Support Your Friendly Neighborhood Authors
In which we enjoyed stopping by book signings and supporting local writers, while some of my words were seen in the wild a little earlier than expected.
A couple of evenings ago I had the pleasure of attending the book launch event for my friend, Josh Rountree’s first novel. I’ve enjoyed Josh’s writing for several years and have a couple of collections of his short stories on my shelves, but the release of a writer’s first novel is something special.
It was great to see a good crowd in the bookstore as Josh was interviewed by fellow Austin-based novelist, Christopher Brown, another all-round great writer who also happens to be a friend. The interview was followed by Josh doing a reading from one of my favorite passages from his book, The Legend of Charlie Fish.
I was lucky enough to have had access to an early copy of Josh’s novel and really enjoyed it. In fact I reviewed it in an earlier newsletter back in March right HERE, and you can now pick-up a copy through our online bookstore HERE.
This was our second signing in recent weeks as another friend, Jayme Lynn Blaschke had been out promoting the release of a new updated and expanded edition of his book Inside The Texas Chicken Ranch - a fascinating history of the “Best Little Whorehouse” that became the subject of a Broadway show and a movie starring Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton. (Which you can also order from our online bookstore HERE.)
Jayme also had an informative questions session followed by a reading that added to the evening’s events and left you wanting to pick up and read the book (although I must admit I haven’t as yet - but it is in the stack patiently waiting its turn).
Having been on the other side of the table for several book signings over the years I can attest to how important it is to writers to have the support of friends and local folks at these sort of events. It makes the time sat hammering away at the keyboard worthwhile.
For a lot of writers putting themselves out there isn’t the easiest thing, we are by nature generally an introverted crowd. As Josh put it when we were chatting as he signed my copy of Charlie Fish, he became a writer to sit in a room and avoid people, and now that he’d achieved that goal of a published novel, he was spending the next two weeks traveling around Texas having to actually interact with people.
If you see a local writer is having a book launch or signing event, I’d like to suggest that you go along, listen to what they have to say, maybe shake their hand, thank them for their efforts, and maybe pick up a copy of their latest work. It will be appreciated.
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As an aside, although Josh and Jayme’s two events were located in different parts of Austin, it turned out both were held in venues that combined a bookstore and wine bar under one roof. This is a trend I fully support.
Other Stuff
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Brabazon Bits
This week I have been focused on transforming the research notes from the last few weeks into a narrative. It should result in a couple of new chapters in the every-developing manuscript.
One interesting snippet I did come across online this week was a post about a French pre-war project called the Air Wibault 100 which was intended to be a double-decker aircraft to carry seventy-passengers in hotel style luxury. The interior would include a bar, restaurant, showers, and beds. - Sound familiar?
A single prototype was under construction when it was destroyed by a German bombing raid in 1940.
I haven’t seen any mention of this project in the Brabazon related research reading to date, but I have to wonder if the committee members who drew up the specifications for the Brabazon, and the designers who turned those specifications into an actual aircraft knew of this project.
Word Slinging
The first in a new series of articles I’m writing for Reworked - a website focused on the latest trends in employee experience - is now online. - And of course, it's all about content, in particular why you shouldn’t treat taxonomy as an afterthought.
Meanwhile it seems The Man Who Laughs, which contains words by me on why I'm fed up of seeing a certain white faced crown-prince of crime, made a sneaky debut at SDCC this week.
It's not officially out till August 2nd, but it was good to see reports of it in the wild.
You can also pre-order it right HERE
And a shout out to editors Rich Handley and Lou Tambone for inviting me along for the ride alongside a distinguished list of fellow pop-culture scribes.
Pages and Screens
Book Read in 2023 - “Powers & Thrones “ by Dan Jones.
This hefty volume provides an engaging overview of historical events from the fall of Rome to the voyages of Columbus.
Due to its extensive scope by necessity it does skim over certain subjects and topics, and also exhibits a self-confessed European-Arabic bias in its coverage.
Where it really stands out are the chapters devoted to groups such as monks, knights, merchants, scholars, thinkers, plague survivors, and navigators that add a personal dynamic to an age of great change in human history.
Podcast Procrastinations
The Before They Were Beatles podcast -A A quick reminder that Episode 25 of The Before They Were Beatles podcast is now live and available on your podcast platform of choice.
Entitled “Beginnings and Endings” it covers the events of September through to December 1962 as we complete our journey as The Beatles return to the recording studio, make their TV debut, and say goodbye to Hamburg.
And talking of Before They Were Beatles, just a reminder that if you’d like to keep up with the progress of the work on the 20th Anniversary edition of the Before They Were Beatles book you can sign up for a subscription to the dedicated Substack monthly newsletter HERE. -
The July issue was published this week and introduced us to the young John Lennon - If you want to find out more, now is a great time to subscribe.
On the latest Rogue Agents episode we returned to the world of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. with a look at episode 4, “The Shark Affair,” an episode that provoked some interesting conversations around what makes a villain.. You can open Channel-D and relay the episode right HERE.
Weekly Web Round-Up
Batman On The Cover - The journey through Batman’s comics publishing history continues this week as we move into March 1968 with editions published in Italy, Lebanon, Mexico, Netherlands, and Norway. - Unfortunately no stand-out covers this week as all were basic translated reprints of previous US covers.
Where on the Web is Alan?
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See you next time
Alan J. Porter