from this point forward
A particularly egregious example of what can happen to an author with one good book under his belt.
A re-dedication of the blog and some very important announcements.
First, I will be publishing my first and probably only novel, Retreat, here starting tomorrow.
Second, I’ve uploaded an essay that explains how my novel will be published, why I’m not planning to write any others, and what I see as the purpose of this blog.
Third, this Sunday, I will be talking with Sherwin Siy, Vice President of Legal Affairs at Public Knowledge, about the recent tragedy in Boston and the media response to it. I really like the potential of recorded Google Hangouts as a forum for intellectual exchange, and so does Sherwin, and we’re going to see how much we can do with that in the weeks to come. If you want to take part, email me!
Here is “An Ark Without A Covenant.” Enjoy.
-Kugelmass
Do you mean that you can become a huge success with people who think you’re a genius only to discover that not only are you very conservative but you also don’t like gay people? Speaking of Orson, I am. Yoda speak I am typing. No really, Card was my favorite author since I first read Ender’s Game when I was 12. Then to find out he has such weird beliefs was like finding out dad is cheating on mom- unthinkable. However, don’t see you as anything like Card except for the fact that one day they will make a movie of your book just like they’re doing with Card’s Ender’s Game story now. Cheers, brotherman. So long and thanks for all the fish?
Very interesting read, Joe. I really, really look forward to reading the novel.
I had a fairly similar transition a couple of years ago – and it caused me to abandon my desire to write the Great Novel. But I still hew to the idea of being a writer – I’ve just transferred that desire to YA. For me, it’s precisely because it is a coming-of-age story, and because I think YA is intrinsically less timeless than most genres of fiction. Fantasy and extreme sci-fi don’t appeal as much to me – because of the distrust I have for segmenting human traits and treating them as the ‘other’ through alien/fantasy races.
But YA was important to me when I was young. I think a lot of those novels helped me make sense of the world I was living in at a confusing time, and helped me become who I am. A lot of the issues they dealt with change as society changes (since they are often not the ‘great questions’ that ‘serious’ fiction concerns itself with). So I don’t see myself as writing Truth or New Ideas, but reframing a standard arc in a context that has more relevance for the children of today.
Maybe that’s vain. Maybe it’s just silly. But it still brings a smile to my face to imagine helping at least one angsty new version of me navigate those few years. It’s less grandiose than how I perceived my purpose earlier, but it gets me up in the morning.