Darren Marcy -- Freelance Writer

No more free Web hosting

2009-08-22T22:13:00.002-04:00

I've been using Microsoft to host my Web site and domain registration since I launched it several years back.

It's free, and I had a hard time turning my back on free. Now, they're going to charge $15, which is almost free, but it has me wondering, what else is out there.

Microsoft's Live Web hosting has some limitations I've forced myself to live with. Now, I'm curious if it's time to do away with those limitations even if it will pull some money out of my wallet.

Anybody with experience with Microsoft's hosting who has any thoughts, feel free to contact me and share your thoughts.

OutdoorsVT 4-3-08

2008-04-04T00:45:00.000-04:00

Another column available on the Rutland Herald's web site.

Pittsford trails offer mud-season alternative.

New Column Launched

2008-03-28T00:43:00.000-04:00

My new column has been launched.

I now write a weekly outdoor recreation column (OutdoorsVT) in the Rutland Herald.

It is scheduled to appear every Thursday.

In addition to it being printed in the paper, you can find it online.

The first column is now available on the paper's site. You can find the column on the Herald's site by clicking here.

Northshire Bookstore -- February Events

2008-01-19T22:58:00.000-05:00

Unless otherwise noted, all events are free and at Northshire Bookstore, Manchester Center, Vermont. Information: http://www.northshire.com/.

Friday, Feb. 1 at 7 p.m.
Helen Thayer -Join National Geographic Explorer Helen Thayer as she presents a slide show about her remarkable 1,600 mile trek across the Gobi Desert and her new book, Walking the Gobi.

Saturday, Feb. 2 at 11 a.m.
Mary Crowley - Rutland artist Mary Crowley presents her delightful children's book about a young elephant's special relationship with her grandmother, I Love to Visit My Grammy.

Sunday, Feb. 3 at 2 p.m.
Jeff Kinney - Meet the author of the New York Times bestselling children's book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, as he presents the second book in the series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules.

Thursday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m.
Russell Banks - First time at Northshire! The highly acclaimed, bestselling author discusses The Reserve, his suspenseful 1930's-era novel about a passionate affair between an heiress and a mysterious local artist in a remote Adirondack town.

Friday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m.
Frances Moore Lappé - Meet the best selling environmental author (Diet for a Small Planet) as she discusses her inspiring new approach to solving global problems, Getting a Grip: Clarity, Creativity and Courage in a World Gone Mad.

Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. at The Inn at Stratton Mountain
Michael Kodas - Journalist Michael Kodas presents a slide show and the shocking exposé of his 2004 expedition to Mount Everest in his new book, High Crimes: The Fate of Everest in an Age of Greed.

Friday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m.
National Book Critics Circle - Join a panel of prominent Vermont authors as they discuss the February installment of the National Book Critics Circle's new project, The Best Recommended, a book list composed of recommendations by critics and writers.

Thursday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m.
Thomas Moore -The bestselling author of Care of the Soul and many other books on spirituality explores the path to finding that work that connects with our deep soul in his new book, A Life at Work.

2008-01-16T21:58:00.000-05:00

Have you ever wanted to travel to France to write? Of course you have.

Vermont College of the Fine Arts is offering a spring artists and writers retreat April 18-25 in Provence. Cost for the event is $1,000 and does not include airfare or room and board.

Space is limited to 30 participants for this event.

For all the details contact: louise.crowley@tui.edu or 802-828-8840.

New Voices Event Slated

2008-01-12T13:17:00.000-05:00

Misty Valley Books in Chester, Vt., holds an event every year that offers a peak at new authors who might become household names in the future.

The 14th annual event will be held Jan. 26 with two sessions -- 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. -- at the First Universalist Church in Chester's Stone Village.

The event features six up and coming writers -- three at each session -- with a reception following each event in the church's basement.

This year's participants at the early session are James Collins with "Beginner's Greek," Aoibheann Sweeney with "Among Other Things I've Taken Up Smoking," and Nora Pierce with "The Insufficiency of Maps."

In the late session the participants are Pamela Thompson with "Every Past Thing," Emily Mitchell with "The Last Summer of the World," and James Cañon with "Tales from the Town of Widows."

These writers may not be household names yet, but there is a good chance they could soon be if history is any indicator.

Past New Voices participants include Gregory Maguire with "Wicked," Arthur Golden with "Memoirs of a Geisha," Dennis Lehane with "Mystic River," and Claire Messud "The Emperor's Children."

The public will have the opportunity to snowshoe or cross-country ski with the authors in the morning at Grafton Ponds, and can attend a lunch there as well. In between sessions, there will be a wine and cheese reception followed by dinner. Call for reservations.

For more information, call (802) 875-3400 or visit www.mvbooks.com.

Briggs Carriage Bookstore -- January Events

2008-01-10T20:58:00.000-05:00

January Events

Thursday, January 10 - 7:00 p.m.
DEBORAH & NICHOLAS CLIFFORD - In The Troubled Roar of the Waters historians Deborah and Nicholas Clifford bring to life Vermont's perfect storm: the dreadful days in November of 1927 when torrential rains turned an unseasonably warm autumn into a nightmare, and the Green Mountain State found itself covered by a "cube of water more than a mile high a mile long, and a mile broad," according to meteorologists at the time. The Cliffords chronicle both the wreckage - swollen rivers dragging bridges, railway lines, houses, barns, animals, and people downstream to destruction - and the recovery, managed by a cast of gritty Vermonters who strove with heroic efficiency to return their state to working order. Teeming with vivid details and useful insights, the Cliffords' book is a model of micro-history.

Thursday, January 17 - 7:00 p.m.
JON FURMAN - Today, small populations of timber rattlesnakes quietly inhabit parts of Rutland County in Vermont, and Warren, Washington, and Essex counties in New York. Because the species is endangered, the exact locations of established dens in this area are a closely guarded secret. Insider, naturalist, and author Jon Furman, author of the new book, Timber Rattlesnakes in Vermont & New York: Biology, History, and the Fate of an Endangered Species, has devoted years to the study of the snake's past and present range, its habitat and biology, the period in Vermont and upstate New York history during which timber rattlesnakes were ruthlessly bounty-hunted, and the outlook for this severely threatened species in both states. Join him for a fascinating evening and learn about this little-known local subject.

Thursday, January 24 - 7:00 p.m.
MARC ESTRIN - Critically acclaimed Vermont writer, cellist and activist, Marc Estrin presents his new novel, The Lamentations of Julius Marantz. The New York Times says that Estrin is "consistently learned and funny." From the first page we are plunged into a global riot of paranoia, joy, and fear. The voice of these Lamentations is a sixty-something, club-footed scientist named Julius Marantz, an obsessive researcher who suffers from both forbidden knowledge and an insistent conscience. Part a portrait of cynical politics and religious fervor, part scientific speculation and part meditation on the glories of Coney Island, the novel provides us with fuel for an evening of serious and comic adventure.

Thursday, January 31 - 7:00 p.m.
TODD McLEISH - In his new book, Golden Wings & Hairy Toes: Encounters with New England's Most Imperiled Wildlife, author Todd McLeish takes the reader on an adventure with field biologists working to better understand the natural history, ecology, habitat requirements, and conservation status of 14 of New England's rarest plants and animals. He explains the subtleties that make each of these 14 species unique - as well as the people who study them - and in the process provides plenty of reasons to "help postpone permanently the day that they, like the heath hen, disappear entirely." Mr. McLeish will read from, discuss, and sign copies of his book.

Tom Wolfe Leaves Publisher

2008-01-09T12:59:00.000-05:00

Variety reports Tom Wolfe's next book will not be published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux. Money was the issue, according to the report.

"We read the proposal, we liked the book a lot but we couldn't agree on the price," Jonathan Galassi, of Farrar, Straus told Variety. "It was as simple as that. It's sad, we published all of Tom's books up to now. We love Tom he's a great writer, we'll miss him a lot. It's business."

Read the full article at Variety here.

Bennington College Holds Writers' Conference

2008-01-05T11:33:00.000-05:00

Bennington College in Vermont is holding its annual writers' conference.

According to a press release from the college, "some of America's most acclaimed and celebrated writers come together for the Bennington Writing Seminars."

The event is one of two 10-day residencies in the college's MFA in writing program.

The event is expected to draw hundreds of writers from across the country.

There will be an evening reading series that is free and open to the public, which began Jan. 3 and will run through Jan. 12.

For full details and more on each writer, see the college's web site: www.Bennington.edu.

The lineup:

Friday, January 4
Rachel Pastan - "This Side of Married" "Lady of the Snakes"
Martha Southgate - "Third Girl from the Left" "The Fall of Rome" "Another Way to Dance"

Saturday, January 5
Richard McCann - "Mother of Sorrows" "Ghost Letter and Dream of the Traveler"
George Scialabba - "Divided Mind" "What Are Intellectuals Good For?"

Sunday, January 6
Tom Bissell - "Chasing the Sea" "Speak, Commentary" "God Lives in St. Petersburg" "The Father of All Things"
Valerie Martin - "The Unfinished Novel and Other Stories" "Italian Fever" "The Great Divorce" "Mary Reilly" "Property" "Salvation: Scenes from the Life of St. Francis"

Monday, January 7
Robin Hemley - "Do Over"
Major Jackson - "Hoops" "Leaving Saturn"

Wednesday, January 9
Sven Birkerts - "The Art of Time in Memoir: Then Again" "Reading Life: Books for the Ages" "My Sky Blue Trades: Growing Up Counter in a Contrary Time" "The Gutenberg Elegies: The Fate of Reading in an Electronic Age" "An Artificial Wilderness: Essays on Twentieth Century Literature" "The Electric Life: Essays on Modern Poetry" "American Energies: Essays on Fiction"
Thomas Lynch - "Skating with Heather Grace, Grimalkin & Other Poems" "Still Life in Milford" "The Undertaking" "Late Fictions" "Walking Papers"

Thursday, January 10
Frank Bidart - ""Golden State" "The Sacrifice" "In the Western Night: Collected Poems 1965-90" "Star Dust" "Music Like Dirt" "Desire"
Askold Melnyczuk - "Ambassador of the Dead" "What Is Told"

Saturday, January 12
Debra Spark - "Coconuts for the Saint" "The Ghost of Bridgetown" "Twenty Under Thirty: Best Stories by America's New Young Writers" "Curious Attractions: Essays on Fiction Writing"

Mailer Papers to be Available to Public

2008-01-04T00:59:00.000-05:00

According to an article posted on the site of the Chronical of Higher Education's web site, Norman Mailer's Papers will be made available to the public.

Mailer died in November and the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at the University of Texas announced it will make its collection available to the public, according an article on the site posted by Jennifer Howard.

The collection includes the manuscripts of Mailer's books, 40,000 letters, research materials, photographs, scrapbooks, awards and professional and personal life documents spanning the majority of the writer's 84 years. There is also a running discussion via letters between Mailer and his Japanese translator about the meaning of Mailer's works.

Northshire Bookstore -- January Events

2007-12-19T00:43:00.000-05:00

Unless otherwise noted, all events are free and at Northshire Bookstore, Manchester Center, Vermont. Information: http://www.northshire.com/.

Friday, Jan. 4 at 7 p.m.
Chris Crowley - Learn how to live like you're 50 until you're 80 and beyond, when co-author Chris Crowley presents the paperback editions of the revolutionary New York Times bestsellers "Younger Next Year" and "Younger Next Year for Women."

Saturday, Jan. 5 at 7 p.m.
Anthony Wood - Discover the story of how a group of New York City activists worked to save some of the city's most cherished architectural landmarks, as historian Anthony Wood presents "Preserving New York."

Thursday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m.
Reading Group Open House - Plan your 2008 reading group schedule with representatives from Random House, America's largest publishing house. Enjoy light refreshments, and enter to win advance reader copies of upcoming books!

Saturday, Jan. 12 at 2 p.m. at Stratton Mountain Base Lodge
Tina Anderson & Sarah Pinneo - Co-authors present "The Ski House Cookbook," filled with 125 hearty winter recipes that are short on prep and long on flavor. Visit with the authors and enjoy free samples of dishes from the book!

Saturday, Jan. 12 at 7 p.m.
Dario Castagno - Tuscan tour guide Dario Castagno discusses "A Day in Tuscany," his enchanting new memoir about the people and life in Tuscany's legendary Chianti region.

Friday, Jan. 18 at noon at The Perfect Wife Restaurant
Sue Miller - Enjoy a scrumptious luncheon with bestselling author Sue Miller, as she presents her brilliant new novel, "The Senator's Wife." Ticket price of $40 includes lunch and a copy of the book.

Saturday, Jan. 19 at 4 p.m.
Lynn Levine & Martha Mitchell - Fun for the whole family! Learn the authors' three-step process to identifying common animal tracks and scat with "Mammal Tracks and Scat: Life-Size Tracking Guide."

Thursday, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m.
Castle Freeman Jr. - Award-winning Vermont author Castle Freeman presents "Go With Me," his new Vermont-based novel about a trio of backwoods heroes who attempt to take down the town bully.

Thursday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m.
Paul Fersen - Dorset author, former NFL player, and transplanted southerner Fersen presents "Peachtree in an Apple Orchard," a delightful collection of tales about becoming a Vermonter.

Correction: From Nov. 15

2007-12-14T20:51:00.000-05:00

Oops.

In my Nov. 15 post "From the Mail Bag," I messed up one of the items badly.

I wrote about the book, "Edges, O Israel, O Palestine" going into a third printing. Unfortunately, I listed the late Grace Paley as the author of this book. In fact, Paley edited the book and was the publisher under her imprint at Glad Day Books, according to the press release I was working from.

The author of this book, Leora Skolkin-Smith, wrote an afterward in the newest release in commemoration to Paley.

I apologize to Ms. Skolkin-Smith for the error.

A New E-Book Reader Offers Mixed Bag

2007-12-07T21:51:00.000-05:00

I saw this review and thought it sounded interesting.

Few people I know read books electronically, but most all are interested in the opportunities and potential the future holds.

I'll always be an ink on paper guy, at least to some extent. But a gadget that is readable and comfortable -- both visually and physically -- while small enough to fit in a small bag and carry a ton of information excites me. As long as it is affordable, that is. Such a beast that costs $350 will buy a lot of paperbacks.

I see real value for something like this, once they finally get it right.

---------

Review Below:

I've been using Amazon's Kindle e-book reader for about a week now, and I like it quite a bit. Here is a truly novel gadget, a device that delivers a fantastic service -- thousands of books anywhere, on the go -- in a pleasant, mostly hassle-free package.

If you're on the fence about the utility of an e-book reader -- if you doubt that reading e-books can match the experience of reading "real" books -- a few hours with the Kindle will do much to change your mind.

Still, there's a great deal Amazon could improve on. Its $400 price tag, its zany user interface, and some of its sillier restrictions make the Kindle a non-starter for all but the travelingest, readingest early adopters.

Find the story here.

Mailer Given Prize Posthumously for Bad Sex Writing

2007-12-05T22:51:00.000-05:00

Warning: Adult content
------------------------

The poor guy just died Nov. 10, and less than a month later he has added another "honor" to his lengthy list of accomplishments.

Norman Mailer, who won two Pulitzer Prizes, was awarded the Bad Sex in Fiction Award in late November.

Judges recognized Mailer "as a great American man of letters" and hailed his "innovative journalism, his combative spirit and his love of life," according to a news release. But they also couldn't resist issuing the award for a passage he wrote in his novel, "The Castle in the Forest."

"We are sure that he would have taken the prize in good humour," the judges said from London where the prize was awarded.

Considered an "award most dreaded by authors," it was established in 1993 by the late Auberon Waugh when he was editor-in-chief of The Literary Review, according to the release. Previous winners have included U.S. writer Tom Wolfe and British author Sebastian Faulks.

The winning passage leaves little to the imagination. It begins: "So Klara turned head to foot and put her most unmentionable part down on his hard-breathing nose and mouth and took his old battering ram into her lips."

Ruth Stone Prize in Poetry

2007-12-02T11:52:00.000-05:00

The deadline for the 2008 Ruth Stone Prize in Poetry is Dec. 10.

One $1,000.00 prize and two honorable mentions will be published in the Spring 2008 issue of Hunger Mountain, The Vermont College Journal ofArts & Letters

There is a $15 entry fee, which includes a copy of the spring issue.

For more details and all the rules for submissions, see the Web site.

NaNoWriMo -- Winner

2007-11-30T21:49:00.000-05:00

Last night, Nov. 29, I topped the 50,000-word plateau to complete the NaNoWriMo challenge of writing 50,000 words during the month of November.

To get over the top, I took my laptop to a local McDonalds and settled in for a couple of hours of serious writing with a cup of Green Mountain coffee. Some 1,800-plus words later, I came home and dropped another 750 or so words onto the screen. I entered my word count into the NaNoWriMo word validator and the screen came up telling me I was a winner.

One day early with a lot of crap involved, but there's some good stuff. Definitely something to work with as I move forward.

And a good feeling of accomplishment for having met my goal.

Author To Give Away Book

2007-11-28T21:49:00.000-05:00

Nick Williams wants to give away 1 million copies of his next book via the Internet.

The bestselling author of "The Work We Were Done To Do," Williams decided to give his sixth book away to make a point.

"I wanted to create something quick and easy to read - something that would take hours to absorb instead of days. But most of all, I wanted an opportunity to encapsulate the nuggets of wisdom I've accumulated during my fifteen years of teaching - and to create a multimedia experience that would reignite the belief that it's possible to work for love and money."

He hopes to give away 1 million copies by the end of 2012.

Get your copy of Nick's book: at the Inspired Entrepreneur website.

NaNoWriMo Article Published

2007-11-25T14:02:00.000-05:00

I have an article about National Novel Writing Month in two papers today.

The article is in the Rutland Herald and Barre-Montpelier Times Argus' Living section.

The thing came out OK, even though I ended up with way too much information for the space available. I originally wrote 1,700 words, but trimmed it to about 1,300 for publication.

Right now, you can find it on the web sites for those papers. Scroll way down the first page for the Living Section. I'd be interested in hearing what you think.

If it disappeares from those sites, the article can be found here.

Check out my NaNoWriMo Blog about my experience in trying to write a 50,000-word novel during the month of November.

Northshire Bookstore -- December Events

2007-11-20T23:52:00.000-05:00

Unless otherwise noted, all events are free and at Northshire Bookstore, Manchester Center, Vermont. Information: http://www.northshire.com/.

Saturday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m.
Paul Krugman - Award-winning New York Times columnist will present his new book about the plight of America's middle class, The Conscience of a Liberal.

Wednesday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. at the First Congregational Church of Manchester
Joseph Ellis - The Pulitzer Prize-winning historian discusses American Creation, his highly acclaimed new book about the founding years of our nation. Presented by the Vermont Humanities Council.

Thursday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m.
Tom Wicker hosting Out of the Book - Special guest Tom Wicker, former associate editor of The New York Times and one of David Halberstam's colleagues, hosts an Out of the Book short film about the late David Halberstam and the making of his book about the Korean War, The Coldest Winter.

Saturday, Dec. 8 at 11 a.m.
Elizabeth Cody Kimmel - Join the author of the popular children's book My Penguin Osbert as she presents a new holiday gift package featuring the book and a plush version of the penguin, complete with nametag.

Saturday, Dec. 8 at 7 p.m.
Jonah Lehrer - Editor-at-large for the science and culture magazine Seed, Lehrer presents Proust Was a Neuroscientist, his premise that science is just now rediscovering essential truths about the mind that were previously discovered by art.

Tuesday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m.
Wine Tasting with Ferenc Máté - Join the bestselling author as he presents A Vineyard in Tuscany, his memoir of running a wine estate from an 800-year-old house, along with wines from his award-winning winery in Italy.

From the Mail Bag

2007-11-15T23:49:00.000-05:00

The item "Book Goes Into Third Printing" was corrected Dec. 14, 2007.

A collection of press releases and assorted news items from the recent weeks.

Learn How to Be a Travel Writer
The Society of American Travel Writers, hosts the Institute for Travel Writing & Photography in Orlando, Fl., Jan. 25-27. The course provides insight into the career of travel writing and photography and the skills needed to launch a career in the field ... and make money doing it. Registration fee of $345 covers course materials, all meals, breaks and social events. Host hotel is the Courtyard at Lake Lucerne in downtown Orlando.
Information: http://www.satwinstitute.org/

Travel Story Contest
Tell your travel story for a chance to win a collection of travel books from Greystone Books. Contest closes Nov. 30.
www.greystonebooks.com/contests

Book Goes Into Third Printing
A novel "Edges, O Israel, O Palestine" published by the late Grace Paley has gone into a third printing. The book's author Leora Skolkin-Smith has written a special Afterword in commemoration to Paley in the new edition. "Edges," a story of a young girl's sexual awakening in 1963 Palestine/Israel was edited and published by Paley for her own imprint at Glad Day Books. -- Corrected Dec. 14, 2007

National Best Books 2007 Awards
"If only I could...", a late-in-life love story by author Greg M. Sarwa has been named as an Award-Wining Finalist in the Fiction and Literature: Romance Category of the National Best Books 2007. This is Sarwa's second trophy after earning finalist status and a Bronze Medal for "The Cattle" in 2005 ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year Competition.

Three Oceanview Titles Best Books Finalists
Oceanview Publishing announced three of its titles have been named award winning finalists in the National Best Books 2007 Awards.
Among those titles honored are:

The Castro Gene by Todd Buchholz - Fiction & Literature: Mystery/Suspense category
Stuff to Die For by Don Bruns -- Fiction & Literature: Mystery/Suspense category
Egrets to the Flames by Barbara Anton - Fiction & Literature: General Fiction category

Prestwick House to Purchase Milliken Publishing
Prestwick House has reached an agreement to purchase Saint Louis-based Milliken Publishing House. The deal, scheduled to take place at the end of December, will increase Prestwick House's offerings by more than 300 titles.

Readers Ditching Newspapers for Web Sites

2007-11-13T21:51:00.000-05:00

According to an article in the New York Times, more and more readers are dropping newspapers for the Internet.

A check of 88 major newspapers showed that half had seen no significant change in combined print and online readership. Only a small handful of papers showed any kind of gain in circulation while most showed a decline or did not change appreciatively. Sunday circulation declined 3.5 percent, including 4.6 percent for the top 25 dailies, the article reported.

At the same, time, however, more readers are going online for their news, according to the article with Web site traffic making gains.

Second NaNoWriMo Hurdle

2007-11-11T23:51:00.000-05:00

I topped 20,000 words today.

The battle continues. One day I manage just more than 500 words. The next day I lop off 4,000-plus.

Just more than one-third of the way into this 50,000-word quest and I've discovered two things:

Writing fiction, for me, is harder than nonfiction. With nonfiction, you can always work on another aspect of a piece or switch to an interview, or even a completely different project.

Writing fiction is likely about consistency. I need to add a measure of reliability and consistency to my daily production. This 500-word/4,000-word stuff won't cut it. Sure it all averages out in the end, but I'd much prefer to write 2,000 words per day.

See NaNoWriMo Blog for more.

Norman Mailer Dies

2007-11-10T17:47:00.000-05:00

Pulitzer-prize winning writer Norman Mailer died Saturday, Nov. 10, 2007. He was 84.

Tracking Content on the Net

2007-11-07T21:51:00.000-05:00

There is a new company that has developed software that identifies an electric fingerprint on individual items -- articles, photos, videos -- allowing the user to know when a work has been copied. The software can also automatically send a message to that site, demanding a link back, that the material be removed, or a share of the advertising revenue from the site.

The Associated Press and Reuters are using the software and magazines and newspapers are considering it.

See a full story on this software with many more details on the New York Times at this link.

NaNoWriMo First Hurdle

2007-11-06T23:35:00.000-05:00

I surpassed the 10,000-word mark today in my Quixotic quest to write a 50,000-word novel during the month of November.

Nobody has ever accused me of being completely sane. Actually, this is an exercise in mental toughness. If I can make myself sit down and write 50,000 words this month alongside the rest of life, then I will come out the other end better able to handle those little challenges that jump up each day.

See my NaNoWriMo Blog I'm keeping this month.