What is the author's responsibility to readers in terms of so-called offensive material?

If you're a fiction writer or storyteller of any stripe, I strongly, strongly encourage you to subscribe to the podcast feed for the Public Radio International program Selected Shorts. Every week, you get one to three short stories read by professional actors (names you know and names you don't; all excellent.) This is top-flight stuff, here, folks -- recent stories have been by authors such as Aimee Bender, James Thurber, Jorge Luis Borges, Philip K. Dick, George Saunders, Alice McDermott, T.C. Boyle, and Anton Chekhov, to name a few. Now, I know a lot of people who read this blog are more interested in genre rather than so-called "literary" stuff, and Selected Shorts only touches on genre works. Stiil, I urge you to give this a shot. The craft of storytelling is identical whether it's science fiction or suburbia... in fact, I will step out on a not-very-high ledge and say that a lot of genre writers could learn a thing or two about what makes a good story. No, of course I'm not talking to you! See, the point here is not just to listen to some of the finest short-form literature available... the point is, as a writer,…

Whew. I'm back in the coffeehouse where I write in the morning before going to work. It's in a town right next to Ontario, California, where the Podcast and New Media Expo was held. Ontario might be down the road, but the PNME, the Residence Inn, the Doubletree, the Marriott, Spires, Marie Callendar's, and Stater Brothers seemed like they were five hundred miles from everything I know. I'm experiencing some kind of rifting. I did not want the weekend to end. Every time I'm with my Tribe, particular members of my Tribe, the impact of separation is proportional to the depth of the connection made. My chest hurts, but there's a soft edge of warmth on the cracks. Ow. Listening to Ryan Adams, Belle & Sebastian, and other earnest, heartfelt, melancholy music right now. Probably not making this any less maudlin. Suck it, it makes me feel good to feel this... bad? Nah. Full. So. The Expo. Smaller this year. Does that mean Podcasting is slowing down? Is podcasting "dead?" Not at all. I think it means a whole lot of podcasters are not interested in what the Expo presents: an emphasis on monetization, metrics, and tech. Advertising networks, trade…

Matthew Wayne Selznick attends Dragon*Con, America's largest multimedia genre convention and expo, in Atlanta, Georgia August 31st through September 3rd, 2007. Matt will be a featured guest on eight panels: Podcasting for Promotion Are you a writer, musician, game designer, or trying to promote your brand or grow an audience? Learn the tricks to get a wider audience! Time: 8/31/2007 4:00:00 PM Location: Jackson/Carter - Hilton (Length: 1 Hour) Interactive Podcasting (TalkShoe and BlogTalk) Using some of the most popular live podcasting/net radio services to produce your show, tips and tricks. Time: 8/31/2007 5:30:00 PM Location: Jackson/Carter - Hilton (Length: 1 Hour) Marketing for the Independent Creator One of the biggest challenges for self-publishers and independent creators is getting noticed -- without the help of traditional publishing institutions. Discover marketing and PR strategies used by successful self-published authors and podcasters. Time: 9/1/2007 10:00:00 AM Location: Cherokee - Hilton (Length: 1 Hour) 15 Minutes of Fame (or more) with Web 2.0 Social networking, viral video/photographs, and blogging are the modern artist's and entrepreneur's best friend. Learn from Internet professionals how to utilize these tools to pave the way to your own success no matter what your venture may be. Time: 9/1/2007…

So, Balticon 41 is over, and I'm on my way home. On an airplane, actually, having just taken off from Cleveland. I'll be in Las Vegas in three hours or so, then, a few hours after that, Ontario, and up the hill to home. It should be midnight by the time I hit the sack. Maybe later. Since I've had since Thursday to acclimate myself to Eastern Time, this means I won't sleep until three AM. I may try to sleep on the plane; it's hot and full of people and we're chasing the sun toward twilight, so I'll probably nod off eventually. Meanwhile, though, while the laptop has about ninety minutes of battery power... what about Balticon? This will be the fifth of these post-convention recaps I do. Portable Media Expo One and Two, WorldCon, Podcamp West, and now Balticon 41. I went because people who are dear to me... and people who are newly dear to me... were going. And while there were remarkable moments at other cons... particularly PME Two and WorldCon, Balticon was more remarkable than not. In the past, I've gone through and made a bullet list of people and events. There's good reason to…

Eulogizing Tower Records a little... by which I mean, "use the demise of the record store chain to reflect on my own formative years..."

Matthew Wayne Selznick is part of a festival of local authors at the Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Victorville, California on Saturday, June 24th from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Matt will sign copies of his first book, Brave Men Run - A Novel of the Sovereign Era, read from the book, and discuss the DIY ethic and new opportunities on the Internet for both readers and writers. Barnes & Noble Booksellers The Mall of Victor Valley 14400 Bear Valley Road Suite 107 Victorville, CA 92392 760-245-3370

I'm very pleased to announce that the Brave Men Run Podcast has been... nominated to tbe nominated... in the Best Storytelling category of the first Podcast Peer Awards.

Tried to do some writing today... I like to blast a scene per weekday if at all possible, which usually means a thousand to fifteen hundred words, sometimes more, sometimes less. Today, it barely happened.