I finished 1Q84 myself this weekend and found this quote, indeed this entire review, reflected my opinion of the experience. I still recommend “Wind Up Bird,” “Norwegian Wood,” and “Hard-Boiled Wonderland” - steer clear of this one, the payoff and ingenuity are sadly nowhere to be found.

You’ve probably read the recent hubbub regarding Alan Gribben, professor of English from Auburn University, and how he has published a sanitized version of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” that replaces the word “nigger” with “slave.” The “N word” is used more than 200 times throughout “Huck” and Mr. Gribben thought it his duty to rescue “the reader from a racial slur that never seems to lose its vitriol.”

First of all, no. The history of redacted and Bowdlerized literature has never gone over well and I would expect any professor of English to have enough respect for the original material to teach it as it is. That’s your job. You have an undeniable classic of American literature and the opportunity to instruct students as to how dated and backwards the social mores expressed therein have become. How dare you try to protect me from understanding the depths of our depravity? You should be appalled, as we all should be appalled, by where we once were and how difficult a time it proved to be for our country.

Varnishing historical “rough spots” denies students the understanding of just how far in the wrong we’ve been and decreases their sensitivities to the certainty that we will be wrong again. We learn from the past by confronting it and applying it to the present. Any softening of the past decreases our capacity to learn from it. These are lessons that should sting.

I think Michiko Kakutani, writing for the NYT, nailed it:

Haven’t we learned by now that removing books from the curriculum just deprives children of exposure to classic works of literature? Worse, it relieves teachers of the fundamental responsibility of putting such books in context — of helping students understand that “Huckleberry Finn” actually stands as a powerful indictment of slavery (with Nigger Jim its most noble character), of using its contested language as an opportunity to explore the painful complexities of race relations in this country. To censor or redact books on school reading lists is a form of denial: shutting the door on harsh historical realities — whitewashing them or pretending they do not exist.

Over on Moby, there’s a bunch of speculation related to some off-topic, pro-Kindle commentary that has been coming in as blog post commentary through their queues. Given that a whole string of these appear to have listed the same exact URL, despite coming from various IP addresses, I have little doubt that they were indeed being astroturfed (a term for individual reviews or comments which are actually orchestrated by a single entity in order to achieve the illusion of spontaneity or grass-roots support). What I do doubt, however, is that Amazon would be behind such a campaign.

As somebody who used to manage the customer review process for Amazon (many moons ago) and with significant knowledge (I worked there 9.5 of the last 12 years) of the internal policies and practices of the company, I will state unequivocally that there is no way that any Amazon employee found “fostering” spurious astroturfed reviews, let alone submitting them themselves, would keep their job. I’m not going to say that it couldn’t happen because, hey, let’s face it, some people are incredibly clueless – but I will say that there is no way that this would be condoned. In my opinion, anybody perpetrating that offense, or paying somebody to astroturf on their behalf, should realize that their job at Amazon is in jeopardy.

Oh, and by the way, I love my Kindle 2. ;^)

Howard Jacobson’s book, “The Finkler Question,” just won the Man Booker Prize, the most prestigious literary accolade in Britain.

Well that’s another one that’s going to go on my “to read” shelf, or at least on “ye olde Kindle” once I manage to steal it back from my beloved.

How can you not like the Library of America? High-quality hardcover books produced by a non-profit and featuring some of the greatest writers and minds in our country’s history. I’ve been a Library of America fan ever since I was a fledgling literature major in college.

Now, I am happy to report that they’ve gone and set up a blog that I think readers of TPN might appreciate. Given the exquisite material that they have to pull from, I imagine that there is a lifetime of great posts yet to come. The most recent post regarding Walt Whitman and the Meteor of 1860 is a great place to start.

Rushdie loves them. You probably will too...

Three of the writers collected in this volume are friends of mine: Grossman, Orhan Pamuk and Paul Auster. But writers talk less to each other about their craft than perhaps they should, so even in these cases what the interviews have to tell me is revealing. Auster talks about “reading with [his] fingers”, the act of retyping the whole book once it’s finished, and how valuable he finds it — “it’s amazing”. He marvels at “how many errors your fingers will find that your eyes never noticed”.

Renda Dodge is a Seattle-based author who just published her first book, “Inked” in October. During the month of November, she is participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) – for the 5th time! Renda is also the South Seattle Municipal Liaison for NaNoWriMo which means she’s helping a bunch of less experienced NaNoWriMo-ers come to terms with their task and then plow through their roadblocks. Hers is a noble calling. She took time out of her very ambitious schedule to talk to The Puget News, and for that I am very grateful.

Hi Renda, thanks a lot for taking the time to be interviewed for “The Puget News.” I really appreciate it, and congratulations on the publication of your first novel, “Inked.”

No problem, and thank you!

So it’s November, which means it’s National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). How is that going for you so far? Is this your first time participating?

No, actually, this is my fifth year participating in NaNoWriMo. I started in 2005 and have done it every year since. I spend a lot of time in the writing reference section of the bookstore and I came across “No Plot? No Problem!” by Chris Baty, the founder of NaNoWriMo. The book details, in a fun and humorous way, how to succeed with writing a novel in 30 days. I actually happened upon the book in October, and surprise, National Novel Writing Month started less than a month later.

My first year, I did it alone in my home office. I didn’t reach out the huge community, and I’m not ashamed to say that I didn’t hit the 50,000 word goal. I wrote about 24,000 words, but I was so proud of myself. Even after attending college as an English major, I’d never written anything longer than 8,000 words. But, after one month I suddenly had the bones of a story to work with. So, when November 2006 rolled around I was ready to tackle, and “win”.

One of the great things I’ve experienced, and also seen with other writers, is what NaNo does for them. It takes them from someone who really wants to write a novel, to someone who has, and each success is another to build on and learn from.

As far as this year goes, it’s only the 3rd of the month, and I’m a little behind in word count. The goal, of course, is 50,000 words in one month (equal to a short novel – some famous examples of books right around 50,000 are “Fight Club”, “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” and “Catcher in the Rye”) and that equates to 1,667 words per day. So, to stay on track I should be at about 5,000 words and I’m at about 2,500. But that’s ok, I’ll catch up.

Spoken with the confidence of somebody that’s done this a few times.

Definitely, 50,000 words isn’t as daunting when you’ve conquered it a few times.

Outside of participating as a writer in NaNoWriMo this month, you’re also serving as the “South Seattle Municipal Liaison.” What exactly is that and how did you get that gig?

Well, in 2007 I contacted the Office of Letters and Light (the parent non-profit for NaNo) and asked what I could do to help. I was offered the position of Co-Municipal Liaison with Amanda Cherry. We thought it was easiest to split the region into north and south, because it’s a huge region. We have almost 3,000 people signed up to participate in NaNoWriMo who list Seattle as their home region, and for the last three years we’ve lead every other city (and even whole states like Maryland) in the regional word counts and in donations. So, here in Seattle we write a lot and we are also generous with our donations – which is an excellent combination.

What I do as ML mainly revolves around cheer leading, running events (such as write-ins – a gathering of writers in local coffee shops for fellowship and word count) and helping people make it to 50,000 words. It’s a volunteer gig, but I have so much fun with it. I have met so many interesting people, and I have been a part of so many people reaching their goals. It’s so worth it.

For example, Monday night the King County Library in Covington I helped them kick of NaNoWriMo by presenting the basics of High Speed Plotting to an entire group of NaNo newbies, several of which went home to start writing immediately. It’s really awesome that I can be a part of that.

I’ve found NaNoWriMo to be one of the few things that can take the solitary task of writing and instantly injects you straight into a very inviting community. Everyone is so supportive.

Moving back to talking about “Inked” for a minute here, what moved you to make this your first novel? Was it sitting there, cathartically waiting to be written, or did it take a lot of time to develop?

Well, I wrote “Inked” as my fourth NaNo novel, but I attacked it differently than I had the first three. For one thing, at that point I had written three full length novels. I had a really good grasp of what worked, and what really didn’t. So I was able to plan “Inked” out and it was really an easy story to write. I deliberately dug deep inside of myself for this book though, and when I came out on the other side I had a very personal story I was proud of. It was the first draft I had ever finished that I was excited to work on. I didn’t want to shove into a drawer and never look at again. The huge difference with this novel is that I allowed myself to pull into my background and experiences to create a character with a very diverse story.

I would say it took awhile to develop, 30 days to write a first draft, however the re-writing, revision and editing process took months. I worked on it for hours a day. I did five full revisions from beginning to end (and that doesn’t count the spot revisions) and I had 10 readers, all who went through it with a fine tooth comb. I’ve lived and breathed this novel for a full year.

The one thing I tell everyone is that the title “National Novel Writing Month” is a little deceptive, you’re not actually going to walk away with a novel that’s ready to publish. What you will walk away with though is a first draft. And that’s like starting with an empty plot of land and building a house in a month. You go from having nothing to a house. However, you still have to finish the walls, pick paint and wallpaper, and furnish the house before you can sell it. It’s the same with NaNoWriMo, but how many people sit around saying “I really want to write a book someday”? Well, NaNoWriMo is that chance.

Well, consider me jealous of your stick-to-it-iveness. I read the first chapter of “Inked” (Editor’s Note: available free here) and I’m compelled to continue on. How will your next work differ from “Inked”? Are you going to stick with similar subject matter or take us someplace totally different?

Thank you! I’m glad the first chapter was intriguing enough to continue on! My current project is a bit different from “Inked” in the fact that, for one thing, I’m writing from a male character’s point of view, and instead of tackling one person’s struggle for identity in current America I’m dealing with a whole household of diverse people as they try to find themselves. I’ve also made a personal pledge to have a few more moments of levity while still tackling some heavy themes, such as modern relationships, drug-use and modern family, because well, sometimes you have to laugh at life, right?

Starting with the assumption that millions of people will read this interview and click over to buy your book, where should they go to do so?

Of course, that’s always the assumption in the digital age of the internet.

The best place to purchase my book is directly from my publishing press and the store can be accessed on my site but it’s also available on Amazon. Or, I’ll have some available for purchase at the reading on November 6th (Editor’s Note: see bottom of this post for more details on the reading). I’m also working on getting it into some independent bookstores in the Seattle area soon.

Thanks again for talking to me. I know you’ve got a really busy month ahead of you and I want to make sure you get your real work done. I’d love to check in in early December and see how things went for you and the other folks you’re helping with NaNoWriMo.

This was a lot of fun, thank you for talking with me. Oh and definitely feel free to check back with me. It’s a really fun journey, and I’d love to let you know where it ends up.

Links:

• Renda Dodge’s website: You can read the first chapter of “Inked,” find out what she’s up to, and buy her book right there!
• Renda Dodge’s blog
• “Inked” on Amazon.com
• National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

FYI: You heard her mention her reading but if you’d like a chance to hear Renda read from “Inked”, she’ll be reading at The Hugo House on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 8PM. Please show up and support Renda’s hard work for her readers and the local art community!

Don't miss this reading!

Bolaño's opus

The market has its landlords, like everything on this infected planet, and it’s the landlords of the market who decide the mambo that you dance, whether it’s selling cheap condoms or Latin American novels in the U.S. I say this because the central idea of Pollack’s work is that behind the construction of the Bolaño myth was not only a publisher’s marketing operation but also a redefinition of the image of Latin American culture and literature that the North American cultural establishment is now selling to the public.

It’s refreshing to hear external voices reminding those of us in the US how easy it is to channel our interests. America is a myth-building myth-consuming culture eager to mindlessly support highly editorialized marketing directed at the core tenets of our cultural psyche – revolutionaries and ideologues excite our passions and support our myths of genius. After reading this article, I am actually comforted by the fact that it’s OK to create genius work from within the stability of a supportive family life. Let’s be honest, that’s really the dream isn’t it? To create beautiful work without necessarily subjecting ourselves to the pain we so often associate with it?

“2666″ is sitting on my shelf at home beckoning to me. I can hardly wait.

The News Hour with Jim Lehrer dove into the discussion about how reading and publishing is changing as a result of big box retailers with their pricing wars and as the web and digital devices begin to circumvent the old publishing industry. It’s a thoughtful 11:30 minute take on the state of the book world and it’s well worth viewing. Both of the guests, Kassia Krozer (founder and editor of Booksquare.com – a blog focused on the Digital Publishing Industry that you should really follow) and Lev Grossman from Time Magazine do a good job exploring the topsy-turvy digital world we’re all now navigating.

If you’d rather just get the content in printed form, here is the transcript.

Yeah, you heard me right, that’s not a typo – it’s “Vook“. Strange name for a great overall concept and product that’s a harbinger of what’s to come. All you stodgy warthogs who think that it’s only about the printed page need a reality check. Most authors care about delivering their message and the printed word has been an amazing vehicle for that message for centuries. Going forward, however, new digital tools will enable much more direct communication between author and audience and Vooks are a really interesting first stab at the commercialization of that digital connection. While there will always be room for well-written and thought-provoking literary content, a significant percentage of that content, especially factual content, will be expressed and absorbed via multimedia and social engagement channels. This is undeniable and already happening. Vook is leading the charge.

So what’s a “Vook?”

A Vook is an online/digital book supplemented with additional material. In the case of “Crush It,” you get the full text of the book, a professionally produced video for each chapter of the book, and a “Connections” page hooking you into social media sharing channels and providing you supplementary links to follow should you desire to do so.

How does it all work?

Basically, you just navigate your way over to Vook.com, find a Vook title you want to buy, and decide on whether or not to buy the web version or the iphone version. In the case of “Crush It,” each version of the Vook is currently $11.99. (This is the most expensive Vook on the site. The other featured Vooks go for $4.99 on the iPhone version and $6.99 on the web version.)

So far, I’ve only utilized the web web version of Vook, and I’ll tell you straight up that it is WELL WORTH $11.99. Gary Vaynerchuk, the author of “Crush It,” was in Seattle promoting his book a couple weeks back and I spent $20 buying hardcover copy and getting it signed. Now don’t get me wrong, having the signed copy is pretty cool, I mean Gary V. had the chance to tell me personally to “Crush It.” Awesome. But if I had the opportunity to do it all over again, I’d much rather have bought the Vook. I would have received all the same base content plus a whole passel of vintage Gary video to go along with it. I would have gotten more for less.

And really, “Crush It” is ideally suited for the Vook medium. “Crush It” describes how Gary worked himself silly creating and then monetizing his personal brand and it has tons of simple tactical things you can do to follow the same path. It’s not a long book, but it’s well written and inspirational. It oozes Gary’s positivity from every pore and while that may not be for everybody, he had me at “How badly do you want to crush it?”

Strengths of the “Crush It” Vook

• Strong overall value proposition: The book retails for $19.99 and is currently being sold on Amazon for $11.47. Any way you slice it, $11.99 for the book and all that dynamic content is well worth it.
• The video content is well made and allows you to get that personal Gary V. vibe. If you haven’t been able to see Gary V. on tour, this is the next best thing.

Quibbles

• Why make me pay for two separate versions of the Vook if I want to access the same content in both places? That’s just outdated and silly. I can read my Kindle titles on both my Kindle and my iPhone (and soon on PC-based reader) at no additional charge. I paid $11.99 for the web version. I should have access to that optimized for my iPhone.
• The Vook video content had some minor audio clipping issues on my Mac.
• The “Connections” content is a bit weak. It’s mostly static links to sharing on Twitter, Facebook , etc. I’d love to see this area made into a real social gathering spot for the book. Why not host live uStreams with the author or feature ongoing forums for people that are into the book? This can and should be taken further than what’s there.

And now my questions for you guys out there are these:

What do you think of the Vook concept? What types of books will make the best Vooks? What’s keeping you from trying one out?