I once had dreams of making it as a literary writer. Those notions were, of course, about as far fetched as my earlier dreams of playing professional baseball. But we’re not here to discuss my childhood dreams. Thanks to fresh data from The Wall Street Journal we’re going to examine just how hard it is for writers–even writers of exceptional merit–to make a living.
“In terms of making a living as a writer, you better have another source of income,” says Nan Talese, whose Nan A. Talese/Doubleday imprint publishes Ian McEwan, Margaret Atwood and John Pipkin. One reason for Talese’s pessimism is the hard facts of a shrinking market for books. Consumer books peaked in 2008 at 1.63 billion units and are expected to decline to 1.47 billion this year and to 1.43 billion by 2012.
With all the entertainment options and various time pressures like work and raising a family, who has time for a book today? Online game developers are getting rich; meanwhile, our nation’s scribes are applying not just for grants, but for food stamps.
Yet, where there is disorder there is also opportunity. “Writers come up from nowhere, from the ground up, and nobody is looking for them or asking for them, but there they are,” says E.L. Doctorow. Who’s going to produce and market their work, and help them make a living? No one knows. But writers, like weeds, will keep coming. That we do know.
One answer can be found in independent publishers like Turtle Point Press who are signing some promising literary-fiction writers, so it’s not as if good books aren’t being written and published today. But independents offer, on average, $1,000 to $5,000 for advances, a fraction of the $50,000 to $100,000 advances that established publishers typically paid in the past for debut literary fiction.
What about eBooks? eBooks are selling like hot cakes, right? According to the Journal, eBooks are far from a game changer for emerging writers, although they do provide a nice bit of change for best selling authors.
Let me ask, what is your relationship to the printed book? Do books take up a lot of shelf space in your home? Are they packed away in boxes in the garage? Have you sold them all back to the used bookstore? Do you carry all the reading material you’ll ever need in one electronic device?
Personally, we have more books in our little cottage than we know what to do with. But I’m not reading new books at the pace I once did. The atomization on content is to blame. Like music fans who now buy just the single instead of the entire album, I click through the web harvesting bits and pieces from my favorite sources. I don’t have to subscribe to a magazine or newspaper, or buy a book. For the most part, I just click and read.
Interestingly, all this online clicking and reading repositions the book as special event in my life. To set time aside for a printed book is to say, I’m here now concentrating on this long form narrative. Email and iThis and iThat be damned.
I’m from Nebraska and I live in Oregon. And I like college football. My loyalties to the Cornhuskers are well established. Whereas my new allegiances to the local teams are still forming.
I like that Oregon has Scott Frost on its coaching staff, because I’m a Husker and he’s a Husker. But I’m not ready to swan dive into the Ducks’ pond just yet. For one reason only–the team in black and orange to the north. I like the Beavs, what can I say?
Unlike my Huskers, the Beavers go out of their way to play tough teams in September. They take their lumps, but the fact is Oregon State hung in there with TCU and Boise State, at a time when Boise State and TCU are both ranked in the top five in the nation. It sucks that the Beavs didn’t come away with at least one win, but my feeling is the team is all the more ready for Pac 10 conference play, which starts next Saturday in Corvallis.
As a football fan, you consider things like strength of schedule, offensive schemes, defensive tenacity and so on. But there’s more going on here than football–identifying with a college team is also about branding. Brand loyalty can come from having attended the school you root for, but that’s just the beginning for a big time college sports program. For instance, I didn’t go to Nebraska but I’m from Omaha, so the Huskers have always been part of my deal. I didn’t go to Oregon State or Oregon either, but I’m a fan of both schools and both football programs.
Most people in Oregon have well formed team loyalties. They’re either a Beaver or a Duck. For people who migrate to the state, they’ll no doubt be influenced by friends, by whether or not they like green and gold and countless other factors. That’s what branding is–the amalgamation of all your experiences with a company, or school/team.
Friends from California, Hawaii, Colorado and Washington descended on Eugene last week to see two Furthur shows at Cuthbert Amphitheatre. Our local friends also joined the party.
Furthur is the band Bob Weir and Phil Lesh of Grateful Dead play in today. By the way, the Dead’s drummers Bill Kreutzman and Mickey Hart are not in this band. The drum kit is manned by Joe Russo of Benevento Russo Duo. In my opinion, Russo’s work and the contributions from keyboardist Jeff Chimenti are two good reasons to like this band.
Guitar player and vocalist John Kadlecik from Dark Star Orchestra has a lead role in Furthur. My friend Greg Meredith from San Francisco says he plays “shit hot” guitar. He may indeed, but I found it odd to have a cover band guy in this slot. Personally, I don’t want an imitation or even a recreation, I want a creative interpretation of Jerry’s body of work. Then there’s always the question of vocals. Vocals is a big part of how soulful songs get properly conveyed. Kadlecik seemed to struggle on vocals, but Phil’s singing voice sounded better than ever.
Although it was hard to do at times, I tried not to think too much about what Furthur is, or is not. They played lots of great songs that I’m always eager to hear. Shakedown, Scarlet, St. Stephen, China Cat, Dark Star, Doin’ That Rag, Golden Road To Unlimited Devotion, and more. Plus, Cuthbert is a beautiful setting for a concert and people were freely flying their freak flags. It’s hard to complain when it’s all good ‘-)
Both Eugene shows are for sale on LiveDownloads.com. I preferred the Thursday night show, but Friday had its moments too. Both shows proved to be an incredible way to remember and celebrate the life and work of author and Merry Prankster Ken Kesey, who would have had been 75 last Friday.
MP3 Offering:Doin’ That Rag by Furthur, performed live in Eugene on 9/16/10
In Oregon (and elsewhere) the race is on for the governor’s mansion. Let’s take a look at the candidates’ commercials.
Oh, an elbow to the ribs. That hurts.
But Dudley’s endured an elbow or two in his time. Here’s his counter:
A poll released today by Riley Research Associates shows the governor’s race in a statistical dead heat. The poll has the former governor favored by 40% of likely voters, while Dudley is favored by 39%. But one of every six voters, or 16%, are still undecided. Which means the voters in the middle will decide this race. Many of these undecided voters may wish they had a few more choices on the ballot, or at least one more Independent choice, but that’s not how a two-party system works.
Freelance writer Leland Baxter-Neal traveled to Humboldt County, Calif. to report on the marijuana economy (and what it might mean for Oregon) for The Portland Mercury. California’s Proposition 19, should it pass, will legalize pot in the Golden State–while Oregon’s Measure 74 would bring medical marijuana dispensaries to the Beaver State. Both measures could have huge economic impacts for the citizens of both states.
What I like about Baxter-Neal’s coverage is the fact that his article is not about politics. From a moral or political point of view, legal pot is a loser. But from an economic point of view it’s a big winner. And given the shaky footing states, counties, cities, businesses and individual households are in right now, a big economic win is exactly what’s needed.
I also find it very interesting how legalization would spread the wealth around, a fact not everyone likes, but a fact nevertheless.
California’s state tax commission estimated that legalizing and taxing marijuana sales could generate $1.4 billion in tax revenue. The tax commission also predicted, however, that the “legalization of marijuana would cause its street price to decline by 50 percent.”
That thought has sent chills through the Emerald Triangle, sparking a series of community meetings where the notoriously reticent growers have joined economists and local government officials to craft a plan in case the bottom drops out of their livelihood. Ideas being churned out include specializing in high-end, organic marijuana or promoting weed tourism—picture tours of weed farms much like wineries, and pick-your-own-bud farms.
Right now this multi-billion dollar industry is conducted on the black market. Change that and you not only fill the state’s coffers, you also spur private sector innovation. Weed tourism, for one, sounds like a great new industry that will employ bus drivers, hotel workers, restaurant workers, and more. I can also see a future for retailers who specialize in high end strains, some of which might also offer mail order and/or home delivery.
There’s also packaging, distribution and marketing to consider. Comparing this industry to the wine industry or craft beer industry is a good idea. In Oregon alone, many hundreds of small producers make and sell Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. How does the consumer know one Pinot from the next? Packaging, distribution and marketing is how. Again, we’re talking about a lot of non-growers and non-sellers with the ability to all of a sudden make a lot of money by going into business with said purveyors. Naturally, all that money is taxable too.
It’ll be interesting to see what develops. Once the cash registers in California start to ring, it’s a sound that will be heard around the world. And it won’t take long for people outside of California to realize that prohibition is a horrible burden on their state, whereas legalization is the opposite.
Simon Dumenco, writing for Ad Age, taps a nerve when discussing the rise of social gaming and what it means for our culture.
In FarmVille, of course, you “work” your own plot of land, while FrontierVille stokes nostalgia for Manifest Destiny. (“Howdy, Pardner! Come join us on the frontier, where you’ll carve out a home in the wilderness and raise a family.”) Cafe World makes you a small-business owner/operator.
FarmVille has become the most popular game application on Facebook, with over 61.6 million active users and over 24.1 million Facebook application fans in June 2010. If you spend any time on Facebook at all, a portion of your friends will spam you with Farmville requests. Dumenco asks, “How America-right-now is that?” I might simplify his rhetorical question to “How American is that?” Day-dreamy ambition is indeed an American trait. F. Scott Fitzgerald spent his entire career addressing the topic, and he’s one of our most literate 20th century voices.
Dumenco admits to being depressed by the rise of social media gaming. I know what he means but it’s important to make room for the imagination. There are more imaginative things to do than play games, online or off, but on the grand scale of attention robbing activities, Farmville and its lot are relatively innocent. First person shooter games are another story. Giving kids toy guns is bad enough, but now we provide the whole killing experience via the click of a mouse. Now that’s depressing. It’s also sick and wrong.
Darrell Scott pulled in to Puddletown last night for a show at the new Alberta Rose Theatre on NE Alberta Street. I was impressed with the new music venue near our home, but I was blown away by the power of Scott’s performance.
One man with his voice and guitar can be a tough gig, unless the performer is totally in command. Scott is. His narrative form of songwriting, booming voice and skill on his instrument pull the audience deep into Scott’s river of music.
Scott played many songs from his new album, A Crooked Road, plus he threw in a few classics as well. In fact, he closed strong with “Long Time Gone” and “River Take Me.” Gary Ogan, who opened the show, sat in on keys during the closing numbers, which was a nice touch and a reminder of how great Scott sounds when there’s a band supporting him.
Samish Island in Skagit County, Washington is an idyllic Puget Sound beach community. It was our great fortune to spend a relaxing week there in a beautiful beach-front home with stunning views of Bellingham Bay, Mt. Baker and Orcas Island.
We had planned to visit Orcas and maybe North Cascades National Park while there, but we found we didn’t want to leave the cozy environs of Samish and its nearby communities for long. We did venture to Bellingham, Mount Vernon and LaConner, but the little towns of Edison and Bow, just a few miles from Samish, offer essentials like lunch along the slough, bottles of wine and fresh-baked peanut butter cookies. When you include the restaurants on Chuckanut Drive, there really is no reason to wander too far.
The Oyster Bar on Chuckanut Drive–an historic road that hugs the coast–is now one of our favorite restaurants anywhere in the world. It’s a charming roadhouse with a long history and an even longer wine list. The views of Bellingham Bay and the San Juan Islands from every cozy table are enthralling. The service is impeccable and the food is pretty damn good too.
It was fun to slow down and experience the rhythms of the tide. At low tide, we saw the water retreat a quarter mile, revealing tidal pools, clamming opportunities and lots and lots of birds, particularly hungry herons. At high tide, seals came in close to see who might be playing on the beach. Of course, our girl Lucy was there to greet the sea dogs when they poked their heads up.
Overhead we saw jets coming in for Vancouver, BC landings. At night, we could see the milky way, and one evening we saw seven shooting stars in the span of an hour.
Samish Island is low key and glorious at the same time. It’s also accessible and remote. There are lots of old cabins and some impressive new homes too. There are wild berries growing along the road, crabs in the bay, and most residents have a nice garden. Samish Island–named for the Samish Indians–is nourishing, not just in food stuffs, but in spirit. It’s a great American place.
North Plains—It’s Saturday. Day three of String Cheese Incident’s four-day festival in the woods. There are forest nymphs, people on stilts, Kesey’s bus, hula-hoopers, and DayGlo freaks of all kinds gathered to hear Colorado’s premier jamband in the cozy country setting that is Horning’s Hideout.
We arrive at 5:00 pm and take a shuttle from the top of the hill to the show. Jazz guitarist, Bill Frissell, is already on stage, working his deep dark magic on the crowd which is still recovering from Friday night’s showdown.
Today’s show opens with the invocations of poet and friend of Cheese, Lester “Boom Boom” Babbitt. “Continue living, wilderness. Continue living, wilderness,” he chimes at the end of his poem. The opening notes of “Black Clouds” gets the crowd moving moments later.
After a few songs, Bill Frissell joins SCI on stage for two numbers. His work on “Freedom Jazz Dance” is particularly striking.
Between sets fans clear the dusty floor and move up the hill to find a spot to watch the Saturday night spectacle unfold. The band comes back and goes into “Rivertrance” while characters dressed as Japanese warriors take the floor and do an interpretive dance. Flame-wielding jesters enter the mix and a giant peacock is wheeled in front of the stage. Then a spaceship appears from the forest and hovers over the area, apparently suspended by a cable, but who cares? The performance is one part Burning Man, another part Cirque du Soleil. A collection of balloons–also fixed to the earth by a cable–is introduced in tandem with the spaceship. Dangling from these balloons on long white “scarves” is a high-flying acrobat, doing artful moves with her body 150 feet above the ground (with no net beneath, should she fall).
She doesn’t fall, nor does the music. The band closes the second set with “I Know You Rider” and comes back with a double encore, ending the show with “Texas,” a song which brings me back. Turns out, tonight is my 29th Incident and first since Telluride Bluegrass in 2003, but I’ve never seen anything this good from the band and its community of fans and co-workers before.
Set 1: Black Clouds > Rhum ‘N Zouc, One Step Closer, County Road Blues*, Freedom Jazz Dance*, Way That It Goes, Cedar Laurels, Ring of Fire > Black Clouds….
Set 2: Rivertrance, Joyful Sound > It Is What It Is > Orion’s Belt > Piece of Mine, Search > I Know You Rider
It’s mid-July—the perfect time for three days and nights of live music.
On Friday night we saw Darol Anger’s Republic of Strings, Great American Taxi, and Yonder Mountain String Band at NW String Summit in North Plains, Oregon.
Horning’s Hideout is the ideal setting for a festival and we would have camped out like good festers, but we had a date with The Avett Brothers on Saturday night at Edgefield in Troutdale. And whoa, what a date it turned out to be. Darby and I were completely captivated by what The Avett Brothers brought to the stage.
The Avett Brothers are masters of their instruments and their material. Their songs are superbly crafted and the band plays them with so much emotion it really demands your full attention. Let’s look at their new video for “Head Full Of Doubt/Road Full Of Promise,” a track from I And Love And You (produced by Rick Rubin).
The song is poetry:
There’s a darkness upon you that’s flooded in light
In the fine print they tell you what’s wrong and what’s right
And it flies by day and it flies by night
And I’m frightened by those who don’t see it
According to NPR, the video shows the rise, fall and inevitable decay of rampant urban development. Which is fitting. The song “was written about the temporary nature of our buildings and our mentality,” says Scott Avett.
On Sunday, we headed west on Highway 26 again. As we made our way into the festival grounds, Crooked Still was setting up on stage. They sing purty songs. Then we saw Danny Barnes play with Darol Anger and pretty much every member of Yonder, before the host band took the stage for the final performance of the weekend.
As much as I love Yonder, the set of the weekend at Horning’s belonged to Great American Taxi. Great American Taxi’s new album Reckless Habits is ON and it was great to see the band play many of its songs from the album.
From where I’m dancing, Vince Herman is one of the great band leaders in America today. He writes compelling material and is a natural performer. Leftover Salmon has been an inspiration to me for years and I love to see Vince play, wherever and however he configures it.
