#karl marlantes

[carolinemillerbooks]

New Post has been published on Books by Caroline Miller

New Post has been published on https://www.booksbycarolinemiller.com/musings/penny-wise-and-pound-foolish/

Penny Wise, and Pound Foolish

Like the boy who cried wolf, U. S. Senator Bernie Sanders has long blamed oligarchs for weakening our democracy. Of late, his prognostications ring true.  Vast fortunes concentrated in the hands of large corporations and a few individuals have weakened the middle class, leading the country toward a two-tiered economic system of rich and poor. Accumulating money has become the focus of almost every institution, including religion. Greed has a similar stranglehold in the book publishing business, which is why I’ve decided to give up writing novels and will return to short stories.  I’m not alone in my disappointment with book publishing. In an interview on Just Read It, author Karl Marlantes also admits that art has merged with commerce.   We should have seen it coming.  Once publishing houses started gobbling up their weaker competitors, the behemoth companies that emerged stopped accepting book submissions over the transom.  They turned the talent search over to agents. Agents live on leaner profits than publishers, so to foster their solvency they prefer commercial work rather than art.  How else can one explain literary fodder like Fifty Shades Of Grey?  Making agents gatekeepers in the publishing world has also led to a demand for books with a continuing character.  Once a writer scores, headhunters prefe to stick with the formula. Neither publishers nor agents market books. That task they assign to authors. In the past, that wasn’t the case.  But today,  whether house-published or self-published,  authors find themselves obliged to trawl for customers. Amazon, which began as an internet bookseller, was quick to see a market niche. Expanding from sales, they pivoted to include distribution services for small presses and self-published authors. Their plan was a success. Amazon grew large enough to put fear into the hearts of big publishing houses. To compete, those houses added electronic sales to their distribution system. But by then, Amazon had nearly cornered the market.  Big publishing houses had to cut a deal.  Naturally, Amazon grew larger. Today, it controls more than 50 percent of the online and offline book sales, its earnings totaling $28 billion a year.    In the beginning, Amazon had an advantage over its competitors.  Being an internet company, it was exempt from state and local taxes. These savings, it passed on to their customers.  And who doesn’t like a bargain? Consumers flocked to Amazon like a baby to its Pablum. Neighborhood bookstores couldn’t compete and began to die off. Seeing its power, the company flexed its muscles and turned on the publishing houses, demanding deeper discounts.  The houses resisted, and for a time, lawyers on both sides of the debate profited mightily with suits and countersuits. Eventually, both sides agreed the legal solution was too expensive and sought common ground. The answer was to raise costs for the consumer.  As a result, these companies have been accused of price fixing. For readers and writers, the publishing terrain has grown arcane. Here’s another example. Recently,  I published a review on Amazon for Susan Stoner’s latest Sage Adair mystery series, Preservation, A few months later Amazon’s review policy changed.  A former South African student wrote me to complain that Amazon had rejected her review of my memoir,  Getting Lost to Find Home. She had violated “community standards,” they said. After reading what she’d written, I scratched my head. Reading this book brings back some of my fond memories of the time Ms Miller spent in Africa. As a scholar at the school where she taught in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) (sic), I remember her as a young energetic teacher full of fun. In her memoir Ms Miller realistically conveys her challenge of being out of her comfort zone, facing new and unforeseen adventures. The beautifully written travel log tells of the journey from initial excitement to trepidation and uncertainty, to facing the harsh reality of life in a foreign country.  A good read of a coming of age. As it turned out, the community standard was self-serving. Amazon told my former student she hadn’t purchased enough books the previous year to be eligible to submit a review.  I shrugged at the bald audacity. The policy might work for the company, but it does bupkus for the writer who could use a few kind words. As for the consumer, they get short shrift, too.  The pennies they once saved with the internet company have evaporated.  And while free speech exists in the Western world, on Amazon, it has a price.     ________________________________     Listen as William Kenower, host of the podcast “Author to Author” interviews Caroline Miller about her memoir “Getting Lost to Find Home” https://www.blogtalkradio.com/author-magazine/2024/01/23/author2author-with-caroline-miller

#Just Read It #Bernie Sanders #Big publishing houses struggle with Amazon #book reviews on Amazon #community standards on Amazon #death of small bookstores #Fifty Shades of Grey #Getting Lost to Find Home #Karl Marlantes #oligarchs of power in publishing #Sage Adair mystery series #Susan Stoner

[les-toupies-h]

Karl Marlantes

#Karl Marlantes #écrivain américain #Faire bientôt éclater la terre

[missydurdenknowsbest]

The books of January 2023. Reading wrap-up.

Some (most?) of the books I read in January 2023. Taking a conscious break from thesis work to focus on other projects that I had to neglect due to my thesis deadline, January was great for recreational reading as well. I didn’t finish that many books, but some big ones. I also finished my first month of using the audiobook app Storytel, which brought me much joy and welcomed distraction with a…

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#annabel chase #antonio munoz molina #book blog #book blog europe #Books #books january 2023 #india holton #karl marlantes #read my shelves challenge 2023 #reading january 2023 #reading wrap-up #susanna clarke

[bettsfic]

What are some qualities of a “good” writer in your opinion?

i can't really articulate in general terms but i did find an example recently. (i wrote these out as examples in the writing log i kept while i was at this residency.)

this is from The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, a book about the Vietnam War:

If Rat told you, for example, that he’d slept with four girls one night, you could figure it was about a girl and a half. It wasn’t a question of deceit. Just the opposite: he wanted to heat up the truth, to make it burn so hot that you would feel exactly what he felt. For Rat Kiley, I think, facts were formed by sensation.

what i love about this paragraph, this whole book really, is that it has a strong sense of voice. the humor of "a girl and a half." the fragment of "just the opposite" and the placement of "i think." there's a rhythm here. to me it reads as though every word was chosen because every other word was considered and dismissed.

next i attempted to read Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes, which is also about the Vietnam War. here's a paragraph that happens a few pages into the book that was so bad i put the book down and never picked it back up:

Bass handed him some coffee in an empty C-ration fruit cocktail can and then poured another can for Hamilton, who had dumped his radio in front of his and Mellas’s hooch and was sitting on it. Hamilton took the coffee, raised the can to Bass in toast, and wrapped his fingers around the can to warm them.

this paragraph from Matterhorn is littered with unnecessary descriptive adjectives among bodily action that's not needed and serves only to show the detail of the C-ration fruit cocktail can. that information is better placed elsewhere, where it might be more relevant and interesting to the narrator. there is no tension in this paragraph. it's only bodily direction as if in a film, and because this is prose, that's not needed unless it's relevant to the conflict. in this case, the conflict is that our narrator, Mellas, is absolutely terrified and trying to scheme however he can to get out of the combat zone. but do you get any sense of that urgency in this paragraph? no, it's just things happening.

i think good writers (and i use that term loosely, because we all determine good writing based on our personal tastes and the art/media we've encountered in our lives thus far) draft these kinds of sentences for the sake of knowing where their characters are in time and space but eventually cut them, even if they love the image of the C-ration fruit cocktail can. but if you love the C-ration fruit cocktail can, you can lend it meaning. you can honor it by making it matter to the narrator. here it's just kind of thrown in along with the other details, like a valuable antique thrown into a pile of junk. that antique deserves to sit on a shelf and be admired.

maybe the C-ration fruit cocktail can arrives in drafting totally on its own. in revision--when you're going through the pile of junk looking for valuable things--is when you find it again and go, "oh, this is good, i need this." you know so much about your story that you know how to find what's valuable, what sings. so when i say that in TTTC every word was chosen because every other word was considered and dismissed, what i'm saying is that O'Brien meticulously went through that pile, found the good stuff, and put it on the shelf in a beautiful way.

that's where creative skill comes from, i think. the endurance to consider, to make millions of little choices meaningfully.

#writing advice

[kammartinez]

#history #writing

[thefanficwriterscraft]

S2E5 - WRITING DARK STUFF (OR, THERE'S NO SUBSTITUTE FOR SCHOOL)

Hello, happy Saint Patrick's Day 🇮🇪! A new episode is here!

In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) and Lani (@copper-dust) talk about writing dark stuff. Topics that involve wars, deaths, assaults, and all those very nice things that often give rise to trigger-warnings. They discuss why writers are drawn to tackling these issues, the cathartic experience of writing and/or reading through trauma, and the boundaries they may set for themselves when they write their stories. They also touch on trigger-warnings themselves (when and how to use them), and on the ethics of writing in the darker corners of storytelling. While they do not discuss anything that is explicit, this episode obviously contains discussions of certain sensitive subjects so if you do not wish to listen to this episode, please don’t hesitate to pass. 

This week, we mention: 

Fics: castles by pebblysand, Merry Men by copper_dust, Lilac Falls by copper_dust, a louisville slugger to both headlights by pebblysand, Check the Spindle by copper_dust 

Books: Beloved by Toni Morrison, The Little Red Chairs by Edna O’Brien, Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes, 

Your recommendations for this week are:

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Gold by viscariafields

Incendiary by Chris Cleave

You can find us online at:

The Fanfic Writer’s Craft: tumblr ; spotify

Lani (@copper-dust): tumblr ; AO3

Jo (@pebblysand): tumblr ; AO3

#fic recs #fandom #fanfiction #fiction #creative writing #writing #writer #fanfiction podcast #writblr #Spotify

[leftenantjopson]

Tagged by the lovely @turtlecactus 💕

Fave color: blue!

Currently reading: just finished In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides, and am now reading Deep River by Karl Marlantes

Last series: also Heartstopper

Last movie: Hail, Caesar! (Which Alden Ehrenreich was surprisingly good in)

Currently working on: studying for my driver’s test

Tagging: @ladyoftheharbour @schofielded @goldandnavy @themimegirl @quietborderline

#tag games

[scholarlysoldier]

Mom: “You should go to the Canola Fields to grab some pictures!” And that’s just what we did! 🤷‍♂️ A little late but June’s reading included: 1. “Halo: First Strike” by Eric Nylund (2003) 2. “Matterhorn” by Karl Marlantes (2009) 3. “On the Psychology of Military Incompetence” by Dr Norman Dixon (1976) 4. “The War on the West” by Douglas Murray (2022) #bookstagram #junereads #summerreads #conolafields #princeedwardisland #halo #halofirststrike #ericnylund #matterhorn #karlmarlantes #onthepsychologyofmilitaryincompetence #normandixon #thewaronthewest #douglasmurray (at Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf4haJGppvpckNV17NxYr4DQKOKP9d_j_wm1S80/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#bookstagram #junereads #summerreads #conolafields #princeedwardisland #halo #halofirststrike #ericnylund #matterhorn #karlmarlantes #onthepsychologyofmilitaryincompetence #normandixon #thewaronthewest #douglasmurray

[kamreadsandrecs]

#history #writing

[foreverlostinliterature]

7/20 Book Deals

Good morning, everyone, I hope you’re all doing well! How has the start of your week been? I really hope you’re all hanging in there and doing alright, I know things still seem to difficult in a lot of places and I wish you all peace and hope you stay safe. :) I’ve been on the job hunt yet again and it’s... well, about as frustrating as you might expect a job hunt to be right now, haha. Anybody else out there struggling? 

Now, on to the books! There’s a bunch of great ones on sale yet again, it seems! Today there was a lot of more nonfiction/etc. on sale in addition to fiction, so I was sure to include some of those for those who might appreciate them. :) Also, I think it sometimes gets mixed reviews, but The Shadow of What Was Lost is the first book in one of my favorite fantasy trilogies, so I always recommend that one. The Graveyard Book is also great, and I have always loved that cover for We, the Drowned. 

Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful day--happy reading!

Today’s Deals:

The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington - https://amzn.to/3xUkPlk

The Bright Side of Going Dark by Kelly Harms - https://amzn.to/3isE9zu

Raising Steam (Discworld) by Terry Pratchett - https://amzn.to/3xUKnyz

Blood River: The Terrifying Journey through the World's Most Dangerous Country by Tim Butcher - https://amzn.to/2UXqZma

The Old Drift by Namwali Serpeli - https://amzn.to/3ivS6wI

No Visible Bruises: What We Don't Know About Domestic Violence Can Kill Us by Rachel Louise Snyder - https://amzn.to/2TlKioA

Welcome to Lagos by Chibundu Onuzo - https://amzn.to/2V3IJwg

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman - https://amzn.to/2VWYVj7

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery - https://amzn.to/3zfUnmd

The Color Purple by Alice Walker - https://amzn.to/3kxD2kO

Jubilee by Margaret Walker - https://amzn.to/3hTLEjK

Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors by Piers Paul Read - https://amzn.to/36MRAom

We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen - https://amzn.to/3Bo4Ttt

Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier - https://amzn.to/36QiEmI

Inventology: How We Dream Up Things That Change the World by Pagan Kennedy - https://amzn.to/3xSpkNj

What It Is Like to Go to War by Karl Marlantes - https://amzn.to/3ezFPpW

Hawksbill Station by Robert Silverberg - https://amzn.to/3eF4V6O

With Head and Heart: The Autobiography of Howard Thurman by Howard Thurman - https://amzn.to/3eCKpDJ

Lectures on Russian Literature by Vladimir Nabokov - https://amzn.to/3zipG00

The Great Plague: A People's History by Evelyn Lord - https://amzn.to/3hOOEho

Journey to Portugal: In Pursuit of Portugal’s History and Culture by Jose Saramago - https://amzn.to/3BiHRVb

NOTE:  I am categorizing these book deals posts under the tag #bookdeals, so if you don’t want to see them then just block that tag and you should be good. I am an Amazon affiliate in addition to a Book Depository affiliate and will receive a small (but very much needed!)  commission on any purchase made through these links.

#bookdeals #booksale #james islington #terry pratchett #fantasty #nonfiction #literature #fiction #margaret walker #alice walker #carsten jensen #chibundu onuzo #namwali serpeli #pearl s buck #vladimir nabokov #karl marlantes

[carolinemillerbooks]

New Post has been published on Books by Caroline Miller

New Post has been published on https://www.booksbycarolinemiller.com/musings/ayes-on-the-prize/

Ayes On The Prize

On an upcoming edition of my book talk show, Just Readi It, author Karl Marlantes reveals the struggle he faced to publish the first of his two best-selling novels, Matterhorn.  A young man newly returned from the Vietnam War, he was determined to recapture his experience as a soldier.  The public needed to know about the war and, perhaps, he wanted to make sense of it to himself.   Marlantes wrote and rewrote his book over the years but no publisher would touch it.  A collective amnesia had descended upon the country for a war that had ended in defeat and for the soldiers who’d given their lives, limbs, and sanity to fight it.    But, Marlantes refused to forget.  He continued to submit his work despite the rising pyramid of rejections. Then, one day, his wife had an idea. Why not submit the manuscript to a contest?   A road not taken, the writer tossed his novel into an envelope and sent it off.  Weeks later, word arrived.  Matterhorn had won first prize–the launch pad from which it rose to become a national bestseller. Deep River, his second novel was also a success.  Marlantes’ career was established.  A third novel is on the horizon.  If anyone cares, I consider him to be among the country’s best-living writers.   The author didn’t say whether or not he paid a fee to enter his contest.  In the past, competitions with fees were considered bogus–an operation that raised its prize money from aspirants rather than sponsors. In a 2010 blog, I wrote against literary scams like those and provided a list of guardian angels who devoted themselves to exposing such sand traps. A few of those angels are still around. One of my favorites is  Victoria Strauss, a woman who sometimes is threatened and sued for her courageous dedication to artists. One of her recent communications exposes another contest worthy of suspicion.  Nonetheless, times change and contests with admission fees are as common as sand fleas on the beach. Distinguishing between legitimate operations and those intended to create mailing lists to sell to advertisers is difficult. Fake contests, fake people, fake money, fake news, and AI fake novelists cavort with actual ones when the line between the virtual and real world blurs.  I begin to wonder if the difference matters.  A woman who knows her way around the writing world complimented me with a suggestion that I submit my memoir, Getting Lost to Find Home to two contests she thought I might have a chance of winning.  The first suggestion I discounted as it required travel. I’m an 87-year-old woman who doesn’t fly.  The second suggestion seemed doable, though it has a hefty fee.  I’m thinking about it.  The positive attention critics have given my new release satisfies me at the moment. Last week, the long-standing book blog Silversolara put the memoir in its Spotlight.   

#blurred lines between the virtual and real world #book blog #books on the Viet Nam War #Getting Lost to Find Home #Just Read It book show #Karl Marlantes #Matterhorn novel #novel Deep River #silversolara #the dubious practice of entry fees #Victoria Strauss #writing contests

[mercurygray]

Citizen Soldier: The Fiction of War with Tim O'Brien and Karl Marlantes

In 2015, Tim O’Brien (of “The Things They Carried” fame)  was one of the speakers at the Pritzker Military Museum and Library’s inaugural ON WAR symposium. In this 30 minute segment, he, along with fellow author and Vietnam veteran Karl Marlantes (”What It Is LIke to Go to War”) discuss and compare their two experiences of Vietnam, and what goes into writing a War Story.

If you’ve never read The Things They Carried, the whole first chapter is basically the Vietnam era equivalent of Joe Toye’s angry packing list speech. It’s a beautiful book. If you’ve never read What It Is Like To Go to War, it’s a similarly beautiful and one might even say haunting exploration about what being in war takes from a person, and how one might prepare one’s self to experience war.

#shopping for a fanfic #tim o'brien #karl marlantes

[bigtickhk]

Deep River by Karl Marlantes https://amzn.to/2Ju7B6K

#Deep River #Karl Marlantes #books #book review #Oregon

[whatsheread]

Loggers be crazy

Deep River by Karl Marlantes is one of those novels that is deeply personal to the author, something he shares with the reader in his author’s notes at the end of the story. Unfortunately, because of the personal nature of the story, the storytelling suffers. It is not because the author is not capable, but rather an overly-enthusiastic attempt to include every single detail of the subject while…

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#Grove Atlantic #Historical Fiction #July 2019 Releases #Karl Marlantes #NetGalley

[michellelovatosbookreviews]

I cannot do justice to What It's Like To Go To War

I cannot do justice to What It’s Like To Go To War

This book review is something I wrote at least three times since I listened to it on audio several months ago. And I still feel like I cannot do it justice.What It’s Like to Go to War, by Karl Marlantes, is a harsh look at the ugly face of combat, and what mental conditioning it takes for a human to survive that primal life-and-death situation. I understand now, why some of my relatives and…

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#karl marlantes #Michelle Lovato #Michelle Lovato Color Commentator #military #vietnam #vietnam veteran #war

[healveterans]

PBS "Going to War," a new 60 min documentary featuring Karl Marlantes, Sebastian Junger​ and more...Explores why it is important to understand the soldier’s experience of combat and for veterans to tell their stories.

For more background: https://www.pbs.org/tpt/going-to-war/themes/understanding-war/

#Veterans #military #going to war #karl marlantes #sebastian junger #war #never forget #film #cinema #doc film #PBS #link