Highlights of a Panel Discussion with Dante

09/20/2009

Highlights of a Panel Discussion with Dante

'When I was younger -- which is to say, before the internet -- I think writing, or at least the art of storytelling, was more vibrant. It was a craft. There were filters, so that not just anyone could publish anything.'

'Do I read blogs? I've seen one or two -- they have them on the New York Times now, right? -- but not on a regular basis!'

'When I'm reading a story, I want to hold it my hands. Otherwise the words literally don't carry enough weight -- they disappear with the click of a button.'

'I suppose I do regret not being born fifty or a hundred years earlier -- I think it's fair to say that I'd have a much bigger audience for my work. It's not just the art of writing that has suffered with the advent of the internet, but the art of reading. It seems to me that more children play video games than read books anymore.'

'I'm not against technology per se. I think the internet is very useful for -- I don't know -- organizing neighborhood meetings and things like that. My nephew is a homosexual and I think it helped him to make some like-minded friends. But is it good for art? I don't think so.'

'My wife tries harder than I do to read things on the internet. I shouldn't give her a hard time but sometimes I can't resist: so honey, I'll say, what did so-and-so have for lunch today? She signed up for Twitter and I bet her $20 that it wouldn't last more than a week. You know what? I'm $20 richer for making that bet!'

'Brands are made for products, not individuals. Whenever one of my writing students starts talking about his or her 'personal brand,' I think to myself, you're never going to make it as a writer.'

Posted at 02:39 PM in Expression | Permalink

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A young boy wanders into the woods of Harlem and witnesses the abduction of his sister by a glowing creature. Forty years later, now working as a New York City homicide detective, Gus is assigned to a case in which he unexpectedly succumbs to a vision that Helen is still alive. To find her, he embarks on an uorthodox investigation that leads to an ancient civilization of gods and the people determined to bring them back.

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The Metropolis Case

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Music: Death Culture at Sea and Saturnine

Listen or download songs and records from my indie-rock past with Saturnine here and Death Culture at Sea here.

Music Video: Remembrance of Things Past

Watch the rock opera Remembrance of Things Past written and performed by Saturnine and Frances Gibson, starring Bennett Madison and Sheila McClear.

Video: The Chaos Detective

The Chaos Detective is a series about a man searching for 'identity' as he completes assignments from a mysterious organization. Watch the first episode (five parts) on YouTube.

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09/20/2009