Pre-Update Update

So this week has been full of things to keep me from posting a proper review of the events of the weekend, notably BootCamp PGH. Said busy making things have also kept me from properly emailing and contacting those phenomenal folks I met there. But I promise I'm not being snobby, or rude--I just haven't had time to do much of anything except prepare for classes this week and work on a book review that I am trying valiantly to complete by April 27th. Here's a quick list of things I have to do and will make every effort to accomplish in the next few days (both here and on my other pages) in no particular order (kinda):

• Post a rockin' update about BootCamp PGH!
• Refine and post the review of Cinco de Mayo: The story behind Mexico's battle of Puebla by Donald Miles.
• Make sure I've responded to all the great emails sitting with stars on them because stars mean they're important (If you mailed me from Bootcamp and I haven't responded, that's you. You're stared. A gold star, even).
• Update the list of PGH Blogger and new sites I accumulated at Bootcamp (I even created a space there on the right. I promise. Scroll down and look!)
• Post the reviews of R.M. Hamilton's Unscarred
• Finish the series and post the reviews of Clifford B. Bowyer's books (NB: I'm working on finishing each series for more comprehensive reviews, and believe me, they're worth it!)
• Work on dolling up the Minute Lit blog with some "flair" (How many pieces are you wearing? Hmm?)
• Figuring out how to work this damn digital camera so I can start my adventures as a photographer.
• Get creatively thinking about the next Minute Lit podcast, and record with Alex when our schedules stop getting in the way of literary discussion.

I have the sneaking suspicion that I'm forgetting something, but you get the idea here. So be on the look out for multiple posts and updates soon!

~D.M. Papuga

Update!

There has been a lapse in posting here at LTR, but it certainly is not for want of things to post! Aside from running this site, I have been busy organizing a symposium about world conflict that will be taking place March 30th. As you might imagine, that has kept me more than busy in my free time, but I'm quite certain the cause is worth it. (There was also a birthday involved, an 80's hair band cover band, all night bowling, and a collection of talkative movie-goers whose single goal in life was to disrupt my enjoyment of a film, but we won't talk about those things. Well, not all of them...)

In the mean time, please feel free to check out the pre-release of the next episode of Minute Lit (Just go ahead and click on the icon on the right and it will take you right there!). In Episode 2, Alex and I discuss how literature is defined, exactly what is and is not considered "literature," the importance of literary journals, we discuss a sonnet and the common misinterpretation and reading of metaphors, the word concatenate (just try and get me to say that without stumbling over my tongue!), and of course, our quiz. Also feel free to check out the Minute Lit Blog for more updates on production and notes from Alex and me.

Also, I will be updating the list of reviews to come soon (already there are a few that are waiting to be added, and I will do so ASAP). There will be a new review posted here within the next few days, and maybe, just maybe, a discussion question!

Apologies for the delay. In the meantime, if you haven't yet been to see 300, do so. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. There's something to be said for the wave of graphic novels and comics being adapted for the big screen, and (surprise!) there will be at least one post discussing this trend in the near future.

Write Well...

~D.M. Papuga

New Media!

While working on the various reviews that are pending, my co-creator of Minute Lit has been hard at work to produce a subset of podcasts that reflect the importance of media, technology, and the uses of both in the intelligent world. So head over to Minute Lit-Tech and give it a listen.

Also, visit the new video for Tara Ison's book, The List.

Edit to Add: I've embedded the video here on LTR, in the hopes that with fewer clicks, more discussion can take place.



On that note, after watching the BookTrailer, please take the time to post your thoughts on the use of BookTrailers, VidLits, and other means of media crossing publicity as a tool in book selling, the rise of this form of advertising (is it effective?), promotion, and as a medium in general. It seems that more and more forms of technology are breeding their own version of promotion, ads, access and variant forms of specific material in order to reach as many individuals as possible. I'm curious about your thoughts!

Coming Soon: Review of The Rose of York: Fall from Grace

What’s this about Minute Lit?

Born out of an email discussion between Alex Landefeld and me about literature and technology, Minute Lit has hopped, skipped and jumped from being merely an idea, to an actual, functioning, fun Podcast!

So what’s it all about? Literature is universal in many respects. Through literature we can evaluate the issues of our time through the examination of the practiced crafting of words that artist have compiled. We are influenced by art and literature as much as art and literature are influenced by us (If you have any doubt about this, just turn on your TV—think Law & Order). Most people don’t have the time or luxury to sit down and pour through books the way I do (though admittedly, even I don’t technically have the time!), and even listening to books on CD can be frustrating if your travels don’t keep you in a car or in one spot for a goodly amount of time. In fact, just yesterday your friend, co-worker, or significant other may have used a word you’ve never heard of before—but don’t go ripping through the house searching for a dictionary for retaliation! Well then, you may wonder, how can we rectify this problem? How do you get your snippet of “cocktail party” chatter without sitting for hours, pouring through the OED, or Trivia books? Sure you’ve heard of Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus, Rushdie’s Satanic Verses, and Homer’s Odyssey, but what do you know about them? Who’s Who in the big name pieces of literature? What was controversial and why?

Just come visit us on Minute Lit, and in each broadcast you’ll hear a new word to use on those who would love to stump you in a conversation. You’ll hear pieces of different literature from Aesop’s fables to sonnets; from scenes of plays to fragments of short stories; from haikus to contemporary poetry! And be the first to correctly respond to the weekly quiz and we'll read your answer and name on the next edition of Minute Lit. The first edition is already up and waiting for you--just click the link or the button provided below!

Minute Lit is a serial pod cast dedicated to the use of words individually and for the purpose of conveying meaning through art, and is the brain child of Alex Landefeld and Dawn Papuga. Minute Lit is produced by the good folks at Silurian-Devonian Tunes and its hosts and contributors are Alex Landefeld and Dawn Papuga.