Tag Archives: books

More on the New Age of After Literacy

21 Thursday Jun 2018

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Building on what I mentioned the other day, Linh Dinh has some more depressing news for readers and writers.

I was just interviewed by two Temple journalism students, Amelia Burns and Erin Moran, and though they appeared very bright and enterprising, with Erin already landing a job that pays all her bills, I feel for these young ladies, for this is a horrible time to make and sell words, of any kind, and the situation will only get worse. We’re well into postliteracy.

With widespread screen addiction, hardly anyone buys books or newspapers anymore. My local newspaper, the Philadelphia Inquirer (Inky), no longer has a book review section. Its retired editor, Frank Wilson, was never replaced. Frank had three of my books reviewed, Night, Again, Fake House and Blood and Soap, but the last was in 2004.

We’re both right, kind of, about books sales. I say the sales are up. They are, or were the last time I checked, by the numbers. He’s right in that the quality of WHAT is sold has utterly collapsed. I think most buy the books now to have something to rest those screens on. Newspapers are dying.

Welcome to postliteracy, America.

idiots

Yep. Is this “legal” under Article 13???

 

The Art of the Postmodern Word Salad

20 Wednesday Jun 2018

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The trend in the US and much of the world is towards lower IQs. The US is also witnessing a steep decline in the quality of education. Something like half the population is functionally illiterate. Thus, it is somewhat surprising that, over the past few years, more and more folks are reading or at least buying books.

What are they reading? A giant percentage of book sales fall among adult coloring books (yeah) and romance novels. The latter category does require the minimal mental synthesis of words. But, what do those words mean? If you’ve browsed the stacks in a coffee shop toy store bookstore lately, then you’ve probably noticed the mass emergence of “postmodern literature.” Simply put, this involves the use of big words, without context, to wow the simple-minded and smugly reassure the nuevo elite trash. Much is said, nothing is communicated. Perfect for the Twitter Age.

Here’s a Website that showcases computer-generated literary gobbledegook.

2. Consensuses of defining characteristic

The main theme of von Ludwig’s[2] essay on socialist
realism is the dialectic, and eventually the absurdity, of postcapitalist
class. In a sense, Sontag promotes the use of Debordist situation to modify and
challenge language. Many theories concerning a self-fulfilling totality may be
revealed.

“Class is part of the futility of consciousness,” says Lacan; however,
according to Cameron[3] , it is not so much class that is
part of the futility of consciousness, but rather the genre of class. It could
be said that Sontag’s analysis of socialist realism holds that the raison
d’etre of the writer is significant form, but only if art is distinct from
truth; if that is not the case, Debord’s model of cultural situationism is one
of “patriarchial narrative”, and thus responsible for elitist perceptions of
society. If presemioticist construction holds, we have to choose between
Debordist image and capitalist objectivism.

It even adds footnotes. Use it to impress your boss. You’ll feel smarter, smugger instantly.

The Right Stuff: Goodbye Tom Wolfe

15 Tuesday May 2018

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“Pyrotechnic” is probably the right term:

Even more impressive, to many critics, was “The Right Stuff,” his exhaustively reported narrative about the first American astronauts and the Mercury space program. The book, adapted into a film in 1983 with a cast that included Sam Shepard, Dennis Quaid and Ed Harris, made the test pilot Chuck Yeager a cultural hero and added yet another phrase to the English language. It won the National Book Award.

At the same time, Mr. Wolfe continued to turn out a stream of essays and magazine pieces for New York, Harper’s and Esquire. His theory of literature, which he preached in print and in person and to anyone who would listen was that journalism and nonfiction had “wiped out the novel as American literature’s main event.”

After “The Right Stuff,” published in 1979, he confronted what he called “the question that rebuked every writer who had made a point of experimenting with nonfiction over the preceding 10 or 15 years: Are you merely ducking the big challenge — The Novel?”

Like his style or not, Wolfe didn’t duck.

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Or: Bonfire, South. Wolfe/FSG.

Voxiversity 6: The Last Closet: The Dark Side of Avalon

29 Sunday Apr 2018

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Vox reads his forward to Moira Greyland’s book:

Vox Day.

I’ve read much of the book and it’s about the most disturbing subject matter imaginable. I really can’t recommend it unless the reader is deeply into the truth about cultural depravity. Having nerves of steel won’t hurt. Even if so, it’s a lot. The most amazing thing, as Vox notes, is that Moira was not only able to forgive her tormentors but to actually portray them as still somewhat human.

The book makes sense even to those not in the know/care about sci-fi and associated fandom.

The Fall of Gondolin

24 Tuesday Apr 2018

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You can’t keep a good author down. Even if he’s been dead for nearly half a century. Later this year we can look forward to another new masterpiece by J.R.R. Tolkien: The Fall of Gondolin:

HarperCollins has announced that it will, for the very first time, publish The Fall of Gondolin on 30 August this year.

Edited by Christopher Tolkien and illustrated by Alan Lee, The Fall of Gondolin will follow the same format as Beren and Lúthien published last year, separating out the story so that it stands alone while showing how the narrative evolved over the years. This is the first time the tale of the Fall of Gondolin will be published as a standalone edition, collecting all versions of the story together.

Responding to the news, Tolkien Society chair, Shaun Gunner, said:

We never dared to dream that we would see this published. The Fall of Gondolin is, to many in the Tolkien community, the Holy Grail of Tolkien texts as one of Tolkien’s three Great Tales alongside The Children of Húrin and Beren and Lúthien. This beautiful story captures the rise and fall of a great Elven kingdom, taking place millennia before the events of The Lord of the Rings. This book brings all the existing work together in one place to present the story in full.

Let’s hope it’s more like The Children of Hurin (a full story) and maybe less like Beren and Luthien (a full telling of how a story developed). The potential is epic.

For the Hobbit and LOTR readers, this is the ancient, crown jewel Noldorin civilization mentioned briefly in those works (and also in TCOH). For Peter Jackson movie fans, say five Hail Marys and go read those books. All: get a preview from The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.

The short story Of Tuor and His Coming to Gondolin (UT) set the stage but was, sadly, never finished. Let’s hope this book does it.

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Tolkien/Lee.

Two Books Concerning the Two-A (Second Amendment)

20 Friday Apr 2018

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Hold on to your ARs! Superstar Survivor David Hogg (rhymes with “slog,” as in the tiring noun usage) readies a new and sure-to-be trendy book on how you need to surrender your lives to communism. It’s anterior title is #NeverAgain.

One hopes, given the title, it may be the last time we have to hear from the spaghetti-armed bully who is totally not a crisis actor. More likely it’ll be the long-awaited sequel to the utter fairy tale bullshit that was Michael Bellesiles’s (pronounced: “l-i-a-r”) Arming America.

Captain Boogie Board is probably out hawking it at one of today’s marches for Marx. Good luck, kid.

If you’re into truth, then seriously consider Tom Wood’s new work, Wrong About Guns.

There’s an Epidemic of Low-IQ Arguments Against Guns

Supporters of gun rights are being accused of child murder, and liking their guns more than their children. Time to fight back.

Inside this free eBook:

* Why civilians have a much better record than police at stopping mass shootings — the numbers will shock you

* Don’t countries with tougher gun laws have fewer gun fatalities? Here’s the real truth

* How concealed-carry laws reduce violent crime

* The truth about “assault weapons”

* The bogus constitutional arguments of the anti-gun lobby

* The only reasonable approach to school shootings

Yes. It’s FREE. Get a copy, right now, HERE!

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Unless Perrin (or Woods) is your FB friend. Tom Woods.

#NeverAgain need you fall victim to the lies of disarmament. To pay Woods back for this freebie, consider his other, paid offerings from Amazon.

PC Wordplay

13 Friday Apr 2018

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Nothing is safe. The SJWs have invaded or conquered the AP Style Manual:

Stop saying offensive words.

That’s what the Associated Press (AP) is telling writers.

You see, the AP puts out a stylebook every year that includes universal guidelines for stylistic matters like punctuation, capitalization, and even word choice.

In a recent version, the AP encouraged writers to not use words such as “pro-life,” “migrant,” “refugee,” “Islamist,” and “terrorist.”

It’s completely ludicrous. Yet, sadly, it’s a sign of the times.

Writers aren’t all that fond of being bossed around and with good reason. Disrespect to the AP, following their suggestions, how would one espouse a pro-life opinion about migrants, not necessarily “refugees,” some of whom are Islamist terrorists??? Remember when liberals cared about free speech? Neither do I.

Newspeak, anyone? No thanks.

I have an older AP book (never felt the need to update annually). It sits pretty next to Black’s, Webster’s, Strunk and White, Brown’s, and Bartlett’s – all mostly unused.

Not that I have style, but I’ve always favored the HBB and Chicago guides. They also collect dust with a bunch of other books no one else is interested in.

One hopes for scant interest in the PC BS from the AP.

_CMOS17

Bigger and better, collects more dust. UC Press.

The Last Closet and Jedi: Future Reviews

17 Sunday Dec 2017

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As usual I am, now, plugging through several books, some I’ve mentioned before. Some may be reviewed here and at Amazon. One which definitely will (eventually) is The Last Closet by Moria Greyland, Castalia, 12/12/17.

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Castalia/Amazon.

It’s a 5-star book but my recommendation is qualified. For full “enjoyment” one requires, I think: a slightly higher IQ; an interest in the darkness of society (very dark), and; a cast iron stomach. The subject matter is horrendous, as related first-hand by a victim. Not going into details yet but this book covers some of the worst evil imaginable.

A side affect is that, as sometimes happens, this book has prompted me to reread another, older book. In this case: Dracula by Bram Stoker. The Last Closet, non-fiction, is vastly darker, scarier, making Harker’s expedition seem like a run-of-the-mill real estate closing.

Speaking of dark … a new Disney SJW Star Wars movie is in theaters. This is the first one that I am not thrilled about seeing. I will see it because: 1) Star Wars, and 2) 40 years of devotion. I do not like the look and feel of the reviews and spoilers I read. The Last Jedi may be the last Star Wars movie for me. Not sure until I see it. You’ll hear back, then.

And, yes, there are those other reviews I said were coming. Just you wait. BBQ a porg to pass the time.

SJWs Always Double Down: Anticipating the Thought Police

09 Monday Oct 2017

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Out today and I just delved into my copy. Review forthcoming.

Read this book:

SJWs Always Double Down: Anticipating the Thought Police

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Vox Day/Castalia House/Amazon.

If you’re into this sort of thing, it’s the best selling political philosophy book out there – the second law of SJWs explained.

Just breezed through Ivan Throne’s powerful forward and the hilarious yet chilling chapter one.

Every intelligent adult in America should read this book. I was going to say “every straight white man in America” but even the others need it – because anyone can become a target in the culture war. For my fellow SWMs: read it and heed it.

More on this later.

PS: If you’re following the Las Vegas shooting, particularly if you’re in lockstep behind the official government/media narrative, know that that just changed, significantly. Immediately change what you think and say about it or the SJWs will call you a crazy conspiracy theorist or worse.