A Video Message from Harlan Ellison

William Haskins · Jan 31, 2008

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/01/i-sell-my-soul.html

wise words indeed.

William Haskins · Jan 31, 2008

well, given that it's a video message, audio is pretty much implied, so i won't take responsibility for your speaker situation.

furthermore, i just opened the link in both firefox and explorer and there are no inherent popups at andrew sullivan's blog, which is hosted by 'the atlantic'.

this indicates to me that your system is infected with adware and/or malware.

i take no responsibility for your surfing habits.

in the future, perhaps it would be prudent to just not follow any links.

clockwork · Jan 31, 2008

Jeez... why isn't Ellison president of the WGA? "Pay me, motherfucker!"

I got no pop-ups, Firefox jumped right in and snagged 'em.

rugcat · Jan 31, 2008

I got no popups (Firefox is your friend)

I was talking to a group of booksellers and SF/F writers the other day, and they all agreed that the most frightening aspect of any SF/F con was the possibility of being trapped in an elevator with Harlan Ellison.

Apparently it once happened.

William Haskins · Jan 31, 2008

re: your comment above and the rep comment about "posting in the proper venue" and "no one taking me seriously".

on the former, i'll post where i want. if a mod thinks that it's the wrong place, they can move it, but i'll be damned if i'm going to be guided in my use of the forums by anyone else.

as far as taking me seriously goes, i'm sure you can guess how much i care.

Perks · Jan 31, 2008

Anyway, as far as the interview goes, I can see where Ellison might be a bit intense, but he certainly makes a point with righteous indignation. I'm so tired of politicians, I really liked his tirade.

It would be better than being stuck in an elevator with a nose-picker.

P.S. I didn't get any pop-ups either.

robeiae · Jan 31, 2008

Perks said:
It would be better than being stuck in an elevator with a nose-picker.

Yes, but sometimes RT has donuts, too.

Perks · Jan 31, 2008

Would that be RT as in RumpleTumbler or RollingThunder? You and your damned letters.

SpookyWriter · Jan 31, 2008

Ellison has won ten Hugo Awards, four Nebula Awards, and five Bram Stoker Awards (presented by the Horror Writers Association) including the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996.
He has also been honored with the Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America twice, the Georges Méliès fantasy film award twice, and the Silver Pen for Journalism by International PEN, the international writers' union. He was presented with the first Living Legend Award by the International Horror Guild at the 1995 World Horror Convention. He is also the only author in Hollywood ever to win the Writers Guild of America Award for Most Outstanding Teleplay (solo work) four times, most recently for "Paladin of the Lost Hour" in 1987.

Perks · Jan 31, 2008

Why am I not even a tiny bit tempted to click Spooky's links?

It's a trap. Get an axe.

robeiae · Jan 31, 2008

Perks said:
Would that be RT as in RumpleTumbler or RollingThunder?

Hmmm...I don't think it matters, Pk.

Perks · Jan 31, 2008

I didn't get my pop-ups with the last dose of Ellison. All's well.

William Haskins · Jan 31, 2008

i posted it for ellison's later comments, regarding how amateurs and semi-pros actually do themselves a disservice, in addition to writers in general, by giving away commercial writing. it contributes to the notion that "anyone can do it" and it proliferates, especially on the web, diminishing the market that we need to thrive.

ultimately, he's saying to see the value in yourself and don't trade your talents for promises of seeing your name in print and vague allusions to PR.

that's it.

now i'm sorry i posted the goddamn thing.

and, spooky, i would never share the contents of a private message, but when you rep me to explain what was really stuck in your craw while publicly warning other people away from the thread because you had to click little x's on 2 inter-site popups, that's bullshit.

you more or less called me out and i'm setting the record straight on why you really chose to derail the thread.

especially ironic because you're supposedly this big, bad IT motherfucker, and yet somehow you haven't grasped the concept of a popup blocker.

so, in summation, ignore this thread.

hopefully, a mod will slap a lock on it and put it out of its fucking misery.

as far as i'm concerned, the whole world can go to hell.

jst5150 · Jan 31, 2008

FYI, this topic and video are here:

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84980

William Haskins · Jan 31, 2008

well, there ya go.

my deepest apologies to everyone for the inconvenience.

Perks · Jan 31, 2008

William Haskins said:
ultimately, he's saying to see the value in yourself and don't trade your talents for promises of seeing your name in print and vague allusions to PR.

I'm sorry it got derailed.

What I found interesting, and a warning that should bold and underline what you wrote above, was that some little PR lackey would think it appropriate to offer 'free publicity' to Harlan Ellison.

If that doesn't prove his point, and yours, I don't know what else would.

rugcat · Jan 31, 2008

SpookyWriter said:
Ellison has won ten Hugo Awards, four Nebula Awards, and five Bram Stoker Awards (presented by the Horror Writers Association) including the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996.
He has also been honored with the Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America twice, the Georges Méliès fantasy film award twice, and the Silver Pen for Journalism by International PEN, the international writers' union. He was presented with the first Living Legend Award by the International Horror Guild at the 1995 World Horror Convention. He is also the only author in Hollywood ever to win the Writers Guild of America Award for Most Outstanding Teleplay (solo work) four times, most recently for "Paladin of the Lost Hour" in 1987.

Harlan Ellison is a brilliant writer. He is also famous for his . . .interpersonal skill set.

I copied the link and sent it to a couple of people who have dealt with him in person and who I thought would be amused by it. As far as the substance of his words goes, he's right on, of course.

Bravo · Jan 31, 2008

You posted a link. We're supposed to follow along without any guidance toward the subject matter. I don't recall reading a prologue to the original piece.

the funny thing is, spooky, that's all haskins has to do to create more worthwhile threads than you.

in fact, this one thread is probably worth more than all of your "my nuts are freezing" topics combined.

Silver King · Jan 31, 2008

I think we can move forward without the personal insults. In fact, I know we can.

akiwiguy · Jan 31, 2008

William Haskins said:
i posted it for ellison's later comments, regarding how amateurs and semi-pros actually do themselves a disservice, in addition to writers in general, by giving away commercial writing. it contributes to the notion that "anyone can do it" and it proliferates, especially on the web, diminishing the market that we need to thrive.

ultimately, he's saying to see the value in yourself and don't trade your talents for promises of seeing your name in print and vague allusions to PR.

I was having this exact discussion with someone recently. It makes my blood boil when I see ads for "Non-paying markets". Read that as "sweat your guts out to set up my business for me for free." It is a joke. I pay my doctor, I pay my plumber, I pay every prick under the sun. Why the hell do people devalue themselves to the extent of grovelling around at the bottom of that shit heap? To me, my skills are either not good enough, or good enough to pay for. And I don't need someone else's two cents worth of flattery to help me make that assessment. Because that's about the value of the PR you'd get in return, if that.

Gravity · Feb 1, 2008

I gotta agree with Harlan (one of my favorite writers, by the bye). I don't blame him a whit for being pissed. He's saying something I've thought for years: namely, amateurs will be the ruination of writing. Between PA's "one dollar advance", and online mags grudgingly paying out a penny a word, most writers would be better off setting up a cot with a cigar box next to it in a Bangkok whorehouse. The principal's the same, and the money's more enjoyably earned.

NeuroFizz · Feb 1, 2008

I didn't catch this on the earlier thread, so I appreciate it being posted again. His are words are clear--words every writer should hear and hold dear. We new and developing writers are so hungry for attention, we are like those people at the ends of the aisles in Sam's Club--giving away samples of our professional products, hoping someone will buy more. Trouble is, there are too many people in the store who are only interested in filling their stomachs on our offerings as they head through to buy their bale of toilet paper.

CaroGirl · Feb 1, 2008

I agree with him. Why do writers feel like they have to snivel and grovel for every bit of publicity they get? Why to we feel like we have to give our work away to be noticed?

His attitude might be different if he were the 20-year-old college graduate who'd just finished his first novel and couldn't find a publisher to save his life. But he's still right.

Bartholomew · Feb 1, 2008

He's a pissant, but he's right.

The man in the video, not Haskins.

Perks · Feb 1, 2008

Bartholomew said:
He's a pissant, but he's right.

Bart, do you know what 'pissant' means? It's sort of difficult to dismiss Harlan Ellison as insignificant.

A Video Message from Harlan Ellison

poet

poet

In the zone...

Lost in the Fog

poet

delicate #!&@*#! flower

Touch and go

delicate #!&@*#! flower

delicate #!&@*#! flower

Touch and go

delicate #!&@*#! flower

poet

Vorpal Comics. Weekly Podcast. Twitch Artist. Vet

poet

delicate #!&@*#! flower

Lost in the Fog

Socialitest

Megalops Erectus

AW Inmate #90976

Seen 'em come, seen 'em go

The grad students did it

Living the dream

Comic guy

delicate #!&@*#! flower