Let it never be said that printing isn't rock and roll. A home-made YouTube video, produced by an inventive fan of melancholic rockers Radiohead, has opened people's minds to the hidden talents of an Epson LX-81 dot matrix printer.
James Houston, a Glasgow School of Art graduate, employs the defunct model's otherwise unremarkable din to replicate the drum beat in Nude, a track from Radiohead's In Rainbows.
It joins a host of obsolete 1980s hardware, including a Sinclair ZX Spectrum computer, a Hewlett-Packard ScanJet and an array of exposed hard drives which impressively recreate Thom Yorke's vocals.
Houston's Big Ideas: Don't Get Any has received more than 250,000 hits on YouTube and a wealth of praise. Despite this, he remains modest, telling Creative Review: 'I'm a video maker and not a musician, this has grown out of control.'
At this point, Post Script considered inviting readers to send in recordings from their own presses. Frankly, though, the thought of trying to detect Mandy by Barry Manilow in the churnings of a Manroland would be too much for anyone to take.
Source Citation (MLA 7th Edition)
"Post Script: The Nude ambition of a man and his printer." Print Week 25 July 2008: 63. General OneFile. Web. 9 June 2013.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA181790716&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A181790716
Sunday, June 9, 2013
The Nude ambition of a man and his printer
Let it never be said that printing isn't rock and roll. A home-made YouTube video, produced by an inventive fan of melancholic rockers Radiohead, has opened people's minds to the hidden talents of an Epson LX-81 dot matrix printer.
James Houston, a Glasgow School of Art graduate, employs the defunct model's otherwise unremarkable din to replicate the drum beat in Nude, a track from Radiohead's In Rainbows.
It joins a host of obsolete 1980s hardware, including a Sinclair ZX Spectrum computer, a Hewlett-Packard ScanJet and an array of exposed hard drives which impressively recreate Thom Yorke's vocals.
Houston's Big Ideas: Don't Get Any has received more than 250,000 hits on YouTube and a wealth of praise. Despite this, he remains modest, telling Creative Review: 'I'm a video maker and not a musician, this has grown out of control.'
At this point, Post Script considered inviting readers to send in recordings from their own presses. Frankly, though, the thought of trying to detect Mandy by Barry Manilow in the churnings of a Manroland would be too much for anyone to take.
Source Citation (MLA 7th Edition)
"Post Script: The Nude ambition of a man and his printer." Print Week 25 July 2008: 63. General OneFile. Web. 9 June 2013.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA181790716&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A181790716
James Houston, a Glasgow School of Art graduate, employs the defunct model's otherwise unremarkable din to replicate the drum beat in Nude, a track from Radiohead's In Rainbows.
It joins a host of obsolete 1980s hardware, including a Sinclair ZX Spectrum computer, a Hewlett-Packard ScanJet and an array of exposed hard drives which impressively recreate Thom Yorke's vocals.
Houston's Big Ideas: Don't Get Any has received more than 250,000 hits on YouTube and a wealth of praise. Despite this, he remains modest, telling Creative Review: 'I'm a video maker and not a musician, this has grown out of control.'
At this point, Post Script considered inviting readers to send in recordings from their own presses. Frankly, though, the thought of trying to detect Mandy by Barry Manilow in the churnings of a Manroland would be too much for anyone to take.
Source Citation (MLA 7th Edition)
"Post Script: The Nude ambition of a man and his printer." Print Week 25 July 2008: 63. General OneFile. Web. 9 June 2013.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA181790716&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A181790716
Friday, May 24, 2013
Science writing today and tomorrow.
I AM TRULY SURROUNDED BY MY work: My computer runs on megabytes and RAMs; my car moves because of sparks and subsequent combusion, and sports more digital equipment than I care to imagine; and even my gym has the latest techno-gizmo to tell me just how many calories I've used up on a five-mile (albeit stationary) "bike ride." I cannot seem to get away from science and technology--but as a science writer, I do not mind, because it is more fuel for my science articles.
Science and technology encompass all our lives. If you find your hands sweating during the latest Space Shuttle launch, or you enthusiastically tell your friends the reasons why tsunamis crash along a coastline, you may be a potential science writer. And you do not have to be another Albert Einstein, Richard Feynman, or Isaac Asimov to succeed at it.
I became a science writer through the back door. I was a professional scientist who analyzed water samples and plotted flooding along sinuous river systems. A side trip back to college changed my life: The day my professor handed back the first draft of my thesis and said, "This reads like...well...an article for the general audience," sealed my fate. I have thanked her insight for ten years now.
You do not have to be a scientist or have a science background to write articles and books about science and technology. In fact, it may be helpful for you not to have a science background, because then you won't be caught up in the science jargon. If you are interviewing an astronomer on interstellar objects who says that MACHOs are found at the periphery of our galaxy, you would not just nod your head. You would ask him or her to explain--not only the acronym (Massive Compact Halo Objects)--but why MACHOs are important to your article.
The best part about science and technology writing is the range of topics from which you can choose--and each of those subjects can be further broken down into narrower topics for other articles. Topics include the physical sciences, (geology, chemistry, etc.); biology (plant, human, viral, bacterial); space science; or medical science. Many science writers also delve into technology: computers, robotics, and electronics. Under technology, a science writer may describe remote sensing techniques used to detect and track volcanic eruption plumes across the planet; or under medical science, show how using supercomputer modeling can help us understand how drugs react within the body.
Science writing does not have to be about current scientific developments; it can also be about science in the past or future. Science past had its wonderful moments of serendipity; science future has its promise of a better life. And do not overlook science fiction for article ideas. After all, most people know about "warp drive," an idea often referred to on "Star Trek." A science writer might ask, "Can we go faster than the speed of light? If we could, what type of propulsion would be needed to catapult a spaceship to such speeds?"
Although there is a myriad of topics to choose from, all science and technology writing must apply to and excite the readers. Will they be able to use the discovery in the present or future? Will it help their children to live happier lives? Does the topic stimulate their imagination, and is it enjoyable to read? Or will the story tell them about a person, place, or thing that they never knew about before?
Now that you have decided to try your hand at writing science, you will need the following:
* Intense curiosity. When you are curious about a subject in science, you are more apt to dig deeper, ask for more explanation--and your enthusiasm will show in your writing. An editor once told me, "The attention span of the reader is directly proportional to the writer's interest in the story."
* An interest in research. You may have all the curiosity about a subject, but you also need the tenacity to do the research. Science writers today have it easier than they did in the past: We have access to tremendous amounts of information, not only in libraries, but through computer communication services, where you can find articles on your subjects and leads to help you find other sources.
* Ability to recognize a good idea for a science article. A good idea for a science article is not "DNA"; a good science article idea is how DNA is being used as genetic "fingerprints" in crime investigations--and how it is also under fire because the technique is so new. Article ideas are everywhere, but the science writer has to know how to focus on that one kernel of interest.
* Contacts and sources to interview. A science writer's most valued possession is his or her contact/source list: past interviewees (experts in the fields you are writing about), reference librarians, earlier contacts from science conferences, public information offices of science-oriented institutions, organizations, and universities--and, of course, other science writers.
* Insistence on accuracy. The science writer's creed, to borrow from Thoreau, should read, "Simplicity, simplicity--not to mention accuracy, accuracy."
* Good interpretative skills. Science writers have a serious responsibility to their readers: They must interpret and present what they uncover in their research and interviews in a clear and interesting way. This interpretation is not always straightforward. I have heard it compared to translating Japanese into English: There are nuances of the Japanese culture integrated into their language that cannot be translated into English. It is often the same with explaining science to the general audiences, and as Nobel physicist Richard Feynman once said, not all science can be explained in a basic way. But do not use this as an excuse; a science writer must do the best he or she can to get the subject across to the reader.
Coming up with a good science article idea is not as difficult as it seems. There are many sources that spark ideas: newspapers, science journals, news releases, computer communication services (the ubiquitous "information highway"), and numerous publications from universities and science-oriented organizations--also other people's conversations: I began to research my article on microrobots (for Sky Magazine) when I overheard two people joking about "minimachines" taking over the planet Mars. The real microrobots may never take over the red planet, but the suggestion triggered the idea. It also started me on the trail of just how far we have come in space-oriented microrobotic research.
After you come up with a specialized science topic, your first stop should be the library to check on magazines. Read through current magazines and explore magazine topics in the Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature (and similar indexes) from the past year or so. This will help you avoid writing about an idea whose time has come and gone; also you will not send a query to a magazine that has just published an article on the same subject with the same angle. If your idea seems to be on track, then gather basic information on the subject from science magazines, brochures, encyclopedias, or books.
Next comes the query, usually a less-than-one-page "outline" (in text form) of your proposed article. The query persents your idea, sources, and credentials to the editor. A word of caution: Know your magazine. Do not send a query on industrial robotics to Woman's World, or an idea on the future of the American/Russian cooperation on the Space Station to Sailing; but also remember that certain non-science magazines will take science or technology topics, including some inflight and general audience magazines. Know your science magazines, too: Articles for Omni have a different slant from those for Popular Science.
The day the editor says, "Go for it," is the day you take all your basic information and outline-query letter, and get to work. Now is also the time to call on your sources for interviews. Some science writers write a sketchy first draft to their story before the interviews--a way to organize their thoughts and frame the questions to ask the interviewee in some semblance of order; other writers do a first draft after the interview. In either case, you will need a list of questions to ask your experts. Always remember that the only dumb question is the one you did not ask.
Writing a publishable science article takes the ability to explain complex concepts without baffling or confusing readers. One of the best approaches is to discuss the subject or idea in terms the reader can relate to. For example, in my article on agriculture in space (for Ad Astra) I wove familiar gardening terms (and references to many gardening problems) into the piece so the readers could relate to growing plants in the Space Station and beyond.
Another strategy to give your science article life is to use anecdotes. Usually, your interviewees have interesting stories to tell, such as how their discovery was made, or about the first patient to use their new drug. Since the general public often thinks of science as another world, descriptions of the scientists and their surroundings will "humanize" your article, showing that the expert has the same idiosyncrasies that we all have--right down to worries about money or celebrations of victories.
Of course, there are two more qualities that keep all science writers going: patience and perseverance. It takes patience to get an interview with a busy scientist (and sometimes you will not get the interview at all); and patience to see your words in print. Plus, it takes perseverance to understand the intricacies of your science article--and to keep up with the new science discoveries that pop up every week.
There is more than enough science to provide you with subjects for science articles. As a science writer just remember that the universe is now your beat.
Abstract: Science and technology affect our daily lives and provide a broad range of opportunities for potential science writers. Such writers should bring to their work a curiosity, interpretative skills, accuracy, research interest, and the skill to recognize a good idea.
Source Citation (MLA 7th Edition)
Barnes-Svarney, Patricia. "Science writing today and tomorrow." The Writer Nov. 1994: 15+. General OneFile. Web. 24 May 2013.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA15812453&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A15812453
Science and technology encompass all our lives. If you find your hands sweating during the latest Space Shuttle launch, or you enthusiastically tell your friends the reasons why tsunamis crash along a coastline, you may be a potential science writer. And you do not have to be another Albert Einstein, Richard Feynman, or Isaac Asimov to succeed at it.
I became a science writer through the back door. I was a professional scientist who analyzed water samples and plotted flooding along sinuous river systems. A side trip back to college changed my life: The day my professor handed back the first draft of my thesis and said, "This reads like...well...an article for the general audience," sealed my fate. I have thanked her insight for ten years now.
You do not have to be a scientist or have a science background to write articles and books about science and technology. In fact, it may be helpful for you not to have a science background, because then you won't be caught up in the science jargon. If you are interviewing an astronomer on interstellar objects who says that MACHOs are found at the periphery of our galaxy, you would not just nod your head. You would ask him or her to explain--not only the acronym (Massive Compact Halo Objects)--but why MACHOs are important to your article.
The best part about science and technology writing is the range of topics from which you can choose--and each of those subjects can be further broken down into narrower topics for other articles. Topics include the physical sciences, (geology, chemistry, etc.); biology (plant, human, viral, bacterial); space science; or medical science. Many science writers also delve into technology: computers, robotics, and electronics. Under technology, a science writer may describe remote sensing techniques used to detect and track volcanic eruption plumes across the planet; or under medical science, show how using supercomputer modeling can help us understand how drugs react within the body.
Science writing does not have to be about current scientific developments; it can also be about science in the past or future. Science past had its wonderful moments of serendipity; science future has its promise of a better life. And do not overlook science fiction for article ideas. After all, most people know about "warp drive," an idea often referred to on "Star Trek." A science writer might ask, "Can we go faster than the speed of light? If we could, what type of propulsion would be needed to catapult a spaceship to such speeds?"
Although there is a myriad of topics to choose from, all science and technology writing must apply to and excite the readers. Will they be able to use the discovery in the present or future? Will it help their children to live happier lives? Does the topic stimulate their imagination, and is it enjoyable to read? Or will the story tell them about a person, place, or thing that they never knew about before?
Now that you have decided to try your hand at writing science, you will need the following:
* Intense curiosity. When you are curious about a subject in science, you are more apt to dig deeper, ask for more explanation--and your enthusiasm will show in your writing. An editor once told me, "The attention span of the reader is directly proportional to the writer's interest in the story."
* An interest in research. You may have all the curiosity about a subject, but you also need the tenacity to do the research. Science writers today have it easier than they did in the past: We have access to tremendous amounts of information, not only in libraries, but through computer communication services, where you can find articles on your subjects and leads to help you find other sources.
* Ability to recognize a good idea for a science article. A good idea for a science article is not "DNA"; a good science article idea is how DNA is being used as genetic "fingerprints" in crime investigations--and how it is also under fire because the technique is so new. Article ideas are everywhere, but the science writer has to know how to focus on that one kernel of interest.
* Contacts and sources to interview. A science writer's most valued possession is his or her contact/source list: past interviewees (experts in the fields you are writing about), reference librarians, earlier contacts from science conferences, public information offices of science-oriented institutions, organizations, and universities--and, of course, other science writers.
* Insistence on accuracy. The science writer's creed, to borrow from Thoreau, should read, "Simplicity, simplicity--not to mention accuracy, accuracy."
* Good interpretative skills. Science writers have a serious responsibility to their readers: They must interpret and present what they uncover in their research and interviews in a clear and interesting way. This interpretation is not always straightforward. I have heard it compared to translating Japanese into English: There are nuances of the Japanese culture integrated into their language that cannot be translated into English. It is often the same with explaining science to the general audiences, and as Nobel physicist Richard Feynman once said, not all science can be explained in a basic way. But do not use this as an excuse; a science writer must do the best he or she can to get the subject across to the reader.
Coming up with a good science article idea is not as difficult as it seems. There are many sources that spark ideas: newspapers, science journals, news releases, computer communication services (the ubiquitous "information highway"), and numerous publications from universities and science-oriented organizations--also other people's conversations: I began to research my article on microrobots (for Sky Magazine) when I overheard two people joking about "minimachines" taking over the planet Mars. The real microrobots may never take over the red planet, but the suggestion triggered the idea. It also started me on the trail of just how far we have come in space-oriented microrobotic research.
After you come up with a specialized science topic, your first stop should be the library to check on magazines. Read through current magazines and explore magazine topics in the Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature (and similar indexes) from the past year or so. This will help you avoid writing about an idea whose time has come and gone; also you will not send a query to a magazine that has just published an article on the same subject with the same angle. If your idea seems to be on track, then gather basic information on the subject from science magazines, brochures, encyclopedias, or books.
Next comes the query, usually a less-than-one-page "outline" (in text form) of your proposed article. The query persents your idea, sources, and credentials to the editor. A word of caution: Know your magazine. Do not send a query on industrial robotics to Woman's World, or an idea on the future of the American/Russian cooperation on the Space Station to Sailing; but also remember that certain non-science magazines will take science or technology topics, including some inflight and general audience magazines. Know your science magazines, too: Articles for Omni have a different slant from those for Popular Science.
The day the editor says, "Go for it," is the day you take all your basic information and outline-query letter, and get to work. Now is also the time to call on your sources for interviews. Some science writers write a sketchy first draft to their story before the interviews--a way to organize their thoughts and frame the questions to ask the interviewee in some semblance of order; other writers do a first draft after the interview. In either case, you will need a list of questions to ask your experts. Always remember that the only dumb question is the one you did not ask.
Writing a publishable science article takes the ability to explain complex concepts without baffling or confusing readers. One of the best approaches is to discuss the subject or idea in terms the reader can relate to. For example, in my article on agriculture in space (for Ad Astra) I wove familiar gardening terms (and references to many gardening problems) into the piece so the readers could relate to growing plants in the Space Station and beyond.
Another strategy to give your science article life is to use anecdotes. Usually, your interviewees have interesting stories to tell, such as how their discovery was made, or about the first patient to use their new drug. Since the general public often thinks of science as another world, descriptions of the scientists and their surroundings will "humanize" your article, showing that the expert has the same idiosyncrasies that we all have--right down to worries about money or celebrations of victories.
Of course, there are two more qualities that keep all science writers going: patience and perseverance. It takes patience to get an interview with a busy scientist (and sometimes you will not get the interview at all); and patience to see your words in print. Plus, it takes perseverance to understand the intricacies of your science article--and to keep up with the new science discoveries that pop up every week.
There is more than enough science to provide you with subjects for science articles. As a science writer just remember that the universe is now your beat.
Abstract: Science and technology affect our daily lives and provide a broad range of opportunities for potential science writers. Such writers should bring to their work a curiosity, interpretative skills, accuracy, research interest, and the skill to recognize a good idea.
Source Citation (MLA 7th Edition)
Barnes-Svarney, Patricia. "Science writing today and tomorrow." The Writer Nov. 1994: 15+. General OneFile. Web. 24 May 2013.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA15812453&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A15812453
Science writing today and tomorrow
I AM TRULY SURROUNDED BY MY work: My computer runs on megabytes and RAMs; my car moves because of sparks and subsequent combusion, and sports more digital equipment than I care to imagine; and even my gym has the latest techno-gizmo to tell me just how many calories I've used up on a five-mile (albeit stationary) "bike ride." I cannot seem to get away from science and technology--but as a science writer, I do not mind, because it is more fuel for my science articles.
Science and technology encompass all our lives. If you find your hands sweating during the latest Space Shuttle launch, or you enthusiastically tell your friends the reasons why tsunamis crash along a coastline, you may be a potential science writer. And you do not have to be another Albert Einstein, Richard Feynman, or Isaac Asimov to succeed at it.
I became a science writer through the back door. I was a professional scientist who analyzed water samples and plotted flooding along sinuous river systems. A side trip back to college changed my life: The day my professor handed back the first draft of my thesis and said, "This reads like...well...an article for the general audience," sealed my fate. I have thanked her insight for ten years now.
You do not have to be a scientist or have a science background to write articles and books about science and technology. In fact, it may be helpful for you not to have a science background, because then you won't be caught up in the science jargon. If you are interviewing an astronomer on interstellar objects who says that MACHOs are found at the periphery of our galaxy, you would not just nod your head. You would ask him or her to explain--not only the acronym (Massive Compact Halo Objects)--but why MACHOs are important to your article.
The best part about science and technology writing is the range of topics from which you can choose--and each of those subjects can be further broken down into narrower topics for other articles. Topics include the physical sciences, (geology, chemistry, etc.); biology (plant, human, viral, bacterial); space science; or medical science. Many science writers also delve into technology: computers, robotics, and electronics. Under technology, a science writer may describe remote sensing techniques used to detect and track volcanic eruption plumes across the planet; or under medical science, show how using supercomputer modeling can help us understand how drugs react within the body.
Science writing does not have to be about current scientific developments; it can also be about science in the past or future. Science past had its wonderful moments of serendipity; science future has its promise of a better life. And do not overlook science fiction for article ideas. After all, most people know about "warp drive," an idea often referred to on "Star Trek." A science writer might ask, "Can we go faster than the speed of light? If we could, what type of propulsion would be needed to catapult a spaceship to such speeds?"
Although there is a myriad of topics to choose from, all science and technology writing must apply to and excite the readers. Will they be able to use the discovery in the present or future? Will it help their children to live happier lives? Does the topic stimulate their imagination, and is it enjoyable to read? Or will the story tell them about a person, place, or thing that they never knew about before?
Now that you have decided to try your hand at writing science, you will need the following:
* Intense curiosity. When you are curious about a subject in science, you are more apt to dig deeper, ask for more explanation--and your enthusiasm will show in your writing. An editor once told me, "The attention span of the reader is directly proportional to the writer's interest in the story."
* An interest in research. You may have all the curiosity about a subject, but you also need the tenacity to do the research. Science writers today have it easier than they did in the past: We have access to tremendous amounts of information, not only in libraries, but through computer communication services, where you can find articles on your subjects and leads to help you find other sources.
* Ability to recognize a good idea for a science article. A good idea for a science article is not "DNA"; a good science article idea is how DNA is being used as genetic "fingerprints" in crime investigations--and how it is also under fire because the technique is so new. Article ideas are everywhere, but the science writer has to know how to focus on that one kernel of interest.
* Contacts and sources to interview. A science writer's most valued possession is his or her contact/source list: past interviewees (experts in the fields you are writing about), reference librarians, earlier contacts from science conferences, public information offices of science-oriented institutions, organizations, and universities--and, of course, other science writers.
* Insistence on accuracy. The science writer's creed, to borrow from Thoreau, should read, "Simplicity, simplicity--not to mention accuracy, accuracy."
* Good interpretative skills. Science writers have a serious responsibility to their readers: They must interpret and present what they uncover in their research and interviews in a clear and interesting way. This interpretation is not always straightforward. I have heard it compared to translating Japanese into English: There are nuances of the Japanese culture integrated into their language that cannot be translated into English. It is often the same with explaining science to the general audiences, and as Nobel physicist Richard Feynman once said, not all science can be explained in a basic way. But do not use this as an excuse; a science writer must do the best he or she can to get the subject across to the reader.
Coming up with a good science article idea is not as difficult as it seems. There are many sources that spark ideas: newspapers, science journals, news releases, computer communication services (the ubiquitous "information highway"), and numerous publications from universities and science-oriented organizations--also other people's conversations: I began to research my article on microrobots (for Sky Magazine) when I overheard two people joking about "minimachines" taking over the planet Mars. The real microrobots may never take over the red planet, but the suggestion triggered the idea. It also started me on the trail of just how far we have come in space-oriented microrobotic research.
After you come up with a specialized science topic, your first stop should be the library to check on magazines. Read through current magazines and explore magazine topics in the Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature (and similar indexes) from the past year or so. This will help you avoid writing about an idea whose time has come and gone; also you will not send a query to a magazine that has just published an article on the same subject with the same angle. If your idea seems to be on track, then gather basic information on the subject from science magazines, brochures, encyclopedias, or books.
Next comes the query, usually a less-than-one-page "outline" (in text form) of your proposed article. The query persents your idea, sources, and credentials to the editor. A word of caution: Know your magazine. Do not send a query on industrial robotics to Woman's World, or an idea on the future of the American/Russian cooperation on the Space Station to Sailing; but also remember that certain non-science magazines will take science or technology topics, including some inflight and general audience magazines. Know your science magazines, too: Articles for Omni have a different slant from those for Popular Science.
The day the editor says, "Go for it," is the day you take all your basic information and outline-query letter, and get to work. Now is also the time to call on your sources for interviews. Some science writers write a sketchy first draft to their story before the interviews--a way to organize their thoughts and frame the questions to ask the interviewee in some semblance of order; other writers do a first draft after the interview. In either case, you will need a list of questions to ask your experts. Always remember that the only dumb question is the one you did not ask.
Writing a publishable science article takes the ability to explain complex concepts without baffling or confusing readers. One of the best approaches is to discuss the subject or idea in terms the reader can relate to. For example, in my article on agriculture in space (for Ad Astra) I wove familiar gardening terms (and references to many gardening problems) into the piece so the readers could relate to growing plants in the Space Station and beyond.
Another strategy to give your science article life is to use anecdotes. Usually, your interviewees have interesting stories to tell, such as how their discovery was made, or about the first patient to use their new drug. Since the general public often thinks of science as another world, descriptions of the scientists and their surroundings will "humanize" your article, showing that the expert has the same idiosyncrasies that we all have--right down to worries about money or celebrations of victories.
Of course, there are two more qualities that keep all science writers going: patience and perseverance. It takes patience to get an interview with a busy scientist (and sometimes you will not get the interview at all); and patience to see your words in print. Plus, it takes perseverance to understand the intricacies of your science article--and to keep up with the new science discoveries that pop up every week.
There is more than enough science to provide you with subjects for science articles. As a science writer just remember that the universe is now your beat.
Abstract: Science and technology affect our daily lives and provide a broad range of opportunities for potential science writers. Such writers should bring to their work a curiosity, interpretative skills, accuracy, research interest, and the skill to recognize a good idea.
Source Citation (MLA 7th Edition)
Barnes-Svarney, Patricia. "Science writing today and tomorrow." The Writer Nov. 1994: 15+. General OneFile. Web. 24 May 2013.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA15812453&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A15812453
Science and technology encompass all our lives. If you find your hands sweating during the latest Space Shuttle launch, or you enthusiastically tell your friends the reasons why tsunamis crash along a coastline, you may be a potential science writer. And you do not have to be another Albert Einstein, Richard Feynman, or Isaac Asimov to succeed at it.
I became a science writer through the back door. I was a professional scientist who analyzed water samples and plotted flooding along sinuous river systems. A side trip back to college changed my life: The day my professor handed back the first draft of my thesis and said, "This reads like...well...an article for the general audience," sealed my fate. I have thanked her insight for ten years now.
You do not have to be a scientist or have a science background to write articles and books about science and technology. In fact, it may be helpful for you not to have a science background, because then you won't be caught up in the science jargon. If you are interviewing an astronomer on interstellar objects who says that MACHOs are found at the periphery of our galaxy, you would not just nod your head. You would ask him or her to explain--not only the acronym (Massive Compact Halo Objects)--but why MACHOs are important to your article.
The best part about science and technology writing is the range of topics from which you can choose--and each of those subjects can be further broken down into narrower topics for other articles. Topics include the physical sciences, (geology, chemistry, etc.); biology (plant, human, viral, bacterial); space science; or medical science. Many science writers also delve into technology: computers, robotics, and electronics. Under technology, a science writer may describe remote sensing techniques used to detect and track volcanic eruption plumes across the planet; or under medical science, show how using supercomputer modeling can help us understand how drugs react within the body.
Science writing does not have to be about current scientific developments; it can also be about science in the past or future. Science past had its wonderful moments of serendipity; science future has its promise of a better life. And do not overlook science fiction for article ideas. After all, most people know about "warp drive," an idea often referred to on "Star Trek." A science writer might ask, "Can we go faster than the speed of light? If we could, what type of propulsion would be needed to catapult a spaceship to such speeds?"
Although there is a myriad of topics to choose from, all science and technology writing must apply to and excite the readers. Will they be able to use the discovery in the present or future? Will it help their children to live happier lives? Does the topic stimulate their imagination, and is it enjoyable to read? Or will the story tell them about a person, place, or thing that they never knew about before?
Now that you have decided to try your hand at writing science, you will need the following:
* Intense curiosity. When you are curious about a subject in science, you are more apt to dig deeper, ask for more explanation--and your enthusiasm will show in your writing. An editor once told me, "The attention span of the reader is directly proportional to the writer's interest in the story."
* An interest in research. You may have all the curiosity about a subject, but you also need the tenacity to do the research. Science writers today have it easier than they did in the past: We have access to tremendous amounts of information, not only in libraries, but through computer communication services, where you can find articles on your subjects and leads to help you find other sources.
* Ability to recognize a good idea for a science article. A good idea for a science article is not "DNA"; a good science article idea is how DNA is being used as genetic "fingerprints" in crime investigations--and how it is also under fire because the technique is so new. Article ideas are everywhere, but the science writer has to know how to focus on that one kernel of interest.
* Contacts and sources to interview. A science writer's most valued possession is his or her contact/source list: past interviewees (experts in the fields you are writing about), reference librarians, earlier contacts from science conferences, public information offices of science-oriented institutions, organizations, and universities--and, of course, other science writers.
* Insistence on accuracy. The science writer's creed, to borrow from Thoreau, should read, "Simplicity, simplicity--not to mention accuracy, accuracy."
* Good interpretative skills. Science writers have a serious responsibility to their readers: They must interpret and present what they uncover in their research and interviews in a clear and interesting way. This interpretation is not always straightforward. I have heard it compared to translating Japanese into English: There are nuances of the Japanese culture integrated into their language that cannot be translated into English. It is often the same with explaining science to the general audiences, and as Nobel physicist Richard Feynman once said, not all science can be explained in a basic way. But do not use this as an excuse; a science writer must do the best he or she can to get the subject across to the reader.
Coming up with a good science article idea is not as difficult as it seems. There are many sources that spark ideas: newspapers, science journals, news releases, computer communication services (the ubiquitous "information highway"), and numerous publications from universities and science-oriented organizations--also other people's conversations: I began to research my article on microrobots (for Sky Magazine) when I overheard two people joking about "minimachines" taking over the planet Mars. The real microrobots may never take over the red planet, but the suggestion triggered the idea. It also started me on the trail of just how far we have come in space-oriented microrobotic research.
After you come up with a specialized science topic, your first stop should be the library to check on magazines. Read through current magazines and explore magazine topics in the Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature (and similar indexes) from the past year or so. This will help you avoid writing about an idea whose time has come and gone; also you will not send a query to a magazine that has just published an article on the same subject with the same angle. If your idea seems to be on track, then gather basic information on the subject from science magazines, brochures, encyclopedias, or books.
Next comes the query, usually a less-than-one-page "outline" (in text form) of your proposed article. The query persents your idea, sources, and credentials to the editor. A word of caution: Know your magazine. Do not send a query on industrial robotics to Woman's World, or an idea on the future of the American/Russian cooperation on the Space Station to Sailing; but also remember that certain non-science magazines will take science or technology topics, including some inflight and general audience magazines. Know your science magazines, too: Articles for Omni have a different slant from those for Popular Science.
The day the editor says, "Go for it," is the day you take all your basic information and outline-query letter, and get to work. Now is also the time to call on your sources for interviews. Some science writers write a sketchy first draft to their story before the interviews--a way to organize their thoughts and frame the questions to ask the interviewee in some semblance of order; other writers do a first draft after the interview. In either case, you will need a list of questions to ask your experts. Always remember that the only dumb question is the one you did not ask.
Writing a publishable science article takes the ability to explain complex concepts without baffling or confusing readers. One of the best approaches is to discuss the subject or idea in terms the reader can relate to. For example, in my article on agriculture in space (for Ad Astra) I wove familiar gardening terms (and references to many gardening problems) into the piece so the readers could relate to growing plants in the Space Station and beyond.
Another strategy to give your science article life is to use anecdotes. Usually, your interviewees have interesting stories to tell, such as how their discovery was made, or about the first patient to use their new drug. Since the general public often thinks of science as another world, descriptions of the scientists and their surroundings will "humanize" your article, showing that the expert has the same idiosyncrasies that we all have--right down to worries about money or celebrations of victories.
Of course, there are two more qualities that keep all science writers going: patience and perseverance. It takes patience to get an interview with a busy scientist (and sometimes you will not get the interview at all); and patience to see your words in print. Plus, it takes perseverance to understand the intricacies of your science article--and to keep up with the new science discoveries that pop up every week.
There is more than enough science to provide you with subjects for science articles. As a science writer just remember that the universe is now your beat.
Abstract: Science and technology affect our daily lives and provide a broad range of opportunities for potential science writers. Such writers should bring to their work a curiosity, interpretative skills, accuracy, research interest, and the skill to recognize a good idea.
Source Citation (MLA 7th Edition)
Barnes-Svarney, Patricia. "Science writing today and tomorrow." The Writer Nov. 1994: 15+. General OneFile. Web. 24 May 2013.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA15812453&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A15812453
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Mythology in art
Dragon--that quintessential baddie of folklore and mythology--takes center stage in this month's featured Art Print. Although Saint George is clearly the hero of Peter Paul Rubens' iconic painting, it is the pitch-black, scaly, fire-spewing beast he is attempting to slay that inspires fascination.
Dragon references first appeared in the Near East between the Fifth and Fourth Century, B.C., and have continued to this day. Nearly every culture in the world has its own dragon lore and iconography.
"Dragons are awe-inspiring patchwork creatures found in the myths and legends of cultures all around the world.... Despite their differences, many of the mythical dragons found throughout the world all began as vague serpentine ideas modeled after real creatures, beginning with a snake or some other fearsome reptile. Over time, they acquired more definite and exotic shapes as they absorbed the hopes and superstitions of the local people and borrowed the traits of local animals." (livescience.com)
Yet, not all dragons are the loathsome and feared beasts of Western and Christian mythology, in which they represent Satan, evil and the vanquishing of paganism. Many Asian cultures revere the dragon, such as in China, where dragons are symbols of power, happiness and fertility. Despite the dragon being a product of the ancient world, its image and allure are still inspiring artists today.
ABOUT THE ARTWORK
"So comes snow after fire, and even dragons have their endings."--J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit.
Although many Christian saints could claim the title "Dragon Slayer," it is Saint George who gets all the glory. The Legend of Saint George and the Dragon, which originated during the Crusades, is as follows: A ferocious dragon was terrorizing a kingdom. The dragon demanded to be fed one maiden per day, or it would destroy the land with its scorching flames and putrid vapors. When all the maidens had been consumed, the only one left was the king's only daughter.
Now, as Saint George was traveling the land, he heard tell of the dragon and its hold on the people. He decided to confront the dragon and put an end to its terror. Traveling the land, he came upon the dragon's cave, where the princess was being held. The dragon rushed from its cave, where he found the knight on his steed. The two battled until George plunged his spear into the dragon, slaying it and saving the princess.
The Flemish Baroque master, Peter Paul Rubens, painted his version of the popular subject while visiting Italy. "This work was made in Ruben's youth ... and is a perfect example of the monumentality of his paintings from that period, with strong, forceful figures. Also characteristic of his work from that time are the use of directed light and very dynamic compositions, as can be seen here in the strong diagonal placement of the horse, which practically divides the canvas into two parts."
Ruben's painterly technique serves the energy of this scene, as the dragon struggles to remove the spear piercing its gaping mouth. The symbolism of the white steed rising over the black serpent could not be clearer: the victory of good over evil.
Source Citation (MLA 7th Edition)
Carroll, Colleen. "Mythology in art." Arts & Activities Apr. 2013: 19. Fine Arts and Music Collection. Web. 16 May 2013.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA324397521&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=PPFA&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A324397521
Dragon references first appeared in the Near East between the Fifth and Fourth Century, B.C., and have continued to this day. Nearly every culture in the world has its own dragon lore and iconography.
"Dragons are awe-inspiring patchwork creatures found in the myths and legends of cultures all around the world.... Despite their differences, many of the mythical dragons found throughout the world all began as vague serpentine ideas modeled after real creatures, beginning with a snake or some other fearsome reptile. Over time, they acquired more definite and exotic shapes as they absorbed the hopes and superstitions of the local people and borrowed the traits of local animals." (livescience.com)
Yet, not all dragons are the loathsome and feared beasts of Western and Christian mythology, in which they represent Satan, evil and the vanquishing of paganism. Many Asian cultures revere the dragon, such as in China, where dragons are symbols of power, happiness and fertility. Despite the dragon being a product of the ancient world, its image and allure are still inspiring artists today.
ABOUT THE ARTWORK
"So comes snow after fire, and even dragons have their endings."--J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit.
Although many Christian saints could claim the title "Dragon Slayer," it is Saint George who gets all the glory. The Legend of Saint George and the Dragon, which originated during the Crusades, is as follows: A ferocious dragon was terrorizing a kingdom. The dragon demanded to be fed one maiden per day, or it would destroy the land with its scorching flames and putrid vapors. When all the maidens had been consumed, the only one left was the king's only daughter.
Now, as Saint George was traveling the land, he heard tell of the dragon and its hold on the people. He decided to confront the dragon and put an end to its terror. Traveling the land, he came upon the dragon's cave, where the princess was being held. The dragon rushed from its cave, where he found the knight on his steed. The two battled until George plunged his spear into the dragon, slaying it and saving the princess.
The Flemish Baroque master, Peter Paul Rubens, painted his version of the popular subject while visiting Italy. "This work was made in Ruben's youth ... and is a perfect example of the monumentality of his paintings from that period, with strong, forceful figures. Also characteristic of his work from that time are the use of directed light and very dynamic compositions, as can be seen here in the strong diagonal placement of the horse, which practically divides the canvas into two parts."
Ruben's painterly technique serves the energy of this scene, as the dragon struggles to remove the spear piercing its gaping mouth. The symbolism of the white steed rising over the black serpent could not be clearer: the victory of good over evil.
Source Citation (MLA 7th Edition)
Carroll, Colleen. "Mythology in art." Arts & Activities Apr. 2013: 19. Fine Arts and Music Collection. Web. 16 May 2013.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA324397521&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=PPFA&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A324397521
Cummins Partnering with Castlight in Effort to Improve Health CareQuality and Reduce Costs for Employees
Health Care List - Health Care Professions List - Healthcare Mailing List, a photo by Thomson Data LLC on Flickr.
Through Castlight's health care management suite, users are able to access valuable information on the cost and quality of medical providers and procedures, empowering them to make well-informed decisions on the care available to them.
An ardent supporter of employee health and wellness, Cummins offers a wide variety of programs to help its workforce take control of their health care. When it launched a consumer-driven health plan (CDHP), Cummins determined that incorporating a Health Care Transparency solution would not only help employees uncover low-cost, high-quality care, but could also drive engagement in other benefits initiatives such as its wellness programs.
"Our business is powered by our employees and we believe that healthy, productive and informed employees are key to our success," said Jill Olds, Director, Global Benefits Strategy, Cummins Inc. "By adding Health Care Transparency from Castlight to our benefits program, we can further engage our employees and their families in their health care and empower them to become better health care consumers."
With Castlight, employees can find cost-effective health care providers, services and facilities. In addition, the Castlight tool will help cross-promote Cummins' nurse helpline, maternity management program and Virgin HealthMiles rewards program. Cummins also plans to integrate Castlight with its pharmacy partner to provide richer data on pharmacies and prescriptions.
"Cummins has long been a visionary in how it approaches employee benefits and in understanding the importance and impact of engaging employees in their health care," said Giovanni Colella, M.D., co-founder and CEO, Castlight Health. "Forward-thinking employers like Cummins are helping pave the path to Health Care Transparency by showcasing how innovative new benefits offerings can improve outcomes and reduce costs for their employees." About Cummins Cummins Inc., a global power leader, is a corporation of complementary business units that design, manufacture, distribute and service diesel and natural gas engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission solutions and electrical power generation systems. Headquartered in Columbus, Indiana, (USA) Cummins currently employs approximately 46,000 people worldwide and serves customers in approximately 190 countries and territories through a network of approximately 600 company-owned and independent distributor locations and approximately 6,500 dealer locations. Cummins earned $1.65 billion on sales of $17.3 billion in 2012.
Source Citation (MLA 7th Edition)
"Cummins Partnering with Castlight in Effort to Improve Health Care Quality and Reduce Costs for Employees." Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week 18 May 2013: 123. Health Reference Center Academic. Web. 16 May 2013.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA329470905&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=HRCA&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A329470905
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Early warning signs of population collapse
Boston MA (SPX) Apr 15, 2013, 2013 Many factors - including climate change, overfishing or loss of food supply - can push a wild animal population to the brink of collapse. Ecologists have long sought ways to measure the risk of such a collapse, which could help wildlife and fishery managers take steps to protect endangered populations.
Last year, MIT physicists demonstrated that they could measure a population's risk of collapse by monitoring how fast it recovers from small disturbances, such as a food shortage or overcrowding. However, this strategy would likely require many years of data collection - by which time it could be too late to save the population.
In a paper appearing in the April 10 online edition of Nature, the same research team describes a new way to predict the risk of collapse, based on variations in population density in neighboring regions. Such information is easier to obtain than data on population fluctuations over time, making it potentially more useful, according to the researchers.
"Spatial data are more accessible," says Lei Dai, an MIT graduate student in physics and lead author of the study. "You can get them by satellite images, or you could just go out and do a survey."
Led by Jeff Gore, an assistant professor of physics, Dai and Kirill Korolev, a Pappalardo Postdoctoral Fellow, grew yeast in test tubes and tracked the populations as they approached collapse. Yeast cells cooperate with other members of the population: Each of the organisms secretes an enzyme that breaks down sucrose in the environment into smaller sugars that it can use as a food source. All of the yeast benefit from this process, so a population is most successful when it maintains a certain density - neither too low nor too high.
In last year's study, the researchers found that in populations of yeast that are subjected to increasingly stressful conditions, populations become less and less resilient to new disturbances until they reach a tipping point at which any small disruption could wipe out a population.
This phenomenon can be spotted quickly in yeast, which produces about 10 new generations per day, but measuring these population fluctuations for species such as fish or deer would take much more time. In hopes of finding more useful signals, the researchers turned their attention to spatial information.
There goes the neighborhood
In their new study, the researchers theorized a new type of indicator that they call "recovery length" - the spatial counterpart to recovery time. This idea is based on the observation that populations living near the boundary of a less hospitable habitat are affected, because the neighboring habitats are connected by migration.
Populations further away from the bad region gradually recover to equilibrium, and the spatial scale of this recovery can reveal a population's susceptibility to collapse, according to the researchers.
To test this idea, the researchers first established several linked yeast populations in a state of equilibrium. At the end of each day, a certain percentage of each population was transferred to adjacent test tubes, representing migration to adjacent regions.
The researchers then introduced a "bad" habitat, where only one in every 2,500 yeast survives from one day to the next. This reduction in population mimics what might happen in a natural population plagued by overfishing, or by a drastic reduction in its food supply.
The MIT team found that populations closest to the bad habitat had the hardest time maintaining an equilibrium state. Populations farther away maintained their equilibrium more easily.
"There's some distance you have to go away from the bad region in order to get recovery of the population density," Gore says. "How far you have to go before you reach equilibrium is the recovery length, and that tells you how close these populations are to collapse."
The recovery length varies based on how much stress the populations are already under.
To apply this finding to a natural population, population density would need to be measured in a range of adjacent areas at increasing distances from a good/bad boundary. This information could then be mapped to reveal the recovery length. "What's great about the recovery length is you don't need a long time series. You could just measure it at one moment in time," Gore says.
The MIT researchers are hoping to expand their studies to natural populations such as honeybees, fisheries or forests. They are also studying more complex experimental ecosystems involving several microbial species.
The research was funded by a Whitaker Health Sciences Fund Fellowship, a Pappalardo Fellowship, a National Institutes of Health Pathways to Independence Award and New Innovator Award, a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, a Sloan Research Fellowship, the Pew Scholars Program and the Allen Investigator Program.
by Anne Trafton for MIT News
Source Citation (MLA 7th Edition)
"Early warning signs of population collapse." Space Daily 23 Apr. 2013. General OneFile. Web. 9 May 2013.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA327268858&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A327268858
Last year, MIT physicists demonstrated that they could measure a population's risk of collapse by monitoring how fast it recovers from small disturbances, such as a food shortage or overcrowding. However, this strategy would likely require many years of data collection - by which time it could be too late to save the population.
In a paper appearing in the April 10 online edition of Nature, the same research team describes a new way to predict the risk of collapse, based on variations in population density in neighboring regions. Such information is easier to obtain than data on population fluctuations over time, making it potentially more useful, according to the researchers.
"Spatial data are more accessible," says Lei Dai, an MIT graduate student in physics and lead author of the study. "You can get them by satellite images, or you could just go out and do a survey."
Led by Jeff Gore, an assistant professor of physics, Dai and Kirill Korolev, a Pappalardo Postdoctoral Fellow, grew yeast in test tubes and tracked the populations as they approached collapse. Yeast cells cooperate with other members of the population: Each of the organisms secretes an enzyme that breaks down sucrose in the environment into smaller sugars that it can use as a food source. All of the yeast benefit from this process, so a population is most successful when it maintains a certain density - neither too low nor too high.
In last year's study, the researchers found that in populations of yeast that are subjected to increasingly stressful conditions, populations become less and less resilient to new disturbances until they reach a tipping point at which any small disruption could wipe out a population.
This phenomenon can be spotted quickly in yeast, which produces about 10 new generations per day, but measuring these population fluctuations for species such as fish or deer would take much more time. In hopes of finding more useful signals, the researchers turned their attention to spatial information.
There goes the neighborhood
In their new study, the researchers theorized a new type of indicator that they call "recovery length" - the spatial counterpart to recovery time. This idea is based on the observation that populations living near the boundary of a less hospitable habitat are affected, because the neighboring habitats are connected by migration.
Populations further away from the bad region gradually recover to equilibrium, and the spatial scale of this recovery can reveal a population's susceptibility to collapse, according to the researchers.
To test this idea, the researchers first established several linked yeast populations in a state of equilibrium. At the end of each day, a certain percentage of each population was transferred to adjacent test tubes, representing migration to adjacent regions.
The researchers then introduced a "bad" habitat, where only one in every 2,500 yeast survives from one day to the next. This reduction in population mimics what might happen in a natural population plagued by overfishing, or by a drastic reduction in its food supply.
The MIT team found that populations closest to the bad habitat had the hardest time maintaining an equilibrium state. Populations farther away maintained their equilibrium more easily.
"There's some distance you have to go away from the bad region in order to get recovery of the population density," Gore says. "How far you have to go before you reach equilibrium is the recovery length, and that tells you how close these populations are to collapse."
The recovery length varies based on how much stress the populations are already under.
To apply this finding to a natural population, population density would need to be measured in a range of adjacent areas at increasing distances from a good/bad boundary. This information could then be mapped to reveal the recovery length. "What's great about the recovery length is you don't need a long time series. You could just measure it at one moment in time," Gore says.
The MIT researchers are hoping to expand their studies to natural populations such as honeybees, fisheries or forests. They are also studying more complex experimental ecosystems involving several microbial species.
The research was funded by a Whitaker Health Sciences Fund Fellowship, a Pappalardo Fellowship, a National Institutes of Health Pathways to Independence Award and New Innovator Award, a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, a Sloan Research Fellowship, the Pew Scholars Program and the Allen Investigator Program.
by Anne Trafton for MIT News
Source Citation (MLA 7th Edition)
"Early warning signs of population collapse." Space Daily 23 Apr. 2013. General OneFile. Web. 9 May 2013.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA327268858&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A327268858
Paperback bestsellers/mass market
Envy is the third entry in Ward's Fallen Angels series. About book one, Covet, PW said, "Ward provides the combination of fun, thrills, and gratuitous sex she's best known for. Fans of the Brotherhood, clear a shelf: your next series addiction has just begun." According to the author's bio, "Writing has always been her passion and her idea of heaven is a whole day of nothing but her computer, her dog, and her coffee pot." (Since today's issue contains our Pets & Animals feature--see p. 24--we feel obliged to mention Ward's beloved golden retriever.)
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
In PW's June 6 Romance feature, Singh said, "Writing is so very right for me that even when it's hard, it's still the only thing I can imagine doing, the only thing I want to be doing." About her fourth Guild Hunter novel, PW said, "Singh's vampires, angels, hunters, and archangels engage in global power struggles within a complex larger story that new readers will find challenging. An engrossing narrative, vivid characters, and a well-imagined world mitigate those difficulties, resulting in a heart-pounding and strongly emotional read."
Woods's 19th title to star detective-turned-lawyer Stone Barrington --the first was New York Dead, back in 199l--enjoyed a six-week hardcover run at the beginning of the year. In a recent interview, Woods was asked about the increasing practice of authors co-writing (see today's Fiction and Nonfiction lists). His reply: "I am opposed to collaborating, because then you have to give the other writer half the money." Re the author's next opus, due Sept. 20: far be it from us to spill any plot-related beans ... but the title is Son of Stone.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
"'Could we take his legs off?' 'Take Eddie's legs off? How?' 'I have a hacksaw under the front seat,' Roma added.... Because she was a veterinarian she had a number of things in her vehicle that other people didn't.... 'But don't they detach somehow?' Wrong thing to say. Maggie laid a protective hand on Eddie's thigh. 'Do your legs detach?' she asked."
--From Kelly's Sleight of Paw
Paperback Bestsellers/Mass Market
Last Weeks
September 19, 2011 week on list
(1) Port Mortuary. Patricia Cornwell. 3 2
Berkley, $9.99
ISBN 978-0-425-24360-2
(2) American Assassin . Vince Flynn. 4 2
Pocket, $9.99
ISBN 978-1-4165-9519-9
(3) 1105 Yakima Street. Debbie Macomber. 2 2
Mira, $7.99
ISBN 978-0-778-31251-2
(4) Envy. J.R. Ward. -- 1
Signet, $7.99
ISBN 978-0-451-22945-8
(5) The Confession. John Grisham. 8 8
Dell, $9.99
ISBN 978-0-440-24511-7
(6) Lost Empire . Clive Cussler with 18 2
Grant Blackwood. Berkley, $9.99
ISBN 978-0-425-24361-9
(7) Game of Thrones. George R.R. Martin. 11 25
Bantam, $8.99
ISBN 978-0-553-59371-6
(8) The Reversal . Michael Connelly. 1 3
Vision, $9.99
ISBN 978-0-446-55675-0
(9) Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue. 9 2
Stephanie Laurens. Avon, $7.99
ISBN 978-0-06-206860-6
(10) The Emperor's Tomb. Steve Berry. 17 2
Ballantine, $9.99
ISBN 978-0-345-50550-7
(11) Canyons of Night. Jayne Castle. 5 2
Jove, $7.99
ISBN 978-0-515-14988-3
(12) Strategic Moves. Stuart Woods. -- 1
Signet, $9.99
ISBN 978-0-451-23445-2
(13) A Clash of Kings. George R.R. Martin. 12 22
Bantam, $8.99
ISBN 978-0-553-57990-1
(14) Archangel's Blade. Nalini Singh. -- 1
Berkley, $7.99
ISBN 978-0-425-24391-6
(15) A Storm of Swords. George R. R. Martin. 15 22
Bantam, $8.99
ISBN 978-0-553-57342-8
Source Citation (MLA 7th Edition)
Donahue, Dick. "Paperback bestsellers/mass market." Publishers Weekly 19 Sept. 2011: 18. General OneFile. Web. 9 May 2013.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA267710085&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A267710085
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
In PW's June 6 Romance feature, Singh said, "Writing is so very right for me that even when it's hard, it's still the only thing I can imagine doing, the only thing I want to be doing." About her fourth Guild Hunter novel, PW said, "Singh's vampires, angels, hunters, and archangels engage in global power struggles within a complex larger story that new readers will find challenging. An engrossing narrative, vivid characters, and a well-imagined world mitigate those difficulties, resulting in a heart-pounding and strongly emotional read."
Woods's 19th title to star detective-turned-lawyer Stone Barrington --the first was New York Dead, back in 199l--enjoyed a six-week hardcover run at the beginning of the year. In a recent interview, Woods was asked about the increasing practice of authors co-writing (see today's Fiction and Nonfiction lists). His reply: "I am opposed to collaborating, because then you have to give the other writer half the money." Re the author's next opus, due Sept. 20: far be it from us to spill any plot-related beans ... but the title is Son of Stone.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
"'Could we take his legs off?' 'Take Eddie's legs off? How?' 'I have a hacksaw under the front seat,' Roma added.... Because she was a veterinarian she had a number of things in her vehicle that other people didn't.... 'But don't they detach somehow?' Wrong thing to say. Maggie laid a protective hand on Eddie's thigh. 'Do your legs detach?' she asked."
--From Kelly's Sleight of Paw
Paperback Bestsellers/Mass Market
Last Weeks
September 19, 2011 week on list
(1) Port Mortuary. Patricia Cornwell. 3 2
Berkley, $9.99
ISBN 978-0-425-24360-2
(2) American Assassin . Vince Flynn. 4 2
Pocket, $9.99
ISBN 978-1-4165-9519-9
(3) 1105 Yakima Street. Debbie Macomber. 2 2
Mira, $7.99
ISBN 978-0-778-31251-2
(4) Envy. J.R. Ward. -- 1
Signet, $7.99
ISBN 978-0-451-22945-8
(5) The Confession. John Grisham. 8 8
Dell, $9.99
ISBN 978-0-440-24511-7
(6) Lost Empire . Clive Cussler with 18 2
Grant Blackwood. Berkley, $9.99
ISBN 978-0-425-24361-9
(7) Game of Thrones. George R.R. Martin. 11 25
Bantam, $8.99
ISBN 978-0-553-59371-6
(8) The Reversal . Michael Connelly. 1 3
Vision, $9.99
ISBN 978-0-446-55675-0
(9) Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue. 9 2
Stephanie Laurens. Avon, $7.99
ISBN 978-0-06-206860-6
(10) The Emperor's Tomb. Steve Berry. 17 2
Ballantine, $9.99
ISBN 978-0-345-50550-7
(11) Canyons of Night. Jayne Castle. 5 2
Jove, $7.99
ISBN 978-0-515-14988-3
(12) Strategic Moves. Stuart Woods. -- 1
Signet, $9.99
ISBN 978-0-451-23445-2
(13) A Clash of Kings. George R.R. Martin. 12 22
Bantam, $8.99
ISBN 978-0-553-57990-1
(14) Archangel's Blade. Nalini Singh. -- 1
Berkley, $7.99
ISBN 978-0-425-24391-6
(15) A Storm of Swords. George R. R. Martin. 15 22
Bantam, $8.99
ISBN 978-0-553-57342-8
Source Citation (MLA 7th Edition)
Donahue, Dick. "Paperback bestsellers/mass market." Publishers Weekly 19 Sept. 2011: 18. General OneFile. Web. 9 May 2013.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA267710085&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A267710085
Monday, January 21, 2013
Stories You Cared About Most in 2012
Johnny Whitmire is a story of Muncie, and Muncie is the story of America. In this place--dubbed "Middletown" by early 20th-century sociologists--people have lost faith in their institutions. Government, politics, corporations, the media, organized religion, organized labor, banks, businesses, and other mainstays of a healthy society are failing. It's not just that the institutions are corrupt or broken; those cliches oversimplify an existential problem: With few notable exceptions, the nation's onetime social pillars are ill-equipped for the 21st century. Most critically, they are failing to adapt quickly enough for a population buffeted by wrenching economic, technological, and demographic change.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Economy
The Federal Reserve Board announced its third round of quantitative easing (QE3) at the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting in September.
This inflationary move helped send the price of gold up, but the price of gold has fallen, partly on the suspicion that GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney will win the election and "fire" Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his wimpy FOMC "doves," who keep voting for cheap money - and LOTS of it!
The most amazing series of quotes in the minutes from that FOMC meeting profiled the Fed's admission that the economy is expanding at a "moderate" pace, with household spending growing "a bit more quickly."
In other words, we don't face an official recession, but the Fed still voted to buy an extra $40 billion of Treasury bonds each month, while also announcing that it will keep short-term interest rates near zero for another three years, through at least mid-2015. To many observers, this isn't really QE3, but rather QE4-Ever, an ever-expanding supply of fiat money seemingly "forever."
Editor's Note: Economist Unapologetically Calls Out Bernanke, Obama for Mishandling Economy. See What They Did
The Fed will likely continue QE3 indefinitely, since the FOMC is "concerned that, without sufficient policy accommodation, economic growth might not be strong enough to generate sustained improvement in labor market conditions," and that "the Committee expects that a highly accommodative stance of monetary policy will remain appropriate for a considerable time after the economic recovery strengthens."
In brief, look for a rally in gold if President Barack Obama is re-elected and Bernanke enjoys four more years of job security.
If Romney wins, gold might take a temporary dip, but as soon as investors realize that a new President Romney might not REALLY fire Bernanke and we remain in a recession, we could see a delayed rise in gold under a Republican President and a compliant Republican Congress.
Will the Dow and Gold ever "Cross" Again?
On one day in January of 1980, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the price of gold met at about 850 Dow and $850 gold. This "crossing" of the Dow and gold has never happened again, before or since, but the ratio has undergone three major cycles of extreme highs and lows in the last century.
When gold was $20.67, the Dow reached a peak of 389 in 1929 for a 19:1 ratio. The ratio fell down to 2:1 in 1932, when the Dow bottomed at 40 and gold was $20.67.
The next peak came in 1966, when the Dow reached 995, while gold was $35, for a ratio of 28:1. Then came the 1980 "crossing," followed by the greatest gold discount in the last century, in late 1999, when the Dow was 11,000 and gold was $252, for a 43:1 ratio. The recent ratio is 7.7:1 (13,100 Dow vs. $1,712 gold).
Here are the extreme ratios of the last three cycles and where we may be headed next:
Year
Dow
Gold
Ratio
1929
389
$20.67
18.8
1932
40
$20.67
1.9
1966
995
$35
28.4
1980
850
$850
1.0
1999
11,000
$252
43.7
2012
13,100
$1,712
7.7
Gold's peak in Dow terms came during two election years that were major "game changers": the 1932 election of Franklin Roosevelt over the failed Republican Herbert Hoover, and the 1980 election of Ronald Reagan over the failed Democrat Jimmy Carter.
In that context, this election does not constitute an economic low point, similar to 1932 or 1980, but we might be historically "on the way" to such a convergence, and that could be the best time to buy gold.
If gold and the Dow ever cross again, it would likely fall somewhere between $2,000 and $10,000.
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Editor's Note: Economist Unapologetically Calls Out Bernanke, Obama for Mishandling Economy. See What They Did
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Take your guess, but the Dow fell to 6,500 in 2009, so that is a possible target in another severe financial crisis. Perhaps gold and the Dow will meet at $6,500, for a 50 percent decline in the Dow and a 280 percent gain in gold.
Even if we reach the 2:1 ratio of 1932, we could see $5,000 gold and a 10,000 Dow by 2016, most likely if Obama wins in 2012, but possibly no matter who wins - as long as the Fed gives us QE4-Ever.
About the Author: Mike Fuljenz
Mike Fuljenz is a member of the Moneynews Financial Brain Trust. Click Here to read more of his articles. He is also the editor of the NLG award winning Michael Fuljenz Metals Market Weekly Report. Discover more by Clicking Here Now.
Mike Fuljenz
Source Citation (MLA 7th Edition)
Fuljenz, Mike. "Mike Fuljenz: Is QE3 Really QE4-Ever?" Newsmax 31 Oct. 2012. Communications and Mass Media Collection. Web. 5 Nov. 2012.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA307067338&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A307067338
This inflationary move helped send the price of gold up, but the price of gold has fallen, partly on the suspicion that GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney will win the election and "fire" Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his wimpy FOMC "doves," who keep voting for cheap money - and LOTS of it!
The most amazing series of quotes in the minutes from that FOMC meeting profiled the Fed's admission that the economy is expanding at a "moderate" pace, with household spending growing "a bit more quickly."
In other words, we don't face an official recession, but the Fed still voted to buy an extra $40 billion of Treasury bonds each month, while also announcing that it will keep short-term interest rates near zero for another three years, through at least mid-2015. To many observers, this isn't really QE3, but rather QE4-Ever, an ever-expanding supply of fiat money seemingly "forever."
Editor's Note: Economist Unapologetically Calls Out Bernanke, Obama for Mishandling Economy. See What They Did
The Fed will likely continue QE3 indefinitely, since the FOMC is "concerned that, without sufficient policy accommodation, economic growth might not be strong enough to generate sustained improvement in labor market conditions," and that "the Committee expects that a highly accommodative stance of monetary policy will remain appropriate for a considerable time after the economic recovery strengthens."
In brief, look for a rally in gold if President Barack Obama is re-elected and Bernanke enjoys four more years of job security.
If Romney wins, gold might take a temporary dip, but as soon as investors realize that a new President Romney might not REALLY fire Bernanke and we remain in a recession, we could see a delayed rise in gold under a Republican President and a compliant Republican Congress.
Will the Dow and Gold ever "Cross" Again?
On one day in January of 1980, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the price of gold met at about 850 Dow and $850 gold. This "crossing" of the Dow and gold has never happened again, before or since, but the ratio has undergone three major cycles of extreme highs and lows in the last century.
When gold was $20.67, the Dow reached a peak of 389 in 1929 for a 19:1 ratio. The ratio fell down to 2:1 in 1932, when the Dow bottomed at 40 and gold was $20.67.
The next peak came in 1966, when the Dow reached 995, while gold was $35, for a ratio of 28:1. Then came the 1980 "crossing," followed by the greatest gold discount in the last century, in late 1999, when the Dow was 11,000 and gold was $252, for a 43:1 ratio. The recent ratio is 7.7:1 (13,100 Dow vs. $1,712 gold).
Here are the extreme ratios of the last three cycles and where we may be headed next:
Year
Dow
Gold
Ratio
1929
389
$20.67
18.8
1932
40
$20.67
1.9
1966
995
$35
28.4
1980
850
$850
1.0
1999
11,000
$252
43.7
2012
13,100
$1,712
7.7
Gold's peak in Dow terms came during two election years that were major "game changers": the 1932 election of Franklin Roosevelt over the failed Republican Herbert Hoover, and the 1980 election of Ronald Reagan over the failed Democrat Jimmy Carter.
In that context, this election does not constitute an economic low point, similar to 1932 or 1980, but we might be historically "on the way" to such a convergence, and that could be the best time to buy gold.
If gold and the Dow ever cross again, it would likely fall somewhere between $2,000 and $10,000.
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Editor's Note: Economist Unapologetically Calls Out Bernanke, Obama for Mishandling Economy. See What They Did
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Take your guess, but the Dow fell to 6,500 in 2009, so that is a possible target in another severe financial crisis. Perhaps gold and the Dow will meet at $6,500, for a 50 percent decline in the Dow and a 280 percent gain in gold.
Even if we reach the 2:1 ratio of 1932, we could see $5,000 gold and a 10,000 Dow by 2016, most likely if Obama wins in 2012, but possibly no matter who wins - as long as the Fed gives us QE4-Ever.
About the Author: Mike Fuljenz
Mike Fuljenz is a member of the Moneynews Financial Brain Trust. Click Here to read more of his articles. He is also the editor of the NLG award winning Michael Fuljenz Metals Market Weekly Report. Discover more by Clicking Here Now.
Mike Fuljenz
Source Citation (MLA 7th Edition)
Fuljenz, Mike. "Mike Fuljenz: Is QE3 Really QE4-Ever?" Newsmax 31 Oct. 2012. Communications and Mass Media Collection. Web. 5 Nov. 2012.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA307067338&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A307067338
Monday, June 18, 2012
Zero waste: some people don't think it is possible to have a zero-wasteoperation.
Throughout history, man has created waste. As the industrial revolution kicked into high gear and the population grew, the waste piles increased. Around the middle of the 20th century, people grew interested in finding ways to reuse some of the generated wastes. Members of the hippy movement of the '60s came together in the '70s to form commune groups, making recycling a real group effort.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Today, companies often make purchasing decisions based on the ability to recycle or how biodegradable they might be. Many companies are finding that such actions save considerable dollars as the costs for disposal are greatly reduced, or even eliminated.
The concept of zero waste seems simple. The idea is that as materials come into a plant, none of it is sent to a landfill or a disposal company after the product is completed. Scraps are reused, new markets are found for byproducts and the rest of the materials are sent to a recycling company
Can it be done?
There are plenty of skeptics that do not believe most plants can become zero-waste operations. They argue it cannot be done in a fiscally responsible way. While nearly anything might be possible, is it really worth any cost? If a product that normally sells for one Dollar ends up selling for $20 in order to achieve zero waste, will there be a market to sell the product?
California recently passed a rule requiring companies to acknowledge all of the chemical constituents of their products. If the state decides one of the chemicals could be considered hazardous, they will tell the company to find another chemical to use. Only time will tell how such a rule will impact product quality.
The federal EPA followed suit and passed a similar rule. Additionally, they are going to begin denying companies the ability to declare confidentiality. In the past, a company could declare that certain chemical information should remain confidential to avoid allowing competitors the ability to know their processes. If the EPA has its way, there will be fewer corporate secrets and they will have more control over what chemicals are used in production processes.
While the goals of these projects seem noble enough, the consumer may not be pleased. For example, most people can enjoy a good chocolate chip cookie. But, if the butter is not used in the recipe and carob chips are substituted for the chocolate, consumers will not be pleased with the results, even if it is edible. A case in point comes to mind when vegetarians tried to introduce the tofu turkey as a substitute for turkey. After all this time, faux turkey is just not catching on.
Don't give up
The goal of zero waste may seem lofty but that does not mean that it is unachievable. Consider that McDonald's Corp. traditionally wins the best french fries category each year. A few years ago, some activists groups put pressure on the company saying that the oils they used were causing their customers to consume unhealthy fats.
The company put their crack research team on a project to come up with healthier oil while maintaining the taste customers had come to expect. After years of searching, they now use a healthier oil in their process and the taste is preserved.
Some automotive manufactures have proclaimed that some of their facilities have achieved zero waste. The single largest impact on their waste control was to require suppliers use reusable shipping containers. Now, when a shipment of parts arrives, they reload the empty containers to be returned to the supplier. Toyota Motor Sales said that they saved 17.6 million pounds of wood and cardboard in 2008 with the implementation of such a program.
Ideas abound on ways to reduce waste. Search the Internet for "zero waste." Add the name of a company to the search to find what steps are being taken by others. Then take a look around or create a waste panel with the floor staff to brainstorm ideas. Just don't give up.
Bigham, Roy
Source Citation
Bigham, Roy. "Zero waste: some people don't think it is possible to have a zero-waste operation. With today's available technology, we can get really close." Pollution Engineering June 2012: 40. Environmental Studies and Policy. Web. 18 June 2012.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA292088547&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=PPES&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A292088547
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Today, companies often make purchasing decisions based on the ability to recycle or how biodegradable they might be. Many companies are finding that such actions save considerable dollars as the costs for disposal are greatly reduced, or even eliminated.
The concept of zero waste seems simple. The idea is that as materials come into a plant, none of it is sent to a landfill or a disposal company after the product is completed. Scraps are reused, new markets are found for byproducts and the rest of the materials are sent to a recycling company
Can it be done?
There are plenty of skeptics that do not believe most plants can become zero-waste operations. They argue it cannot be done in a fiscally responsible way. While nearly anything might be possible, is it really worth any cost? If a product that normally sells for one Dollar ends up selling for $20 in order to achieve zero waste, will there be a market to sell the product?
California recently passed a rule requiring companies to acknowledge all of the chemical constituents of their products. If the state decides one of the chemicals could be considered hazardous, they will tell the company to find another chemical to use. Only time will tell how such a rule will impact product quality.
The federal EPA followed suit and passed a similar rule. Additionally, they are going to begin denying companies the ability to declare confidentiality. In the past, a company could declare that certain chemical information should remain confidential to avoid allowing competitors the ability to know their processes. If the EPA has its way, there will be fewer corporate secrets and they will have more control over what chemicals are used in production processes.
While the goals of these projects seem noble enough, the consumer may not be pleased. For example, most people can enjoy a good chocolate chip cookie. But, if the butter is not used in the recipe and carob chips are substituted for the chocolate, consumers will not be pleased with the results, even if it is edible. A case in point comes to mind when vegetarians tried to introduce the tofu turkey as a substitute for turkey. After all this time, faux turkey is just not catching on.
Don't give up
The goal of zero waste may seem lofty but that does not mean that it is unachievable. Consider that McDonald's Corp. traditionally wins the best french fries category each year. A few years ago, some activists groups put pressure on the company saying that the oils they used were causing their customers to consume unhealthy fats.
The company put their crack research team on a project to come up with healthier oil while maintaining the taste customers had come to expect. After years of searching, they now use a healthier oil in their process and the taste is preserved.
Some automotive manufactures have proclaimed that some of their facilities have achieved zero waste. The single largest impact on their waste control was to require suppliers use reusable shipping containers. Now, when a shipment of parts arrives, they reload the empty containers to be returned to the supplier. Toyota Motor Sales said that they saved 17.6 million pounds of wood and cardboard in 2008 with the implementation of such a program.
Ideas abound on ways to reduce waste. Search the Internet for "zero waste." Add the name of a company to the search to find what steps are being taken by others. Then take a look around or create a waste panel with the floor staff to brainstorm ideas. Just don't give up.
Bigham, Roy
Source Citation
Bigham, Roy. "Zero waste: some people don't think it is possible to have a zero-waste operation. With today's available technology, we can get really close." Pollution Engineering June 2012: 40. Environmental Studies and Policy. Web. 18 June 2012.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA292088547&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=PPES&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A292088547
Monday, June 11, 2012
The character of communication: a new study reveals how leaders usecommunication and change management to build sustainable performance
Whether it's about the business or the employee experience, there needs to be a sense of direction and steps to follow.
In a challenging and dynamic business world, success depends on establishing a dear path to navigate through complexity. Organizations and their leaders wherever they are and whatever business environment they face--must be able to chart the right course and deliver results.
We know intuitively--and research confirms--that effective leaders can create true competitive advantage. Leadership is the top global driver of employee engagement, according to the Towers Watson 2010 Global Workforce Study. High employee engagement, in turn, translates to better financial performance: In Towers Watson's Global Normative Database, companies with high employee engagement generate operating margins nearly 1.5 times higher than companies with low engagement.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Specific directions vary according to each company's strategic imperatives, but regardless of focus, the best leaders create a clear path forward for their people. Towers Watsoffs 20112012 Change and Communication ROI Study sheds new light on how leaders are using change and communication
processes to demonstrate these leadership characteristics.
How do you do it?
According to Towers Watson's Global Normative Database, highly engaged employees at high-performance companies rate leaders as having these characteristics:
* Principled--driving the company from a shared set of guiding principles by clarifying values, operating with integrity in everything they do and showing an unrelenting commitment to the customer.
* Agile--managing the challenges of ongoing change effectively; and supporting the organization to evolve in new and innovative ways.
* Trustworthy--stressing fairness in decision making and empowering people in their roles.
Leaders who are seen as demonstrating these characteristics use communication and change practice to produce:
* Clarity--conveying the direction of the business along with ways they can contribute to the enterprise.
* Confidence--following a disciplined process for changing and communicating to create greater certainty, confidence and engagement among employees.
* Community--building a sense that employees and leaders are in it together and share both the challenges and rewards of working.
The Change and Communication ROI Study demonstrates that effective change and communication practices also help the bottom line. Organizations that are highly effective at both communication and change management are more than twice as likely to outperform those that are not effective at either. This holds true in any industry, region or economy.
Creating a clear direction requires conveying a consistent story about the business; creating greater certainty, confidence and engagement among employees; and building a shared experience across diverse audiences.
Creating clarity
Leaders at highly effective organizations demonstrate their integrity by being clear about the future with their employees, even when markets or strategies are in flux. Whether it's about the business or the employee experience, there needs to be a sense of direction and steps to follow. With help from communication professionals, leaders must stand on firm values and point the way forward.
The study found that just over half of participants are effective at these fundamental practices. Most organizations continue to rely on one-way electronic media, such as email or intranet pages, while relatively few ask senior leaders to deliver messages about the organizational culture and values. This is a missed opportunity: Senior leaders and managers are ideal conduits to build common understanding around culture and values.
Organizations that do communicate effectively use a mix of media--including interactive electronic media and social networking--to reinforce messaging from the top among increasingly diverse and selective audiences.
Leading with confidence
As the world grows more complex, demands more numerous and media more varied, the basis for agility is fundamental, even old-fashioned. The best organizations see an opportunity, build a plan, and are disciplined in following it, measuring results and making course corrections. They engage stakeholders in the process, especially managers and leaders. By taking these fundamental steps, they reduce the level of uncertainty, indicating that someone has a firm hand on the wheel--which breeds confidence.
Leaders who deliver confidence have a significant impact. Employees at highly effective organizations are 2.5 to three times as likely to report that their leaders are authentic and transparent in delivering messages when compared with organizations with low effectiveness. In addition, their leaders are accessible and responsive to employee ideas. Creating a dialogue with employees takes time from a busy leader's schedule. However, the data show a good return on this investment (see chart on facing page).
The most productive organizations follow a disciplined process for change management and communication to create greater certainty, confidence and engagement among employees. Communication professionals can help the organization set a course, correct along the way and apply what they learn toward future efforts. When compared with companies with low change management and communication effectiveness, those that are highly effective at change management are nearly five times as likely to create an integrated communication and change management strategy--and more than eight times as likely to continue to exhibit new behaviors and use new skills after changes are made.
Building community
What do leaders do to build community? First, they recognize that a shared experience and purpose are important to the business. They understand that building trust requires an ongoing conversation. They do not shy away from connecting with employees, and they have the courage to address controversy.
Most organizations aren't fully leveraging leaders to create community and grow trust. Two-thirds of all participants in the study report that they are using leadership visits to create a shared experience among employees, although most seem to be focused on business results. While business results are important, integrating new employees and seeking key feedback about the company's plans and progress also help build a long-term, trusted relationship between senior leaders and employees.
Of course, a healthy community cannot be driven simply by leadership. It emerges over time from a myriad of interactions. Social media extend existing social networks beyond face-to-face interaction and enable audiences to segment automatically. While social networks are ideally suited to building community within an organization, overall just over half (51 percent) of the study participants use it for this purpose, and only about one-third of those find it effective. Not surprisingly, among companies that are highly effective at communicating, we find a higher frequency of use and effectiveness. Social media are also well suited to support collaboration, and here we find a similar trend across all organizations.
How do you make communication training effective?
Many organizations are training leaders on communication and change management, yet few find it effective. Here are some guiding principles that characterize effective training:
* Stay focused and be specific. Document learning objectives, tie them to organizational goals, and build content around those objectives.
* Mix it up. Everyone learns differently, so a mix of learning experiences provides better results. Build a curriculum that includes self-service (e-learning, book summaries, articles, videos) and classroom-based programs. Above all, keep it fun and interactive.
* Take breaks. For instructor-led training, limit each module to 90 minutes. With e-learning, keep it to no longer than 45 minutes.
In their book Manager Redefined, Thomas Davenport and Stephen Harding note that as a leader, "your job is to lead your organization to the promised land of marketplace advantage. This means looking behind every tree and under every rock for a competitive advantage."
The Change and Communication ROI Study indicates that effective communication and change management practices are core to that advantage. The best recognize that the demands and pace of change in business don't always (or even often) coincide with employees' needs and capacity for change. Effective business leaders know this. They understand the benefit of hearing the perspective and counsel of communication and change professionals--of being not only informed of employees' readiness for change and capacity for training, but also educated in the nuances of message, media and manager support that mark successful change efforts.
Principled, agile and trustworthy leaders use effective communication and change management practices to create a clear path and build sustainable performance. Helping leaders improve their effectiveness in communication and change makes good business sense.
Finding the link between communication and effectiveness
Towers Watson's 2011-2012 Change and Communication ROI Study looked at data collected in April and May 2011 from 604 organizations in various regions around the world. Industries represented included manufacturing, financial services, health care, IT and telecommunications, and the public sector.
Most questions in the survey used a five-point Likert or effectiveness scale. Where high and low effectiveness were compared, the study showed how many of the organizations designated as having high or low change or communication effectiveness responded to the item with a 4, a 5 (agree/strongly agree or effective/highly effective) or a yes answer.
Defining communication and change effectiveness
Highly effective firms represent the top third of study participants, with the highest overall communication effectiveness or change effectiveness scores based on their responses to the survey items that measure these areas. Less effective firms represent the bottom third of participants, with the lowest overall effectiveness. Researchers looked at the financial performance of the companies in the highly effective group to measure the relationship between financial performance and communication effectiveness.
Assessing effectiveness and performance
In order to conduct the analysis, participants were divided into three groups based on their self-reported financial performance relative to their peers'. The three groups are defined as follows:
* High performers are those organizations that report performing substantially above their peer group.
* Average performers are those that report performing about the same as or slightly above their peer group.
* Below-average performers are those that report performing slightly or substantially below their peer group.
Using this information, Towers Watson confirmed the strong link between change and communication effectiveness and better financial performance:
* Companies that are highly effective at communication are 1.7 times as likely to be high-performing financially than companies that are not highly effective at communication.
* Companies that are highly effective at both communication and change management are 2.5 times as likely to be high-performing than companies that are not highly effective at either.
Effective leaders are authentic, accessible and transparent
The Towers Watson study asked participants to describe the
communication skills among their organization's leaders as follows:
Leaders at my organization are:
Overall High Low
communications communications
effectiveness effectiveness
Authentic in delivery
of messages 49% 72% 24%
Accessible and
responsive to employee
ideas or questions 49% 71% 28%
Transparent in
messages to employees 42% 66% 19%
Creating a dialogue
with employees 41% 63% 21%
Note: Table made from bar graph.
Leading through change
Leadership activities, such as those noted below, are among the primary drivers of overall change success, and they are most important during the planning phase of a change initiative. While most of the study participants reported that they're effective at finding executive sponsorship for a change, only 32 percent are effective at creating strong employee motivation for making the change happen. Given this insight, it's not surprising that less than half of participants are able to keep their change initiatives on schedule and on budget. Rational and tangible activities--like documenting a vision or creating a project plan--are important and relatively straightforward for most. Leaders and managers may need extra help with the emotional elements of change that are key to motivating employees to embrace new behaviors.
Effective companies engage in leading activities to drive effective
change management
Study participants were asked: How effective is your organization
at the following?
Overall High Low
change change
effectiveness effectiveness
Developing a clear
vision of desired
organizational change 48% 84% 19%
Creating strong
employee motivation for
making organizational
change 32% 67% 9%
Finding executive
sponsorship for
organizational change 56% 85% 26%
Creating an integrated
communication and change
management strategy 37% 72% 15%
Note: Table made from bar graph.
Effective companies involve the communication function early in the
change process
It's important to note that change work is not owned by the C-suite.
Data show that communication and change management professionals play
a critical role. Highly effective firms recognize this fact and
involve the internal communication function early in change planning.
Study participants were asked: When your organization makes changes,
at what phase does the internal communication function first become
involved in the decision-making process?
Overall High Low
change change
effectiveness effectiveness
Identifying
the problem
or opportunity 14% 22% 9%
Identifying
possible
approaches to
address
the issue 26% 29% 20%
Selecting the
approach to
address
the issue 10% 11% 6%
Planning the
implementation 20% 18% 22%
Implementing
the change
Only if a
problem arises 6% 2% 10%
Not applicable 7% 5% 13%
Note: Table made from bar graph.
learn more Download the 2011-2012 Change and Communication ROI Study and an addendum on effective change management at www.towerswatson.com.
Kathryn Yates is Towers Watson's global practice leader for communication and change management, and is based in Towers Watson's Chicago office. She has more than 25 years of experience in communication and operations management.
Source Citation
Vallas, Sara, and Kathryn Yates. "The character of communication: a new study reveals how leaders use communication and change management to build sustainable performance." Communication World May-June 2012: 23+. Communications and Mass Media Collection. Web. 11 June 2012.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA288428898&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=PPCM&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A288428898
In a challenging and dynamic business world, success depends on establishing a dear path to navigate through complexity. Organizations and their leaders wherever they are and whatever business environment they face--must be able to chart the right course and deliver results.
We know intuitively--and research confirms--that effective leaders can create true competitive advantage. Leadership is the top global driver of employee engagement, according to the Towers Watson 2010 Global Workforce Study. High employee engagement, in turn, translates to better financial performance: In Towers Watson's Global Normative Database, companies with high employee engagement generate operating margins nearly 1.5 times higher than companies with low engagement.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Specific directions vary according to each company's strategic imperatives, but regardless of focus, the best leaders create a clear path forward for their people. Towers Watsoffs 20112012 Change and Communication ROI Study sheds new light on how leaders are using change and communication
processes to demonstrate these leadership characteristics.
How do you do it?
According to Towers Watson's Global Normative Database, highly engaged employees at high-performance companies rate leaders as having these characteristics:
* Principled--driving the company from a shared set of guiding principles by clarifying values, operating with integrity in everything they do and showing an unrelenting commitment to the customer.
* Agile--managing the challenges of ongoing change effectively; and supporting the organization to evolve in new and innovative ways.
* Trustworthy--stressing fairness in decision making and empowering people in their roles.
Leaders who are seen as demonstrating these characteristics use communication and change practice to produce:
* Clarity--conveying the direction of the business along with ways they can contribute to the enterprise.
* Confidence--following a disciplined process for changing and communicating to create greater certainty, confidence and engagement among employees.
* Community--building a sense that employees and leaders are in it together and share both the challenges and rewards of working.
The Change and Communication ROI Study demonstrates that effective change and communication practices also help the bottom line. Organizations that are highly effective at both communication and change management are more than twice as likely to outperform those that are not effective at either. This holds true in any industry, region or economy.
Creating a clear direction requires conveying a consistent story about the business; creating greater certainty, confidence and engagement among employees; and building a shared experience across diverse audiences.
Creating clarity
Leaders at highly effective organizations demonstrate their integrity by being clear about the future with their employees, even when markets or strategies are in flux. Whether it's about the business or the employee experience, there needs to be a sense of direction and steps to follow. With help from communication professionals, leaders must stand on firm values and point the way forward.
The study found that just over half of participants are effective at these fundamental practices. Most organizations continue to rely on one-way electronic media, such as email or intranet pages, while relatively few ask senior leaders to deliver messages about the organizational culture and values. This is a missed opportunity: Senior leaders and managers are ideal conduits to build common understanding around culture and values.
Organizations that do communicate effectively use a mix of media--including interactive electronic media and social networking--to reinforce messaging from the top among increasingly diverse and selective audiences.
Leading with confidence
As the world grows more complex, demands more numerous and media more varied, the basis for agility is fundamental, even old-fashioned. The best organizations see an opportunity, build a plan, and are disciplined in following it, measuring results and making course corrections. They engage stakeholders in the process, especially managers and leaders. By taking these fundamental steps, they reduce the level of uncertainty, indicating that someone has a firm hand on the wheel--which breeds confidence.
Leaders who deliver confidence have a significant impact. Employees at highly effective organizations are 2.5 to three times as likely to report that their leaders are authentic and transparent in delivering messages when compared with organizations with low effectiveness. In addition, their leaders are accessible and responsive to employee ideas. Creating a dialogue with employees takes time from a busy leader's schedule. However, the data show a good return on this investment (see chart on facing page).
The most productive organizations follow a disciplined process for change management and communication to create greater certainty, confidence and engagement among employees. Communication professionals can help the organization set a course, correct along the way and apply what they learn toward future efforts. When compared with companies with low change management and communication effectiveness, those that are highly effective at change management are nearly five times as likely to create an integrated communication and change management strategy--and more than eight times as likely to continue to exhibit new behaviors and use new skills after changes are made.
Building community
What do leaders do to build community? First, they recognize that a shared experience and purpose are important to the business. They understand that building trust requires an ongoing conversation. They do not shy away from connecting with employees, and they have the courage to address controversy.
Most organizations aren't fully leveraging leaders to create community and grow trust. Two-thirds of all participants in the study report that they are using leadership visits to create a shared experience among employees, although most seem to be focused on business results. While business results are important, integrating new employees and seeking key feedback about the company's plans and progress also help build a long-term, trusted relationship between senior leaders and employees.
Of course, a healthy community cannot be driven simply by leadership. It emerges over time from a myriad of interactions. Social media extend existing social networks beyond face-to-face interaction and enable audiences to segment automatically. While social networks are ideally suited to building community within an organization, overall just over half (51 percent) of the study participants use it for this purpose, and only about one-third of those find it effective. Not surprisingly, among companies that are highly effective at communicating, we find a higher frequency of use and effectiveness. Social media are also well suited to support collaboration, and here we find a similar trend across all organizations.
How do you make communication training effective?
Many organizations are training leaders on communication and change management, yet few find it effective. Here are some guiding principles that characterize effective training:
* Stay focused and be specific. Document learning objectives, tie them to organizational goals, and build content around those objectives.
* Mix it up. Everyone learns differently, so a mix of learning experiences provides better results. Build a curriculum that includes self-service (e-learning, book summaries, articles, videos) and classroom-based programs. Above all, keep it fun and interactive.
* Take breaks. For instructor-led training, limit each module to 90 minutes. With e-learning, keep it to no longer than 45 minutes.
In their book Manager Redefined, Thomas Davenport and Stephen Harding note that as a leader, "your job is to lead your organization to the promised land of marketplace advantage. This means looking behind every tree and under every rock for a competitive advantage."
The Change and Communication ROI Study indicates that effective communication and change management practices are core to that advantage. The best recognize that the demands and pace of change in business don't always (or even often) coincide with employees' needs and capacity for change. Effective business leaders know this. They understand the benefit of hearing the perspective and counsel of communication and change professionals--of being not only informed of employees' readiness for change and capacity for training, but also educated in the nuances of message, media and manager support that mark successful change efforts.
Principled, agile and trustworthy leaders use effective communication and change management practices to create a clear path and build sustainable performance. Helping leaders improve their effectiveness in communication and change makes good business sense.
Finding the link between communication and effectiveness
Towers Watson's 2011-2012 Change and Communication ROI Study looked at data collected in April and May 2011 from 604 organizations in various regions around the world. Industries represented included manufacturing, financial services, health care, IT and telecommunications, and the public sector.
Most questions in the survey used a five-point Likert or effectiveness scale. Where high and low effectiveness were compared, the study showed how many of the organizations designated as having high or low change or communication effectiveness responded to the item with a 4, a 5 (agree/strongly agree or effective/highly effective) or a yes answer.
Defining communication and change effectiveness
Highly effective firms represent the top third of study participants, with the highest overall communication effectiveness or change effectiveness scores based on their responses to the survey items that measure these areas. Less effective firms represent the bottom third of participants, with the lowest overall effectiveness. Researchers looked at the financial performance of the companies in the highly effective group to measure the relationship between financial performance and communication effectiveness.
Assessing effectiveness and performance
In order to conduct the analysis, participants were divided into three groups based on their self-reported financial performance relative to their peers'. The three groups are defined as follows:
* High performers are those organizations that report performing substantially above their peer group.
* Average performers are those that report performing about the same as or slightly above their peer group.
* Below-average performers are those that report performing slightly or substantially below their peer group.
Using this information, Towers Watson confirmed the strong link between change and communication effectiveness and better financial performance:
* Companies that are highly effective at communication are 1.7 times as likely to be high-performing financially than companies that are not highly effective at communication.
* Companies that are highly effective at both communication and change management are 2.5 times as likely to be high-performing than companies that are not highly effective at either.
Effective leaders are authentic, accessible and transparent
The Towers Watson study asked participants to describe the
communication skills among their organization's leaders as follows:
Leaders at my organization are:
Overall High Low
communications communications
effectiveness effectiveness
Authentic in delivery
of messages 49% 72% 24%
Accessible and
responsive to employee
ideas or questions 49% 71% 28%
Transparent in
messages to employees 42% 66% 19%
Creating a dialogue
with employees 41% 63% 21%
Note: Table made from bar graph.
Leading through change
Leadership activities, such as those noted below, are among the primary drivers of overall change success, and they are most important during the planning phase of a change initiative. While most of the study participants reported that they're effective at finding executive sponsorship for a change, only 32 percent are effective at creating strong employee motivation for making the change happen. Given this insight, it's not surprising that less than half of participants are able to keep their change initiatives on schedule and on budget. Rational and tangible activities--like documenting a vision or creating a project plan--are important and relatively straightforward for most. Leaders and managers may need extra help with the emotional elements of change that are key to motivating employees to embrace new behaviors.
Effective companies engage in leading activities to drive effective
change management
Study participants were asked: How effective is your organization
at the following?
Overall High Low
change change
effectiveness effectiveness
Developing a clear
vision of desired
organizational change 48% 84% 19%
Creating strong
employee motivation for
making organizational
change 32% 67% 9%
Finding executive
sponsorship for
organizational change 56% 85% 26%
Creating an integrated
communication and change
management strategy 37% 72% 15%
Note: Table made from bar graph.
Effective companies involve the communication function early in the
change process
It's important to note that change work is not owned by the C-suite.
Data show that communication and change management professionals play
a critical role. Highly effective firms recognize this fact and
involve the internal communication function early in change planning.
Study participants were asked: When your organization makes changes,
at what phase does the internal communication function first become
involved in the decision-making process?
Overall High Low
change change
effectiveness effectiveness
Identifying
the problem
or opportunity 14% 22% 9%
Identifying
possible
approaches to
address
the issue 26% 29% 20%
Selecting the
approach to
address
the issue 10% 11% 6%
Planning the
implementation 20% 18% 22%
Implementing
the change
Only if a
problem arises 6% 2% 10%
Not applicable 7% 5% 13%
Note: Table made from bar graph.
learn more Download the 2011-2012 Change and Communication ROI Study and an addendum on effective change management at www.towerswatson.com.
Kathryn Yates is Towers Watson's global practice leader for communication and change management, and is based in Towers Watson's Chicago office. She has more than 25 years of experience in communication and operations management.
Source Citation
Vallas, Sara, and Kathryn Yates. "The character of communication: a new study reveals how leaders use communication and change management to build sustainable performance." Communication World May-June 2012: 23+. Communications and Mass Media Collection. Web. 11 June 2012.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA288428898&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=PPCM&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A288428898
Non-news is good news; The magazine industry
The threat of the internet has forced magazines to get smarter
"PRINT is dead" was a common refrain a couple of years ago. The costly print advertisements that kept magazines and newspapers alive were migrating to the web, where they earned only pennies on the dollar. To publishers, it felt as if a hurricane was flattening their business.
But as the storm has cleared, a new publishing landscape has emerged. What was once a fairly uniform business--identify a group of people united by some shared identity or passion, write stories for them to read and sell advertising next to the stories--has split into several different kinds.
Hard news is perhaps the hardest to make profitable. It is increasingly instant, constant and commoditised (as with oil or rice, consumers do not care where it came from). With rare exceptions, making money in news means publishing either the cheap kind that attracts a very large audience, and making money from ads, or the expensive kind that is critical to a small audience, and making money from subscriptions. Both are cut-throat businesses; in rich countries, many papers are closing.
But among magazines there is a new sense of optimism. In North America, where the recession bit deepest (see chart), more new magazines were launched than closed in 2011 for the second year in a row. The Association of Magazine Media (MPA) reports that magazine audiences are growing faster than those for TV or newspapers, especially among the young.
Unlike newspapers, most magazines didn't have large classified-ad sections to lose to the internet, and their material has a longer shelf-life. Above all, says David Carey, the boss of Hearst Magazines, a big American publisher, they represent aspirations: "they do a very good job of inspiring your dreams." People identify closely with the magazines they read, and advertisers therefore love them: magazines, says Paul-Bernhard Kallen, the chairman of Hubert Burda Media, a large German publisher, remain essential for brand-building.
Which is why luxury magazines are doing particularly well, as are those in emerging markets, where a fast-growing middle class is coming into those advertisers' sights. In Brazil, for example, the Abril Group has made Minha Casa, a home-improvement magazine, the leader of its kind in two years thanks to a careful focus on new homeowners.
Back in the United States, the number of ad pages in magazines has dropped for three quarters in a row, according to the Publishers' Information Bureau. But that is partly cyclical, says Nina Link, the MPA's head, and it doesn't account for the growing number of ads in digital form.
Once, digital ads would have been scant comfort. On the web they are typically worth a small fraction of what they were in print. But tablets, such as Apple's iPad, could change this.
They have been around for only two years and most magazine subscriptions on them for less than a year; the MPA suggested measurement standards for advertising on tablets only in April. Yet already there are signs that advertisers are accepting higher rates on tablets than on the web, because magazines on tablets are more like magazines in print: engrossing, well-designed experiences instead of forests of text and links.
Publishers are still experimenting with formats: some are little different from their print versions, while others are more interactive, perhaps too much so. Hearst's Cosmopolitan launched the digital-only Cosmo for Guys, which purports to shed light on feminine psychology for baffled males; an early issue included 3-D models of sexual positions that you could rotate to view from every possible angle. Who says glossy mags aren't educational?
But the wiser publishers are finding ways to rely less on advertising. They are looking to make more not only from subscriptions but also from other sources. Today, "you need five or six revenue streams to make the business really successful," says Mr Carey. Spurred by necessity and enabled by technology, magazines "innovate in ways they never dreamed of a few years ago," says Ms Link.
What else a magazine can do besides sell copies depends on its audience and subject matter. Many are turning themselves from mere carriers of ads into marketing-services companies, giving their advertisers a range of new ways to reach readers. Travel magazines' websites can track if their readers end up buying the holiday packages they write about, and take a cut. "I count that as advertising," says Mr Kallen. "What many people call advertising…is definitely declining, but advertising in the broader sense isn't."
Other commercial branchings-out include a growing range of conferences or celebrity events, the licensing of magazines' names to products such as cosmetics, and tie-ups with deal and coupon websites such as Groupon. Successful new magazines have been launched on the back of TV programmes, such as Hearst's "Food Network" and "HGTV" (a home-improvement show) and the BBC's "Top Gear" (a show about macho cars). With so many countries now boasting a big middle class, international franchises often work well; Hearst's Cosmopolitan now has 66 different country editions.
There are also more esoteric business models. Monocle, a global magazine for the insufferably stylish, claims that the online radio channel it launched last autumn has been profitable from the start, since normal commercial radio stations never deliver the kinds of listeners its high-end advertisers want. The Atavist, an American iPad magazine that publishes one long piece of narrative journalism each month, says it makes money largely because it licenses its iPad publishing software to other people.
Loyalty is lucrative
The ability of magazines to inspire fierce loyalty among readers means there are also lots of small-time, quirky successes. XXI, a French quarterly of long-form reportage, is profitable despite carrying no ads, not putting its text online and being sold only in bookshops; it seems to capitalise on French intellectual traditions and the concentration in Paris of voracious readers. Germany's Landlust, which extols the virtues of living at a relaxed pace and in close contact with nature, is another print-only holdout, with a circulation of 1m after seven years. As long as there are coffee tables, people will want things to put on them.
Source Citation
"Non-news is good news; The magazine industry." The Economist [US] 9 June 2012: 74(US). Educators Reference Complete. Web. 11 June 2012.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA292200768&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=PROF&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A292200768
"PRINT is dead" was a common refrain a couple of years ago. The costly print advertisements that kept magazines and newspapers alive were migrating to the web, where they earned only pennies on the dollar. To publishers, it felt as if a hurricane was flattening their business.
But as the storm has cleared, a new publishing landscape has emerged. What was once a fairly uniform business--identify a group of people united by some shared identity or passion, write stories for them to read and sell advertising next to the stories--has split into several different kinds.
Hard news is perhaps the hardest to make profitable. It is increasingly instant, constant and commoditised (as with oil or rice, consumers do not care where it came from). With rare exceptions, making money in news means publishing either the cheap kind that attracts a very large audience, and making money from ads, or the expensive kind that is critical to a small audience, and making money from subscriptions. Both are cut-throat businesses; in rich countries, many papers are closing.
But among magazines there is a new sense of optimism. In North America, where the recession bit deepest (see chart), more new magazines were launched than closed in 2011 for the second year in a row. The Association of Magazine Media (MPA) reports that magazine audiences are growing faster than those for TV or newspapers, especially among the young.
Unlike newspapers, most magazines didn't have large classified-ad sections to lose to the internet, and their material has a longer shelf-life. Above all, says David Carey, the boss of Hearst Magazines, a big American publisher, they represent aspirations: "they do a very good job of inspiring your dreams." People identify closely with the magazines they read, and advertisers therefore love them: magazines, says Paul-Bernhard Kallen, the chairman of Hubert Burda Media, a large German publisher, remain essential for brand-building.
Which is why luxury magazines are doing particularly well, as are those in emerging markets, where a fast-growing middle class is coming into those advertisers' sights. In Brazil, for example, the Abril Group has made Minha Casa, a home-improvement magazine, the leader of its kind in two years thanks to a careful focus on new homeowners.
Back in the United States, the number of ad pages in magazines has dropped for three quarters in a row, according to the Publishers' Information Bureau. But that is partly cyclical, says Nina Link, the MPA's head, and it doesn't account for the growing number of ads in digital form.
Once, digital ads would have been scant comfort. On the web they are typically worth a small fraction of what they were in print. But tablets, such as Apple's iPad, could change this.
They have been around for only two years and most magazine subscriptions on them for less than a year; the MPA suggested measurement standards for advertising on tablets only in April. Yet already there are signs that advertisers are accepting higher rates on tablets than on the web, because magazines on tablets are more like magazines in print: engrossing, well-designed experiences instead of forests of text and links.
Publishers are still experimenting with formats: some are little different from their print versions, while others are more interactive, perhaps too much so. Hearst's Cosmopolitan launched the digital-only Cosmo for Guys, which purports to shed light on feminine psychology for baffled males; an early issue included 3-D models of sexual positions that you could rotate to view from every possible angle. Who says glossy mags aren't educational?
But the wiser publishers are finding ways to rely less on advertising. They are looking to make more not only from subscriptions but also from other sources. Today, "you need five or six revenue streams to make the business really successful," says Mr Carey. Spurred by necessity and enabled by technology, magazines "innovate in ways they never dreamed of a few years ago," says Ms Link.
What else a magazine can do besides sell copies depends on its audience and subject matter. Many are turning themselves from mere carriers of ads into marketing-services companies, giving their advertisers a range of new ways to reach readers. Travel magazines' websites can track if their readers end up buying the holiday packages they write about, and take a cut. "I count that as advertising," says Mr Kallen. "What many people call advertising…is definitely declining, but advertising in the broader sense isn't."
Other commercial branchings-out include a growing range of conferences or celebrity events, the licensing of magazines' names to products such as cosmetics, and tie-ups with deal and coupon websites such as Groupon. Successful new magazines have been launched on the back of TV programmes, such as Hearst's "Food Network" and "HGTV" (a home-improvement show) and the BBC's "Top Gear" (a show about macho cars). With so many countries now boasting a big middle class, international franchises often work well; Hearst's Cosmopolitan now has 66 different country editions.
There are also more esoteric business models. Monocle, a global magazine for the insufferably stylish, claims that the online radio channel it launched last autumn has been profitable from the start, since normal commercial radio stations never deliver the kinds of listeners its high-end advertisers want. The Atavist, an American iPad magazine that publishes one long piece of narrative journalism each month, says it makes money largely because it licenses its iPad publishing software to other people.
Loyalty is lucrative
The ability of magazines to inspire fierce loyalty among readers means there are also lots of small-time, quirky successes. XXI, a French quarterly of long-form reportage, is profitable despite carrying no ads, not putting its text online and being sold only in bookshops; it seems to capitalise on French intellectual traditions and the concentration in Paris of voracious readers. Germany's Landlust, which extols the virtues of living at a relaxed pace and in close contact with nature, is another print-only holdout, with a circulation of 1m after seven years. As long as there are coffee tables, people will want things to put on them.
Source Citation
"Non-news is good news; The magazine industry." The Economist [US] 9 June 2012: 74(US). Educators Reference Complete. Web. 11 June 2012.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA292200768&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=PROF&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A292200768
Monday, May 21, 2012
Winners on winning
FROM A DISTANCE, the rewards of winning a writing contest can seem pretty clear-cut: A book is published; a writer receives some cash. But the benefits of coming out on top aren't always so obvious. We caught up with five recent winners of book-publication prizes to find out what the money, exposure, and validation from the literary community has meant to them and their careers.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Elana Bell, winner of the 2011 Walt Whitman Award for Eyes, Stones.
The award has allowed me the opportunity to connect with and have my work read by poets whom I greatly admire--Naomi Shihab Nye, for example.... Winning the award was like a steroid shot. It has given me some courage to begin applying for college-teaching positions, to create a website, and, even more important, to take the risk of realizing some long-term artistic visions. I also have visions of the work I want to do as an educator: I think creative writing can be used as a tool when working with people from regions in conflict. Winning the award gave me confidence to develop that curriculum and pedagogy.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Khadijah Queen, winner of the 2010 Noemi Book Award for Poetry for Black Peculiar.
Winning the award did give my work a lot more exposure. I was asked to do several paid readings and solicited to submit to literary magazines.... I used much of the prize money to pay a bill, honestly, but once that was paid, I was later able to fund my way to attend two summer writers retreats where I made important new connections and deepened old ones.... I felt the work was validated, which was important to me because of its experimental nature. This book is much bolder in style and content than my first book. It felt good to have that boldness rewarded.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Douglas Light, winner of the 2010 Grace Paley Prize in Short Fiction for Girls in Trouble.
As far as prizes go, the money was substantial. Unfortunately, the financial demands of life are even more so. I thought of using the money to cover my mortgage for a couple of months, or maybe using it to buy a new computer. I even contemplated tossing my responsibilities and taking to the road for a bit. Instead, I launched a new project that was beyond my expertise: theater. I used the money I'd won to book a sixty-seat theater in lower Manhattan and stage an evening of actors performing stories from my collection, all set to the lush, captivating music of a four-piece band. If I gauge the event on number of books sold, then the production was a failure. I sold eight books. But against all other metrics, the night was a grand success. The theater sold out, the actors and musicians were brilliant, and everyone is still talking about how great the night was. And as a direct result of the production, I received a grant to turn one of the stories from the collection into a short film.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Katie Umans, winner of the 2010 Saint Lawrence Book Award for Flock Book.
I don't think I'll do anything especially career oriented with the prize money, which I'll receive with the publication of my book this summer, but I'll probably spend a small portion of it on new poetry books. I think it's really important to purchase a good share of new poetry books and support authors, especially as I root for my book to be bought by others! However, all funds ultimately help a writing career by buying time and peace of mind--which both mean the chance to write more.... I couldn't say whether alerting journals in my cover letter that I have a book coming out has affected their decision to publish or not publish my poems. I still get accepted sometimes and rejected sometimes. I have had journals accept poems and then offer to try and push up publication to align with the release of the book, which is nice.... I still have a day job and don't feel like I have the credentials to seek a fulltime, stable, teaching job, which I'd eventually love to do. What winning the prize did do is seal off the first book as a finished work. No more tinkering, no more tweaking, no more writing new poems and feeding them to the manuscript like it's an insatiable monster. I feel like I've shed many earlier versions of myself as a poet by casting off that book. You are proud of your first book, but you also want to move on from it as a writer.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Diane Simmons, winner of Ohio State University Press's 2010 Prize in Short Fiction for Little America.
The prize has, to my surprise, changed the way I understand myself as a short story writer. Previously I thought of my stories as stand-alones, each a world unto itself. I was shocked when readers of the collection seemed to view it differently, discussing how the stories were "linked," even assuming that I had written them in some carefully thought-out order. I value my stories more now; I see more in them, see connections I didn't understand before. Which leads me to this thought: Many of us look to short stories as a stepping-stone to the grand prize--the novel. That's fine. But maybe, too, our stories, if we are lucky enough to have them all read in one place, create the longer, fuller work we aspire to.... I used the prize money to promote the book, primarily by going out West, where the stories are set, to do readings and signings.... I've heard from several agents, but don't quite have my present project ready to show. I haven't heard from any magazines [soliciting work], but I do believe the rejections are getting much more respectful!
Source Citation
"Winners on winning." Poets & Writers Magazine 40.3 (2012): 57+. Academic OneFile. Web. 21 May 2012.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA288873935&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A288873935
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Elana Bell, winner of the 2011 Walt Whitman Award for Eyes, Stones.
The award has allowed me the opportunity to connect with and have my work read by poets whom I greatly admire--Naomi Shihab Nye, for example.... Winning the award was like a steroid shot. It has given me some courage to begin applying for college-teaching positions, to create a website, and, even more important, to take the risk of realizing some long-term artistic visions. I also have visions of the work I want to do as an educator: I think creative writing can be used as a tool when working with people from regions in conflict. Winning the award gave me confidence to develop that curriculum and pedagogy.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Khadijah Queen, winner of the 2010 Noemi Book Award for Poetry for Black Peculiar.
Winning the award did give my work a lot more exposure. I was asked to do several paid readings and solicited to submit to literary magazines.... I used much of the prize money to pay a bill, honestly, but once that was paid, I was later able to fund my way to attend two summer writers retreats where I made important new connections and deepened old ones.... I felt the work was validated, which was important to me because of its experimental nature. This book is much bolder in style and content than my first book. It felt good to have that boldness rewarded.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Douglas Light, winner of the 2010 Grace Paley Prize in Short Fiction for Girls in Trouble.
As far as prizes go, the money was substantial. Unfortunately, the financial demands of life are even more so. I thought of using the money to cover my mortgage for a couple of months, or maybe using it to buy a new computer. I even contemplated tossing my responsibilities and taking to the road for a bit. Instead, I launched a new project that was beyond my expertise: theater. I used the money I'd won to book a sixty-seat theater in lower Manhattan and stage an evening of actors performing stories from my collection, all set to the lush, captivating music of a four-piece band. If I gauge the event on number of books sold, then the production was a failure. I sold eight books. But against all other metrics, the night was a grand success. The theater sold out, the actors and musicians were brilliant, and everyone is still talking about how great the night was. And as a direct result of the production, I received a grant to turn one of the stories from the collection into a short film.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Katie Umans, winner of the 2010 Saint Lawrence Book Award for Flock Book.
I don't think I'll do anything especially career oriented with the prize money, which I'll receive with the publication of my book this summer, but I'll probably spend a small portion of it on new poetry books. I think it's really important to purchase a good share of new poetry books and support authors, especially as I root for my book to be bought by others! However, all funds ultimately help a writing career by buying time and peace of mind--which both mean the chance to write more.... I couldn't say whether alerting journals in my cover letter that I have a book coming out has affected their decision to publish or not publish my poems. I still get accepted sometimes and rejected sometimes. I have had journals accept poems and then offer to try and push up publication to align with the release of the book, which is nice.... I still have a day job and don't feel like I have the credentials to seek a fulltime, stable, teaching job, which I'd eventually love to do. What winning the prize did do is seal off the first book as a finished work. No more tinkering, no more tweaking, no more writing new poems and feeding them to the manuscript like it's an insatiable monster. I feel like I've shed many earlier versions of myself as a poet by casting off that book. You are proud of your first book, but you also want to move on from it as a writer.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Diane Simmons, winner of Ohio State University Press's 2010 Prize in Short Fiction for Little America.
The prize has, to my surprise, changed the way I understand myself as a short story writer. Previously I thought of my stories as stand-alones, each a world unto itself. I was shocked when readers of the collection seemed to view it differently, discussing how the stories were "linked," even assuming that I had written them in some carefully thought-out order. I value my stories more now; I see more in them, see connections I didn't understand before. Which leads me to this thought: Many of us look to short stories as a stepping-stone to the grand prize--the novel. That's fine. But maybe, too, our stories, if we are lucky enough to have them all read in one place, create the longer, fuller work we aspire to.... I used the prize money to promote the book, primarily by going out West, where the stories are set, to do readings and signings.... I've heard from several agents, but don't quite have my present project ready to show. I haven't heard from any magazines [soliciting work], but I do believe the rejections are getting much more respectful!
Source Citation
"Winners on winning." Poets & Writers Magazine 40.3 (2012): 57+. Academic OneFile. Web. 21 May 2012.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA288873935&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A288873935
Art Gallery Interior
IT ALL SEEMS strangely inevitable, given the endless cycle of self-reference in modern literature (and media). First, a young woman in Toronto, Kinga Ilyes, has her photo appear on the cover of Maclean's April 2, 2007, University Student issue. Sgt. Christos Karigiannis, a Canadian soldier in Afghanistan, sees it a month later and writes the magazine a (politely) appreciative letter about "the extremely attractive young lady." The media knows a feel-good story, arising from a situation that is always in sore need of one, when it sees it. Newspapers reprint the sergeant's letter and flash "Darling of Kandahar" headlines. Maclean's dispatches another photographer to Ilyes, and this time a reporter calls too, to ask a few details about her life.
A few weeks pass, and it's no longer a cheerful story: the soldier, like so many other Canadian troops before and after him, is killed by a roadside bomb. The young woman, shocked and saddened, withdraws from the public eye. Five years later, Montreal author Felicia Mihali publishes a novel, The Darling of Kandahar, about a girl whose picture appears on the cover of a magazine called Maclear's--the standard phrase "lightly fictionalized" hardly describes the alteration of a fraction of a single character-and catches the eye of a soldier in Afghanistan. The cycle begins anew, but this time a Maclean's reporter phones Mihali.
The prolific and multilingual novelist--three books in Romanian, seven in French, plus Darling, her first in English-has been in Canada since 2000. Mihali, 45, already spoke French when she arrived in Montreal from southern Romania. In 2007, after years of study, she was just becoming comfortable in English when she read the story of Kinga and Christos in Maclean's--the publication she had adopted as her window into English Canada's psyche. What first captured Mihali's attention was that Ilyes was born in Romania. "People are always talking about Romanian women," she says laughing, "but they don't often say we're beautiful. I felt a little touch of national pride."
It was the sudden, wrenching turn in the story, though, that held her. "It became a strange, dark matter with his death, and then his funeral was in Laval, near where I live." Mihali attended and was moved by the ceremony. "Now as a writer, I couldn't not write about this." And she would do so in English, partly as a "final exam for my English" and partly because the war in Afghanistan has, Mihali says, received so little coverage in French-language media. "In Quebec, despite all the Quebecois soldiers, people seemed to think it was an English-Canadian affair."
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Her protagonist Irina is, like Kinga Ilyes, 24 and born in Romania of Hungarian heritage. Unlike Ilyes, a Toronto resident who was doing some part-time modelling when she appeared on the Maclean's cover, Irina--an amiable drifter--was picked out of a small group of students on her unnamed Montreal campus by a photographer who asked if she wanted to pose for the cover of a national magazine. When she returns to her friends and they ask how much she was paid, "I let an Ah! of surprise escape, because it had not occurred to me to ask for money."
The first letter from her Kandahar soldier--Yannis (for John the Baptist) rather than Christos (for Jesus himself)--jolts Irina into deeper self-awareness. Yannis asks Maclear's to thank her "for being who she is," exactly as Karigiannis wrote about Ilyes. "I did not know myself well enough," Irina later recalls, "to be happy with that." So she's intrigued enough to reply, after the story veers entirely into Mihali's fictional territory, and Yannis emails her directly.
He writes about his identity and mission as a soldier, and about the situation that confronts him and his comrades: "We cannot go back before getting proof that we did something worthwhile here, and the longer we stay the harder this is to bear, as change is not noticeable at all." In Irina's mind it's reminiscent of the founding of Montreal-another long, slow and painful attempt to export Western values to a foreign land, in the absence of real commitment in the home society.
In the end, Yannis Alexandridis dies just as Christos Karigiannis did. The story of Kinga and Christos meant his was a death far more newsworthy than that of most Canadians there. Kinga Ilyes, who was stunned to learn that she and Karigiannis had become the inspiration for a novel, was in Europe shortly after his death: "I saw my picture in Romanian newspapers, and my inbox was choked with messages when I came home." But it wasn't long before Karigiannis faded from the news cycle; it's been almost five years, Ilyes notes, since the media last called her. The situation is much the same in Darling of Kandahar, where Irina continues to talk about their story to anyone who asks, aiming to keep the cycle ever renewed.
Bethune, Brian
Source Citation
Bethune, Brian. "When art imitates life: a new novel revisits a famous Maclean's cover photo of a university student and the soldier who adored her." Maclean's 14 May 2012: 27. Fine Arts and Music Collection. Web. 21 May 2012.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA289834582&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=PPFA&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A289834582
A few weeks pass, and it's no longer a cheerful story: the soldier, like so many other Canadian troops before and after him, is killed by a roadside bomb. The young woman, shocked and saddened, withdraws from the public eye. Five years later, Montreal author Felicia Mihali publishes a novel, The Darling of Kandahar, about a girl whose picture appears on the cover of a magazine called Maclear's--the standard phrase "lightly fictionalized" hardly describes the alteration of a fraction of a single character-and catches the eye of a soldier in Afghanistan. The cycle begins anew, but this time a Maclean's reporter phones Mihali.
The prolific and multilingual novelist--three books in Romanian, seven in French, plus Darling, her first in English-has been in Canada since 2000. Mihali, 45, already spoke French when she arrived in Montreal from southern Romania. In 2007, after years of study, she was just becoming comfortable in English when she read the story of Kinga and Christos in Maclean's--the publication she had adopted as her window into English Canada's psyche. What first captured Mihali's attention was that Ilyes was born in Romania. "People are always talking about Romanian women," she says laughing, "but they don't often say we're beautiful. I felt a little touch of national pride."
It was the sudden, wrenching turn in the story, though, that held her. "It became a strange, dark matter with his death, and then his funeral was in Laval, near where I live." Mihali attended and was moved by the ceremony. "Now as a writer, I couldn't not write about this." And she would do so in English, partly as a "final exam for my English" and partly because the war in Afghanistan has, Mihali says, received so little coverage in French-language media. "In Quebec, despite all the Quebecois soldiers, people seemed to think it was an English-Canadian affair."
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Her protagonist Irina is, like Kinga Ilyes, 24 and born in Romania of Hungarian heritage. Unlike Ilyes, a Toronto resident who was doing some part-time modelling when she appeared on the Maclean's cover, Irina--an amiable drifter--was picked out of a small group of students on her unnamed Montreal campus by a photographer who asked if she wanted to pose for the cover of a national magazine. When she returns to her friends and they ask how much she was paid, "I let an Ah! of surprise escape, because it had not occurred to me to ask for money."
The first letter from her Kandahar soldier--Yannis (for John the Baptist) rather than Christos (for Jesus himself)--jolts Irina into deeper self-awareness. Yannis asks Maclear's to thank her "for being who she is," exactly as Karigiannis wrote about Ilyes. "I did not know myself well enough," Irina later recalls, "to be happy with that." So she's intrigued enough to reply, after the story veers entirely into Mihali's fictional territory, and Yannis emails her directly.
He writes about his identity and mission as a soldier, and about the situation that confronts him and his comrades: "We cannot go back before getting proof that we did something worthwhile here, and the longer we stay the harder this is to bear, as change is not noticeable at all." In Irina's mind it's reminiscent of the founding of Montreal-another long, slow and painful attempt to export Western values to a foreign land, in the absence of real commitment in the home society.
In the end, Yannis Alexandridis dies just as Christos Karigiannis did. The story of Kinga and Christos meant his was a death far more newsworthy than that of most Canadians there. Kinga Ilyes, who was stunned to learn that she and Karigiannis had become the inspiration for a novel, was in Europe shortly after his death: "I saw my picture in Romanian newspapers, and my inbox was choked with messages when I came home." But it wasn't long before Karigiannis faded from the news cycle; it's been almost five years, Ilyes notes, since the media last called her. The situation is much the same in Darling of Kandahar, where Irina continues to talk about their story to anyone who asks, aiming to keep the cycle ever renewed.
Bethune, Brian
Source Citation
Bethune, Brian. "When art imitates life: a new novel revisits a famous Maclean's cover photo of a university student and the soldier who adored her." Maclean's 14 May 2012: 27. Fine Arts and Music Collection. Web. 21 May 2012.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA289834582&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=PPFA&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A289834582
Beijing's basement dwellers: out of a sense of compassion,photojournalist Sim Chi Yin began photographing the service workersliving in the cramped, makeshift quarters beneath the office towers ofBeijing. She quickly came to view them as an inspirational reflectionof China's economic and cultural transformation
A SOCIAL CONSEQUENCE OF CHINA'S RAPID ECONOMIC growth is a mass migration of young people from the provinces to Beijing, Shanghai and other commercial centers. The working and living conditions of those migrants have been the subject of much media coverage. But photographer Sim Chi Yin's portraits of migrants crammed into makeshift quarters in the basements and air-raid shelters of Beijing tell the story in an unusual and intimate way.
Sim titled her story "Rat Tribe," after the derogatory label given to the underground residents. It is comprised primarily of environmental portraits of those residents in their tight quarters, which are hardly bigger than a jail cell. There are no windows, only artificial light, and the air stagnates. Mold grows in the summer. But residents liven up their spaces with photographs, posters, balloons and other decor that conveys their personalities, aspirations and youthful optimism. And they all dream of a day when they've saved enough money and worked their way up to better jobs so they can afford to move out.
"I've had a long-term interest in migrants and migration," explains Sim, who was a foreign correspondent for Singapore's English daily newspaper The Straits Times until a little over a year ago and is now part of the VII photo agency's Mentor Program. When she moved to China in 2007, she worked on a story about child trafficking. "I chanced upon a guy who operated a basement residence in Beijing," Sim says. "I was quite taken with the idea that there were migrant workers living beneath Beijing's posh condominiums, office blocks [and] hotels.
"I'd been thinking about how to document China's migrant workers, and I thought the migrants in the basement was a good way to slice into the topic." The basement dwellers are mostly service workers--waitresses, chefs, shampoo girls--who keep Beijing running. The underground quarters are all the), can afford, and most white-collar workers don't realize they're living there, Sim explains. Because the basement residents are labeled "rats," and the authorities are now taking steps to shut basement residences down, Sim says, "I felt more of a purpose in shooting their portraits and their living environment.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
"I thought [by] documenting them to show people above ground they're not 'rats,' but just as cool and centered and 'normal' like all the test of us, it could help people understand them, see them as equals."
Her original plan was to shoot portraits and record video of her subjects telling their stories, and then produce the project in a multimedia format. She collected some video interviews, but explains that Marcus Bleasdale, her mentor at VII, "saw an early version of [the] work and suggested [I] do it as straight environmental portraits. I went with that."
Sim says her biggest challenge was getting access. The authorities are starting to shut the basement residences down because of their reputation as dank, disgusting places, so the operators don't want to attract attention. But Sim managed to find willing subjects by asking around. "I'd go for a haircut and chat with the young migrants in the salons and quite often some of them live in basements," she says.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Sim also asked around for names of the basement operators--the superintendents--who might let her in to take pictures. Through friends of friends, she found contacts, and a few were willing to give her access. "Sometimes I asked for permission to roam around a basement and then simply went door to door to see if I could shoot," she says.
Sim explained to residents that she wanted to photograph them to show what their life underground was like. She won their trust by hanging out, visiting and phoning them a couple of times, and bringing photos back to them after her first visit.
"Some questioned what the point was and took more persuasion and chatting. With most it was relaxed and just chitchat," Sim says. "I look local and speak Chinese, so it's easy to chat."
She ended up photographing about 30 subjects in all, using only ambient light and three lenses--mostly a 24mm, but also a 35mm and 50mm. In addition to shooting the bedroom portraits, she documented other aspects of underground life, including the maze of corridors, and the communal kitchens and bathrooms.
"I probably went into the project with the quite stereotypical idea of, 'Oh, how pitiful they are living in the dark, dank place with no sun,'" she says. "Sure, that's the case to some extent, but I was also pleasantly surprised by what I actually found: the karaoke guy who decorated his room with heart-shaped balloons and who does his hair at a salon before work every night; the Tai Chi master who has a training gym in the basement he runs; the young hair stylist who wants to grin and bear it, living for a few years where he gets mold on his back in the summers just to 'make it big' in the capital city.
"After a few shoots, I felt less pity for them, and more inspired by them instead."
Sim's most memorable subjects, she says, included a pedicurist named Lili and her boyfriend. "Their story is so archetypal," she says, explaining that they both grew up poor and came to Beijing to "make it." Sim also mentions a couple from Yunan who work as chefs. "[They] have a giant poster of a Western man and woman making out over their bed. They do cross-stitch and watch TV right under it, with no sense of irony at all."
Sim finished shooting the project last fall. Her images have since appeared in The New York Times Magazine, the Swiss newspaper Neue Zurcher Zeitung and Life & Style magazine in Mexico.
More images from the project can be viewed at viiphoto.com.
Walker, David
Source Citation
Walker, David. "Beijing's basement dwellers: out of a sense of compassion, photojournalist Sim Chi Yin began photographing the service workers living in the cramped, makeshift quarters beneath the office towers of Beijing. She quickly came to view them as an inspirational reflection of China's economic and cultural transformation." Photo District News June 2012: 24+. Communications and Mass Media Collection. Web. 21 May 2012.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA289834047&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=PPCM&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A289834047
Sim titled her story "Rat Tribe," after the derogatory label given to the underground residents. It is comprised primarily of environmental portraits of those residents in their tight quarters, which are hardly bigger than a jail cell. There are no windows, only artificial light, and the air stagnates. Mold grows in the summer. But residents liven up their spaces with photographs, posters, balloons and other decor that conveys their personalities, aspirations and youthful optimism. And they all dream of a day when they've saved enough money and worked their way up to better jobs so they can afford to move out.
"I've had a long-term interest in migrants and migration," explains Sim, who was a foreign correspondent for Singapore's English daily newspaper The Straits Times until a little over a year ago and is now part of the VII photo agency's Mentor Program. When she moved to China in 2007, she worked on a story about child trafficking. "I chanced upon a guy who operated a basement residence in Beijing," Sim says. "I was quite taken with the idea that there were migrant workers living beneath Beijing's posh condominiums, office blocks [and] hotels.
"I'd been thinking about how to document China's migrant workers, and I thought the migrants in the basement was a good way to slice into the topic." The basement dwellers are mostly service workers--waitresses, chefs, shampoo girls--who keep Beijing running. The underground quarters are all the), can afford, and most white-collar workers don't realize they're living there, Sim explains. Because the basement residents are labeled "rats," and the authorities are now taking steps to shut basement residences down, Sim says, "I felt more of a purpose in shooting their portraits and their living environment.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
"I thought [by] documenting them to show people above ground they're not 'rats,' but just as cool and centered and 'normal' like all the test of us, it could help people understand them, see them as equals."
Her original plan was to shoot portraits and record video of her subjects telling their stories, and then produce the project in a multimedia format. She collected some video interviews, but explains that Marcus Bleasdale, her mentor at VII, "saw an early version of [the] work and suggested [I] do it as straight environmental portraits. I went with that."
Sim says her biggest challenge was getting access. The authorities are starting to shut the basement residences down because of their reputation as dank, disgusting places, so the operators don't want to attract attention. But Sim managed to find willing subjects by asking around. "I'd go for a haircut and chat with the young migrants in the salons and quite often some of them live in basements," she says.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Sim also asked around for names of the basement operators--the superintendents--who might let her in to take pictures. Through friends of friends, she found contacts, and a few were willing to give her access. "Sometimes I asked for permission to roam around a basement and then simply went door to door to see if I could shoot," she says.
Sim explained to residents that she wanted to photograph them to show what their life underground was like. She won their trust by hanging out, visiting and phoning them a couple of times, and bringing photos back to them after her first visit.
"Some questioned what the point was and took more persuasion and chatting. With most it was relaxed and just chitchat," Sim says. "I look local and speak Chinese, so it's easy to chat."
She ended up photographing about 30 subjects in all, using only ambient light and three lenses--mostly a 24mm, but also a 35mm and 50mm. In addition to shooting the bedroom portraits, she documented other aspects of underground life, including the maze of corridors, and the communal kitchens and bathrooms.
"I probably went into the project with the quite stereotypical idea of, 'Oh, how pitiful they are living in the dark, dank place with no sun,'" she says. "Sure, that's the case to some extent, but I was also pleasantly surprised by what I actually found: the karaoke guy who decorated his room with heart-shaped balloons and who does his hair at a salon before work every night; the Tai Chi master who has a training gym in the basement he runs; the young hair stylist who wants to grin and bear it, living for a few years where he gets mold on his back in the summers just to 'make it big' in the capital city.
"After a few shoots, I felt less pity for them, and more inspired by them instead."
Sim's most memorable subjects, she says, included a pedicurist named Lili and her boyfriend. "Their story is so archetypal," she says, explaining that they both grew up poor and came to Beijing to "make it." Sim also mentions a couple from Yunan who work as chefs. "[They] have a giant poster of a Western man and woman making out over their bed. They do cross-stitch and watch TV right under it, with no sense of irony at all."
Sim finished shooting the project last fall. Her images have since appeared in The New York Times Magazine, the Swiss newspaper Neue Zurcher Zeitung and Life & Style magazine in Mexico.
More images from the project can be viewed at viiphoto.com.
Walker, David
Source Citation
Walker, David. "Beijing's basement dwellers: out of a sense of compassion, photojournalist Sim Chi Yin began photographing the service workers living in the cramped, makeshift quarters beneath the office towers of Beijing. She quickly came to view them as an inspirational reflection of China's economic and cultural transformation." Photo District News June 2012: 24+. Communications and Mass Media Collection. Web. 21 May 2012.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA289834047&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=PPCM&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A289834047
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