oliver yeh

Vindicated

Mon, 28 May 2012 11:55:51 -0400

The guy I sprinted past? He was in a different age group.

That's not exactly what happened.

Sun, 27 May 2012 10:59:00 -0400

This morning, I won a 5k road running race in my aged category. Have never ever done so before.

Sprinted at the end, elbowed a guy aside (who ended up 2nd Place in the category), then shouted, “IN YOUR FACE,” after crossing the line.

That’s how my wife describes it.

Here is my rebuttal:

Someone should at least acknowledge that I looked like roadkill out there trying to keep up with my son and wife.
I don’t run. I don’t like to run. This wasn’t fun or a walk in the park but I still drained the tank of fumes knowing I would pay for it.
The race was chip-timed — at the end. When you cross the line is where you place.
If you’re racing to race and you’re nearing the finish line, wouldn’t you think to look behind you unless you are absolutely certain no one’s near you?
Wouldn’t you be wary of a Chinaman as large and as ugly as me on your tail to at least look back once in a while? [Actually, that’s not a valid argument since no person in his right mind would look at me unless instructed by a physician or something.]

Fine. I was a douche for sprinting the last bit. Ban me from running anymore races. I beg you.

“Blogger Asserts Copyright, Newspaper Editor Gets...

Thu, 24 May 2012 11:59:00 -0400

“Blogger Asserts Copyright, Newspaper Editor Gets Irate”

I guess when you’re 40-years older than someone, you can pretty much do what you want without legal ramification…

Always have a vid ready.

"The good writing of any age has always been the product of someone’s neurosis, and we’d have a..."

Thu, 24 May 2012 10:02:56 -0400

“The good writing of any age has always been the product of someone’s neurosis, and we’d have a mighty dull literature if all the writers that came along were a bunch of happy chuckleheads.”

- William Styron, interview, Writers at Work, 1958 (via writeworld)

Stop the press: half of self-published authors earn less than $500

Thu, 24 May 2012 07:21:00 -0400

Stop the press: half of self-published authors earn less than $500:

Tidbit…

“The majority of the information out there is about the outliers, whose success is inspiring, but as we can now confirm bears scant resemblance to the experience of most authors,” said Dave Cornford and Steven Lewis, who carried out the survey, published on Thursday, for the Taleist website.

Those who want to do best at self-publishing, they found, would be well advised to focus on romantic fiction. Romance authors earned 170% more than their peers, while authors in other genres fared much worse: science-fiction writers earned 38% of the $10,000 average, fantasy writers 32%, and literary fiction authors just 20% of the $10,000 average.

It’s also best to be female, educated and in your early 40s: the survey’s “top earners” – those who indicated they could live exclusively off their earnings – were 68% female, and 33% had a degree, compared to an average of 28%. High earners also dedicated more of their time to their writing, churning out 2,047 words a day on average, as compared to 1,557 for the rest of the sample.

Another article: Self-publishing: ‘under 10% of authors earn living’

Favorite snacks of writers.

Wed, 23 May 2012 17:10:03 -0400

Favorite snacks of writers.

“Digital publisher Electric Literature has launched a new...

Wed, 23 May 2012 16:56:27 -0400

“Digital publisher Electric Literature has launched a new digital literary magazine that will publish one story a week. Recommended Reading is a free online publication, available in ePub, Kindle and through email and Tumblr.”

Follow it on Tumblr.

25 Reasons You Should Quit Writing

Tue, 22 May 2012 21:36:55 -0400

25 Reasons You Should Quit Writing

Mr. T would be proud too

Mon, 21 May 2012 22:05:00 -0400

The past three weeks, my son participated in try-outs for his soccer league’s Under-9 traveling team. He’s never done something like this before and wanted to give it a shot — why the hell not?

Pretty rigorous 3-session nerve-wracks for me and my better half. Hoards of parents at each 90-minute session walking around like agents, reading every move or expression by the clipboard-wielding gatekeepers. I felt like a noob, clinging to the fence, talking to my son in whispers that never reached his ears. I was helpless.

This year there will be 4 teams divided up by skill-levels. The league’s trying to accommodate all players, but some might not make it. We didn’t know what to expect and it didn’t help to see so many great kids out there. Results were going to be posted after the Memorial Day weekend.

I received a call tonight from an unknown number. Ignored it and listened to voicemail instead.

He made the “A” team.

Couldn’t be more proud: he decided to do something new, something that tested him. No fear, big payoff.

Glad I own a diesel.

Shipping May 24th. One way to simplify your unwieldy mass of...

Mon, 21 May 2012 11:04:00 -0400

Shipping May 24th.

One way to simplify your unwieldy mass of pocket metals.

Subway Car Is a Writers’ Workshop on the Way to Queens and...

Mon, 21 May 2012 07:24:00 -0400

Subway Car Is a Writers’ Workshop on the Way to Queens and Back

I like this. Writing away from where you normally write. Room changes. Air changes. Scenery changes. People around you. No one around you.

Doesn’t matter where you are or where you’re going. In situ writing.

"To beware of the adjective is the beginning of style."

Sun, 20 May 2012 20:22:57 -0400

“To beware of the adjective is the beginning of style.”

- Paul Claudel

"The point is not to be debilitated by your pleasures."

Sun, 20 May 2012 20:22:54 -0400

“The point is not to be debilitated by your pleasures.”

- Jay McInerney

Grab a snack, turn off the lights, and watch, “The...

Wed, 16 May 2012 20:02:00 -0400

Grab a snack, turn off the lights, and watch, “The Tell-Tale Heart,” an animated short film from 1953 based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe.

life: Las Vegas, Nevada 1955 — Photographed by LIFE’s Loomis...

Wed, 16 May 2012 19:31:03 -0400

life:

Las Vegas, Nevada 1955 — Photographed by LIFE’s Loomis Dean. See more photos here.

See you in August.

Sometimes

Wed, 16 May 2012 17:52:05 -0400

the sweetest taste is that of the waning hours of daylight.

How a book is born.

Tue, 15 May 2012 20:25:00 -0400

How a book is born.

Christopher Brosius creates “In the...

Tue, 15 May 2012 10:19:00 -0400

Christopher Brosius creates “In the Library.”

Brosius, well known for his avant garde take on traditional perfumery, makes scents like “Soaked Earth” that smells like wet dirt and mushrooms in a forest after a long rain.

What’s behind the scent?

The main note in this scent was copied from one of my favorite novels originally published in 1927. I happened to find a signed first edition in pristine condition many years ago in London. I was more than a little excited because there were only ever a hundred of these in the first place. It had a marvelous warm woody slightly sweet smell and I set about immediately to bottle it.

Read the full story behind the scent. If anyone out there has tried it, reblog and let us know.

hellotypewriter: typewriter (by ajwpip)

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:00:01 -0400

hellotypewriter:

typewriter (by ajwpip)

I love fat rain.

Tue, 15 May 2012 08:11:08 -0400

I love fat rain.