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The Magazine
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
- Hits: 2840
Now the Magazine was a job I lucked into last spring via a Nelson friend, I was familiar with it, sort-of an internet come to print in a high-gloss format, quarterly, published on different themes. I liked it. And as she worked for them doing their books she lined me up a job, some writing on spec, and I took it on remotely from Calgary.
They'd send me proofs of the layouts, lists of the bands they were looking for print on, and I'd hack out the articles. The research aspect of it was interesting, I learned far more about a lot of bands then I ever knew, and was introduced to a lot of styles of music that I never would have been otherwise. The format of the magazine meant that I would read up on certain artists or groups - Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, for example, Wikipedia articles, often in the league of 30 to 40 thousand words, then condense them into a 100 word salacious factoid meant to give the reader some slight titillation and urge to explore further.
It was harder than it sounds. Some of the articles would come pretty easy, but given the "equality" - meaning that Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen would each get the same number of words, say, as Randy Bachman, well, it didn't seem fair. It didn't matter, it was experience in an industry I was curious about, and my theories and understanding of the whoring ethics of journalism were proven. Meaning that it would have been far, far better to be writing to my own ends, but like a lot of journalists and copywriters, this was to be my springboard...
After a couple of months of slow and fractured communications I drove out to Nelson the meet the people with whom I'd long corresponded with, a small office out of a house, nice folks, putting a face to my prose, as it were, as they (and I) were curious...
In the end the magazine fell through, I didn't understand why but it was explained to me as follows. The publisher/owner had brought in another writer from Calgary, highly recommended, they had an "understanding" which revolved around the writer expecting to be paid around $10K per month, and the publisher capping his salary at $2K per month, and adding to his list of responsibilities some graphic design and web presence...
The writer, meanwhile, for want of anyplace to stay, had settled into the publishers house and helped himself to his wife...
In the end the publisher tanked the magazine, fired everyone that worked for him (or laid off, it was contract work, after all, and the magazine was supposedly done), then packed his wife off to Bali...
Random letters followed, demanding refunds for work paid, as the magazine hadn't gone to print, checking with my friend I found that everyone was getting them, and the best thing to do was ignore them.
Thus ended my short and inglorious career in journalism...
Hysterical Literature
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Link of the day
- Hits: 2277
Now this is sexy. Note that it may require you to login and verify your age:
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Pretty girls. Books. And...how could you go wrong?
This is why I like girls than can read.
Find the rest of the set here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQuT-Xfyk3o - 10 Girls/Women, 10 Readings.
Part of the Bibliothecaphilia exhibition at Mass MoCA. If you're in Massachusetts it would be the thing to check out.
The Ultra Spiritual Life with JP Sears
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Reviews
- Hits: 3035
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I've found my new spiritual Guru.
If you like him you'll probably like the rest of his videos, like: How to Become Gluten Intolerant (If you ever worked hospitality you'll get this ), Using Ayahuasca, and Dating Spiritual People.
Note that in comedy he makes points that would be far to awkward for most people to confront directly. And if you google him a little further you'll discover that he actually works as a self-help coach. The perspicacity he reveals in his humor suggests he might actually be competent in these respects, although I find myself forever on the cusp of laughing...
THE ARTIST, THE CONMAN AND THE $15 MILLION FRAUD
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Found
- Hits: 2385
The curious tale of a dysfunctional couple of British art forgers who managed to crank out a wide array of "antiquities" and and artworks and sell them on as original finds and treasures to prominent galleries both in Britain and abroad.
Link: http://narrative.ly/pulp-non-fiction/artist-conman-and-15-million-fraud/ (small link to skip registration.)
Raising the question, without the provenance or history, what is the value of art? Does it have value in it's own right?
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