In May 2011, artists Tim Devin and David Taber organized a conference in Cambridge called Play-Jurisms, exploring the complex thicket of copyright, appropriation, and ethics in the work of contemporary artists. We asked the two collaborators to share their observations from that weekend, which approached the idea of creative property from all angles. How does copyright … [Read more...]
Skills Building
Gigi Rosenberg: The Artist’s Guide to Grant Writing
In the introduction to her recent book, Gigi Rosenberg shares an anecdote about her first grant proposal: an application to the Boston Film/Video Foundation (now, sadly, defunct) for a documentary project. She says that instead of clearly and confidently expressing her goals and intent, she was really hoping that a grant would confirm something more personal: that she really … [Read more...]
Jonathan Papernick on the Secrets to DIY Book Promotion
Jonathan Papernick's short story collection There Is No Other has just been published, and Jonathan recently wrote an essay about that crucial step after you publish your book: promoting it with all available resources (mainly you). Jonathan has generously allowed us to re-post the essay, which originally appeared in Beyond the Margins, a superb blog by writers connected to … [Read more...]
Writer, publish thyself?
When writers decide to self-publish, one issue is cost. The creative control of self-publishing may be liberating, but absorbing the costs of book production... less so. On the other hand, it affords the opportunity to be creative about it. Some artists finance self-publishing projects before the books are published - artist/entrepreneur and opera singer Ja-Nae Duane raised … [Read more...]
Accelerant
Just think: one year ago, President George W. Bush watched from the sidelines as Hillary Clinton battled Barack Obama for the presidential nomination in a dead heat. General Motors happily cranked out Hummers... Sarah Palin was unknown outside the frozen north... and the Dow Jones stood at 12,548. My how much can change in just one year. - From Ben Cameron's prepared remarks … [Read more...]