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"If I'd had more time, I'd have written a shorter letter."
- Mark Twain
Photo image: Lifting Fog by Janice Lind
December - 2007
Now that the ISBN has been secured, the journal has been submitted to several south shore (MA) book retailers. Soon, it will be available for widespread online purchasing through a number of sites including Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.
We have made additional book donations to the Clift Rogers Free Library and Ventress Memorial Library… both of Marshfield, MA. In addition, we have made donations to the San Jose Mercury News Gift of Reading program. This program is in partnership with the Resource Area for Teachers (RAFT).
We have have continued to send more books to the troops who are serving overseas.
Congratulations to all those individuals who supported the establishment of the Maggie Collection at the Ventress Memorial Library in Marshfield, MA. On December 5th, 2007 this remarkable collection of children’s books was launched in loving memory of young Maggie Adler and it will serve as a fantastic resource for young readers.
We have added the photography of Jan Lind to this site... joining Andra Smith.
November - 2007
We have secured an ISBN for the 6" x 9" paperback version of hoi polloi and it is: 978-0-6151-7760-1 Soon, the book will be available for wider distribution through larger online resources and local retailers.
We are donating several hoi polloi books to the military men and women serving overseas. This effort is in response to the call from WBZ radio host Dan Rea and his efforts to correct an unfortunate situation that occurred in Cambridge, Massachusetts. To learn more, visit http://wbz1030.com/pages/697858.php
08-09-2007
Special thanks to the Patricia and S. Richard Penni Charitable Trust for sponsorship of the hoi polloi journal. The journal is available for purchase through the publisher. A slightly modified version of the journal will be published shortly... reflecting an update of the Sowing Seeds organization.
07-20-2007
We have created an 8 1/2 x 11 version of the hoi polloi journal through LULU.com at http://www.lulu.com/content/932500
Since this is a charitable endeavor, we made this a do-it-yourself effort to minimize out-of-pocket expenses and it was definitely a learning process. We had test copies printed of the larger paperback issue and we produced a more compact 6 x 9 version of the journal. A few enhancements were made to the larger edition. The smaller edition had some technical problems but it appears they have been resolved. We have ordered a couple of print copies of the 6 x 9 book and we will review them before making them available to the public. Thank you for your patience.
06-20-2007 - The hoi polloi journal has been completed and a few review copies have been printed prior to full scale availability. We recently donated a number of manuscripts to the Books for the troops effort in addition to copies of Mark McNulty's novel The Sea Shack.
The journal is a collaboration of more than fifty contributors including:
Nava Atlas, Dean Baris, Janet Bornstein, Paula J. Botch, Elizabeth Bullock, Sofija V. Canavan, Sally A. Connolly, Claire Cook, Katherine Critelli, Skip DeBrusk, Karyn Donahue, Bill Dunn, Harriet Emerson, Richard Fannoney, Robert Feeney, Dennis Feeney, Alessandra Fisher, Dave Fisher, Ralph Fletcher, Sarah Fox, Chris Fraas, Walter C. Frye, Elizabeth Evans Fryer, Frank M. Hynes, Marilyn Johnson, Robert Laplander, Valerie Lawson, Jamie Long, Heidi Marble, Mark McNulty, Robert McNulty, Richard Mills, Shea Mullaney, Erin O’Brien, Jay O’Callahan, April Parker, D. T. Pollard, Stephen Puleo, Chet Raymo, Jordan Rich, William Russo, Mike Ryan, Bob Sanchez, Jackson Sellers, Tucker Smallwood, Reed F. Stewart, Renee Summers, Michael Trainor, Kimmy Van Kooten, Caitlin Womersley, Alexander Woodbury and Virginia Young.
05-04-2007
Passing this along.... Just in time for summer... Our friend Claire Cook is launching her new book...
Life's a Beach
Come meet Claire at the following book signings...
Tuesday, June 5
BUTTONWOOD BOOKS & TOYS 9:45 AM @ Atlantica Restaurant
44 Border Street – Cohasset, MA
Ticketed Coffee with the Authors
(with David Gessner and Hank Phillippi Ryan)
Call Buttonwood at 781-383-2665 for tickets
Tuesday, June 5
6:00 PM @ FRONT STREET BOOK SHOP
165 Front Street – Scituate, MA
Beach Party, Talk & Signing
Call Front Street at 781-545-5011 for more info
Saturday, June 16
2 PM @ BORDERS BOOKS AND MUSIC
255 Grossman Drive – Braintree, MA
Talk & Signing
Call Borders at 781-356-5111 for more info
Wednesday, June 20
WESTWINDS BOOKSHOP
7 PM @ Duxbury Free Library, Merry Room
77 Alden Street – Duxbury, MA
Talk & Signing
Call Westwinds at 781-934-2128 for more info
(To see the full book tour schedule, go to www.clairecook.com )
04-30-2007
We are excited and pleased to welcome storyteller Jay O'Callahan to our hoi polloi publication.
04-29-2007
Dog Days Student Journal Launch!
We have initiated a summer journal project for middle school and high school students.
Our hoi polloi journal project is being reviewed and it will be processed for publication shortly. If you have any last-minute additions or modifications, please contact us. We expect to create several draft copies as well.
04-19-2007
Books for the troops campaign
Author Jan Bornstein is initiating a book drive campaign for the troops overseas. She is looking for authors who may be willing to donate books for this effort. The campaign is being developed at this time and there will be press releases issued to the media. Interested in participation? You are encouraged to contact Jan at:
janetbornstein@hotmail.com Her website is: http://janbornstein.com/index.html
04-04-2007
We are pleased to recognize the poetry collections by three of our contributing authors.
From Scituate, MA - Renee Summers has published If the Potter's Hands Shake. It features a compilation of nature poems, poetry about man's inhumanity to man; personal poems about family, friends and neighborhood.
From Plymouth MA - S. Donovan Mullaney has published Follow the Wolf Moon.
Valerie Lawson has published Dog Watch. Valerie is a resident of Buzzards Bay, MA.
03-29-2007
Skip DeBrusk has joined our hoi polloi endeavor. The author of Codfish, Dogfish, Mermaids and Frank, Skip has been busy with author events throughout the south shore of Massachusetts. His memoir has enjoyed terrific success; it has been featured on the bestseller list of the Quincy Patriot Ledger for many weeks.
The Scituate native is another welcome addition to our publication.
In addition, Representative Frank Hynes has sent along well wishes and congratulations to Sowing Seeds for 12 years of remarkable service to the community of Marshfield.
We will be launching a journal effort for secondary school students shortly.
03-11-2007
We are pleased to include WBZ radio host Jordan Rich as a literary particpant in our hoi polloi journal project. Jordan is the late night weekend host at WBZ 1030 AM and his show is heard in 38 states and Canada. With Internet radio, it's not surprising to hear callers from more distant locations. Jordan is also the 'go to' guy on a regular basis when the station needs aomeone to fill-in for another host. Each year, Jordan hosts two book night shows that are very popular. These author-friendly shows are highly anticiipated events; and Jordan is assisted by 'Bonnie-the-booklady' and his longtime friend and business partner Ken Carberry. Of course, the callers contribute as well with their own book suggestions. The website is another source for book suggestions from these shows.
03-07-2007
Welcome aboard to authors Ralph Fletcher, D T Pollard, Nava Atlas, Sally Connolly, Valerie Lawson, Jan Bornstein, April Parker and… special thanks to RAIN TAXI review of books and a review by Sarah Fox. Also, we appreciate the support and encouragement from author Claire Cook and wish her continued success with the anticipated publication of Life’s a Beach. In addition, we have received a number of literary submissions and your participation is appreciated.
02-22-2007
We have been fortunate to receive support from a number of authors including Elizabeth Evans Fryer, Marilyn Johnson, Robert Laplander, Shea Donovan Mullaney, Chet Raymo, William Russo, Bob Sanchez, Jackson Sellers, Tucker Smallwood, Renee Summers and more….
If you are in the area... author of The Dead Beat: lost souls, lucky stiffs, and the perverse pleasures of obituaries, Marilyn Johnson will be appearing at the Harvard Bookstore in Cambridge on March 6th at 6:30 PM. In addition, she will be appearing at the Boston University Barnes & Noble Bookstore on April 4th at 7 PM. To learn more, visit http://www.marilynjohnson.net/
We appreciate the support of these contributing authors and we encourage our audience to reciprocate in kind.
01-12-2007
The submission of essays, poems, short fiction and creative non-fiction are greatly appreciated. The creative element is the primary driver and focus of the hoi polloi journal.
As the assembly and creation of hoi polloi evolves, we have received several submissions and interview responses from the 'self-published' community. A segment of hoi polloi will thus be devoted to these enterprising authors and their achievements. In addition, we will feature author profiles and interviews from the traditional publishing houses. The authors offer refreshing insight and candor regarding their craft and industry.
An All Things Local section will include a Marshfield profile; a feature on the Sowing Seeds organization; a Literary Slice of Life in Marshfield... a community profile of what people are reading, favorite authors, reading lists, author influences, book reviews, etc.
Stay tuned and keep those submissions coming...
12-17-2006
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all... And, special thanks to everyone for their thoughtful submissions to hoi polloi. Your support and encouragement is very much appreciated.
11-02-2006
We are in the process of issuing press releases; inviting individuals to contribute their literary talent. In addition, we are contacting authors who may be interested in participation. Jordan Rich has long been a favorite radio host at WBZ (1030 AM) in Boston. He hosts periodic ‘book nights’ and he has offered his encouragement and 'well wishes' to our enterprise. And, we are pleased to feature some added photography from the talented Andra Smith. You are encouraged to visit her gallery.
10-20-2006
Dog Days Press is up and running. So, let the writing begin!
An integral aspect to this venture is collaboration. We are all very much a team with regard to sharing our creative energies and publishing a finished product. It may not be obvious on the surface, but we have become a ‘writing society’. Our email culture has certainly contributed to this change in our lifestyles. As a culture, this email writing has morphed into other adventures like ‘blogging’ and it has become easier to communicate through the internet. If we aren’t writing letters to the newspapers, we are producing newsletters; we may be writing restaurant reviews or sending scathing letters of complaint to some anonymous, unsuspecting soul at the end of an email address. Computer alter-egos… there is a story for another time.
So, people are writing more often and many feel compelled to tell their stories. Their skills have been enhanced through osmosis. Publishing houses are busier than ever and technology is making it easier to have books produced.
Now, many people have the compulsion to write and get published but they don’t know how to get started. Dog Days Press is very much that ‘getting started’ point. Writing short stories, essays and poetry in small batches is a positive approach to realizing goals. Very often, the traditional authors have embarked on writing careers through literary journals and magazines. And, many successful authors still contribute to these resources on occasion.
The literary journals and magazines are tremendous sources for experiencing variety in your daily reading enjoyment. A good number of these professional publications are products of the University and College communities. There are also many independent journals and magazines that are achieving success. Dog Days Press is our ‘grass roots’ effort to join this literary culture. With your partnership, we are committed to producing a quality and entertaining journal with the publication of hoi polloi. We will produce other books over time and they won’t be limited to just collaborative writing. But, hoi polloi promises to be a good start.
As an aside...
At times, the publishing business can seem quite unfair. We sometimes hear of quality authors going 'undiscovered' for long periods of time...several books into their careers. But, they persevere, pursue their passion and eventually find their niche.
Then we hear of the opposite extreme regarding 'accidental' successful authors. Those individuals who achieve their '15 minutes of fame'; literary agents and publishers trip over themselves to sign these individuals to book deals. And, to make matters worse, a ghost writer produces their stories. Again, these are the extremes that challenge our cultural views and sensibilities. Then again, sometimes it's these extremes that maintain our interest level and make life a little more interesting.
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