The Externalist’s blog has been relocated to the new web site at http://www.theexternalist.com. I’ll be moving old posts from this blog over to the new site to retain the historical record and this blog will come down on September 1st. In the meantime, all new posts will be placed on the new blog–and we’ve added two additional blogs as well! See you there!
The Externalist Blog Relocated
July 28th, 2009Book Recommendation 7/8/09: Barbara Ehrenreich
July 8th, 2009Barbara Ehrenreich took two years of working minimum wage jobs in order to write the book Nickel & Dimed. This book comments on a little of everything, but mostly is a unique look into the world of the American class system. Spanning the full range of emotions from laughter to anger, it is virtually guaranteed to elicit a response.
We’re Back, but…
July 8th, 2009The blog was down for a couple of weeks due to computer maintenance. Apologies for that–we’re back now! BUT, The Externalist is going to be coming down for a few days later this week for site maintenance and a full redesign. This might or might not affect the blog while the site is down, but will definitely affect the blog once the site comes back up. The new site will have closer alignment with this general blog as well as blogs by both editors. This is part of a significant change in the direction of The Externalist; however, our vision and mission remains the same: to publish and promote the most socially significant literature possible. Thanks so much for your continued support!
Writing Prompt 6/23/09
June 24th, 2009Explore public funding of private education, special education or otherwise, in a poem, short story, or essay. When and how might it work? When and how might it go wrong? Is there a moral obligation to provide or not provide such an opportunity? You can use this article from NPR as a starting point. Remember, you can post your writing to our comments section!
Site Maintenance & Redesign in July
June 21st, 2009The Externalist will be down for at least one weekend during the first week of July for site maintenance and redesign. While we hate to bring the site down, we’re confident that our readers will appreciate our new format and some new features. Beginning in August, we will no longer be publishing formal issues. Instead, we’ll be posting new content over time and including only selected pieces in a .pdf edition that will carry the best of the most recent three months. One annual .pdf will include content that hasn’t appeared on our web site as well. We’re also looking at more blogs, a new web forum, and a directory of anyone that has ever appeared in The Externalist. Do you have ideas for making The Externalist even better? Is there something you want to see that you haven’t yet? Tell us about it with an email to editor@theexternalist.com or just post a comment here.
Note: Due to excessive comment spam, all comments must be approved before appearing on the site. This can take up to 48 hours, though I try to get to them much sooner than that. Thanks for your patience!
Writing Prompt 6/20/09
June 21st, 2009Consider how an end to Iranian theocracy might affect you personally, wherever u are. Read this article for inspiration or just to be informed: http://tinyurl.com/l4gzyu.
Feel free to post your practice in our comments section (Note: due to excessive spam, all comments must be approved. This can take up 48 hours.)
Externalist Writing Prompt 6/15/2009
June 16th, 2009Write a story about a futuristic leadership campaign that uses only the Internet. For more info, visit this news article about the opposition campaign and protest mechanisms in Iran: http://tinyurl.com/lfoe62. The article is worth the read even if you don’t use the prompt. If you do use the prompt, feel free to post a portion of your story in the comments section.
All Externalist writing prompts appear first on Twitter.
Externalist Writing Prompt 6/14/2009
June 16th, 2009Write a story or poem about the National Health Care Day of Service. You can post your work as a comment.
Writing prompts are posted first to http://twitter.com/TheExternalist. We’ll post three or four a week using current events.
Join us on Twitter
June 11th, 2009The Externalist is now on Twitter! Join us there. We’ll be tweeting contributor announcements, news from The Externalist, and maybe some news-based writing prompts.
If you’re interested, you can also follow my personal Twitter account. I tweet about writing opportunities, readings and events, and so on and so forth.
See you there!
Weekly Book Recommendation: June 10, 2009
June 11th, 2009A couple years ago, I stumbled upon an author that I’d never heard of, but in such a way that I knew I should know who he was. That is to say, a movie trailer specifically gave his name which happens so rarely with any author short of Stephen King or John Grisham that I was actually surprised by the inclusion (pleasantly surprised as authors get little enough attention in an A.D.D. culture already). After seeing the movie which made me laugh harder than I’d laughed in a long time, I decided to do a little research on this author, after which point I promptly went to the bookstore and purchased four of his titles. What can I say? I was feeling brazen.
The first of the books from this small stack that I read was Neverwhere. I started the book at 5:30 pm. I finished it just after 11 that same night. I knew from page 2 that I hadn’t wasted my money. Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere is deceptively easy to read. The style is suitable for a 5th grader, but the book itself serves as an extended commentary on urban culture and the financial-success-based mentality that has overcome much of the west. The world for people who have fallen between the cracks is both frightening and strangely appealing. And when you’re done reading Neverwhere and are ready for something even more thought-provoking and a little less “fun,” I also highly recommend American Gods, the first book in a long time to cross genres multiple times within its pages, still win a multitude of awards, and perhaps most surprisingly, to have deserved them all.