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21
Feb 2010

Sporkette Gazette – Volume 5, Issue 2 – February 21, 2010

By sporkette

SPORKETTE GAZETTE
http://www.sporkettegazette.com/
February 21, 2010 – Volume 5, Issue 2

Patricia Spork (aka Sporkette), Publisher
Contact Sporkette!
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IN THIS ISSUE
———————————————–
Ramblings
T. J. Banks Interview
Valentine Writing Contest Winning Entry
Share! Giveaway! Freely Distribute!
End Ramblings
Notice
Copyright Information
Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information
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Ramblings
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Hello, Good Folks!

Yah, yah, late with my personal deadline for this issue, but by golly, I finally got to it. And I ain’t making excuses. That’s just the way it is! :0)

Changed PS site to have FREE and “Surprise” memberships, meaning less will be offered as free downloads to visitors. Several Valentine specific items were added to the site this month, some for visitors and some for Free and Surprise members.

SporkBinge has had two Texas musician interviews added since the last issue of SG. Read my interview with Rowan Cowan,  who does Texas Country “Outlaw” music. Or read my interview with Michael House,  who is heavy into the 60’s/70’s Metal/Psychedelic sound with his band DarqSyde.

Sold the child’s saddle (Whoo-hoo!), so removed the blog post about it from Sorrel Sunflower, but still two adult saddles available there, plus other odds and ends. Nothing new added to that site, and nothing done to Sporkette, Digital Frolic, Resell Ebooks Buzz or eBookMouse. Grrrr.

Oh, did get a skin care product blog post published this past week. You may not know I’m an Independent Sales Representative for that well-known company, but I am, and have been so for almost two years. The company made the “Blog” feature available several months ago, but I haven’t been active with posting there, as you can tell. LOL! Love many of their products. Oh, yah!

Here’s some advice I hate to give, but going to, since your computer could get infected with a virus or malware: DO NOT CLICK ON ANY LINKS WITHIN SEARCH ENGINES THAT HAS MY NAME [PATRICIA SPORK] IN DESCRIPTION!

This past week, some freaking a-hole hacker transgressed on at least 16 domains (not mine…yet) and added some rogue page files. The page titles, so far, are Valentine-themed and my name [Patricia Spork] is being used as a keyword for those pages. If you click on the Valentine-related page links within search engines, you may wind up on a malicious attack page that will automatically download the “new” virus “Rogue:W32/SecurityTool.AA”…or who knows what else.

I contacted most of the domains (those I could locate “Contact” information for) and warned them of the malicious attack abuse. Most of the domains are registered in Europe, with some in Asia, South America and the United States. Several of the domain owners have contacted me, thanking me for the notifications. Those that contacted me have removed the rogue pages from their servers. Being most of the sites are in languages other than English, maybe my e-mails weren’t read or discarded or never received, so other page links are still showing in search engines.

I wouldn’t have known about my name abuse, except for being signed up to Google Alerts ™, so I highly recommend if you are not signed up for this service, then consider doing so.

Also, if not for one of the domain owners (whom I fondly call “HackerTracker”), I wouldn’t know about that particular virus. Poor fella had approximately 2000 rogue files on one of his domains, which totally urked the heck out of him. Rightly so! Being he’s very tech savvy, he’s hot on the trail of the culprit. So do me a favor and take a moment to wish HackerTracker much success with his hacker tracking endeavors. Thanks.

And if you are a super-sophisticated, super-savvy, super-techie, Super Geek and want to do some super, super hacker tracking, just do a simple super search for my super simple name [Patricia Spork] and start super-surfing from there. But if you do, be super careful, for super-dupers can be super-duped. :0)

Now tell me…if this type situation happened to your good name, would you warn the Internet community not to click on links having your name affiliated with them?

Hackers can ruin my name in search engines on the Internet, but they can not ruin my personal ethics and morals, nor take from me my name. So, to this particular hacker, I state, “UP YOURS, MF!”

In proud defense and defiance,
Patricia Spork (aka Sporkette)
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T. J. Banks Interview
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T.J. banks, Author of A Time For Shadows (Photo by Zeke)

T.J. banks, Author of A Time For Shadows (Photo by Zeke)

T. J. Banks is the author of several novels, the most recent being the historical romance A Time For Shadows.

Having read previous works by Ms. Banks, and having enjoyed the reads, I requested a review copy of A Time for Shadows in return for my book review. Thankfully for me, T. J. Banks accepted my request and mailed the review copy my way as soon as she received printed copies.

Being a prestigious “cat writer”, this new direction in writing from T.J. Banks is a pleasant surprise. And if it hadn’t been for my friend, Alina Oswald, I may never have been aware of T. J. Banks or had opportunity to read any of her books. Thanks, Alina, for hooking us up!

T. J. and Alina are good friends. As a matter of fact, T. J. recently interviewed Alina and posted the interview at her “Sketch People” blog site. Read the interview.

Anyhoo, to me, T.J. Banks is now a budding historical romance writer, and I’m thrilled to have interviewed her about her first book in this genre. Thanks, T. J! So in great gratitude to her, I share our interview with you. :0)

SPORKETTE: What prompted you to write the fiction romance novel A Time for Shadows?

T.J. BANKS: I’d always been haunted by my grandmother’s story about Max, the brother she’d lost in WWI. Something about the way she told the story stayed with me; in fact, it doesn’t take much for me to transport myself back in time to the afternoon she told me the story while we were sitting under the big willow tree at the old farm. She had loved that older brother of hers very much – so much so that she didn’t rest easy about him till many years later, when she finally got a chance to visit the cemetery, in France, where he was buried. My aunt, who was with her, says she put her hand on the grave – much as Iris does at one point in the book – and murmured, ‘It’s dry.’ Apparently, my grandmother had nightmares for years about his having been buried in a water-logged grave because it was so close to the coast. Anyway, Max’s story led to the writing of Shadows, although that story obviously plays only a small part in the book.

SPORKETTE: Why did you choose World War I for the novel’s time period?

T.J. BANKS: I’ve always been fascinated by WWI…and not just because of my great-uncle’s tragedy. Some incredibly powerful literature came out of that war: Wilfred Owen’s and Siegfried Sassoon’s poetry; Vera Brittain’s Testament of Youth; and Robert Graves’ Good-bye to All That.

And literature aside…let’s not forget that this was a war unlike a war anyone had ever seen before. None of the old rules of warfare applied anymore. It was the last war that cavalry was used and the first that saw chemical warfare, ambulances and airplanes being made use of. And it changed the psychic landscape of a generation.

I had a history professor who emphasized how all the Victorian ideas of science and progress were obliterated during the trench warfare and men were ‘reduced to living like moles in the earth.’

Last, but not least, the Second World War came out of the badly made peace of the First. Had that peace been more equitable, there might not have been a socio-economic climate for Hitler to flourish in. You cannot understand WWII fully without studying WWI.

SPORKETTE: What is your favorite fact blended into A Time For Shadows, and why?

T.J. BANKS: I’d have to say the use of Francis Derwent Wood, the British sculptor who came up with the electroplated masks for disfigured men. It was really the beginning of plastic surgery as we know it today.

The masks were, as historian Lyn Macdonald points out, ‘temporary affairs that would last a few years at most, but they helped,’ and ‘[f]rom behind one of Captain Derwent Wood’s masterpieces, a disfigured man could look the world in the face knowing that the world could look back at him without shuddering.’

I was fascinated by a mind like Derwent Wood’s…one that could come up with such a creative solution to such a seemingly unsolvable problem. So, he had to go into the book.

SPORKETTE: How do you think your ‘nurse and soldier romance‘ theme differs from others on the market today?

T.J. BANKS: Well, I honestly see the romance as being secondary. It’s really more about the war and Iris’ growth as a person. That was, as I’ve said before, one of the joys of writing the book…watching her grow and take on a life of her own. She gets her heart broken open – once or twice (at least) by the war – and is transformed by the process, becoming the strong, compassionate old soul that journalist Dawn Kailey comes to know and love in the prologue and epilogue. It really is a trial by fire for Iris.

SPORKETTE: Why did you add a supernatural animal character to A Time For Shadows?

T.J. BANKS: I like a good ghost story. I also have an ‘office cat,’ Hawkeye, who kept me company during the writing of the book, so it seemed only natural to give him a part in it. Hawkeye’s asking for royalties now.

Seriously, though, I came across a number of WWI photos and postcards that showed enlisted men fussing with cats and kittens that had strayed into the camps and trenches – drawn by the rats, no doubt – and stayed on as mascots. I even found a postcard showing a tabby [cat], named Togo, ‘on watch’ inside one of the guns of the Dreadnought – an incredibly powerful British battleship. Togo was listed on the card as ‘the pet of the Dreadnought.’ So you might say there’s a historical basis for Hawkeye in the book.

SPORKETTE: Which male character in A Time For Shadows is most fleshed out and what is his main fault?

T.J. BANKS: That’s a tough question. Jerry, Iris’s lover, and Joe, whom she eventually marries, are clearly the most flawed. Jerry’s badly shell-shocked and frequently lashes out at Iris as a result. And Joe isn’t exactly the most honorable soul in the world. But are they the most fleshed out? Somehow I don’t think so. After all, both of them are ‘off-screen’ at the Front during much of the book.

SPORKETTE: How were you effected while writing about the tragedies of war?

T.J. BANKS: You can’t read about any war and not be moved and/or sickened by its horrors. And WWI had more horrors than most…men being gassed, blown to bits or crucified on barbed wire. Plus, so many men were killed by what we now call ‘friendly fire,’ thanks to the stupidity of many of the generals. So I was – no pun intended – blown away by the terrible waste in human lives.

SPORKETTE: What type friendship do you believe transpired between your characters, Dawn Kailey (unemployed journalist) and Iris MacCurdy (retired school teacher, once a WWI Red Cross nurse)?

T.J. BANKS: I think that it gradually becomes a surrogate mother-daughter relationship, with Dawn standing in for Iris’ absent daughter, Lucy. And, remember, Dawn starts out much as young Iris did, as an introspective outsider without ties to anyone. So, in a very real sense, they parallel each other.

SPORKETTE: Of your characters, whose war-time friendship do you like best in A Time For Shadows, and why?

T.J. BANKS: That’s easy…her friendship with the Australian soldier, Tim Skinner. He’s based on my late husband, Tim Spooner, who died in a car accident in 1995. Tim is always there for Iris; in fact, we last see him as a funny, slightly crotchety, utterly loyal old man, who has hurried down to see his old friend because he knows she needs him. And I love that because my Tim was only 34 when he died, and in my book, he gets to live out his life…he gets to be old. And, for the record, the real Tim could do a pretty mean Australian accent.

SPORKETTE: How do you hope A Time For Shadows affects readers?

T.J. BANKS: I hope that people will be moved by it…that while reading it, they will forget that these characters are just characters…same as I did, while writing about them. I think that’s what any writer hopes for.

And I also hope that the book will inspire people to pay more attention to the First World War, which really has – to borrow a phrase – become ‘this half-buried war.’ And it’s much too important to be written off like that.

***
T. J. Banks is the author of A Time for Shadows, Catsong, Souleiado, and Houdini, a novel for young adults which the late writer and activist Cleveland Amory enthusiastically branded ‘a winner.’ Catsong, a collection of her best cat stories, was the winner of the 2007 Merial Human-Animal Bond Award. A Contributing Editor to laJoie, she has received writing awards from the Cat Writers’ Association (CWA), ByLine and The Writing Self. Her writing has been widely anthologized, and she has worked as a columnist, a stringer for the Associated Press and an instructor for the Writer’s Digest School. She is currently writing a blog called ‘Sketch People,’  a series of interviews with interesting folks doing interesting stuff.

***
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Valentine Writing Contest Winning Entry
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If you recall, the Valentine Writing Contest consisted of writing 100 words about why Sporkette can’t be your Valentine. My grandkids were to vote on what they thought to be the most creative and interesting reason why I couldn’t be the contest entrant’s Valentine. Well, they didn’t get to vote because only one entry was received. LOL! So, instant winning unedited entry is…

Why Sporkette Can’t Be My Valentine

By Levada Pendry

Ahhh alas! Sporkette can’t be my valentine because she is not red like a rose. She is plenty prickly with thorns, but those won’t qualify her. Red, lots of red is required.  Preferrably a dozen and long stemmed, and expensive.

Hey, love is not cheap!

My other valentine requirement is yummy deep dark chocolate with surprise centers.  Wrapped in a fancy gold box of course.

Sporkette is way too vanilla to qualify for that. She is much more like a crunchy rice krispy gooey treat. You know the kind that sticks to your teeth like superglue!

So sorry Sporkette, for that ONE day a year, you just don’t measure up. But for the other 364, you are the best friend a person could ever have.

***

Levada Pendry

Levada Pendry

Levada Pendry is a freelance writer, web designer, and quilter, living on the Upper West Coast of the United States.  ‘Follow‘ her.

***
Man, thank gosh for friends!

Luv ya, Levada…and thanks so much!
***

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Share! Giveaway! Freely Distribute!
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The e-books available as free downloads further below are by other authors. I don’t endorse the authors or their e-books, or any content within the e-books. All of the e-books can be distributed to others. The Rights can be read within the e-book or may include a separate Rights license of some sort. You will need a ZIP utility program and PDF reader to extract files and read the e-books. Click on the titles below to download the zipped e-book folders to your computer:

Check Your Website

Breakfast in a Flash

Delicious Puddings

Garden Wormery Guide

“How Brain-Friendly Learning Can Release Your Child’s Infinite Potential”

Any inquiries or download problems, contact me.
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End Ramblings
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Obsolete Fools

Hackers are but Internet whackers,
Masturbating codes for pleasure and fun;
Stealthy they are, stroking naive sites,
Leaving electronic jism spattering the hordes!

Do they not know that life is short,
That brilliant minds – gifts – not to be wasted;
That bodily circuits shut down with age,
Like any old computer does as time fades?

What then of perverted, deviant, obsessions,
When sneaky, demonic, passion decreases?
Will they replay triumphs, once thought existed…
Or realize…they’re obsolete fools like tools once used?

~Sporkette
(aka Patricia Spork)
*********************************************
NOTICE:
Sporkette Gazette is published by Patricia Spork (aka Sporkette) at www.sporkettegazette.com.

READ: Terms, Policy and Disclaimer on this site (www.sporkettegazette.com).

I hope to heck all content in this Online Newsletter is legal and not too defamatory or libelous and that I’m not infringing on anyone’s rights. I’m willing to be held accountable for any wrongdoing, but please know, everything published in this newsletter is done so in good faith and with as much integrity as is possible for a southern hick that doesn’t have much knowledge about law.

January 2009 – Patricia Spork
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Copyright Information
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Sporkette Gazette is Copyright 2003-2010 Patricia Spork. Some content may be copyright of other respective authors. Copying any portion and publishing any of the content elsewhere is not permitted without express written permission from Patricia Spork or any respective authors.

If you would like to share any portion of Sporkette Gazette with a friend or family member, please do so by sending someone the URL for this issue. Thank you.

Sporkette Gazette Copyright 2003-2010 Patricia Spork,
All Rights Reserved Worldwide
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If you’re using some type of RSS Feed Reader, click on the blog name and look for a Settings section where you should be able to click on Unsubscribe.

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If using some type of “Live” bookmark, click on the blog name and right click for drop-down menu where you can click on Delete.

***

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02
Jan 2010

Sporkette Gazette – Volume 5, Issue 1 – January 2, 2010

By sporkette

SPORKETTE GAZETTE
http://www.sporkettegazette.com/
January 2, 2010 – Volume 5, Issue 1

Patricia Spork (aka Sporkette), Publisher
Contact Sporkette!
———————————————–
IN THIS ISSUE
———————————————–
Ramblings
Alina Oswald (Photographer) Interview
Valentine Writing Contest
Share! Giveaway! Freely Distribute!
End Ramblings
Notice
Copyright Information
Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information
————————————————
Ramblings
————————————————
Happy New Year, Ya’ll!

To let you know, this issue was to have been published as the last issue in 2009, but I got distracted throughout the holiday season, so now it’s the first issue for 2010. Sporkette Hatchette is not in this issue. May not appear again; then again, it may.

Imagine a few of you woke with hangovers yesterday morning. Awww…too bad! <snicker, snicker> Not me, for I woke with indigestion from gobbling down too much yummy food at the church Chili Cook-off. Daughter and grandkids were with us. We brought the New Year in together. Real blessing! Oh yah!

So, you fools make resolutions you won’t be keeping this year? I did, main one being to clean my office, which may take until next year to do. If you saw my office, you’d understand why such a chore. LOL!

Anyhoo, “Soldier” – my wild turkey short story – formatted into an e-book available for members only at PS site. Also added to the site is my first blog theme design, “Winter Storm” – a free download.

Let’s see…wrote a poem (“Nine Years“) and created funky artwork (“SoulMusic“), then published them at Sporkette. And I added Thanksgiving and Christmas pages to Digital Frolic.

I decided not to use Resell Ebooks Buzz just for health and self-improvement digital products. I’ll let you know what I do with that site, if ever I make time to work on it. And I’m still planning on using eBookMouse for plant and animal e-books and graphics…one of these days.

Three Western saddles – one, a child’s saddle – added to Sorrel Sunflower. Although made in Mexico, they are decent leather saddles for those who can’t afford higher-priced saddles. We mainly use these type, ’cause we’re po’ folks. LOL!

SporkBinge – now my Texas musician interview site – is relaunched. Whoo-hoo! Man, I’ve had a blast listening to music tracks! And…met some nice, talented folks! So far, three interviews published and another to be published soon. I’ll try to publish at least one or two interviews there a month.

Well, babbled on long enough. Ya’ll have a great year!

Sporkette

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Alina Oswald (Photographer) Interview
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Alina Oswald, Author of "Journeys Through Darkness"

Alina Oswald

Alina Oswald is a freelance writer and photographer, whom I’ve known for several years. When we first met online in 2002, she was a blossoming writer. Writing endeavors led Alina into the realm of photography. In the last couple of years, Alina has taken many photography courses and advanced in photography skills and equipment. This year, she self-published several photography books, her first being Backbone. Congratulations, Alina!

Being friend to Alina, she has gifted me an assortment of her published works, including photo calendars and photography books. Lucky me! And since I am always supportive of close friends and enjoy promoting their creative works, I requested a “photographer” interview with Alina. She, of course, agreed. :0) Thank you, dear friend!

You may have noticed I’ve interviewed Alina before, about her book, Journeys Through Darkness.  I’m hoping that by reading this newest interview, you’ll view Alina Oswald not only as a writer, but also as the professional photographer she is now.

SPORKETTE: What caused you to become a serious photographer?

ALINA OSWALD: Writing articles. In general, editors are more prone to consider article ideas, and also to assign a writing project if they know the related photography is also covered. Not every article may need a photo, but most of them do, especially those covering interviews (especially interviews with celebrities), events, or even book or show reviews. Also, I lost a few writing assignments because the editor couldn’t find a photographer to take the adjacent pictures; therefore, I decided to write the article and take the pictures myself. Yet, to add photography to my writing, I first had to learn how to take (actually photographers ‘make’ don’t ‘take’) good, quality images. Otherwise, the editors would not accept them for publication.

SPORKETTE: What type of photography equipment do you use?

ALINA OSWALD: I’m a Nikon™ shooter. For lighting, I use available light (when… well, available), and also strobes for studio photography. I also like to paint with light – I use a variety of flashlights, iPhone ™ applications, etc. (after all, ‘photography’ means ‘painting with light’ or ‘writing with light.’)

SPORKETTE: What is your favorite photography ‘tool’ and why?

ALINA OSWALD: I actually have two favorites. I love using my 70-200mm lens. It’s heavy and pricey, but this low-light lens is truly awesome. Wonderful for portraits! In my opinion…totally worth carrying to photo assignments. Also, a fun ‘tool’ to use is the Lensbaby Composer®. Personally, I love it because it allows me to add special effects to the image. I’m not sure if the effects can be created in Photoshop™. (Experts say ‘No.’) If possible to recreate…the task would cost a photographer lots of hours in front of the computer and not behind the camera, shooting.

SPORKETTE: Do you prefer color or B&W photography, and why?

ALINA OSWALD: It depends on the mood, subject, and others. Color can give a vivid,  more…alive tone to the image. B&W or sepia offer more of a sombre character to the image. Lately, I’ve been into B&W and sepia, while working on a series of self-portraits…still a work-in-progress.

BackboneAOswaldTSPORKETTE: Why did you choose Backbone as the title for your first photography book?

ALINA OSWALD: The book is a second incarnation of my solo show from 2008. I initially wanted to call the show ‘Chasing Rainbows‘–first, because the rainbow flag is the flag of the LGBT community and my show celebrated the courage of its unsung heroes;  second, because I actually do chase rainbows, with my camera. I love rainbows because of what they represent–hope–and the glimpse of the universe surrounding us that they offer. Yet, I didn’t have any good enough rainbow pictures to use as feature image for cards and, therefore, for the book cover. So, while browsing through literally hundreds of pictures I had, I stumbled upon ‘Backbone.’ I thought it was just perfect for the show, a symbol of the core (the spine) of any community, really, representing individuals whose names may not be recognized, yet whose dedication and strength surpass any obstacles.

In the case of LGBT and AIDS, I’ve covered the two communities in writing and photography for almost a decade now (it’s sometimes hard to believe). During this time I’ve discovered wonderful people who’ve accepted me, and allowed me to hear their voices and also make my voice heard. Like in any community, it is because of these unsung heroes that the community flourishes. Backbone is for them, because they represent the… well, ‘backbone‘ that supports us all.

SPORKETTE: What prompted you to implement a wood cross necklace draped down the spine tattoo gracing a human spine for your ‘Backbone‘ photograph, which is the cover image for your book, Backbone, and what is the cross’ significance?

ALINA OSWALD: Actually, I tried to shoot for two topics during the same photo shoot: for ‘Backbone,’ and also for a photography group I’ve belonged to for some time now. The topic for the group was ‘Solitude‘. I was aware of the model’s spine tattoo (I once saw the tip of it coming out of his t-shirt) and wanted to photograph it. I told him to bring a cross because of the idea of integrating a cross in my Solitude assignment, since people usually pray and meditate in solitude. Yet, at the beginning of the photo shoot, I didn’t really know what to do with the model, the cross and Solitude. That was until the model starting slapping his back (slightly, playfully) with the cross at the rhythm of ‘We Will Rock You.’ I just happened to notice the image possibility and told the model to stay put. I hopped on a chair (he was on the floor) and took the picture of his back. Only later that day I had the time to start to grasp the details in the image (like the wood cross aligned with the tattoo).

SPORKETTE: Why did you choose to self-publish Backbone?

ALINA OSWALD: I chose to self-publish because I just wanted a few copies of the book for those who’ve modeled for me, those who’ve been supportive of my work, and also those who couldn’t make it to the show. Self-publishing is pretty fast compared to traditional publishing. Also, the book is only a small ‘extra’ to the photographs in the show, nothing else.

SPORKETTE: Of the over 30 photographs in the Backbone book, which was the most difficult to create…and why?

ALINA OSWALD: There are a few of them, actually: ‘Fashion Statement‘ (the Speedo™ rainbow) took quite some time to create, because I had to shoot quite a lot of ‘Speedos,’ and then to choose the right ones for the rainbow and, finally, to make the rainbow image in Photoshop™. ‘Backbone in B&W‘ is one of my first images in which I experimented with painting with light (I took the picture in total darkness, in a very tight and tiny dark room, by painting with a tiny flashlight).

I think my favorite is ‘The Awakening,’ which is also an example of literally painting with light in total darkness. The image almost didn’t happen. The photo shoot was a test shoot, one that allowed me to experiment and try out new things. Looking through the images, my first impression was that I didn’t have any one worth using. Then I converted two of the images in B&W and made the composite that’s now ‘The Awakening‘. I think the title is perfect, capturing the essence of the book with the same name containing a collection of my older poems and newer pictures.

SPORKETTE: What is your favorite subject to photograph, and why?

ALINA OSWALD: Again, it depends of the mood, and includes sunrises and sunsets, light paintings, and also fantastic individuals, not necessarily in fabulous outfits.

SPORKETTE: You recently self-published The Awakening and The Best of MJ – both, photography books – so, in your opinion, what do they reveal about you as a photographer?

ALINA OSWALD: I think the two books reveal the two sides of my work, thus far. The Awakening is more sombre, with sombre tones of B&W and sepia, with poetry to match those tones (or the other way around). The Best of MJ is about gorgeous, fantastic and fabulous individuals; it’s about color (but not only), male beauty and fabulous outfits; it’s about fashion and fashion statements. I loved putting together this collection. I’m thinking of making a calendar of fantastic and fabulous guys. Anybody interested?

Talking about fantastic and fabulous people, I have to give many thanks to my wonderful model, MJ. The guy is a godsend to a photographer. I captured only a small sample of his outfits in The Best of MJ.

SPORKETTE: As a photographer, what do you want your over-all body of works to express to others, now and in the future?

ALINA OSWALD: Reality. As a journalist and photojournalist, I have to capture reality at its core. Many times reality morphs into works of art. I believe that any art form should reflect at least a version of reality, but reality nonetheless; hopefully, without sugar coating or ‘happy bubbles‘ that isolate us from the wide and wild world outside.

Although it may be easier to live in a happy bubble, we cannot escape reality because life is real, as is our mortality. And while we may be able to escape life, we can’t escape our mortality. Therefore, we do have to deal with reality, to understand it and make the best of it. We can do that by learning about the lives of those who’ve come before us. One way to do that is through the artifacts they’ve left behind. If we fake reality in our artwork, then the generations to come will have an askew perspective of our lives, of what defines us as human beings, living in this day and age.

***

Alina Oswald Alina Oswald Alina Oswald is a freelance writer and photographer living in New York City area. Her latest books include Journeys Through Darkness, a biography, and two photography books: The Awakening and “The Best of MJ. To contact her, please visit Alina’s site.

***

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Valentine Writing Contest
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To enter the Valentine Writing Contest, write 100 words about why Sporkette can’t be your Valentine. My grandkids (teenagers, unaware they are to be the judges) will vote on what they think is the most creative and interesting reason why you don’t want me for your Valentine. Oh, they should enjoy this! LOL!

Submission Guidelines:

Word Count: 100 (max.), includes title.

Format: Black, Times New Roman 12 pt., Plain Text Only, Single Space, No Indents.

Include: Short bio and relevant URLs.

Deadline:  Midnight – January 31, 2010.

Prize: Let’s see…what should the winner get as a prize? Me? Hahahahh. No, not cool. Hmm, okay, I think I’ll be sweet and pay $5.00 to the winner. Maybe the winner will use the dough to buy a Valentine card for a special, special someone, like…me. Heehee.

Enter this contest by embedding your work in the body of an email with Subject Heading “Valentine Sporkette” and send to sporkettegazette-AT-sporkettegazette.com.

Response Time: 24-72 hours, or longer depending on circumstances.

By submitting any work to enter this contest, you assure that you are the original creator of the work and grant Patricia Spork (aka Sporkette) the right to publish the work (unedited) and your name in the next online issue of Sporkette Gazette (www.sporkettegazette.com). You will be notified if you are the contest winner, prior to publication. You also grant Patricia Spork One-Time Electronic Serial Publication Rights – Internet Use Only and Online Archive Rights.

Contest winner announced in next issue of Sporkette Gazette (expected publication date of 2/5/10, but could be sooner; then again, could be later.)

To help inspire you, five reasons why Sporkette should be your Valentine:

  • She’s filled with love (for herself).
  • She bakes great cakes (just ask the grandkids sputtering out dry crumbs).
  • She’ll wear your heart (gold or silver).
  • She writes poetry (no romantic inklings).
  • She shares her chocolates (if you can find them).

Okay, Lil’ Valentines, did that help? Hope so. I guess I’ll find out by next month. So should you! Haha!

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Share! Giveaway! Freely Distribute!
———————————————-
The e-books available as free downloads further below are by other authors. I don’t endorse the authors or their e-books, or any content within the e-books. All of the e-books are free to give away, so I do because I like sharing free stuff with others. To be honest, some of the e-books, I don’t fully read, either because the subject matter does not interest me or because I get turned off by the excessive advertising blatantly displayed in some of them. But that’s me, hard to please. LOL!

Anyway, you might find one or more of the e-books to your liking (advertisements or not), as I have done by scanning through many over time. You will need a ZIP utility program and PDF reader to extract files and read the e-books. Click on the titles below to download the zipped e-book folders to your computer.

Christmas Coloring for Children (Yes, this e-book should have been made available last month, but hey, coloring is a good activity for any time of the year.)

How to Successfully Organize Your Home

Starting Your Internet Business Right

Super Affiliate Marketing Secrets

Unlocking the Niche Code

Any inquiries or download problems, contact me.
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End Ramblings
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2010
New Year Sphere

Sun shines
- a chandelier -
cupping world…
our sphere’s brassier.

Little trinkets, souvenirs –
we are great imagineers;
so persevering, we appeared,
seeing last year disappear.

We meet New Year as summiteers,
climbing heights, for hopes premier;
and though our course, at times may veer,
our thoughts are true…our paths sincere.

~Sporkette
(aka Patricia Spork)

P.S. “Summiteer” – to me, someone who climbs to highest peaks.

*********************************************
NOTICE:
Sporkette Gazette is published by Patricia Spork (aka Sporkette) at www.sporkettegazette.com.

READ: Terms, Policy and Disclaimer on this site (www.sporkettegazette.com).

I hope to heck all content in this Online Newsletter is legal and not too defamatory or libelous and that I’m not infringing on anyone’s rights. I’m willing to be held accountable for any wrongdoing, but please know, everything published in this newsletter is done so in good faith and with as much integrity as is possible for a southern hick that doesn’t have much knowledge about law.

January 2009 – Patricia Spork
———————————————–
Copyright Information
———————————————–
Sporkette Gazette is copyright of Patricia Spork. Some content may be copyright of other respective authors. Copying any portion and publishing any of the content elsewhere is not permitted without express written permission from Patricia Spork or any respective authors.

If you would like to share any portion of Sporkette Gazette with a friend or family member, please do so by sending someone the URL for this issue. Thank you.

Sporkette Gazette Copyright 2003-2010 Patricia Spork,
All Rights Reserved Worldwide
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Subscribe to Sporkette Gazette
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Subscribe using either the RSS feed or e-mail delivery options available on this site: http://www.sporkettegazette.com/
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Unsubscribe from Sporkette Gazette:
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These suggestions may not work for everyone:

If you’re using some type of RSS Feed Reader, click on the blog name and look for a Settings section where you should be able to click on Unsubscribe.

An “Unsubscribe” link should be available in delivered e-mails.

If using some type of “Live” bookmark, click on the blog name and right click for menu where you can click on Delete.

***

Category: Sporkette Gazette Volume 5  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  Leave a Comment
24
Aug 2009

Sporkette Gazette – August 24, 2009 – Volume 4, Issue 10

By sporkette

Sporkette Gazette

http://www.sporkettegazette.com/

August 24, 2009 – Volume 4, Issue 10

Patricia Spork (aka Sporkette), Publisher
Contact Sporkette!
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IN THIS ISSUE
———————————————–
Ramblings
Sporkette Hachette
Levada Pendry Interview
Tree Stump Writing Contest Winning Entry
Share! Giveaway! Freely Distribute!
End Ramblings
Notice
Copyright Information
Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information
————————————————
Ramblings
————————————————
Hey, hey, I’m still here!

As you may have noticed, I changed the theme for this site. I like this lighter colored design.

Congratulations to friend, Alina Oswald, for two of her photographs (“Blue Reflections: Nature’s Element” and “Chasing Rainbows” ) being accepted and now on display in the “Cool Blue” art show at LITM (Love Is The Message) gallery in Jersey City, New Jersey, through the month of August. Way to go, girl!

Alina’s thoughts about the acceptance: “I’m kinda disappointed, especially when I thought that “Water Reflections” was a good one, but, hey… what can I do? (I know, find a gallery in NYC, :-) ) May try to. LOL!”

Now isn’t that funny after having an acceptance, one could also be disappointed? Well, it does happen, as you’ve just read. But as most creative folks know, a work rejected at one place, could be accepted at another place. I’m sure Alina, will see “Water Reflections” hanging in a gallery one day, even if it’s her own gallery. Want something bad enough, you can make it happen, that’s for sure, one way or another. Oh, yah!

Let’s see, what have I been up to…well, I recently created some graphics and entitled the series as “Healthcare Reform Opinion!” One of the images is used as a background on my Twitter account. If you like it, you can download the background image and a little different style desktop wallpaper image here . You may notice I changed the WordPress theme at that site. Like that gorilla!

More items were added to Sorrel Sunflower and Patricia Spork. Click on “Free Downloads” in “Categories” section at the PS site to see what you can download for free, and click on “Just So Know” to find out what’s available for members only.

Grandkids start school tomorrow, so won’t be visiting us as often. Bummer, but that means I’ll have more time for office work That’s kind of good, for I’d love to finish an e-book about clovers that was started months ago. When finished, the e-book will be made available for members to my PS site. Much planned for the site, and many things yet to be added. If interested in my work (images, e-books) and other neat things I’ll share, you ought to subscribe as a member, for as time passes, not all items will remain available, even for paid subscription members. To get access to all content onsite, you can subscribe to the 3-day Trial membership for only $4.95.

Got a new dog – an Old English Mastiff, named Dozer (think bull dozer – LOL!). He’s two years old and gives huge slobber kisses. If you like large breed dogs, you’d probably love him. So now, have six dogs. Love ‘em all!

Parts in my photo printer are “near the end of their service life”. That means it will die soon. My dryer died. Now I’m wondering what the third thing will be to bomb out on me, since things seem to come in three’s. Please, not my computer!

Hope things go well with you. :0)

Sporkette

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Sporkette Hachette
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“Do you make much money from writing?“

~Kurious Katrina in Wyoming

Sporkette: Hahahahah. I wish! Nope, hardly ever make any money, but that’s because I don’t cater to a specific audience other than myself. I got to a point where I hated targeting audiences and the submission and follow-up process, so opted to self-publish my works – most of them being offered as e-books from my sites only. I do this because I’m more attuned to self-satisfaction rather than the self-glory of being an author of books mainly gathering dust in bookstores. I do have a small base of people that appreciate my work, and their appreciation is much more meaningful to me than money could ever be. But don’t get me wrong, I do make a dollar or two, here and there, from my writing and other creative works. Sure couldn’t live on the meager income, though. Thank God, for a supportive husband!

***

“Why do you like to write ebooks?“

~Again, Kurious Katrina

Sporkette: For one, I consider myself a ‘brevity writer,’ so the shorter a work, the better, especially since I go off on many tangents and don’t make time to stick to one subject or one topic for too long. That doesn’t mean I don’t have some long e-books published, for I do. E-book length is not determined from the outset, but is determined during writing or compiling information for my e-books. When an e-book is done, it’s just done, no matter how many pages it takes for the content.

One person told me that one of my e-books was the best K.I.S.S. book he’d ever read. If you don’t know, that acronym means ‘Keep It Simple Stupid’. So, for number two reason, K.I.S.S. basically sums up how I feel when creating an e-book – the simpler the better, for me and the reader. That doesn’t mean I haven’t taken a gross amount of time for research, writing, compiling or formatting most of my e-books, for quality definitely counts to me.

Thirdly, e-books, I feel, meet the needs of some members of today’s rushing society, those folks that prefer being online more than not and don’t make time offline for long, pleasurable book reads. All writers should meet that type of societal need. Besides, the last ten years or so has been the dawning of the e-book age, and today’s writers should strive to be a part of that age, especially, since sadly, e-books will gain momentum and eventually conquer the book publishing industry in the future. To be honest, I think you should hold onto your favorite print books, for one day, your later generations won’t have access to them unless you have passed them down to your heirs…and them, to theirs; otherwise, they will have to pay high cost or visit museums to actually see, and maybe, read a ‘real’ book. My opinion, of course.

Fourthly, creating e-books is a favored creative outlet, and nowadays, I only outlet what I wanna outlet. :0)

***

Click here to Hachette out with Sporkette. Send a comment, question or opinion. By sending an e-mail, you automatically grant Sporkette (aka Patricia Spork) the right to publish and archive the content from your e-mail in any online Sporkette Gazette issue at any time.  Sporkette (aka Patricia Spork) has sole right to decline or publish any e-mail content submitted to her. Submitters will not be notified of either decision.

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Levada Pendry Interview
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Levada Pendry

Levada Pendry

I met Levada Pendry at a California woman’s shelter in fall of 1990. To make a long story short, we wound up becoming roommates for a short time and have been friends ever since. We often talk by phone or video chat, constantly brainstorming together and tutoring each other about various skills learned. That’s because we’re mega-thinkers, with jillions of ideas, and self-motivators when it comes to learning something new.

Levada is a bookkeeper, who, in her spare time,  earns extra income by writing and designing Web sites. She is an expert quilter. She has gifted me many of her completed quilting projects, from lap blankets to bed covers. Lucky me! Last year Christmas, I received a beautiful, quilted tree skirt for my Christmas tree. Cool, huh!

My advice: If you don’t know how to quilt and don’t have a quilter friend, get one. Heheheheh.

Anyhoo, I decided to interview Levada because of her talents. As you’ll see from some of her answers, she isn’t too forthcoming or as detailed as she might be if writing for a paying market. LOL! I imagine she was in a rush to do something other than answer freaking interview questions for my beloved SG. But hey, I got the interview. Yeehawzaphat! So, here it is:

Sporkette: What is your main writing interest and why?

Levada Pendry: Currently, I am writing ebooks on non-fiction subjects.

Sporkette: How have you implemented your sewing and quilting knowledge into written works?

Levada Pendry: Well, it is fun to combine interests. Plus, when I write an ebook on a quilting subject, I know that there is a HUGE base of quilters out there interested in this subject. They are what is referred to in marketing terms as a ‘hungry’ market.

Sporkette: How has writing skills helped you as a Web site designer for clients?

Levada Pendry: Frequently, I find myself recommending to them that they produce an ebook and offer it as an inducement to get folks to sign up for their newsletter, thus building a list that can be marketed to.

Sporkette: How have you used your creative skills to barter for things you wanted, such as for a tattoo and navel piercing?

Levada Pendry: LOL! That’s not fair to tell the world about my barter habits, not to mention my body decorating spree that I have been on lately. So I refuse to answer this question.

Sporkette: Why do you believe that writers do not always need to seek publication?

Levada Pendry: I recently started to write what I call my ‘God Notes’. I am a Christian, and I was experiencing that the Lord was really doing some things in my life, especially on Sundays during worship. I get sort of double the benefit because now I go home on Sunday afternoons and write about what has happened that day. Sometimes…well, actually, many times, it is an intensely personal experience that I don’t care to share with others. Sometimes our writing can just be for US!

Sporkette: What are your “God Notes” and would you ever consider publishing them?

Levada Pendry: Well, as I said above, probably not. But there are the times when they are not so personal or they are of a nature that lends itself to sharing/publishing. So perhaps sometime I will put them together in an ebook.

Sporkette: How does writing your Christian screenplay differ from writing a fiction story?

Levada Pendry: Now you are touching on the direction I have been called for my writing to go. In the next few years I plan to transition to mostly writing Christian screenplays. So many stories in the Bible (and some true personal experience stories people have told me), God purposely takes someone with everything stacked against them, and works a miracle. God cares not a whooof about the circumstances of this world! So even though it is impossible to get a script read in Hollywood, and impossible to get a script sold, and impossible for an unknown writer to succeed, if God WANTS it to happen, then it will. These last few years have seen a tiny but amazingly successful series of Christian movies being produced and released. I believe this is a mission field unlike any other, and I look forward to writing those scripts.

Sporkette: We discussed angels as having fragrance, so would you describe the scent you sensed from your guardian angel?

Levada Pendry: I really don’t know if it was from an angel, but it was from the spirit. Here is what happened: I was working on a Christian ministry website. The ministry is called YouthAlive and it is the Oregon chapter of this national ministry. The leader had sent me a website template that he had picked to use, and when I unzipped it onto my computer, I was suddenly surrounded by the sweetest smell! Now this is a sort of miracle in itself, because years ago I had a virus which robbed me of most of my sense of smell. So I jump up. I am sniffing all around my computer desk trying to find the source of this wonderful smell. It was strong, and sort of flowery, but not like any flower I had ever smelled. I couldn’t find where it was coming from. I ran across the room, smelling the air coming in from the air conditioner…nothing. I ran outside my room…nothing. I went back to my computer desk, and there it was again. I enjoyed it for a couple of minutes, and then it slowly faded away and was gone. I don’t want to seem to be all flaky and religious, but it touched my heart. It seemed to be a manifestation of the spirit saying that the website I would build from this template would be a sweet aroma to our Lord.

Sporkette: Which of your written works do you feel has most contributed to society and why so?

Levada Pendry: It is the one that I haven’t written yet. Look for it when I publish it…because it is going to be good! A lot of people get scammed out of a lot of money these days, especially by what they call ‘Dating Scams’, which is worse than anything, in a way, because they prey on lonely people…and not only steal their money, but break their hearts too! The research is all done. It is an actual play-by-play, real life story of my run in with a scammer and how I ‘played’ him by turning a lot of their scammer tricks against him. I guarantee you will be laughing when you read it. I plan on making it a free ebook. I hope it will open the eyes of anyone who frequents any of the online dating sites, which is where these predators hunt.

Sporkette: Give me three reasons why potential writers should consider another career?

Levada Pendry: Oh, sure! My best advice is that if you can live without it, then do so.

But if you can’t stand to live without writing, then with hard work you can overcome these bad aspects to the writing business:

(1) It is hard to make enough money, especially if you opt into the old school business model of trying to get your work published by the established publishing companies. I personally decided to self-publish and it has been a good decision.

(2) It is lonely work. I would suggest to you that you cultivate real life relationships with real life people, especially with other writers.

(3) Unless you plan on writing on a yellow pad with a dull pencil, you will have to become expert at technology…simple necessary things, such as computers, writing programs, graphics programs, PDF programs, CD burning software & hardware, digital delivery of electronic products, payment gateway usage, blogging, social media,, etc., etc, etc.

And, oh yes, creating your own website – another part of self-promotion, which is a necessity for any writer.

***

Levada Pendry is a freelance writer, web designer, and quilter, living on the Upper West Coast of the United States. To learn more about Levada Pendry, visit her site or ‘Follow’ her.
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Tree Stump Writing Contest
———————————————-
Congratulations, Jorge Ochoa!

Jorge’s “Pride” was the only entry received for the contest, so is the automatic winner for this contest and gets Jorge the 30-day membership to my Patricia Spork site. Thank you, Jorge, for your participation in the contest. Hope you enjoy your membership that began today.

Read Jorge’s contest entry below, which is an unedited 10 minute writing exercise inspired by my tree stump image:

Pride

By Jorge Ochoa

I was once a big strong fella. My trunk was straight and reached for the sky. My branches were full and strong, and my leaves were a buzz of green. Maybe it was my pride that brought my downfall. I think so now.

I wouldn’t listen to the other trees. I knew better than those old dodgers! When you are rooted in one place, you gotta be smarter. The wind can scream through your branches and strip you bare. The water can tumble up against you and dig you outta of your dirt. The freezing air can crack you right open like a bird egg in a bad circumstance.

The birds are our messengers since they are free to fly from tree to tree. We feed them, and they fly for us.

Late in the afternoon a bird lands in my branches.

“Mr Oak yonder thinks a storm is acommin” sang Mr Bird.

I didn’t believe so. The day was bright and a light breeze tickled my leaves. That old oak was always hatching up something, and I never really liked him anyhow. I shook my branch lightly so Mr Bird would take a nice flight off.

“Mr Oak says curl your leaves in and droop down your branches” sang Mr Bird, hanging on tightly to the branch.

Oh, now that’s it! That old oak doodle was wanting me to make myself look silly!  I decided to stand more proud than ever. Mr Bird got tired of his tweeting and flew off finally.

Into evening I stretched as tall as I could. With all that concentrating on reaching, I didn’t notice that the clouds were gathering heavy and dark. I noticed as the wind  began whipping.

It was too late. A loud crack and sizzle dazzled me. I felt my very trunk split in an agony of rendering. That lightening severed almost down to the ground. My sap tears mingled with the rain now cascading down.

All through that stormy night I tried to imagine how my trunk would grow together again. I was fooling myself! My pride would not let me see that I would never again be what I had been.

In the morning, the bird came again. He found a branch not leaning too badly to the side.

“Mr Willow says that a man thing is coming.” Mr. Bird sang and then flew away.

I got very afraid. He had some kind of monster and it buzzed with a fearsome noise and bit me with the fastest teeth. My broken parts fell aside. The man thing gathered up my fallen parts and took them away.

I was left to be a stump of my former self. I had no more sap to cry. Everything including my pride is gone.

Over this long winter I have been thinking. Spring is coming soon. I bet I can put out some new branches from the top of this stump.

***
Jorge Ochoa is a Westerner who enjoys writing and wood carving. His first fiction novel is in draft mode. He hopes to self-publish his book in 2010.
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Share! Giveaway! Freely Distribute!
———————————————-
You will need a zip utility program and PDF reader to extract files and view files.  Click on the titles below to download the zipped e-book folders to your computer.

Bird Posters (color printables)

Booksmarks (color printables)

Buying and Maintaining a Car Made Easy

How to Bookmark for Free Web Traffic

The Speedy Guide to Web Copywriting

Any inquiries or download problems, contact me.
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End Ramblings
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Autumn Hoarding

leaves flitter from trees
dropping acorns by dozens
as squirrels hoard food

~Sporkette
(Patricia Spork)

*********************************************
NOTICE:
Sporkette Gazette is published by Patricia Spork (aka Sporkette) at www.sporkettegazette.com.

READ: Terms, Policy and Disclaimer on this site (www.sporkettegazette.com).

I hope to heck all content in this Online Newsletter is legal and not too defamatory or libelous and that I’m not infringing on anyone’s rights. I’m willing to be held accountable for any wrongdoing, but please know, everything published in this newsletter is done so in good faith and with as much integrity as is possible for a southern hick that doesn’t have much knowledge about law.

January 2009 – Patricia Spork
———————————————–
Copyright Information
———————————————–
Sporkette Gazette is copyright of Patricia Spork. Some content may be copyright of other respective authors. Copying any portion and publishing any of the content elsewhere is not permitted without express written permission from Patricia Spork or any respective authors.

If you would like to share any portion of Sporkette Gazette with a friend or family member, please do so by sending someone the URL for this issue. Thank you.

Sporkette Gazette Copyright 2003-2009 Patricia Spork,
All Rights Reserved Worldwide
—————————————————
Subscribe to Sporkette Gazette
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Subscribe using either the RSS feed or e-mail delivery options available on this site: http://www.sporkettegazette.com/
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Unsubscribe from Sporkette Gazette:
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These suggestions may not work for everyone:

If you’re using some type of RSS Feed Reader, click on the blog name and look for a Settings section where you should be able to click on Unsubscribe.

An “Unsubscribe” link should be available in delivered e-mails.

If using some type of “Live” bookmark, click on the blog name and right click for menu where you can click on Delete.

***

Category: Sporkette Gazette Volume 4  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  Leave a Comment
24
Jun 2009

Sporkette Gazette – June 24, 2009 – Volume 4, Issue 8

By sporkette

Sporkette Gazette

http://www.sporkettegazette.com/

June 24, 2009 – Volume 4, Issue 8

Patricia Spork (aka Sporkette), Publisher/Editor

http://www.patriciaspork.us/

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IN THIS ISSUE
———————————————–
Ramblings
Sporkette Hachette
Alina Oswald Interview
Share! Giveaway! Freely Distribute!
End Ramblings
Notice
Copyright Information
Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information
————————————————
Ramblings
————————————————
Hey hey, wadda ya say!

Sorry so long between issues and about not being regular with blog posts at all sites. I can’t be regular with anything because my life is run by constant irregularities. Truly so! Anyway, going to trim down some personal Internet responsibilities and ‘hopefully’ become more regular.

“Site Updates” section now obsolete. Updates will be mentioned in this section. If curious as to what’s been added to my other sites, then click on  links in next paragraph or in “BlogRoll” on right sidebar. But you better check soon, for I’ll be doing some major changes in the next week or so.

“DomainFrolic.com, eBookMouse.com and ResellEbooksBuzz.com domain names will be up for sale. If interested in making an offer, contact me at sporkette [at] sporkettegazette.com. Mind you, I won’t let them go cheap; I’d rather hang onto them than sell at low cost.

Content at those three sites will eventually wind up at www.patriciaspork.us, which will be a paid membership (monthly subscription) site with my creations (ebooks, graphics, writings, etc., and with digital products (e-books, software, graphics, etc.) by other creators. Some items may be for personal use only, while others will include reseller rights or other rights. Don’t know exactly how everything will be operated on PS site yet, but if you want to stay updated about its progress, then subscribe to this site’s feed or e-mail or at www.sporkette.com, because when I start the changes at PS site, could lose everything already there, even its current subscribers. Boy, I’m good, huh? LOL!

July 4th is almost upon us. I hope you’re as patriotic as me and celebrate the day with pride.

May independence reign!

Patricia
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Sporkette Hachette
————————————————————

“What would you do about the situation in Iran if you were President of the United States?“ ~Carol – Northern U.S.

Sporkette: Me? I’d meddle. Big time!

***

“How would you approach a literary agent about a book manuscript?” ~Hopeful Bestseller

Sporkette: Kind of like I’d approach a rattle snake…from behind and with a sharp-edged shovel or a shotgun. No, seriously, I’d read contact information and guidelines on their Web site and go from there, doing as requested. If meeting an agent in person, I’d give a super quick book summary (3 minutes or less), then ask if he or she might be interested in a proposal and how best to submit it. Be sure to get the agent’s business card and give yours in return.

***

Hatchette out with Sporkette by submitting your comment, question or opinion as plain, black text within body of an e-mail with Subject Heading “SH” and send to sporkette [at] sporkettegazette.com.

By submitting any e-mail, you automatically grant Sporkette (aka Patricia Spork) the right to publish and archive any content from your e-mail to www.sporkettegazette.com, in any Sporkette Gazette issue at any time. If you do not want your comment, question or opinion credited online or anything linked to from SG, then do not provide your full name or your Web site URL.

Sporkette (aka Patricia Spork) has sole right to decline or publish any content submitted by e-mail to her. Submitters will not be notified of either decision.

Thanks!
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Alina Oswald Interview
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Alina Oswald, Author of "Journeys Through Darkness"

Alina Oswald

Alina Oswald and I became friends after she submitted a personal essay to me for publication consideration. Her well-written essay struck a chord with me, especially since it was about depression and suicide ideation. Alina’s essay was promptly accepted and published in 2002 at www.ivyvine.org – a domain once registered in my name. Since that time, Alina and I regularly correspond via e-mail and chat via phone or Webcam sessions. Although we’ve never met in person, I consider Alina a very close friend (one of three gal friends most dear to me), even though she lives in New Jersey and I, in Texas. To be honest, I feel like she’s the little sister I never had. Probably good she’s not a sibling, otherwise, maybe we wouldn’t get along so well. LOL!

Our conversations always provide me encouragement, through good and bad times. Sometimes during our conversations, we share tears…sometimes, laughter. What we mostly share is our creative passions: writing and photography. Without those, we probably wouldn’t talk so much. (That’s a lie! LOL!)

Alina, a teacher when we met, expanded her skills, becoming a professional freelance writer and photographer. I feel Alina has surpassed me in many of the talents of which we’re both gifted. A few years ago, she took on the task of writing a biography, “Journeys Through Darkness ,” that is now published. This interview centers around that book, of which, you can read my book review about it here.

So with great pride for Lil’ Sis, I present my interview with her, to you. Hope it interests you enough to purchase a copy. Ulterior motives are good, right? Heheheheh.

Journeys Through Darkness by Alina Oswald, Photographs by Kurt Weston

Journeys Through Darkness by Alina Oswald, Photographs by Kurt Weston

SPORKETTE: ‘Journeys Through Darkness‘ is about a gay photographer living with HIV/AIDS and his growth as a visual artist. Being heterosexual, what attracted you to Fine Art Photographer, Kurt Weston, to cause you to request writing his biography?

ALINA OSWALD: Sometime in 2005, while searching writing contests online, I came across a site called Unfinished Works. There was a call for artists whose works were inspired by HIV/AIDS. A photograph caught my eye–it was Kurt Weston’s ‘Last Light‘. [Read excerpt about 'Last Light' photograph below this interview.]

A few months later, my editor at ‘A & U – America’s AIDS Magazine‘ asked me if I knew of any artist creating AIDS related artwork, to interview for the publication. Unfinished Works came to mind and I realized I knew just the artist, so I checked out Kurt Weston’s site,  emailed him and, to my surprise, he responded. I interviewed him and the article, ‘Warrior Within,’ was published in ‘A & U‘ in November, 2005.

In April 2006, I was invited to a party hosted by Joel Rothschild, who, like Kurt Weston, is a wonderful AIDS activist and long term survivor living in California. He’s also the best-selling author of ‘Hope – A Story of Triumph‘. I emailed Kurt and we decided to meet while I was in California. During the visit with Kurt and his partner, Terry, we came up with the idea of writing a ‘longer piece’ – a biography – and so began my work on ‘Journeys Through Darkness‘.

SPORKETTE: Since I’ve known you, you’ve almost always been active writing about HIV/AIDS or about alternative lifestyle events and functions. Why?

ALINA OSWALD: It’s really because of Mom…a medical doctor specialized in infectious diseases. She’s the one who started me on this path, without even being aware of it.

In 1986, while I was still living in Europe (where I’m from), my mother invited me to join her at an AIDS conference. I think she wanted to show me around the university building and give me a hint of what it was like to be a student there, to get me interested in medicine. (it didn’t work, I love math too much, LOL!). What Mom did not know, at the time, was that she actually opened a door toward a subject matter that I’ve become very passionate about: HIV/AIDS. After the conference, I remember my mother asking me how I liked it. All I could say was ‘interesting‘. Indeed, how fascinating (in a strange and scary way) it is for a virus, so retro, so simple, so unknown (especially at that time) to be capable of causing so much devastation, suffering, and death. And I thought, ‘What kind of virus could do such a thing?‘

So years later and on this side of the Atlantic, I became a contributing writer to ‘A & U‘ and a few other publications.

SPORKETTE: After reading ‘Journeys Through Darkness‘, I felt you had put your heart and soul into writing Kurt’s compelling story. Do you, too, feel that way, and why or why not?

ALINA OSWALD: Yes, indeed. During the almost three years I’ve worked on the book, I literally lived the story I was writing. I believe that kind of attachment is important in order to create the best possible work. It also makes it quite difficult to let go of the work once it’s finished, because you are so emotionally and passionately connected to the work.

SPORKETTE: Several of Kurt Weston’s B&W photographs appear in ‘Journeys Through Darkness‘ – which is your favorite and why?

ALINA OSWALD: ‘Dark Angel‘ – the one that Kurt later gave me, signed and with a wonderful dedication. I was drawn to ‘Dark Angel‘ from the very beginning and for several reasons. The image is dramatic, powerful while, in the same time, displaying a funny (so to speak) element through the white cat looking so innocently at the angel. The cat is not afraid of the dark angel, which is an angel of death, an angel of AIDS, which, at the time (mid-eighties), was an immediate death sentence. I connected even more with the image after listening to the story behind the image and that of the making of the image. [Read excerpt about 'Dark Angel' photograph below this interview.]

SPORKETTE: What is the title of the photograph used on the book cover and why did you choose it for the cover art?

ALINA OSWALD: The cover image is called ‘Journey Through Darkness‘ and by Kurt Weston, which is featured in the AIDS Museum’s permanent collection, in Newark, NJ. I titled my chapters after some of Kurt’s images. He came up with the idea of ‘Journeys Through Darkness‘ as the book’s title. I personally thought that using ‘Journeys‘ (plural) emphasizes his two journeys – through the darkness of AIDS (especially through the terrifying darkness that dominated the first years of the pandemic, 1981-1985) and also his journey through the darkness of blindness. In the process, he rediscovers the warrior fighting with his disease, and the fine art photographer within, which allows him to create award-winning visual art.

SPORKETTE: You have a couple of appendixes at the back of the book, and a couple of other sections there as well – what are they and why did you add them?

ALINA OSWALD: When I first started working on ‘Journeys‘ and trying to figure out the structure of the book, I talked to Kurt and we both agreed that it would be a good idea to add more info about medications and other HIV/AIDS-related medical terms. That’s how I started putting together the Glossary, including a list of terms and brief explanations for the lay audience. Then I thought that a short article about CMV and CMV retinitis would be helpful, especially for those who are not familiar with this kind of retinitis or the virus that causes it. I also thought that a candid Q&A session with Kurt would help readers better identify with the photographer. The Acknowledgments section includes a brief story of my own, of how I got involved in covering the AIDS pandemic.

Most of the time people think that one has to have AIDS or be infected with (or affected by) HIV to get involved. I think that’s not true. If we tried to fix only the issues that directly affected us, then where would we be and how much would we really achieve? But if we find a cause we truly care about and feel passionately about, we can really get much more done, accomplish more and, quite possibly, find our call in our professional life, in particular and in life, in general.

SPORKETTE: Why did you opt to self-publish ‘Journeys Through Darkness‘?

ALINA OSWALD: Originally, I decided to find an agent to represent my manuscript, and for a while, had high hopes. I contacted a few agents and also attended the 2007 Book Expo of America, where I talked to quite a few agents and editors. Several of them showed interest. Per their requests, I sent proposals and parts (or the whole) manuscript. In return, I received praises and referrals to other agents who’d be better fit for my manuscript. I also received personalized and full of praise rejection letters. (I can show them to the skeptical ones). Two agents (husband and wife) from San Francisco read the proposal and manuscript. They sent a letter telling me how great and ’sellable‘ (but for them) was my manuscript. I also received a very encouraging rejection email from a NYC agent, referring me to another NYC agent–whom I later contacted and never heard back….

Anyway, as time went by, I decided to self-publish.

Towards the end of 2008, I asked Guido Sanchez, former CEO of Hudson Pride Connections here in Jersey City (now with Center Link,  continuing his work as a dedicated activist) to write a Foreword. Guido agreed and impressed me with ‘Finding Visionaries‘. Afterwards, I self-published ‘Journeys‘ with a Print-On-Demand publisher, because the price wasn’t too bad and quality was good.

SPORKETTE: Compared to writing creative non-fiction articles, how difficult was it to write a biography?

ALINA OSWALD: Writing, in general, is like figuring out a puzzle. It starts with doing the necessary research, with looking for and choosing pieces of the puzzle that would/could fit together. Once you have all (or most of) the pieces that you think you need (once you have all the research done), you usually outline the project. Only then does the actual writing begin as you start trying to fit together pieces of the puzzle, that, in turn, make the story.

When it comes to writing a book-length manuscript, the puzzle is huge, enormous. You don’t only swap around paragraphs, but parts of or full chapters. You read (reading aloud helps) and reconsider each and every word you use, and think long and hard of the reasons why that word is the best one to express whatever you want to express. With lengthy manuscripts the writing and editing process may seem overwhelming, especially when ‘The End‘ is nowhere in sight. Therefore, it’s much easier to make mistakes, and it’s much easier to just give up. That’s why you need a few pairs of eyes – of well-meaning individuals who’re also interested in reading your work – to read the manuscript in order to catch errors.

Not to worry, mistakes are human, and more prone to happen when working on book-length manuscripts because, after a while all words start looking alike, black on white scribbling. When that happens, it’s time to stop and take a break from editing. Go do something else–maybe work on something with colors (like photography or painting) or just close your eyes and meditate to allow your mind to relax a bit, do something that’s not necessarily related to writing. You’ll get back to editing with fresh eyes and ideas.

My additional pairs of eyes came from those who’ve offered their help, for which I’m forever greatful: Patricia Spork, professional writer who read my final and intermediate drafts and shared her opinions that, in turn, helped me polish my manuscript; and Ira Weitz, my editor, who’s done a phenomenal job and who’s always been so very patient with me. He knew when to push me and how much to push me, especially when times were tough (in my writing process). An artist and former contributor to ‘MAD‘ magazine, Ira has read the manuscript so many times, I lost count, each time for various purposes. ‘Journeys‘ is finished because of Ira Weitz. I have no words to express my appreciation, so I just simply say “THANK YOU!”

Also, it’s always good to have people to talk to about the book, about issues related to the book but not necessarily writing/editing related. Especially other authors who’ve been through the experience themselves can be of tremendous help. I’m lucky enough to call some of them friends. Many thanks, to T. J. Banks (author of ‘Soleido‘ and ‘Houdini‘), for the long phone conversations, encouragements and being a real shoulder to cry on. Many thanks, to Patricia Spork, who opened the first door to my writing career and who’s been there for me, a wonderful friend ever since. I treasure every moment. Many thanks, to Ira Weitz, who, by now, knows of my experience with the book by heart. Many thanks, to my family, for their support, ideas, tips and advice.

SPORKETTE: To me, Kurt Weston’s story should be turned into a feature film because he’s made a positive impact on society in many ways and turned his disadvantages into advantages for himself and others. So, would you ever consider converting the biography into a screenplay or allowing someone else the right to do so? And why, or why not?

ALINA OSWALD: I thought about that, myself. I talked to a filmmaker (who’s also covering HIV/AIDS) about it. One never knows. I think Kurt’s story would make quite a movie. Who’d play Kurt Weston? Now, that’s the question [smile]

SPORKETTE: What tips can you provide for anyone interested in writing a biography?

ALINA OSWALD: One may decide to write a biography for two reasons: money and interest in the particular subject. To write a book-length manuscript the writer has to connect, at least at some level, with the subject and his/her story. The writer has to be dedicated to the research, the writing and editing, and also the marketing and promotion. In other words, the writer has to believe in his/her work when others may not, to consider all opinions and make his/her own decisions, because, down deep inside, he/her should know that the work is worth being published. It can be an overwhelming task, but it can be done, especially if the writer sets intermediate deadlines, show up every single day and work on something related to the book, and keep the goal always in sight.

Also, working as a team can be an advantage. In my case, I set up weekly phone calls with Kurt, during which I taped his story and took notes, and later transcribed the interviews and figured out where I could use parts of the interview material. I had to have something done from one week to another, to talk to Kurt about it, ask questions, go back to some interviews, and so on. Kurt was fantastic during this process and very patient with me. I could see my work’s progress, a bit at a time, from one week to another. And my phone chats with Kurt, well…those were the highlight of my week, and I’d talk about them with everybody willing to listen.

Money is one thing and we all need it (who says that money is not important doesn’t have to worry about paying bills). Anyway, I think that interest in the subject matter is much more important, when it comes to writing a biography. Money (compensation) alone surely increases the writer’s interest, but not necessarily to a genuine passionate level. If a writer is interested in (or passionate about) the subject of the project, then he/she also becomes passionate about the work involved, and ‘lives‘ (so to speak) the process of writing and finishing the manuscript. And the level of emotional involvement usually has the power to give life to the story…or not.

‘Journeys Through Darkness‘ – Excerpts:

‘The Last Light‘:
“The photograph featured an old man with drawn face and ghostly eyes. He was sitting in a chair with his back at a tall window. The weak daylight poured inside the room to mingle with the pale artificial light of a night lamp. The only other source of light in the photograph was the man’s eyes, glowing with serenity. He seemed unaware of the mist of shadow and light surrounding him. Rather, he gazed at something beyond the visual sphere of the photograph, as if he found himself at the crossroads between two realms, about to follow a path unfolding in front of him, into some mysterious unknown.”

‘Dark Angel‘:

“‘Dark Angel’caption: ‘Inspired by Broadway’s Angels in America, Kurt Weston’s Dark Angel is an angel of AIDS and of Death. While created in total darkness, the image symbolizes the darkness of the early epidemic. Only the angel’s face is illuminated because AIDS, as horrifying as it was, has transformed people’s concepts about living and dying, and has turned funerals into celebrations of life.’”

“Weston’s Dark Angel symbolizes an angelic figure composed of a play of the elements often used in the artist’s work—darkness and light—to manifest the subtle interaction between what’s real and what is not. This interaction further transposes between the dark angel and the white cat that doesn’t seem afraid of the angel, but rather interested in his stake. The cat was actually “a happy mistake,” the artist explains, talking about the technical part involved in creating the image.
The photographer used a view camera, which is a large camera that requires a piece of film, called sheet film, inserted in a film holder. He put this sheet film in the back of the camera and had the subject standing as he appears in the photograph, holding on to his stake.
The room was completely dark, as the artist started walking around the room with a handheld flash, popping the flash off in different angles to create different shadows as he walked around, thus creating the shadowy wings of the Dark Angel.

Unknowingly to Weston, while he was moving around and working on his photograph, his cat, Che (from Che Guevara), walked inside the room and was accidentally illuminated when the flash came off. It wasn’t until during the developing process that the photographer discovered the cat, which wasn’t supposed to be in the picture, staring straight at the angel’s stake.

Although Kurt Weston created Dark Angel in total darkness, he also interjected the only light into the image to illuminate the angel’s face. The light is a symbol of hope and of life’s triumph coming through the immense blackness of the (then) terrifying AIDS epidemic.”

***

Alina OswaldAlina Oswald is a freelance writer and photographer, and the author of ‘Journeys Through Darkness‘,” a biography. Her works have appeared online and in print, in local and national publications, like “A&U Magazine – America’s AIDS Magazine,” “Beyond Race Magazine,” “Extra-Extra,” “Go NYC,” “Next Door Magazine,” “NY Blade” and “Out IN Jersey“. Alina’s photographs have appeared in NYC art shows, such as Visual AIDS’ “Postcards from the Edge,” Leslie Lohman’s “Strike A Pose,” and solo exhibit, “Backbone,” at 32 Jones Gallery. Samples of her work are available here.

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Share! Giveaway! Freely Distribute!
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You will need a zip utility program and PDF reader to extract files and read the e-books. Click on the titles below to download the zipped e-book folders to your computer.

3 Underground Internet Marketing Secrets

20 Little Ways to Stop and Smell the Roses

Anti-Aging Skincare Made Easy

Free and Low Cost Ways to Huge Web Traffic

Independence Forever! The United States Flag – American Pride

Any inquiries or download problems, contact me.
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End Ramblings
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I used to be a heavy drinker, years ago, and still a recovering alcoholic. Took me a long time to realize alcoholic beverages are bottled and canned ruination. Care for a drink of ruination? It’s always ‘on the house‘.
~Sporkette

*********************************************
NOTICE:
Sporkette Gazette is published by Patricia Spork (aka Sporkette) at www.sporkettegazette.com.

READ: Terms, Policy and Disclaimer on this site (www.sporkettegazette.com).

I hope to heck all content in this Online Newsletter is legal and not too defamatory or libelous and that I’m not infringing on anyone’s rights. I’m willing to be held accountable for any wrongdoing, but please know, everything published in this newsletter is done so in good faith and with as much integrity as is possible for a southern hick that doesn’t have much knowledge about law.

January 2009 – Patricia Spork
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Copyright Information
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Sporkette Gazette is copyright of Patricia Spork. Some content may be copyright of other respective authors. Copying any portion and publishing any of the content elsewhere is not permitted without express written permission from Patricia Spork or any respective authors.

If you would like to share any portion of Sporkette Gazette with a friend or family member, please do so by sending someone the URL for this issue. Thank you.

Sporkette Gazette Copyright 2003-2009 Patricia Spork,
All Rights Reserved Worldwide
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Category: Sporkette Gazette Volume 4  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  Leave a Comment
05
Feb 2009

Sporkette Gazette – February 5, 2009 – Volume 4, Issue 4

By sporkette

Sporkette Gazette

http://www.sporkettegazette.com/

February 5, 2009 – Volume 4, Issue 4

Patricia Spork (aka Sporkette), Publisher/Editor

http://www.patriciaspork.us/

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IN THIS ISSUE
———————————————–
Ramblings
Site Updates
Alina Oswald Writing Tips
Share! Giveaway! Freely Distribute!
End Ramblings
Notice
Copyright Information
Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information
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Ramblings
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Whoo . . . eeeeeee! I’m 52!!!
Hair’s still long . . .
Underwear’s shrunk . . .
(At least, that’s what I like to think);
Body parts droop . . .
Health declines . . .
Yet I’m still here . . .
And what’s mine is mine!

Confusingly yours,
Patricia
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Site Updates
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eBookMouse:

Children’s Ebook with MRR – Paddy Builds a Lodge Print and Fold Ebook

***

Digital Frolic:

Valentine Ebooks and Graphics CD – FREE SHIPPING!

***

Sorrel Sunflower:

Heart Jewelry – Buy 2 Heart Necklaces, Get 2 Heart Bracelets FREE!

***

Sporkette:

Free Valentine Wallpaper – Cupid Heart

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Alina Oswald Writing Tips
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alinanov2008-2-thhumbnails

Alina Oswald is a professional freelance writer and photographer. Her articles and photography have been featured in several print and online magazines. She shares these writing tips with you:

  • First, understand copyright and the right(s) a potential magazine market seeks. [Copyright will be addressed in a future article].
  • To get the feel of a magazine’s writing and artwork style, read a few issues of the magazine, or at least a few articles published on the website.
  • Many magazines provide writer’s guidelines online now. Read and understand the guidelines.
  • If interested in submitting photos to complement articles, read the photography guidelines.
  • If you don’t understand the guidelines, contact the editor and ask for clarifications.
  • If you can’t locate guidelines, email the editor and introduce yourself. Explain how you became aware of the magazine and how you would like to write for the publication. Request the guidelines.
  • Always adhere to guidelines. Writers have been rejected solely on the basis of not following the guidelines.
  • Check guidelines to see if a query letter or full manuscript is required.
  • If you’re a newbie to magazine article submissions and wish to query a magazine, seek those that accept e-queries. E-queries save on postage costs and response time can be quicker.
  • Don’t send e-queries to someone who wants hard copy queries, and vice-versa.
  • When you write any query, address it to the editor or other specified contact person. Never inquire or query using generic Dear Sir, Dear Editor, etc. Always use specific name and title.
  • If sending a query, don’t forget to include any credentials and your contact information.
  • If no response within a specified Response Time, or within a month, follow-up with a formal inquiry.

alinanov2008thumbnail

To contact Alina or to know more about her, visit her site:
http://www.mediabistro.com/alinaoswald

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Share! Giveaway! Freely Distribute!
———————————————-
You will need a zip utility program and PDF reader to extract files and read the e-books. Click on the titles below to download the zipped e-book folders to your computer.

8 Alternatives for a Non-Traditional Valentine’s Day by Patricia Spork

Make a Custom 404 Error Page by Levada Pendry

Any inquiries or download problems, contact me.
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End Ramblings
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Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow is a quantitative amount of productive keystrokes away.

~Sporkette

*********************************************
NOTICE:
Sporkette Gazette is published by Patricia Spork (a.k.a. Sporkette) at www.sporkettegazette.com.

READ: Terms, Policy and Disclaimer on this site (www.sporkettegazette.com).

I hope to heck all content in this Online Newsletter is legal and not too defamatory or libelous and that I’m not infringing on anyone’s rights.
I’m willing to be held accountable for any wrongdoing, but please know, everything published in this newsletter is done so in good faith and with as much integrity as is possible for a southern hick that doesn’t have much knowledge about law.

January 2009 – Patricia Spork
———————————————–
Copyright Information
———————————————–
Sporkette Gazette is copyright of Patricia Spork. Some content may be copyright of other respective authors. Copying any portion and publishing any of the content elsewhere is not permitted without express written permission from Patricia Spork or any respective authors.

If you would like to share any portion of Sporkette Gazette with a friend or family member, please do so by sending someone the URL for this issue. Thank you.

Sporkette Gazette Copyright 2003-2009 Patricia Spork,
All Rights Reserved Worldwide
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Subscribe to Sporkette Gazette
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Subscribe using the RSS feed available on this site:

http://www.sporkettegazette.com/

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Unsubscribe from Sporkette Gazette:
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These suggestions may not work for everyone:

If you’re using some type of RSS Feed Reader, click on the blog name and look for a Settings section where you should be able to click on Unsubscribe.

If using some type of “Live” bookmark, click on the blog name and right click for menu where you can click on Delete.

***

Category: Sporkette Gazette Volume 4  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,  Leave a Comment
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