December 18, 2007 - SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - As the the year winds down and attention turns to Christmas and vacation, a bunch of ornery points stubbornly assert themselves.
There is the issue of Finial Publishing, and this website. I find myself tackling the profound question, why? Why publish books in a world already inundated with information?
The answer to this question is simple. I want to.
I want to publish content that pushes the envelope toward something true, enjoyable, and distinctively relevant. Like young adult fiction that does not mince words about the stark realities of cultural and political divides. My gosh, politics and young adult in the same sentence!
For example, the atmosphere is whimsical and yet ominously familiar in Rowena Wright's A LOOP IN TIME, a Polis adventure. Check out the book trailer set to Marvin Gaye's classic Mercy, Mercy.
It would also be interesting to see the stories of classical mythology without the patriarchal themes and glib pseudo-historical explanations we were all taught in school. Or technology and business books that capture the latest in technical know-how and management savvy in elegant language without the geek-MBA speak.
The list goes on. But returning to our holiday good cheer, I'd like to present our 2008 calendar, free for download in this link. The card features our logo and some whimsical snowflake motifs. We like it.
Returning to the title of this newsletter, I've been pondering some very shattering gut truths as I go about my holiday preparations:
THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE (LIKE OUR CALENDAR) EXCEPT WHEN THEY AREN'T. This I decided as a culled through my medicine cabinet tossing out those nice Bextra samples my doctor gave me some five years ago. Which I didn't take. I'm a bad patient, what can I say. For those not entirely clued into the Vioxx suits, Bextra is in the same class of miracle painkillers that have been removed from the market. But now as I toss out these supposedly generous FREE samples, I have to worry about the accumulated environmental damage of everyone's disposed drugs. That leads to GUT TRUTH number two.
NOTHING EVER COMPLETELY GOES AWAY. On a nicer note, this year I have rediscovered the whereabouts of friends from more than twenty years ago. I have discovered my mother still sings songs with her sister from their days as school girls. They are both now in their sixties. Memory is long and the moments of sweetness are forever. 'Tis wonderful to be a sentient human. But come to think of it I'm sure the smallest knat has these moments of epiphany as well, which leads to GUT TRUTH number three.
SMALLER IS BETTER. Looking back on the year, I have to classify my purchases. I have discovered that the enhancements to my material comfort follow a rule: The larger the volume the greater the resulting sense of bother and buyer's remorse. We acquired a nice flat screen 42" TV this year. I know, we are behind the curve on this. This acquisition has since become a monumental albatross, consuming electricity and emanating the synthesized hooks of video games. One purchase that has brought me quite a bit of pleasure, however, is my new ping pong paddle. Since this acquistion, you will find me at our favorite local ping pong club flinging top spins at my opponents. These are real-life flesh and blood opponents who often return my deadly smashes, not computer-generated animations. Real-life is still better.
On that note, I wish you and yours all the best for the holidays and the New Year.
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