Here There be Monsters

Thursday, May 01, 2008
Not having much time, chocolate chip cookies in the oven, paint drying in my youngest daughter's bedroom, and desperately needing a shower, I decide to write a bit.

My head is old and upside down as I begin to carefully journey into unknown waters. The old business of publishing is changing and I don't know the rules. Newspapers are on the way out. It will not be long before they are relics of the past. Magazines too are having a very difficult time with advertising revenue and while I have been lucky to get some freelance writing work this past year, it promises to be an obsolete career.
It is the internet of course. But I don't know the rules, the angels. But I want to. Several of my academic/writing friends have told me they are too old to reinvent themselves and further more they really don't have any interest in doing so.

But I do. Or at least I think I do.

Just read Second Lives by Tim Guest. I was passingly familiar with Second Life as well as other role playing interactive internet games. Most of the kids I know, including my own, have accounts on Club Penguin where they can meet their friends on an iceberg as whimsically dressed flightless birds and dance or just "chat" -- play games, win whatever the currency is in the Antarctic.

I had been on Second Life for a couple of days about 2 years ago and just remember randomly flying around, ending up in a strip club (that whole Sex in Second Life thing is a whole 'nother blog entry), an empty shopping mall. Most places had an eerie ghost town like feel to them. So eh, it was really complicated and I am not much of a programmer so I went back to my First Life and didn't look back.

But I did not know of the corporate presence, the growing corporate presence. Ben and Jerry's? I can go to Ben and Jerry land and hang. Eat virtual ice cream. Maybe even open a scoop shop?

Duran Duran has "land" and holds concerts etc. Penguin books is doing something or other and artists are opening galleries. So hey wait a minute...maybe I should know more about this, if only as a marketing tool. As (my beloved) Karl pointed out last night you could hold poetry slams, record them, edit them, etc. Have book readings...have chats with your readers.

But then, my ever wise and beloved husband wearily opened one eye while we were in bed and I was rambling on about this and said," You know what people want...people want food. Have fun with your second life when the power goes out." And with that he was sound asleep.

Time to take the cookies out and head out to the garden. The spinach, tomatoes, and peppers are up. The ducks need feeding and there are eggs to collect.

We should have a bountiful garden this year. Stop by when the revolution happens, we'll make you a veggie omelet over the campfire.