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Word up on the rocket-powered refrigerator.

AND on Shelftalker's quote. That sounds exactly like my book... up until the Newbery Honor part.

OK, I think we ARE good at predicting but we don't WANT to because it means we'll be responsible to make it happen. Denial denial denial. So in books we're good at predicting and we're NOT responsible for making anything happen so we allow ourselves to fully realize the predictions. I'm with you -- keep readin'. It's good practice for, y'know, life...

Predictions are for psychics! I want to escape into the wide open universe in a rocket powered refrigerator! Egg salad.... yum!

Thanks for the blessing, Sara! I thought it might help your PRESENT happiness to know that your book is NOT slated to leave our store in a returns box come Monday. I know that's no shiny gold seal, but...? It's a gift with the potential to keep giving!

Great post. I'm printing the Wash Post article for future reference. My brother is one of these people who thinks he'll be happy if... but can't seem to realize that he has to allow that happiness to happen within.

Too corny? Should have made the comment about egg salad instead.

Thanks for the encouragement, Alison! That does make me smile.

MR: you can come back and talk egg salad with me anytime. Just keep it fresh. :)

Amy and Sam: we'll hold races.

Liz, wise, wise Liz: you know it.

"La-la-la-la-la" Fingers-in-my-ears, Not listening!

I will have fun reading everyone's predictions after I read #7 but for now it is like the last LOTR movie. I didn't want to even see the previews because I just wanted to be surprised.

Fair enough then Camille !

Very good. I'm with you that the three won't die and that Snape will to save Harry. I think your other predictions make good sense, especially the Draco one. Like the one about Dumbledore's brother. While I'm not sure that is the answer I agree that he has a major role to play.

Thanks Monica !

Of course, JKR may well prove me hopelessly and foolishly wrong, but that's half the fun !

(Though if Harry does turn out to be a Horcrux, I'll eat my hat!)

I most certainly agree with you on harry not being a horcrux .
But i dont think voldemort will be killed by wormtail. An one sided battle dont u think so?

Interesting predictions. I wonder if they'll change much once you read the books. I doubt it - they seem quite sound. I haven't looked at any of the prediction books. I try to avoid that, but I'm thinking that I might just HAVE to have a peak seeing how it is the last book and all.

I have a friend who makes a very convincing argument for Dumbledore's brother. I hadn't thought about that, but when he laid out his arguments it seemed very clear. I'm re-reading with it in mind to see how I could have missed it first time around.

I with you completely about Snape and the deaths, but I'm not so sure about Malfoy. I think he might redeem himself without necessarily betraying the Malfoy we've come to know, but I find it difficult to believe he can really break free from his own past and his own lineage.

I think Harry will be directly involved in killing Voldemort because it fulfills his "destiny" and completes his story, albeit in a very expected fashion. The idea of Pettigrew having a part in it to clear the debt is fascinating.

If you have the time I'd love to read your further thoughts on that as well as on Malfoy.

Nivi wrote But i dont think voldemort will be killed by wormtail. An one sided battle dont u think so?

Please note that I did not say Wormtail would kill Voldemort - I said he would have a hand in defeating Voldemort, thus repaying his debt. I was very, very careful about how I phrased that particular part of the prediction !!

Mai - I do think that Harry will be directly involved in defeating Voldemort - I just don't believe he will kill Voldemort in the expected sense. Harry just doesn't have it in him - he couldn't even make the Crucio curse work properly on Bellatrix after she killed Sirius. Besides, I can't see JKR making her hero into a killer - otherwise how is he any better than Voldemort ? Plus which, Dumbledore kept insisting there were worse things than death - so I'm expecting something unexpected that isn't necessarily a traditional death by the Avada Kedavra curse.

Besides, I can't see JKR making her hero into a killer - otherwise how is he any better than Voldemort ? Excellent point! She's been setting up so many parallels between the two, that this would be a(nother) significant difference (and get back to her theme of choice). I don't know how Harry would deal with the guilt he'd feel if he killed V. (despite hating him) and that might make the end of the series feel incomplete. But part of me thinks it has to be Harry that kills V or at least is the one to 'send him' to a place worse than death. Don't you think it might feel cheap otherwise?

But you're right that Harry just might not have it in him. But whatever it is, it has to be a conscious decision/choice by Harry and not something that happens as a side effect of something else.

Me too I agree that Harry is no horcrux, and neither is his scar because that would be so predictable and lame.

I have another take on Wormtail's life debt towards Harry. I think Fenrir Greyback will die by the hand of Wormtail. In Norse mythology, Tyr, one of the Aesirs (Gods) volunteers to place his hand in Fenrir's chops so that Fenrir is willing to let himself be bound by some magical chain and attempt to break it as a challenge. Fenrir, who is a giant wolf, realises only too late that this chain was not an ordinary one and struggles in vain to break loose. He was at last subdued but in the bargain, Tyr loses his hand.

Now DD had his reasons to think that Wormtail is bound by a magical debt towards Harry for saving his life, a debt which he will have to repay in one form or another. As wormtail's hand is slivery, I think he'll save Harry's life by sacrificing it in Fenrir Greyback's jaw. Silver is the bane of werewolves, so Fenrir chokes to death, Wormtail loses his hand, and the debt is paid.

Mai wrote: But part of me thinks it has to be Harry that kills V or at least is the one to 'send him' to a place worse than death. Don't you think it might feel cheap otherwise?

Oh yes, absolutely ! It has to be Harry that finally defeats Voldemort, but I just can't see him physically killing Voldemort... Fans have suggested that Harry will take Voldemort through the Veil in the basement of the Ministry of Magic (through which Sirius fell), and that Voldemort will then be trapped there, deathless and defeated, but Harry will somehow survive and return...

Aardash - interesting theory - I wouldn't be at all surprised if that proves to be the case...

I had a thought, what if it's Neville that's responsible for finally seeing off Voldemorte,as far as I can recall,there isn't anything that precludes him from being the one in the prediction, just because Voldemorte thinks it's Harry doesn't necessarily make it so, as Neville in his way has been marked by the Dark Lord,when his Death Eaters tortured his parents making him the way he is, Of course I could be talking cobblers, but I always had a soft spot for Neville, and his courage despite his total geekness.

Hence my suggestion, Abbott, that Neville may die. I really don't fancy his chances of surviving the end of the book. But I don't think he'll be the one to stop Voldemort - it's got to be Harry from a purely narrative point of view, I'd have said...

Abbott: my son and I have also speculated that there's more to Neville than meets the eye, and wondered if he could, indeed, be the one in the prophecy. We're reading back through the books and it's clear, if you look carefully, that even in the first book, Neville isn't the total incompetent that he's presented as. If you read the flying lesson scene in the first book, Neville's broom goes up 20 feet or more before he falls off, and then continues to rise by itself. I don't think it would rise that high if he didn't have a lot of power, albeit uncontrolled. We were speculating that Neville is actually a pretty powerful wizard, but that lack of confidence is holding him back and causing his mishaps. And he certainly has grown in confidence over the course of the series.

Michele, you're right that from a narrative perspective it would seem to have to be Harry that defeats Voldemort, but I think that Neville will certainly be one to watch in this book. I think you may be right that he will die, in a most courageous way.

aardash: very interesting theory! I don't know much about Norse mythology, but you're right, there's too many parallels to be a coincidence.

Michele: For the most part I think you are right about the deaths. I agree, as I think most people do, that Snape will die saving Harry. And sadly, I do think that one or both of the Weasley twins will die. I agree that she won't kill Harry, Ron, or Hermione, but someone beloved has to die, and I think the Weasley twins fit the bill perfectly. They are much beloved but not primary characters, and they've risen from being harmless pranksters to playing a fairly heroic role (with the turning point being their departure from Hogwarts in book 5).

I don't know about Draco. I think the jury is still out on him. It would be good to see him redeemed, but with Snape being redeemed and Wormtail possibly doing something noble in the end, it may be narratively necessary for someone to fall.

Sheila - you're right about Neville having more power than maybe most people realise. I've thought that myself, especially in The Order of the Phoenix where he's mastering the spells that Harry's teaching the DA almost as fast as Hermione. I suspect his gran has affected his abilities - too high expectations and the knowledge that he's not his father have probably had a negative effect on Neville. He's definitely going to have a big role to play - which is why I think that Harry will not only be accompanied by Ron and Hermione but also Ginny, Luna and Neville - the inner "core" of the DA, when he goes off to the final showdown.

You could be right about Draco - I hadn't thought of that...

I don't know...I don't know...I've reached the point I'm too excited to speculate anymore :)

Bring it on!

Oh go on Kelly, a little light-hearted speculation is fun !

see my view different harry is a horacrux and hes going to have to kill himself in order for voldimort to die

But that makes no sense - why would JKR kill off her hero when that would just discourage future readers from investing in the story. And if you think future generations won't know in advance that he dies in the final book, think again. I've never seen an entire Star Wars film all the way through, but I still know that Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker's father. In the same way, knowledge of Harry's fate will become part of the cultural consciousness even for those who've not read the series, therefore if Harry dies in book 7, future generations are going to be less likely to invest time or emotion in reading the series knowing he's dead before the end...

Michele,

Your last comment on why Harry can't die is spot on. I absolutely never believed he would (although I did think he could end up living a Frodo-like existence, say Master of the Dark Arts). You could argue she isn't considering those future readers, but I still think it makes no sense for even current ones who are so, so, so invested in Harry's survival. On the most basic level --- the books are all called "Harry Potter and..." To kill off the title character doesn't make sense to me whatever anyone says.

I rather hope that Harry doesn't end up Frodo-like - as far as I'm concerned he's already Frodo-like ! There are already a great many LotR references in the HP series - I don't want more !

It's really hard to tell. Part of me thinks that it's going to be Hermy who sacrifices herself for Harry. Her loyalty to Harry and Ron is immense and i think she has the intellect and talent to be able to fight a fight against the death eaters and/or voldemort long enough to actually save harry and/or Ron from harm. The relationship between Ron and Hermione is also a lovely one, but I think she will be the one to fall. unfortunately. :(

Oh dear ! Personally I can't see JKR killing off Hermione whom everyone knows is her "Mary Sue"-ish character !

I haven't read all the comments.. but here are some interesting facts.. harrys dad james potter is rich and pure blood and we do not know anything about his lineage. All pure bloods are interlinked still that harrys lineage is still a secret, what job did harrys parents do ...we do not know!!! why did voldemort ask lilly to move away to get to harry.. the man cud just have killed her to get to him?? I believe we do not know how harry survived when he was a kid...still mysterious as per dumbledore so i think harry somehow goes back in time to save harry as a kid and in the ensuing fight they both die. Thus just like phoenix rising from ashes harry rises from his death as the kid harry who survived and killed voldemort.
PS: Not completly fool proof...but do fill in. basic core is the same ...harry+voldemort dies!!!

Interesting theory, but rather complicated, I think. Besides which, we do know that Harry's life was saved because of the old magic involving his mother's love for him - we've not that fact for AGES !

i've read the spoiler of book seven and it says there that voldemort, wormtail, and percy will die. fred and george weasley, neville longbottom, and snape will be alive. snape will not die protecting harry. neither will he die protecting draco. the locket will not be found in aberforth dumbledore's hands but in mundungus fletcher's belongings in azkaban. and lastly, harry IS the seventh horcrux. that's all:)

Where did you read this, Trixie ?

The good that comes out of this is that it opens a dialogue of how casually we have come to say hurtful things about anyone who isn't our body double or who doesn't share our beliefs right down to the tiniest detail.

I was brought up short by this incident because I have been horribly guilty of making comments that are just plain wrong.

Watching those lovely, young women -- for whom the excitement of taking their team so far in the tournament, an experience they should have treasured all their lives, no doubt repeating it many times to their grandchildren -- humiliated, is a truly humbling experience.

I, for one, vow to try harder not to be a jerk. It is cruelty when a comment hurts; not humor.

exactly. Imus yaps (no offense to Killer)--he talks the talk but he doesn't even come close to walking the walk.

The replays of his MANY apologies for various incidents have been embarrassing, at least I've been embarrassed for him.

I'm afraid Imus will not be unemployed long so it may not be the cluegun moment it oughta be.

Agreed. Imus has been a huge advocate in the autism world. I'll be crushed to see him leave the national stage. That said - when I tuned in at 6:00am and he was STILL going on and on I just cringed. Enough! Miss Snark, let me know when you want to borrow that manuscript... :)

it's not a shame that it came stumbling out of his mouth...
it's a shame that it was rolling around in his head in the first place.

He is a nitwit.
And he should just shut-up.
You're right.

But...you know, as horrible as this all is...publicity stunt, maybe?
I mean, I for one never had heard of him until this BS put him on the map...
hmm....how's that food for thought?

Imus is an idiot. He might even be a card-carrying racist. But so are Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. Me, I want to see the good Reverends fileted and publicly excoriated until they apologize to the Duke lacrosse players for convicting them in the media -- not based on the facts, mind you, but simply because they happened to be white and their accuser wasn't.

When they do that, then we can discuss Imus having surgery to remove his head from his ass.

Imus is several sorts of a nitwit; to me, the worst part of it is his nitwittery towards utterly innocent bystanders who aren't even near his media weight class.

I have been fortunate enough not to listen to him for decades; but looking at the clips of his apologies, he looks really really scared. And he should be; he's summoned up a class-A poopstorm that has his job on the line.

But, whatever. He certainly isn't the devil incarnate, or more than a probably-prejudiced nitwit. That's bad enough, but people have the right to listen to him, and other people have the right to demand that he be taken off the air. The decision made will be a commercial one - NBC will weigh the cost and make the call.

I expect his two-week suspension, or even a four-week one, will be the end of it. And hopefully he will learn to insult people who are more worthy of it because of their reprehensible actions, as opposed to their being bright and shiny to his reptile mind.

Will Imus get a book because of this? Or lose a book? Just wondering how the odds shake out...

Life imitates "South Park".

The thing is, I never heard it the first time he said it. Now, however, I've heard it about a jillion times as the news media repeats it ad infinitum. Duh!

maybe you're right, Miss S., but it seems to me your comments are better directed at someone who made one mistake not serial-offenders-then-apologists like Mr. Imus.

There have got to be other people who can host a radio show and promote books.

These young ladies can and should be held up as heroes and role models for OUR daughters, nieces, and all kids.
I'm waiting to see if Imus finally gets the point, if he doesn't he's toast.

Bad comments and he digs his hole deeper every time he apologizes. No one wants a "police" state but folks act like being on the radio or tv is an open invitation for being irresponsible. Now if someone could just hold Rosie accountable....

Don Ismus's 'foot-in-mouth' comment has even been shown on New Zealand television. Let's hope some good comes out of it in terms of getting people to engage their brain before opening their mouth.

I'd rather talk with Killer Yap than this Don Ismus character.

Here's a handy way of identifying a comic career that has jumped the shark: When "official" Washington starts thinking the comic is cool.

Remember, these people made a career for Mark Russell. Does anybody remember him, the piano-playing so-called satirist? That's the level of hip Washington rises to.

They had Steven Colbert at the White House correspondent's dinner last year, and were left half-scandalized, half-confused because that is a culture bereft of irony, and never more so than in this administration.

Do you know who's taking Colbert's place this year? Rich Little.

Read that last paragraph again.

For the record, Don Imus was the MC at that dinner in 1998, I believe, which dovetails neatly with the moment he stopped being worth listening to.

Mike Hyatt (Thomas Nelson Publishers) also wrote on this subject this morning and what Imus did wrong: http://www.michaelhyatt.com/fromwhereisit/2007/04/how_to_botch_an.html#more

Imus seems to be doing what a lot of people do when they screw up--aplogize but never really take responsibility for what they did.

The part of this that very few people are talking about is the part that quite bothers me: That it's 2007, and people still would rather talk about the way women athletes look than how they perform. These women made it to the NCAA championship, and all these guys could talk about was what they looked like? What crap.

Nicely put, Miss Snark. Imus trivialized only himself.

And as for the young ladies of Rutgers and the hyperbolic whinging of their coach, I would offer them the wisdom of Eleanor Roosevelt. "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

I don't care for Imus and the crassness he brings to the public discourse. He's doubly the fool for seeking forgiveness from racial demagogues like Sharpton and Jackson, both of whom have made numerous racist comments themselves over the years and whose number one goal will be to fan the flames as high as possible.

I don't see where there is any argument. He's in the public eye; he said terrible, offensive things to innocent people. He should be fired.

Don Imus is going to lose his job cause he can't keep his mouth shut.

Okay, I'll take that bet. I don't think Don Imus will get sacked at all. As with books, it's all about the money. As long as Imus keeps making money for his program/station, he'll be kept on.

Bet accepted. Name your stakes!

You particularly don't go around saying "you people"...what fool doesn't know THAT is incendiary language anyway??

Ross Perot?

Miss Snark is right. He will lose his job. Sponsors are jumpin' off faster than fleas off a dunked dog.

Wake up, old man, it's the 21st century.

Michael, very interesting observation.

I'm with anonymous2, tbh. -isms are everywhere, and yes, Sharpton and Jackson are just as bad in their own way as Imus. They all need to be thwapped up side the head for even thinking the stuff they do, much less opening their big mouths and saying it.

That being said, Imus' bad points are rapidly outweighing his good points, and that's not a good thing. MSNBC has dropped him, and CBS is thinking about it really hard.

I dunno. He should never have said it. But then again, Rush Limbaugh should never open his mouth again, and don't get me started on Howard Stern or Ted Nugent. Imus is a shock jock, same as the rest, and they make their living off of controversy.

Yah, Imus crossed the line, but these days, who in the hell knows where the friggin line is anyway???

I am so very glad that MSNBC saw they had a chance to excise the cancer from their airwaves, and did so today.

Good riddance to Don Imus.

Imus (whoever he is - I've never heard of him until now), Howard Stern, Jerry Springer, Maury Povitch, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Judge Judy, and that judge who presided over Anna Nicole's case - Anna Nicole, for that matter. Rasslin'. OJ Simpson's acquittal. The list could go on for quite a while. It's a sad commentary that there's an audience for such nitwittery.

Yours is a fine recipe for an apology, Miss Snark, one I find myself using more often than I care to admit. I wish you'd add that apologies only mean something if the offending behavior is stopped.

What I find most upsetting about this is that people are upset with Imus at all.

Why not point the upset at his parent company? It isn't like they didn't know who Imus was, and it isn't like they should be shocked by what he said. All of a sudden they're just amazed that he said some horrible thing, like that isn't exactly the show they were paying him for decades to put on the air, and raking in millions themselves in the process.

I'm not excusing what he said, but I'd like to see Jesse and everyone else go after the people that put him there, kept him there, and earned money from his tired shtick for a decade after it was old and busted.

I am occasionally required to cross several timezones and visit the US on business. As a result I have been awake at some god-awful times in the morning. Flicking through the high numbers on the hotel TV, I often stumble across this stetsoned senior. Sleep comes easily: unfortunately, it's right around the time I'm supposed to be getting up.

I don't know how objectionable or otherwise Imus is, because I've never been able to bring myself to concentrate on his monotone and hear what he has to say.

I read somewhere that MSNBC pulls in about 330,000 viewers for this slot. What percentage of the population is that? I don't think anyone's going to be losing millions.

I don't really have a point here: so I guess I'm auditioning as his replacement...

He didn't say "you people" to just anybody, either.
He said "you people" to a congresswoman and Al Sharpton.
I guess Imus didn't want to go out largely ignored by the population, he wanted to go out hated. What a guy.

If Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer's remarks qualify as "hyperbolic whinging," as one of the commenters here put it, all I can say is, let us have more of it in American life. She was wonderful, as were her players.

Doesn't dignity have even a small place at the table anymore?

Good Riddance.

I just wish they'd apply the same standards to everyone else out there that they want to apply to this particular stupid pale guy.

Okay, Imus did a stupid. If you've listened to him you know that's what it was, a stupid. Not deliberately mean. Not racist. Just plain unthinking stupid. The sickening part, though, wasn't Imus. It was Sharpto jumping in for the attention. A philosopher named Gurdjieff once said: Everything turns into its opposite. Now we have black activists who once bravely championed a lonely cause stomping on people for political reasons, and just because they can. Imus deserved to be brought down a peg for his arrogance and stupidity. He didn't deserve to be fired. Charles Barkley was right.

I've been debating how to handle Imus in my blog for a week now. No need now, you summed it up perfectly. Now I can go on about more important things, such as finding out if Nicole Kidman needs a handyman.

I read somewhere that MSNBC pulls in about 330,000 viewers for this slot. What percentage of the population is that? I don't think anyone's going to be losing millions.

Imus's annual salary was around $10 million according to the article I read in Yahoo News, so I'd imagine they're losing millions pretty easily. Keep in mind that only 1.5 million people watch the Daily Show, and that's considered a pretty popular show for cable. Alternatively, selling 330,000 books would make you a pretty popular author ;)

Anonymous said--Me, I want to see the good Reverends fileted and publicly excoriated until they apologize to the Duke lacrosse players for convicting them in the media -- not based on the facts, mind you, but simply because they happened to be white and their accuser wasn't.

AMEN!!!!!

You are 100% correct.

Since we all live in a world ruled by language, I'll share my thoughts on Imus here.

Why is it okay for some segments of the black culture (rap music, raw comedy, etc.) to use that sort of language, but once Imus spouts it, he's vilified? Why is it okay for a comedian like Chris Rock to use equally vulgar terms to describe both black and white people? Why is that considered hip and edgy?

If those terms are going to be floating around in the acceptible lexicon of one culture, they need to be acceptible to all.

Better yet, how about if everyone just stops saying them?

Good point about the Duke case and Al Sharpton, by the way.

Although I am no fan of Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson, and find their place in this scandal to be ludicrous, I find it even more ludicrous to insist that every single black person who has ever caused offense in public dialogue has to be punished before one white person who has caused offense in public dialogue can even be addressed. You don't get to point fingers at Sharpton and Jackson for attacking whites as a way of excusing Imus for attacking blacks.

And, of course, let's not forget that Imus' comment was as sexist as it was racist, and it mocked and humiliated women of talent, preserverence and accomplishment.

Just to go ahead and expand on Imus's returns on the show to give it some perspective, from Newsweek, his show, "draws an estimated audience of 2.25 million, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing the trade publication Talkers. According to the Journal, the “Imus in the Morning” show accounts for 25 percent of the revenues of WFAN in New York—or roughly $20 million, The New York Times reported. That figure swells to more than $50 million when ad revenue for affiliates and cable outlet MSNBC are added"

So he's hauling in $50 million a year for the parent company.

He was on the radio (99X) here in Atlanta giving the worst apology for an apology I've ever heard. It was so bad the DJs started making fun of him as soon as he hung up.

Still, I wish they'd ask him how he was qualified to criticize anyone else's hair.

Sorry, MS, wasn't sure how long it would take for you to vet your comments and I'm a couple of time-zones away!

I'll pony up and say I lost. You name the punishment.

sister_clamp said...

Okay, I'll take that bet. I don't think Don Imus will get sacked at all. As with books, it's all about the money. As long as Imus keeps making money for his program/station, he'll be kept on.

sister_clamp . . .

This just in . . .

CBS axes Imus over race slur

You LOST that bet.

Don Imus is a nitwit. Now he's a nitwit without a job and apparently so are many of the commentators who repeated what he said.

If only we could get rid of the nitwits in our goverment so easily!

Hold on. He's been suspended from his regular show and fired from radio but has he been fired fired? I may still be in with a chance here. ;)

My email is [email protected] if you'd rather reply in private. Still up for your punishment if I'm wrong.

I'm an author on a book tour. I got bumped from a radio interview today (after waiting 20 minutes in their lobby) because all anyone wanted to talk about was Imus..

sister_clamp

Sorry, missed the URL in my previous post. Here it is, fresh off the AP newswire:

Don Imus Loses Job in Stunning Fall

Hey there Shouda!

Thanks for the URL. I'll cop to it. However, just for the record, while I'm carrying KY's *ahem* toilet bags through Central Park, may I just share something from the article you linked:

Imus' troubles have also affected his wife, whose book "Green This!" came out this week. Her promotional tour has been called off "because of the enormous pressure that Deirdre and her family are under," said Simon & Schuster publicist Victoria Meyer.

People are buying it, though: An original printing of 45,000 was increased to 55,000.



Mwah ha ha ha ha
("Yes Miss Snark! The gin pail...right away, Miss Snark!")

Possible Headlines:

"Public Power Surge Leaves Shock Jock in the Dark."

"Watts Up? Imus loses Amps."

"Shock no longer Sheik."

This is a good article comparing Imus to others:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200704120010

Yeah, he was a jerk. Often, in fact.

But his show was the best thing worth listening to when you spend hours on the road every morning for 6 years.

And, as a true listener, I can tell you straight out: he was no racist. Classist, maybe. He especially had no patience for middle class, ordinary white folks.

But he was no more a racist than any of us who might also say "You people" when confronted by the reverands Al and Jesse. Actually, I would say worse than that. They are a certain kind of people that has nothing to do with being black, and everything to do with being sleazy opportunists.

I can't stand my mornings now.

Geesh, I miss the whole crew.
Especially Cardinal Egan.

You folks are kidding, right? Imus is not through. He's not even close. Stats show that most of these radio types who are canned for nit-speech are rehired (yes, Amanda--rehired) after time passes and the flap has died down.

Reason? Money. Shock jocks do not have their jobs by accident. The radio station notes that their revenue has fallen since they fired Nit Mouth. Hence, the rehire.

I hope Imus is the exception that proves the rule.

T2

They won't take off very quickly unless they tell me what I'm supposed to be seeing! My PC is up to date with all plug-ins and I see nothing.

For NF, this should work well.
Smoking Gun has a TV show and has been a successful website for years.

But to be a successful promotional tool for fiction, I can see having to create a script, hire actors, get music...and for the vast majority of writers' advances, that won't be feasable. The publishers will do this for Chriton or King--the very people who really won't need the additional publicity. Does the next Harry Potter book really need more exposure?

So for most people, this will be an out-of-pocket expense.

My son will love the Bone video. There has been some talk on some of the boards about creating book trailers. It's an interesting concept, and I'll keep watching to see how it takes off.

I'm not sure I'm getting this. Is this an advertisement for books, sort of like music videos were an advertisement for music in the beginning?

I watched the Meg Cabot one where she describes what a typical day is like for her. She actually didn't spend as much time writing during her "typical day" as I expected! (Still more than I do, though. I know. Pitiful.)

Like a book-trailer, only better.

It's refreshing to see that I'm not completely off base in terms of shifts in thought in the industry and general book world!

But hey, I mentioned the venerable Miss Snark, so I couldn't have been too off, right?

Thanks for all you do!
~Dawn

So, it's advertising. Anything else? Amy I missing something?

I'm new to your site so wasn't aroujnd when you first introduced this concept... and have searched the VidLit site for some kind of About page, but can't find one. So I am dying to know: What is Vidlit?

It does seem rather odd that the VidLit site doesn't bother to explain itself anywhere (or if it does, it's well hidden).

But anyway, fear not. For all those who are confused like me, follow the link from d.m. papuga's comment above, which explains all.

I heart you Miss Snark, but I don't understand how this is a reflection of "vidlit going to be hot." I like the Smoking Gun, and I like Crime Library, but are you saying that people who aren't interested will seek out these vidlits and/or browse them looking for something good to read?

It reminds me of this local guy who makes rap videos for his furniture store--yeah, more people come to his store, he says, but they just want to take his picture, not buy furniture. I just don't see how this will sell more of the author's "furniture", unless you have some figures to show me?

Wow, vidlit. What a great way to promote a book! With the success of YouTube, I agree this will take off.

As far as budget is concerned, with the right computer software, anyone can create something like this. If your friends are not the right character images for your novel, why not try creative filming using shadows and obscure views (such as from their pov)- leave the faces up to the reader's imagination.

For those who wonder about cut and splice videos, Adobe Premiere Pro is one software that will work. If the huge price tag is too much to afford, enroll in a local community college course (inexpensive) and then you should have free access to a huge computer lab, with free tutors too.

Of course, the biggest investment to me would be the time to create it. It might just be worth it...

Isn't this basically a high-quality, multi-streaming-media, audio-visual, full color presentation of short scripted or unscripted content?

Didn't we used to get that on a screen five times larger, whose quality didn't look like a transmission from the Space Shuttle, whose production values were professional, and whose product, though uneven, could be extraordinary, and didn't we used to call it "TV?"

-kd

This is great. It could possibly even grab the attention of non-readers as well. Good looking out, Miss Snark!

"Of course, the biggest investment to me would be the time to create it."

And for the rest of us, to learn how to create it. Sounds like one for someone who either (a) has a hell of a lot of time on their hands (no kidsm for a start), or (b) can afford to pay someone else to do it.

For anyone interested I mentioned this site on my blog in January.
http://www.meettheauthor.com/

Hmmmm... Vidlit? Might go over like a left handed scrambled egg!

Haste yee back ;-0

Just when you think you have everything pigeonholed they come up with something like this. If it sells books and gets people to read it can only be good.

Heavens!
Look at the world around us!

Someone just posted a satire of the 1984 Apple commercial introducing the MacIntosh using Hillary Clinton's image. It's anonymous because it's a huge copyright violation and no company would ever expose themselves to that kind of liability.

But all of the political talking heads agree that YOUTUBE, MYSPACE and BLOGS will be wild during the next (two year long) political campaign. The politicians running for office will not have control of their message. Watch for all sorts of out-of-control web oriented attack and parry...

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR PUBLISHING:

Vidlit marketing, web marketing, Blog marketing,

web, web, web!

Clare,

I guess I should have mentioned this in the first comment, but it was already long enough. To counter your assumptions:

I have three little ones and in addition to being an extremely busy full time mom, I have finished grad school and I am writing my dissertation for a Ph.D. in between sippy cups and late nights of tucking them back in after a bad dream.

I have also written a non-fiction proposal, sent off a first round of just a few query letters in the last month, and thanks to the help of you all and Ms. Snark's wisdom, I sent off a requested full with a great agent (fingers crossed). This is my first time commenting on this blog, but I wanted to be sure no one passed on this type of opportunity just because it is new.

In the last year I have taught myself many software programs as I started my own blogging and needed to use programs through school. I firmly believe anyone who is savvy enough to create a sharp query letter and well-written proposal or manuscript, and is able to use a wordprocessing program like Word and can email, can also learn any program they need on the computer. If I can figure it out, anyone can.

I use the help portion when I see a new program, type in what I need, and figure it out from there. So yes, there is a learning curve, but one that you can do if you know it will make book sales for your particular genre. The "time to do it" includes learning it.

Or, use some of your advance and hire a college student to do it for you. There are plenty of smart computer people who just want a few extra bucks.

My point is if you want to do it, you can find a way without too much money. I know we did not grow up with computers (except the youngest ones) so it can be daunting, but I try to encourage everyone that if my 6 year old can figure it out (and he can), so can you, with time. This includes not just vidlit (I may never set up one myself for this book), but also a blog or website. The question is whether it is worth it for your marketing plan.

Patricia, how does your explanation refute Clare's observation that it would take time to learn to create vidlit? And why do you call her observation an assumption, and then go on to prove that her observation was true?

Anonymous,

Sorry for the confusion. I did not mean to imply the observation that it takes time to learn is an assumption- I agree with her on that.

"Assumption" referred to her remark that I must be someone who has no kids and plenty of time on my hands, or be rich enough to hire it out.

Overdog, you are right that VidLit is basically advertising. But it's a form of advertising crafted to reach audiences who don't respond to the usual forms. Newspapers, magazines, even TV and radio are all losing eyeballs -- eyeballs that are pointed at the web (hi, Dave).

It's a multimedia world out there and multimedia might be the best way to encourage folks to keep picking up words-on-paper. Ironic, huh? But all signs say "inescapable".

Until, of course, the global electro-magnetic grid implodes and the only useful medium of exchange is edible soy pellets. Then you'll see some readin', boy howdy.

P.S. word verification: pfqnxydh -- how "publish" will be spelled in the post-literate future

patricia, don't worry. I'm a software engineer with a blog and all that, and have no doubt in my ability to learn new things.

I am very impressed that you fit so much in. I guess it's about priorities and how you think your spare hours are best spent. I know that it would take me time to learn how to put a decent video together, and I also know that all creative endeavours are more time-consuming than you expect. To create something worth looking at would be time consuming, so you'd have to be sure it would create extra book sales. I guess at the moment I remain unconvinced that anyone will buy a book on the basis of one of these things. No doubt it'll be all the rage in no time at all, but at the moment it seems like a risky way of spending precious hours-snatched-away-from-childcare.

But thanks for your carefully-considered reply. Much appreciated.

Clare,

Thanks, and no problem. You have impressive qualifications. I agree with you, it would definitely take lots of time. I've discovered this as I have had to splice video for my dissertation. I also lack the creative film talent that it would take, but if it seemed worthwhile for my book, I might try.

I also agree about not taking away precious hours with my kids. My husband has been very understanding with my school work and book writing late nights after bed time, so I do not miss out on time with the little ones during the day.

Whatever works!

So, let me see, now I have to learn to edit videos as well as research the market and editors personal preferences and agents and -

Shoot me now, I just want to write!

No, I want to write and get paid to write.

:sigh

Add one more research subject to the cat-polishing list.