyes than the standardization and aloofness of big-box shops. Best of all, the funds I spend stay in my local area to continue a positive circle of giving and supporting efforts that count in my community. If that’s not a way to let our money speak for ourselves, I don’t know what is.

Quote of the Day

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” Ernest Hemingway

The Marginalization of Non-English-Speaking Authors

As you may have noticed, I took an unscheduled sabbatical from this blog. As I worked to complete my Masters thesis and coursework, my schedule was in urgent need to pare down–regrettably this blog was among some of the items I pared down on. However, I come back renewed and eager to continue sharing current events and relate these to our livelihood as writers in a sea of ever-changing marketplace forces.

Today’s interesting bit comes to us from the website of UK newspaper The Guardian: Orhan Pamuk attacks ‘marginalisation’ of non-English writers. I find the story’s headline not only attention-grabbing but factual. Although the publishing industry spans a number of continents and languages, we do not realize in full the extent of how clique-ish publishers–and readers–can become.

The recent global crisis was definitely a time when companies battened down the hatches and refocused on their core areas. However, it undoubtedly had an exacerbating effect on an already-existing gap in what international books and authors make it through to the US market.

We inadvertently closed ourselves off from other cultures, perspectives, and themes. Mr. Pamuk, the Nobel Prize winning author who’s extensively quoted in The Guardian’s story, fumes that we’re ignoring “the majority of human experience”  because “the literature that describes it is not written in English.”

However, Mr. Pamuk does promote some healthy conversation, with the points he makes in his rather inflammatory rant. I have read a number of books in English which were originally in another language (Gabriel Garcia Márquez, Isabel Allende), and sometimes–but not always–read the original language versions at a later time. Alas, not everyone can pick up a book in its original language! One of the things I’m very sensitized to, as a life-long translator, is the inexact science that translating prose, fiction, and poems can be. It’s a catch 22 type of situation.

As a writer and avid reader, I’m myself ashamed that my own source of information about new internationally-authored books might come from a recent–sometimes older–New York Times Best Sellers List–after all, besides listening to NPR and BBC World Service, there aren’t really that many sources for this type of information readily available to a casual reader, now are there? Not to mention that particular themes and world regions are completely uninteresting to an average, American reader. Which is a shame.

Mr. Pamuk goes on to say “You are squeezed and narrowed down, cornered down as a writer whose book is considered only the representation of his national voice and a little bit of anthropological curiosity.” That’s yet another reason why a healthy balance and supply of internationally-authored books remove the stigma of “museum specimen” for those few who do break through–like Mr. Pamuk, here.

I recently completed reading the Millennium Books, a trilogy by writer Stieg Larsson–who is mentioned in the story by The Guardian. I was immediately struck by a strong urge to find out as much as I could about Scandinavian open faced sandwiches after reading his books. It’s definitely a piquing of cultural curiosity, but this interest has also made me appreciate other arts from the Scandinavian countries as well–such as the recent rush of excellent Swedish movies, like Let The Right One In, The Seventh Seal, and My Life as a Dog.

I’m under the impression that this gap in international author visibility is as much due to our role as (electronic or print) book consumers  to create enough demand for particular genres and authors. Wouldn’t this cause publishing houses to feel obligated to comply with a good supply? Healthy demand equates to revenue after all.

In regards to Mr. Pamuk’s angry outbursts at the critics…well we can all commiserate. Who hasn’t been secretly, deeply wounded by any type of critique on our writing, constructive or otherwise? Is it perhaps the case that Mr. Pamuk’s writing is being put under a particularly harsh spotlight because he’s a Nobel Prize winner? Are our expectations too high, such as for actors who win an Oscar?

I believe that as a writer, Mr. Pamuk is mostly trying to address the existing language or cultural barrier that some critics may not be aware of. I’ve oftentimes heard stories on NPR about Arabic poems not being translateable into English, because the particular word choice was made to religiously mesh with the harmony and cadence of the musical instrument that accompanies the reading. The beauty of the piece would be lost in its entirety if it were communicated in English. Yet…any avid reader would know to take a little grain of salt when reading material that’s not in its original language.

So we can blame a number of players here: the economy, publishers, readers…I think Mr. Pamuk has done us a great favor by starting us thinking on how cultures come across in writing, how writers and their works gain visibility, and how our role as consumers impacts what’s available for us to read.