The Crystal Palace, 1851
Mar 25, 2011
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturgeon's_Law:
The first written reference to the adage appears in the March 1958 issue of Venture, where Sturgeon wrote:
I repeat Sturgeon’s Revelation, which was wrung out of me after twenty years of wearying defense of science fiction against attacks of people who used the worst examples of the field for ammunition, and whose conclusion was that ninety percent of SF is crud.
Using the same standards that categorize 90% of science fiction as trash, crud, or crap, it can be argued that 90% of film, literature, consumer goods, etc. are crap. In other words, the claim (or fact) that 90% of science fiction is crap is ultimately uninformative, because science fiction conforms to the same trends of quality as all other artforms.
The first written reference to the adage appears in the March 1958 issue of Venture, where Sturgeon wrote:
I repeat Sturgeon’s Revelation, which was wrung out of me after twenty years of wearying defense of science fiction against attacks of people who used the worst examples of the field for ammunition, and whose conclusion was that ninety percent of SF is crud.
Using the same standards that categorize 90% of science fiction as trash, crud, or crap, it can be argued that 90% of film, literature, consumer goods, etc. are crap. In other words, the claim (or fact) that 90% of science fiction is crap is ultimately uninformative, because science fiction conforms to the same trends of quality as all other artforms.
Mar 22, 2011
Mar 18, 2011
A Poem upon viewing
the 62nd Oscar-ceremony
FOREVER
PLEASE
FOREVER!!
A.R. Atlas (c. 1991)
This short poem by the otherwise unknown Arizona poet A.R. Atlas, was found rejected by the Flagstaff Examiner in late 1991. The poem is a stunning display of minimalist virtuosity and a scathing indictment of our current cult of celebrity, but also speaks forcefully of personal anguish and the fear-of-death (and the fear-of-boredom, that nowadays has taken its place). One cannot but be moved by the two exclamation marks that stand, like guards at the entrance to hell, erect at the end of the poem. Punctuation is always erotic, and no other marks are more explicitly phallic.
According to a note attached to the poem it belongs to a cycle called “The Loneliness Of Unconnected Life”. So far, however, no other poems by Mr. Atlas have been found.
A.F. Bytt (red). Taxonomy of Forgotten Poets of the 20th Century (volume 3). Buffalo; University of West Seneca. 1999. p. 78.
Mar 8, 2011
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