A muggy week but an exciting one… and not just because of the new Bond movie trailer. I received a phone call Monday from an acquisitions fellow at the McGraw-Hill publishing company. They are one of the bigger publishers of textbooks in the world. Back in 2004, The Humanist published an article I wrote on how civil liberties are being systematically reduced by the two-punch assault of government and corporate entities. From Walmart stitching RFID chips into their products to the government pushing the REAL ID card and PATRIOT ACT, some core freedoms are being stolen.
The article was well-received and is still responsible for a good percentage of mail I get (both the good and bad.) It was even required reading for the National Debate on civil liberties conducted by H. W. Wilson.
So this guy from McGraw Hill wants to republish the article in an upcoming anthology. A little negotiation, and the deal was signed.
Even more exciting is that one of my articles was accepted for publication at Strange Horizons!
They are a cutting-edge, award-winning magazine of science-fiction and speculation. I’ve been trying to break in for a while now… so I’m absolutely delighted! My piece is entitled “Lost Chance: Greek and Chinese Philosophy’s Unrealized Romance.” (Yes, the title is a tad wordy.) A few months ago I had been reading an old college philosophy book, and I noticed the intriguing parallel between when Greek philosophy was at its height and Chinese philosophy was also attaining a dazzling metaphysical zenith. I wondered how history might have unfolded differently if the two Golden Ages of philosophy had had the chance to interact. This is the thesis of Lost Chance and you can read it here.
I’m working my way through all of Alfred Hitchcock’s films. There is an immediacy in his directorial technique which is very engaging. While I agree that Psycho is probably his most accomplished work, I have always loved Vertigo. Also on my favorites list is North by Northwest, Saboteur, and The Birds. Rear Window is refreshing in the way it makes use of an extremely small set (though Hitchcock’s movie Lifeboat has the all-time Hollywood record… as well as the cleverest Hitchcock cameo ever!)
Watching this Week: Strange Days, Aliens, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and Big Trouble in Little China.
Reading this Week: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.