kidattypewriter

Monday, March 16, 2009

Grandeur, delusions of

Seems to me that all these predictions of the imminent death of the printed newspaper are entirely too shortsighted. One historical parallel that comes to mind is the competition between cinema and theatre (an established form of entertainment since the early 20th century) and the forms of home entertainment that sprang up from the 1950's onwards (video, beta, DVD). Cinema and theatre never died, but they did change, and in time came to have an co-dependent relationship with television, video, and DVD. Perhaps a similar fate awaits newspapers, with all the hard reporting being done online, while a wide array of magazines and pamphlets are distributed in the printed form by a succession of poets and humourists and spruikers and authors. I'd personally love to see a return to the good old 18th century style of pamphleteering, though I suppose that the time for that form of publication has passed.

On a completely unrelated note, would anyone like to buy my poetry zine? I'm taking some copies in to Sticky this morning. It's called A Child's Garden of Hearses, and it's been illustrated by Alexis, with cover art by Kingsley. I can't give it out, because it cost two dollars to do the cover alone, aside from the other 23 pages. Also, I have to pay my artists, who are currently beating down the door baying for my blood (that's what they ask for in terms of minimum wage these days, I hear.)

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Perhaps so. I heard a woman advocating (in the newspaper, of course) that we be enviro friendly, and stop using plastic bags for the bin, and start lining them with ... the newspaper, of course. There seems to be something suitable about lining a newspaper with the rants of certain opinion columnists and then filling it with snotty tissues and fish-heads, but it could be rather an expensive endeavour for some. Would you be looked down upon if your bin was lined with a sensationalist rag rather than a more elite publication, too? Would newspapers advocate above all their ability to contain the most rubbish?

And off that ... perhaps the death of newspapers is shortsighted but unfortunately the imminent death of jobs doesn't seem to be. Boo hoo!

Shelley said...

23 pages? How prodigious.

TimT said...

They're not numbered. And I tend to think of them as 6 pages, since I just photocpied six A4 sheets and folded them.

Maria - you can get all sorts of toilet paper these days.

Alexis, Baron von Harlot said...

I am so not baying for your blood. Vegetarian. Can't say the same for Kingsley.

Shelley said...

The utterly charming LLL sent me George Dubya toilet paper for my birthday last year. Happy 30th, have some bog roll. I do collect the best of good people.

Nick Crumbedprawn said...

Sure, I'll buy one.

They're at Borders I presume?

But *seriously* I'd like to buy one. Name your currency and two African river ports.

Martin Kingsley said...

Being in full possession of the facts but lacking a conscience, I would not only bay for your blood but quite enjoy fashioning it into a kind of sausage much admired by the Bavarians.

TimT said...

You display an admirable lack of conscience, Kingsley. I only hope you have an abundance of taste to go with your lack of confidence - I personally recommend that I be served besides mashed potato, with mustard, bacon, and some strong ale.

I'd hate to be blood sausaged only to be served up to some fat little German kid in suspenders called Otto, at some dodgy boarding school.

TimT said...

You display an admirable lack of conscience, Kingsley. I only hope you have an abundance of taste to go with your lack of confidence.

I'm not sure whether I should show a lack of conscience about my spelling, or a lack of confidence about it.

Caz said...

How many copies did you take into Sticky's?

TimT said...

Five! And, as of yesterday (I went in to check with my brother) none had been sold. I'm going to have to put my plans for world domination through zine making on hold until I get used to this selling thing...

Caz said...

Three left!

Err, wealth and world domination does not this way lay.

I'm pretty sure of this.

Almost certain.

TimT said...

Oh, hoorah! Thank you!

Caz said...

I'll treasure it.

I've even sent away for a child.

I do hope it's mocha colored.

Email: timhtrain - at - yahoo.com.au

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