Fiction

Books by bloggers

Convetional writers want to think of bloggers as amateurs or wanna-bes but nothing is farther from the truth.

First wave bloggers went to the net to publish what conventional media outlets would not allow them to make public. Publishing books is seen as a logical extension of their already professional vocation. Writing is writing, whether on a blog or a book and these bloggers prove the point; though writing a blog is not the same as writing a book.

I think it was Markos of DailyKos (and co-author of "Crashing The Gates") who told me once that writing a book was far harder than blogging on a daily basis. Both practices are not interchangeable.

The varied quality of the bloggers books on this list prove the point. Which is why "Crashing" will prove to most a better read than "Washingtonniene". Just saying.

So take a peek at some of the best books published by bloggers in the past years. Grab a couple or three as gifts and spread the blogospheric cheer.



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As the Patriot Acts: Episode 7




As the Patriot Acts: An Episodic Adventure in Americanism
Rabid Fiction by Tara Parks
Episode 7: Even Fighter Pilots Crash and Burn, or You Fall Down Go Bye-Bye

(In our last episode, Rumsfeld was fatally injured in a car wreck that involved Kissinger, Papa Bush, Laura, and Condoleezza. The fatality was not specified then, but after he lost his job, I decided that just like a night with the newly single Kevin Federline, it proved too good of an opportunity to pass up. K-Fed would make a formidable WMD, you know. Threats of more live performances could bring any country to their knees. From Webster Hall to the White House/ countries fear that rappin’ louse! But he will never appear in this series because he is too busy selling his recording equipment. Hopefully.

When we last left our fearless fuck-ups, George and Tony Blair were doubling on a bike from Camp David to the scene of the accident because George’s new lightning-inspired intelligence has also given him the ability to sense when his loved ones are in danger. Too bad this is just fiction. That could have helped him in this last election. Anywwwaaayyy... George’s eyes widen in horror as he peddles over the hill; Tony buries his head into his into his back, wrapping his arms tightly around George’s waist.)


Tara Parks's picture

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Contest Announcement

My campus is sponsoring a national contest. Here are the details.

Fundamentally Speaking

A Contest

What are the fundamentals?

This academic year, speakers have come to the Cortland campus to talk about religion, politics, science, literature, and teaching. They have or will address the issue of “fundamentals” as anything from intractable law to literal truth to cold, hard facts.

But what is a fundamental(ist)(ism)?

We invite college students to explore the issue of fundamentalism in creative form, and offer prizes of $250 for each of three categories:

PROSE: Essays may be fiction or non-fiction. 2000-word maximum.

ART: Photography, painting, digital images, drawing, collage, cartoons. All “still” art media welcome. Please submit artwork on cd or as image file.

VIDEO AND ANIMATION: Original work only (no montages of copyrighted images). All moving art pieces welcome—Flash, Video, etc.

DEADLINE: MARCH 1, 2007

SUBMIT ENTRIES TO: neovox.submissions@gmail.com

Additional details available at Neo Vox

This contest is sponsored by ) NeoVox, the student online magazine and the SUNY Cortland Cultural and Intellectual Climate Committee.

Any college student is welcome to submit.


Lorraine's picture

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As The Patriot Acts: Episode 6




As the Patriot Acts: An Episodic Adventure in Americanism
Rabid Fiction by Tara Parks
Episode 6: Everyday With These Monsters is Halloween,or Even The Ghost of Abe is Scared of These Sh*ts

(Deep in the massive pantry of the Camp David kitchen, where we last saw our poor misbegotten assholes in Episode 5...well, they weren’t really inside of it; more like in front of it. But they had to go back in the pantry to move forward with the plot because Bill remembered that there was a can of Vienna Sausages in there and he wouldn’t start the scene until he ate them.)

Oprah: Has anyone seen Gail? I need her to run down to the gate and meet Steadman; Al Reynolds is driving him over here with Maya Angelou and Jesse Jackson. You know I can’t move forward without a poem and a prayer.

Hillary: We have more pressing problems at hand, Oprah. First, how do I look? Second, we have a Vice-President that wants to have a three way with the two of you. If that doesn’t signal that it’s Halloween, I don’t what does. All of this is getting in the way of the war.

Oprah: I thought you were against the war?

Hillary: Listen: I am not going to start speaking out against it now. I mean, there are things you stand for and things you look like you stand for. Condoleezza, what do you purpose we do? If what you say is true, that President Bush is indeed now a genius, well, I’ll sleep with my husband. (Bill chokes on the Vienna Sausage juice he is guzzling)


Tara Parks's picture

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Favourite Historical Novels

F047-004
When one of my students is “stuck” for something to write, I have them do a “top ten” list—they pick the topic. The rules are, you select the ten items on your list, with a reason why it’s loved.

For example, one of my students wrote a “top ten favourite breakup songs” list that was fabulous—and included the poignant reasons why each of the songs had, in some way, been part of her own breakups.

Having said that, I wanted to take a crack at this with my ten favourite historical fiction novels. BUT, I refuse to rank them, because at the time, each of them were important to me.

So in no particular order:


Lorraine's picture

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Death of a President

What is worse than the assassination of George W. Bush? Having to talk about President Cheney. Especially since he wouldn't be term limited. Let's say that Laura Bush's loss would be one hell of a gain for The Dick. That's the scariest image to come out of this movie.

I am so glad I was given the opportunity by Newmarket Films to watch it. I actually was thisclose to leaving the theater after seeing the first 15 minutes. The way everything was set up, with "activists" being painted as freakazoid Bush haters really pissed me off. Then, the movie throws us an interesting monkey wrench : the honest FBI agent.

Given this is a fictional documentary, all the characters address the camera a-la Frontline. Meaning, the acting is low key, restrained and as "objective" as possible. This may be why the movie rubs people the wrong way. The possible actions laid out in the aftermath of this fake assassination are as credible as the material evidence of history has shown us. Can you see Dick Cheney ... I mean, President Dick Cheney rallying the hawks to go after Syria? Yup. How about stoking the chilling flames of fear and terror to get a newer and tougher Patriot Act? You betcha.

This impassive portrayal of the possible outcomes is what makes the movie so chilling. The subject may be sensationalistic but the movie, as an end result, is a cautionary tale.


****
liza's picture

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Running Alone in the Dark

This is a small section from a larger work-in-progress, a novel.
a7d5.jpgI pay my bill, climb back into my ankle-length down coat, fleece gloves, pull on a hat. I wave goodnight to my usual companions. The temperature has dropped while I have been inside; the bar is overheated and for the briefest of instants I welcome the cool outside. And then the wind hits. It’s almost tolerable to be outside when it’s zero degrees, but the wind slaps me and my cheek freezes on contact. I forgot my scarf, and so I cover my face with my gloves, the fingers split over my eyes so I can see where I am going.

I am looking forward to getting home. If things are as they should be, there will be a letter awaiting me in my inbox, and the second part of my night will begin. It has never bothered me to walk at night. I have female friends who won’t venture out alone after dark. Vulnerability stalks them, or they stalk it—I’m not certain which. If you’re always afraid, who is the perpetrator of that? In a way, I think they do it to themselves. That isn’t to say that there isn’t danger out there; I was raped on a date once, but I’d rather deal with the potential dangers in the bushes than the sure insanity that awaits me should I feel trapped in my own home.


Lorraine's picture

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As the Patriot Acts: Episode 4



  

As The Patriot Acts: An Episodic Adventure in Americanism

Rabid Fiction by Tara Parks

Episode 4: Bilingual Shoe Abuse

(Oprah Winfrey, Hillary and Bill Clinton sip margaritas as they enjoy the sunshine aboard a yacht on Lake Michigan. Oprah’s best friend Gail flips burgers on a George Foreman grill. They all wear white linen.)

Oprah: So what you are saying is that George W. Bush is now a sympathetic genius? This is unbelievable. (Turns to the grill) Gail! Bring the burgers, bitch.

(Gail sighs heavily, loading the burgers onto a platter that she slams down on a table in front of them. She sneaks below deck to call Steadman)

Bill: Papa Bush told me that Bush wants to have a meeting to revise his Middle East policy. But it is not his usual meeting. It is some kind of camping and communing with nature retreat held on the grounds of Camp David. Senator Clinton here already got an invite. I mean, can you see Hillary pitchin’ a tent? (Laughs as Hillary sips her margarita, then turns and slaps him. Burger flies out of his mouth.)

Hillary: I am concerned that if we don’t get him to agree to some of our policies while he is in this state, they’ll figure out how to revert him to his normal state before we have a chance to get what we want. Everyone knows they have a serum. It’s just a matter of time until they come up with a solution to his new found intelligence.


Tara Parks's picture

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As the Patriot Acts: Episode 3



  

As The Patriot Acts: An Episodic Adventure in Americanism

Rabid Fiction by Tara Parks

Episode 3: George Becomes President

(Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney are having drinks in a top secret strip club located in the very bowels of---you guessed it!---the Pentagon. The ghost of Aaron Burr is sitting next to Cheney. Rumsfeld is on his third whiskey and Dick is sipping a Diet Sprite. Nine Inch Nail's Closer is playing, just as it has played in every strip club across this great nation since its release.)

GAB: (to himself) These wenches are fascinating! (Snaps his finger like a debonair...well, ghost.)

Dick: Don, I don't know what to tell you. Last night he was working algorithms and then he finished a whole week's worth of New York Times crosswords. He no longer does that sound it out thing when he reads. He even understood the Daily Show. He’ll want to start calling the shots soon, Don.

Don: Yeah, I know that you fucking moron. (Finishes drink, slamming down glass. He smacks a waitress's ass) I need another drink, honey. (He watches her ass as she walks away, then addresses Dick.) Listen here, you fat louse: You fucked this up like you fucked up your first job interview with me.


Tara Parks's picture

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As the Patriot Acts: Episode 2



  

As The Patriot Acts: An Episodic Adventure in Americanism

Rabid Fiction by Tara Parks

Episode 2: Humus in the Afterlife

(So read Episode 1 before you read this one. Duh! Do I have to tell you everything?!?)

(Mid-afternoon under a gloomy DC sky. Dick Cheney sits on a swing on the grounds of Number One Observatory, sipping a can of Diet Sprite. )
Dick (sings): "You say you found a piece of land/ Gonna change from city boy to country man/Try to build your life with your hands/You got to keep on smilin’, keep on smilin’/Keep on smilin’ through the rain, laughin’ at the pain/Rollin with the changes/ til the sun comes out again… (Dick sips soda) I like Wet Willie. (sips) What do you have, Stan?

Stan: Sir, Rice a Roni is no San Francisco treat. She rejected the advances of the First Lady, whom--- may I add--- is a slut with bad taste in lingerie.

(Dick reaches down and pulls a globe shaped pillow from underneath his butt.) Wouldn't think so, but sitting on top of the world irritates my hemorrhoids. (He spins the globe on his right index finger while continuing to sip his Diet Sprite. Yes, I know it's a fucking pillow, but it is round. Play along.)


Tara Parks's picture

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Words to live by

But, when it came down to, this case was made into a racial issue, which it shouldn't have been. It should have been an issue about a woman who was raped by three men. Case closed.

The fact that she was black and they were white only plays into the fetishization of Black women and white men that has developed through years of inequal treatment. This also biased many people because it made this case into a national spectacle. It split people along racial lines instead of factual lines and investigating the story that the woman told instead of going on a witch hunt.

Additionally, this case was turned into an issue of class as well. The Black, poor woman was raped by the rich white kids. Many wanted to see these men be charged because they felt it would put them in their rightful place, strip them of the privilege that they had been so accustomed to all of their lives.

All of the things that this case stood for are all of the things that were wrong with the media's coverage of the case, the national obsession with the case, and the prosecution of the case. It became an issue of stripping privilege and proving that white people were not superior instead of ensuring that this woman was actually treated properly and had her CORRECT assailants brought to justice, not for political reasons but for criminal reasons.


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