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Tag: John McGreevy
Launch celebrates Provost McGreevy's new book on history of Catholicism
Post author By Keira Stenson
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Notre Dame Provost John McGreevy speaks at the launch event for his book Friday, "Catholicism: A Global History from the French Revolution to Pope Francis." (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)
On Friday, Notre Dame celebrated the launch of Dr. John McGreevy's new book, "Catholicism: A Global History from the French Revolution to Pope Francis." The event represented a collaboration among numerous campus organizations, including the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism, the College of Arts & Letters and Provost McGreevy's own home department, the Department of History.
The launch opened with a welcome from Kathleen Sprows Cummings, professor of American Studies and history and director of the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism. She commented on the longstanding tradition of the Department of History to mark colleagues' book publications with events that are "both scholarly and celebratory."
Following an introduction by Professor Elisabeth Koll, chair of the department of history, the event's guest speaker, Samuel Moyn, began his remarks. Moyn is the Chancellor Kent professor of law and history at Yale University and has written widely on themes such as international law, the law of war, human rights and European intellectual history.
In his speech, Moyn commended McGreevy's work and remarked on the significance of Catholicism as a previously underrecognized framework for global history. He went on to highlight nine key precepts that distinguish the significance and skillful delivery of McGreevy's latest book.
To start, Moyn commented on the sophistication and precision of McGreevy's writing, which came across as effortless without distracting from his purpose. He further admired McGreevy's construction of each chapter as "a complete story in itself," featuring thoughtful selections of characters and clear illustrations of broader takeaways.
In addition to these underlying skills, Moyn reflected on McGreevy's portrayal of the Church's global history and personal nature, providing a variety of Catholic personifications "while avoiding tokenism and representation for its own sake."
According to Moyn, McGreevy adroitly depicts the interplay between Catholic tradition and innovation in the modern age, while also contextualizing the faith in the cultures that surrounded it and illustrating its significance to secular figures and events. McGreevy honestly reflects the challenges that the Church has faced and divisions within it without trying to advocate for one view over another.
Moyn pointed out that McGreevy's scholarship of the material in his field and thorough degree of research are on full display, topped off with some sources from Notre Dame. Even while crafting his own work, McGreevy demonstrates a true sense of collaboration and community with other intellectuals in his field.
Finally, Moyn concluded his speech by acknowledging McGreevy's way of connecting this history with the current era, making it relevant to both the present and future.
McGreevy took the floor following Moyn's speech. He first thanked his family and colleagues and then turned his attention to answering, as he said, "Why this book? Why now?"
He described his motivation as twofold, one of which was to illustrate the significance of the Catholic Church on the global and historical stages. As he said, "A better understanding of Catholicism enhances our grasp of the modern world."
"No institution is as multicultural or multilingual. Few touch as many people…only the Catholic Church includes extended networks of people and institutions in Warsaw, Nairobi and Mexico City as well as the most remote sections of the Amazon."
He went on to emphasize Catholicism's truly universal nature, remarking, "Nation states matter for the study of modern Catholicism… but people, devotions and ideas cross national borders with surprising ease."
He recounted the second part of his motive by depicting the combination of "vibrancy" and "turmoil" that characterizes the current Catholic Church, explaining its implications for those at Notre Dame.
He acknowledged how grateful he is, and as we all should be to attend, or work at such a premier Catholic institution, adding, "This good fortune means that we have an opportunity, maybe a responsibility, to confront the challenges we all now face."
He finished with a recognition of the change currently happening within Catholicism and the world, as well as the potential of everyone at Notre Dame to contribute to its new identity.
The event concluded with lunch and a book signing. When asked his thoughts on the event, McGreevy described it as "thrilling," saying he was "really honored to be [there]."
Contact Keira Stenson at kstenson@nd.edu.
Tags Catholic college, Catholicism, Elisabeth Koll, History Department, History of Catholicism, John McGreevy, Kathleen Sprows Cummings, Notre Dame, Samuel Moyn
Notre Dame appoints Jeffrey Rhoads as vice president for research
Post author By Observer Staff Report
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In a Tuesday news release, the University announced that mechanical engineering researcher Jeffrey "Jeff" Rhoads has been appointed vice president for research at the university.
Rhoads, who will take over the role effective July 1, currently serves at Purdue University as a professor of mechanical engineering and the executive director of the Purdue Institute for National Security. According to the release, Rhoads has "attracted more than $75 million in sponsored research funding across his various academic roles."
Rhoads will succeed Robert Bernhard in the role, who has served as vice president for research since 2007. In his new position, Rhoads will be responsible for overseeing Notre Dame's research infrastructure "of more than 30 core facilities" and supporting programs for all academic disciplines within the university.
Notre Dame provost John McGreevy, who recommended Rhoads for the role, said in the release that Rhoads is a "visionary and a problem-solver" who "has successfully led research programs in academia and the public sector, developing crucial partnerships along the way, and he is perfectly suited to guide this next phase of the University's research enterprise."
In the release, University president Fr. John Jenkins also expressed admiration for the new vice president.
"The research of our faculty has been a point of emphasis and an area of remarkable growth at Notre Dame, and we are delighted to welcome Jeff Rhoads to help lead us in the next stage," Jenkins said. "Jeff is an accomplished researcher and administrator and well-suited to continue the exciting trajectory of Notre Dame research."
According to the news release, Notre Dame "is one of the fastest-growing research institutions in the nation," having been granted $244 million in research award funding in the 2022 fiscal year.
Rhoads expressed excitement to continue Notre Dame's growth in the vice president position.
"The growth of Notre Dame's research portfolio, both in scale and, more importantly, global impact, over the past decade has been tremendous," he said in the release. "I am truly excited, and frankly humbled, by the opportunity to work with this strong internal team, as well as our government, corporate, academic and nonprofit partners, to build upon this firm foundation."
Rhoads is an extremely accomplished scholar and carries five highly esteemed awards, including Purdue's highest honor for undergraduate teaching, the Charles B. Murphy. He holds an undergraduate degree, masters degree and a doctorate — all from Michigan State University. Rhoads will also receive a professorship in the department of aerospace and mechanical engineering at the University.
In the release, it was noted that Rhoads will lead a team of more than 30 core facilities along with providing support for other academic endeavors at the University. His role as vice president of research, he said in the release, will hope to dream big.
"We will think big, not shy away from global challenges, and work together, across the entire breadth of the University, to make a tangible and positive difference in society," Rhoads said.
Tags academia, College of Engineering, college of science, engineering, Fr. Jenkins, Jeff Rhoads, jenkins, John McGreevy, NDR, Notre Dame Research, research, Rhoads, scholarship, Science, vice president
University leadership reports drop in endowment returns during town halls
Post author By Alysa Guffey
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Credit: Maggie Klaers
In the first in-person staff town halls since 2019, University executive leadership addressed the endowment, long-term projects, diversity and inclusion and concerns over a possible recession.
Endowment returns drop 6.9%
Endowment returns decreased 6.9% for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, executive vice president Shannon Cullinan reported. Nationally, colleges felt a steep drop in returns after a record-breaking previous year, with a median of a 7.8% decrease. Cullinan cited the University's Investment Office and fundraising teams for the numbers.
"Compared to benchmarks that were down 13 to 15%, we did really well," Cullinan said.
The endowment serves as the University's largest revenue source, Cullinan said, making up around 38% of its total budget through more than 7,400 funds.
When asked how the possible recession might affect employment at Notre Dame, Cullinan said the University enters it in "a place of strength" and would communicate often and clearly on any effects on positions, wages or furloughs.
University leans into reputation as center for research
Provost John McGreevy reported two large-scale, interdisciplinary projects in the works that the University hopes will spur change in the next decade.
The first — a bioengineering and life science initiative — will take bioengineering innovations and consider how to make them readily available for the next generation of doctors. The other project is a potential clinic in South Bend to provide mental health services to both Notre Dame students and the city's residents.
President's Office reports over 900 diversity campaigns
University President Fr. John Jenkins previously spoke to faculty in September to outline strategic goals in messaging to situate Notre Dame among the top-performing research schools in the world.
In a presubmitted question, a faculty member asked about an update to diversity and inclusion efforts on campus. Jenkins responded by referencing the recent hire of the The Rev. Hugh Page as the first vice president for institutional transformation. Currently, Jenkins said there are 900 total efforts for diversity and inclusion on campus.
"What Hugh and his team are looking at now is 'how effective are those?'" Jenkins said. "And if there's a most effective, let's put our energy into that."
Contact Alysa Guffey at aguffey@nd.edu
Tags diversity and inclusion, Fr. John Jenkins, John McGreevy, Notre Dame endowment, Shannon Cullinan, Staff town hall
Provost John McGreevy discusses role, book on history of Catholicism
Post author By Isa Sheikh
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Provost John McGreevy. (Photo by Barbara Johnston/University of Notre Dame)
John T. McGreevy began his work as the sixth provost for the University of Notre Dame at the beginning of July.
McGreevy, a history professor who has served on the faculty since 1997 and previously served as chair of the history department and the dean of College of Arts and Letters, was announced as the Charles and Jill Fischer provost in April, four months after Marie Lynn Miranda stepped down from the position. Miranda's year and a half as provost was largely defined by the University's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Identified by a search committee of faculty, students and university president Fr. John Jenkins, McGreevy is cognizant of the fact that many do not understand the job he's been appointed to.
"No one knows what the provost does," McGreevy said. "The formal title is chief academic officer… and you're supposed to guide the academic core; everything from hiring to how do we elevate the reputation of our departments? How do we do cross-college programs? How do we do better with undergraduate education? How do we develop stronger graduate and professional school programs, all that in a general way falls to the provost."
Notre Dame established the provost position in 1970 under Fr. Hesburgh's leadership, and the provost is tasked with the overall operation of the academic enterprise, including the faculty, colleges, schools, institutes, centers, libraries and student advising.
McGreevy said that his position allows him to direct Notre Dame's academic work across programs and colleges, from a twenty-thousand-foot level.
"I won't get involved in individual 'we should offer this course this semester' kind of decisions," he said. Rather, his role has a larger role in faculty promotion and tenure, developing and strengthening programs and institutionally promoting Notre Dame's commitment to "really excellent teaching."
McGreevy said that he is still developing his priorities as provost but he is guided by two overarching goals.
First is a common plan for the academic core, forged from various plans for each of the programs and schools under Notre Dame's umbrella. He said the goal is to "make Notre Dame better in terms of teaching and learning, in terms of its research programs, all those things."
Second, McGreevy said he is focused on building strong teams among the leaders that report to him.
"We have a really great group of deans, great group of provosts, and just to get them really working together and helping me, because I need the help. I can't do it on my own. And there's so much wisdom in those rooms," he said.
McGreevy says that challenges he's identified moving forward include that the University is "a little bit behind on strategic plans."
More broadly, McGreevy sees a larger tension at the core of Notre Dame's path forward, a vision that he says is shared by Fr. Jenkins, and has served as the administration's project since the 1960s.
"The big challenge for Notre Dame is can it be seriously Catholic and be great," McGreevy said. "Can we be one of the best private research universities in the world with just absolutely terrific programs at all levels? And can we be distinctly and seriously Catholic? And that's the big picture mission."
He says that question comes to the forefront when establishing Notre Dame's credibility in research, as well as deciding which programs to invest in.
"So we started, a few years ago, a master's in sacred music and then a doctorate in sacred music, and we're really good at that. And that's an example of a program that aligns with our mission, but we become really good at," he said. "We need more things that everyone unequivocally says 'okay, yeah, that's a great program.'"
McGreevy also published a book this month — "Catholicism: A Global History from the French Revolution to Pope Francis" is a 528-page volume out with W.W. Norton. A review in The New York Times says that McGreevy has done "a remarkable job of explaining how the epic struggle between reformists and traditionalists has led us to the present moment in the Roman Catholic Church."
McGreevy has long studied Catholicism and has published three previous books on various elements of the church's history. This book drew less from primary research, and was written primarily during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It's really based on trying to distill the secondary literature into a readable format and tell the big picture story. So not much research, but a lot of time spent on the 10th and 11th and 12th floor of the library sitting there looking at things and with my laptop writing," he said.
McGreevy says the book is an attempt to explore the global dimensions of the church, "recognizing that Catholicism is the most multicultural and multilingual institution in the world. And we need histories that reflect that diversity."
Since the near-death experience of the French Revolution, the church has evolved and changed in many ways over the past 230 years, according to McGreevy.
"We tend to think especially the church is sort of unchanging. And one thing I want to convey in the book is that a lot of things did change, not everything," McGreevy said.
Beginning with the French Revolution, McGreevy explained that the event was transformative for the institution.
"What I really want to convey to people is how devastating the French Revolution was for an older, more aristocratic Catholic model, where the nation state and the church were very tightly allied," he said. "That didn't go away. But what came in the 19th century was a much more populist, devotional Catholicism, maybe even more a church of the poor. And a church very tightly tied to the papacy."
The dramatic shift of the French Revolution is followed in history by another dramatic shift, Vatican II, McGreevy said.
"That form of the church, I argue, really lasts until the 1960s in the Second Vatican Council and we're still trying to sort out what era we're in now," he said. "[Pope] Francis says that we're in a change of era, not an era of change. It seems throughout politics, culture, religion, that some things are fundamentally changing right now. And I hope the book provides a savvy history so Catholics and non-Catholics can better understand how we got to where we are."
As a historian focused on Catholicism for much of his career, McGreevy says that work shapes his approach as provost.
"There's a parallel that I think about a lot, that if we're going to be a Catholic university, we are going to become more diverse at Notre Dame. That means diverse in American categories… but also diverse in international students too. And that will be the only way we sustain ourselves as a Catholic university," he said.
He added that the day-to-day work of a history professor has also prepared him well.
"Being a historian is good training, you read a lot, and you read a lot as provost. And you do think about change over time and how institutions change. And I find myself thinking about that all the time: how Notre Dame should change," McGreevy said.
Tags Catholicism, John McGreevy, Notre Dame, Provost


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"I Wasted $8000 On Kirkus Review Advertising." An Indie Author's Story.
This article has been removed by request of Kirkus Reviews, owing to some inaccuracies by the author, and replaced by an amended version HERE (22.3.2013)
Author: Suzanne Jenkins
Suzanne Jenkins is the author of the Pam of Babylon series and The Greeks of Beaubien Street. Her short story Vapor will appear in Willow Review, Spring 2013. A retired operating room nurse after living in New Jersey, USA for thirty years, she's now a resident of the west Michigan lakeshore where she lives in the woods with her husband, dogs and sheep.
This Post Has 33 Comments
Denise Annunciata says:
I didn't lose $8k but I lost $500. A reviewer's job is to read the book, summarize its points and render his or her opinion. From my standpoint, as long as the summary is fair any review has value, regardless of the opinion of the reviewer. Because if the summary is accurate, someone reading the review can decide to read the book, despite the fact that the review may not have liked it. My Kirkus review for $500 reflected clearly that the review did not read the story, but rather skimmed it and therefore missed the complete point. When I complained to Kirkus they defended it basically saying reviews are subjective, and not guaranteed to be good. I completely understood there was no guarantee it would be good and that it was subjective … but I also understood that they had an obligation to have the reviewer being paid hundreds of dollars, actually READ the novel, which [he] clearly did not. In comparison, I also submitted my novel to IndieReader and received a very fair summary of the story.
Sheri Meshal says:
Suzanne, thank you for being so honest. I had to choose between taking my first trip abroad (London & Paris) or buying a bunch of advertising from Kirkus after a great review. It's my first novel, so I was really tempted to put that money in advertising, but I chose to travel instead. After reading this, I am so relieved. I'm sorry you had to go through it, though.
I've sold around 225 books and found KDP Select's giveaway to be the most beneficial. I scored a total of 14,000 downloads during my giveaways. They changed the policy right after the last one. I find book bloggers are so backlogged it feels like that ship has sailed. I have awesome Amazon reviews, but feel like I have to beg bloggers to read it and that gets old. I've landed one blogger in seven months, but I'm not consistent with it either because it's so frustrating. So I signed up for a blog tour through Beck Valley Books in England 21 bloggers. With shipping, e-copies and $10 per blogger, it cost me around $400. that's the most I've spend other than the Kirkus, which really did nothing but boost my confidence. We'll see how it goes. I tweet, FB, etc. As for editing, joining a writers meetup through http://www.meetup.com changed my life. Once a week I'm sitting down with four or five other writers. My work has been edited to death by the time I'm done and it's free. The friendship and support are priceless too.
Vicki Hopkins says:
Thanks for the confessional. I think we've all done something on the less than wise side when it comes to book promotion. I have six books out, and I still struggle with a variety of ways to get myself out there. I've paid for plenty of banner ads on book sties, author interviews, a 50 stop blog blitz, press releases, romance magazine ads, Facebook promotion, etc. etc. Many of them do not result in any sales. Last month I probably put $600 in advertising at various places to push a new release, and it only resulted in a tiny increase. I even won an award with USA Book News last year as an award-winning finalist in Fiction Romance. A major press release of winners went out into the publishing world. I thought I'd score some notice. I think I sold 20 books that month on my winning title.
The places I have had success are BookBub and Kindle Nation. I've advertised on Kindle Boards – no response there. A few other tough spots to get listings are eReader and Pixel of Ink. Unfortunately, they are always booked.
Amazon KDP was kind to me last year. I have a series, and I put the first book up free and it pushed 2,200 purchases to the second book in two weeks. I ended on the Movers and Shakers list and had two books in the top 100 in historical romance that month. Short-lived fame. I've not had that success again.
I think it's a mystery and some fairy of success flies around deciding who gets to sell books or not. She bongs authors on the head with her magic wand and says you're the lucky one this month. Its probably a fantasy, but it does help soothe my pitiful tries to get noticed and my credit card bills of wasted advertising attempts. I wish she would fly around and stroke my ego a bit!
Again, thanks for sharing. And please, don't get me started on what I've paid editors! What a loss of money that is, and I've learned the hard way as well. I've not had one yet that has done a stellar job. Every editing job I've paid for has come back riddled with missed items I've found later. I've been through three editors so far. I cringe thinking of looking for another.
"I Wasted $8000 On Kirkus Review Advertising." An Indie Author's Story | Successful Self-Publishing - PHILOSBOOKS | PHILOSBOOKS says:
[…] https://selfpublishingadvice.org/indie-author-says-kirkus-reviews-a-waste/ […]
Jack Chapman says:
Hi Suzanne,
I was researching the best places to advertise my book and came across your page. Thanks so much for sharing your experience which has really been the most useful information I've found. There's so much hype about I'm certain you're spreading a lot of good by this honest example.
Glad to see The Greeks of Beaubien Street is getting so many 5 star reviews on Amazon. Best wishes for its success.
Francis Hamit says:
Kirkus has over 400 anonymous reviewers. I made the mistake of buying three of the Kirkus Indie reviews last year, in hopes they would be of use at the Frankfurt Book Fair, for the agent I paid to rep the books there. Two of them were incompetent on their face. Quite obviously the entire book was not read because the reviewer(s)focused on minor characters and background scenery only seen in the early chapters or missed major turning points in the plot. I asked for an adjustment or re-do, and was refused. I was a book reviewer in the 1980s and 90s for the Los Angeles Daily News and that kind of sloppy work would gotten me fired.
I am always willing to experiment, but I never spend more than I can get back from sales. I don't hire PR people because we used to do that for others,and you do not need these guys to arrange a book signing. It usually just takes a phone call and a good pitch. The Hastings Entertainment chain is especially friendly to authors like us. Just call the local Book Manager, and then bring extra stock when you show up for the gig. They want 40% of the cover price of the copies sold.
As for Facebook, I use it, but no longer buy ads there. A large number of "likes" does not produce additional sales. I'm experimenting with the "Promote" feature. That might move the needle a little, but will it be enough to pay for the service? We'll see.
Martin Lake says:
This was a very brave and generous post, Suzanne. It should be required reading for all indie writers.
When I read such things I'm reminded that the people who made the most out of gold rushes weren't the miners but the clever men who provided them with shovels, gold-pans and mules and the rogues who provided them with booze, false maps and women.
I think the best advertising is the quality of the book and the second best the word of mouth from people who have enjoyed it.
Thanks once again.
Valerie Stocking says:
Thanks so much, Suzanne. You reminded me of when my first book was published. I went with a PR guy in NY who'd done promotion/marketing for some very well-known, best-selling authors. I paid him $5,000 to work for me for six months. Know what I got in return? One radio interview with a local station in the Four Corners area of New Mexico, and one book signing. That was it! When I requested a list of the people he'd queried about me, he hemmed and hawed for almost a month, then sent me a list of approx. 15 people. And when I had the audacity to complain, he said he'd gotten me the book signing, which I should be grateful for as a "newbie" who didn't know anything about the business. Adding insult to injury, when I asked him what he thought of Twitter for promotion, he told me not to do anything with them, because it'd be a waste of time!! When I wanted to send some review copies out myself, he advised against that, too. So, like a dunce, I did nothing.
PS The guy's name is Barry Porter, and he now bills himself as a Social Media Marketing Specialist. He sure was quick to change allegiance when he saw where his bread was going to be buttered!
It was a very expensive lesson for me, but I spent a fraction of that money promoting my second book myself, and got far, far better results. Live and learn!
Suzanne Jenkins says:
We can do a good job marketing ourselves. You've proved it. Thank you so much for sharing. I won't be tempted to get a PR person now.
Thank you Fiona, I will definitely look into bibliopublishing.com
Fiona Ingram says:
Dear Suzanne, thank you for sharing your story. You are not alone in the world of self-published authors who have spend loads of money on their books and review services with little to show for it. I live in South Africa so multiply that by 8 or 9, depending on our terrible exchange rate. I am so glad I read this article. You have stopped me leaping into the Kirkus abyss-of-no-returns. I get their newsletter and recently received a $50 disocount voucher. I went onto the website and saw those tantalising offers. You have made me step back. There is a publisher I have been looking at, one that is a real publisher and does not charge for producing the book.They take a percentage, but it's a normal one. You can contact them on [email protected]. They began as an educational publisher and have moved into other genres.
ALLi Admin says:
Thank you so much Suzanne for speaking out. This is why ALLi has put together our guide: "Choosing A Self-Publishing Service" by our watchdog Ben Galley. This book, which also has contributions from Victoria Strauss, Mick Rooney and Orna Ross will launch at London Book Fair. It contains a chapter called "Beware The Brands" — focussing particularly on big names like Kirkus, Simon & Schuster, Random House etc. We want to hear other writer's true stories. Write (in full confidentiality) to ben [at] allianceindependentauthors.org.
Tahlia Newland says:
Thanks for sharing that. It's pretty much as I suspected.
The Awesome Indies doesn't accept a Kirkus review as a recommendation either, any review paid for is suspect.
In the end what sells books is readers talking about them and we simply can't make that happen.
Has anyone spent big and got their money back in this business? Since most SP books sell less than 100 books, I can't see how it would be worth it for most people.
I think there are a lot of advertising companies feeding of indies desire to sell books, but the truth is, the market is saturated and readers are wary of indies because they've read too much crap. No advertising can change that.
Seeley James says:
Suzanne, this was a brave and honest post. You are a credit to the industry for posting it. Three days ago I received my first Kirkus Review. I read it and thought, "for $500 all I get is 200 words explaining the plot line, one sentence of knit-picking; and a great one-sentence, boiler-plate sound-bite at the end?" It was clearly a formula: the meat says nothing; there is a CYA caveat; and the last line you can use in your advertisements. The last line is designed to make you come back for more. But MysteriesGalore gave me a more comprehensive review for $80… Kirkus is like Authorhouse, a cynical attempt to cash in on the indie movement.
Peace, Seeley
It never occurred to me that it's a formula, but you're exactly right. My earlier reviews from them were longer and you could tell the book was read. They are jumping on the bandwagon to make lots of money. Seeley, thank you for writing.
LM Preston says:
Oh my this is horrible. Luckily I didn't have funds to do that kind of promo. I always tried to find cheap ways to get the word out. I'm sorry you had to go through this, but thanks for sharing your experience with us.
Thank you so much for commenting.
Dionne says:
Hi Suzanne. Thank you so much for sharing this! I hate that as writers we are easy prey, and unfortunately not everyone shares their experiences. I believe in sharing them to stop the bastards ripping off others. I once gave $400 to Jessica Hollis-Brown to do editing (I've done a blog post about it) and she came up with a million excuses as to why she hadn't done it until I realised she wasn't going to do it. Live and learn. I hope your books end up being super successful – you deserve it :).
Oh boy, Dionne, editing is a whole other topic. I have a few things to say about it, as well, but think I better watch it or no one will work with me! One of the constants in my reviews is the horrible editing. "Please get your work reviewed." I want to explain that I paid for editing for every book. One book had two rounds of comprehensive editing at $1500 a pop. I guess the the final responsibility truly lies with me, but I'm awful at that sort of thing. So my books have mistakes.
Thank you for writing, Dionne.
Daniela McGhie says:
Hi Suzanne
You mentioned that you paid for editing but the editing was of a poor quality. Why have you not gone back and made them review their work?
I read a lot of indie books and novellas and find that some editors out there give a very poor service. I know that as some authors mention the editors name in their books. These books have wrong words used in context, i.e. their/there, he/her, she/he, advice/advise, etc. or complete words or even part of the sentence are missing.
Due to my line of work I read a lot and edit my colleagues letters. I do find many mistakes, which the writers did not see themselves and the spellchecker will not pick up as an error as the word is not really mis-spelled as such, just used incorrectly.
Daniela, after the fact, I should have made an issue of it with Createspace. But once again, I understand that as my own publisher, I should have taken the time to carefully go through my book. Thank you so much for commenting.
Dianne Greenlay says:
Thank you for your heart-felt honesty, Suzanne. I paid $400 for a review from the esteemed Kirkus Review, but didn't like the tone of one of the statements in the review, so never used it. (They insist that the author allow them to publish it in their newsletter in its entirety before the author who has paid for it can use even so much as one work of the review for marketing purposes elsewhere.) I was feeling kind of dejected with their review ( it was and is the first and only less than glowing review that I'd gotten), until last night when I read the Kirkus review for Divergence, which is the first book in the hot new YA series. The review for it was verging on withering, yet the book is uber popular with the buying public, so THAT leads me to believe that the reviewers for Kirkus may be a bit pompous and full of themselves.
Cheryl, I wrote about what has worked for me as a newbie author here: http://diannegreenlay.com/2012/07/ and most recently, what did/didn't help with sales, now that I am 2 years wiser, here:http://diannegreenlay.com/2013/03/03/a-12-step-program-for-authors/ . Hope it helps!
Thank you so sharing! I've come to the conclusion that reviewers either like the book or don't! I wish I wasn't compelled to read the reviews.
After doing this for two years, my experience has been the most positive with book bloggers who are willing to read and review my books, and with tweeting. I'm not an expert marketer by any stretch of the imagination, but I do carefully watch sales when I'm doing a promotion and am learning to pin point what efforts result in sales, and which do not. It's really hard work! I have great empathy for other authors.
Cheryl Colwell says:
Thank you for sharing and hopefully preventing others from being sucked in. My first eye opener to all the expensive "help" for self publishing authors was meeting a woman who spent $24,000 on her book, ending with 10,000 copies or so in her garage. Its a nice book, but I am so happy that now we know about Lightning Source and POD. No more buying books without them being ordered.
If anyone else has blazed the path and has stories of the pitfalls for self-publishing, please share with those of us making our way along the trail.
Grace Brannigan says:
Thank you for stepping up and sharing. Hopefully it will give another author pause and make them do even more research to find out if this is the way to go for them. I've made some dumb advertising mistakes myself, until a friend told me, find out what the track record is for these services and other authors/writers, before you pay for any of these services.
I take that advice to heart, as we all should do. Lots of services make it sound like things are going to go gangbusters after you sign up but until I see and hear concrete evidence proving it, I'm sticking on the side of caution.
Thank you, Grace. So true!
Kris says:
A very brave and honest post. Thank you for sharing your experience, though it was not a pleasant one.
Thank you, Kris. Most of my experiences since self-publishing have been super! This was an aberration.
Suzanne, I read of your negative experience with Kirkus Reviews. I can't help but feel skeptical of them now, but not for the reasons that you might think.
I also went to your website and then read a few pages of one of your works on Amazon.
If I had been your reviewer, I would have been honest with you. Although it might have hurt your feelings in the beginning, you would have thanked me for it later. Not to mention, you would have kept your money in your pocket until you were primed and ready to spend it on a polished piece of work.
I would have told you that you have a great passion for writing, which is very evident by the sheer effort that you put into your work. However, you should invest in a reasonably priced fiction writing class.
I read the prologue of one of your books and immediately noticed that you bounce around between your characters' heads. You must stay in one character's head at a time; otherwise, you risk the chance of your reader becoming confused and disinterested.
Although you do a lot of showing instead of telling, which is fantastic, you still come across too wordy. This is a huge pitfall, as editors and agents can detect that your work hasn't had a polished, professional edit before going to the marketplace.
Those two pitfalls alone could cause you to loose even the most dedicated reader, and lose out on any chance of a traditional contract.
My suggestion: enroll in a fiction-writing course through Gotham Writers. The courses are less than $400 and will provide you with real feedback from an audience of your peers. You can repeat the classes as many times as you like at a discount. What's more? Many of your teachers would be actual editors or agents from the traditional publishing world.
Like I said, you have a lot of positives. However, the negatives in your writing might continue to stifle you. You have the intestinal fortitude to write a lot, now have the intestinal fortitude to write well enough to get noticed.
Joni Rodgers says:
Suzanne, thanks for sharing your experience so bravely and honestly.
Joni, thank you. It was difficult to tell the story because I am such a people pleaser! I don't want to make trouble for anyone, even when I'm wronged. Again, it was my fault for needing that ego stroking a salesperson is so good at giving.
Lawrence Goudge says:
Thank you so much, Suzanne. I got a good review for my book and at first rejected their promotional offer. But since the review hasn't done much for my book sales, I was checking the internet on the value of Kirkus review promotions. Thank you for saving me money I can't afford to spend. Lawrence Goudge, author of Cover-Up: How the Church Silenced Jesus's True Heirs.

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A Comparison of Original Work to Film Version of Plath's "The Bell Jar"
The following is an edited version of the original Posted on April 10, 2008
A Comparison of Sylvia Plath's Original Work: The Bell Jar, Versus the Film Version: : The Bell Jar: If I am an Arrow
By Trudy A. Martinez
In the film, The Bell Jar, the prelude imitates a young girl's position within society; cinematic techniques create this allusion through the girl's symbolic actions responding to a confining realm. As a result, the culminating points they make by way of the lighting, the music, and the movement implies restriction and thus derives meaning.
The culminating points correspond with the story line of Plath's original work. For instance, as a monotone piano tone ushers in the figure of a young girl turning slowly in a circular motion, slight glimmers of light encase her form within the darkness of the set. As her hands extend outwardly and then upwardly, a strum of a harp is heard. The outward extension of her hands represent her striving for educational achievement, while the upward movement demonstrates she lacks satisfaction with education alone and wants to spread out further than those limits in the direction of the American Dream. The arrangement of light symbolizes her enlightenment of the dream; whereas, the darkness of the set signifies it is hampering her. Consequently, because of her desire for upward mobility, the strum announces restrictions.
The strum recommends the hands stay within allowable boundaries. After a few attempts to extend beyond the imaginary confines, the hands are placed within the pockets of the skirt and the defining light dims. Movement of the hands into a forward protrusion under the skirt renders the shape of a pregnant woman. Immediately, Gerald Fried's music converts to a lullaby as the girl is seen swaying back and forth to the regular succession of sounds, chanting a villanelle, a "Mad Girl's Love Song":
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead;
I lift my lids and all is born again.
(I think I made you up inside my head.) . . .
I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed
And snug me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)
Before the framework of the opening sequence is complete, an underlying theme suggests societal restraints force the girl to succumb to limitations and the fear of pregnancy is the reason for her ultimate mental instability.
Under the direction of Larry Peerce, actress Marilyn Hassett (a Barbie doll double), introduces herself as Ester Greenwood. "I 'm an all American girl," she says, "A girl wonder, a scholarship student." And then she utters, "I think I made her up inside my head." Consequently, she questions her status: "Me a poet? Are you kidding?"
In this manner, an inferiority complex that diminishes her accomplishment is established, requiring her to justify her actions in order to bring herself back within the acceptable norms of society: "I am a very proper New England girl. I attend a very proper New England college where I win prizes."
The main prize Ester wins is a trip to Ladies Day magazine. This prize builds the American Dream in others, announcing and enhancing the status of being an American citizen:
Look what can happen in this country, they'd say. A girl lives in some out-of-the-way town for nineteen years, so poor she can't afford a magazine, and then she gets a scholarship to college and wins a prize here and a prize there and ends up steering New York like her own private car (2).
A showering of gifts announces and intensifies the film's American Dream aspect at the magazine's headquarter meeting. However when company officials announce they will even supply men, the camera switches to a view of excitement glowing on the young participants' faces. Conversely, when the film dramatizes Ester's attraction to "a whole life of marvelous, elaborate decadence" of luxurious fashions that Doreen symbolizes for her (4), it adds a dimension, suggesting the attraction to Doreen magnifies a hidden lesbian tendency.
This hidden dimension contradicts the initial underlying theme the prelude produces. The film draws inference to a lesbian inclination through Esther's countenance in the sequence where she sits in the bar with Lenny (Robert Klien), Doreen, and Frankie. Her indifference to Frankie is highlighted when he asks her to dance and she replies with a firm "No." The camera focuses on Doreen's exhibitions that keep Lenny in awe, and then switches back to Ester, giving the impression that her apathy towards Frankie is a reflection of a more than a casual interest in Doreen. In this way, the film does not convey Plath's intention: "The thought of dancing with that little runt . . . made [Ester] laugh" (9).
The similitude enhances later at Lenny's apartment, when Doreen and Ester dance together. Just outside their immediate circle in the background, Lenny dances by his self. Subsequently, all three of them dance wildly together. And then the camera switches to all of them tumbling on the bed. Ester is seen caressing Doreen, reinforcing the lesbian concept. Consequently, Ester runs away when she realizes the magnitude of this drunken action.
The film frames the lesbian notion around Ester's deteriorating life and makes it seem as if she is ". . . coming apart at the seams," as she says in the introductory sequence, because she does not accept the affinity.
In order for the film version to communicate openly what is purported to be Ester's secret thoughts, Joan's part in Ester's life expands from a mere acquaintance who Ester only knows from "a cool distance" (160) to her best friend. Joan's overly emphasized reactions to Ester's every word and move as they discuss the different modes of suicide suggests her sexual designs on Ester. In a much later scene Joan learns after making an advance and requesting sexual favors that Ester loathes this unnatural attraction. The film implies Ester drives Joan to suicide. And as a result, Ester has to face her own lesbian desires to be free of her own suicidal drive.
In the original work, Ester's suicidal drive stimulates a feeling of inadequacy (not lesbian desires). Instead, she feels stupid for buying "all those uncomfortable, expensive clothes" (1). She feels stupid because she's attracted to Buddy Willard who went to Yale after she learns Doreen thinks "Yalies" [are] "so stoo-pet!"(6). She feels stupid because she "felt very low" after Jay Cee brings to the surface "all [her] . . . uncomfortable suspicions" of inadequacies (24).
On the other hand, the film portrays Jay Cee (Barbara Barrie) as vindictive towards Ester. Her command, following a snicker of laughter, "We are looking to you for a certain kind of intellectual elevation," implies malicious intentions. In a much later scene, Jay Cee makes Ester feel extremely inadequate by saying her views are "poison." Jay Cee tells Ester she needs to identify with other college students who never heard of Joyce. Ester conveys, by aggressively playing with her pencil, she is unable to deal with criticism. Jay Cee then asks her: "Did you think this was one of your cinch courses that you will get an "A?"
Ester isn't getting "A's" in her personal life either. Instead, indecisiveness takes over. Deciding what she should or shouldn't do, makes her feel even more inadequate and sad (23-25). She feels Doreen serves as a "concrete testimony to [her] own dirty nature" (19). The bell jar symbolizes her fear of sex and pregnancy which imprisons her in a world of double standards: She says, "I couldn't stand the idea of a woman having to have a single pure life and a man being able to have a double life, one pure and one not" (66). She ". . . knew . . . what [Buddy] secretly wanted was for her to flatten out underneath his feel like Mrs. Willard's kitchen mat" (69). The film obscures these concerns and completely ignores Ester's sexual fears: She tells Dr. Nolan, "What I really hate is the thought of being under a man's thumb . . . A man doesn't have a worry in the world, while I've got a baby hanging over my head like a big stick, to keep me in line" (181). The bell jar is an extremely significant symbol in Plath's original work; whereas in the film, the bell jar only serves instrumentally to frame the ending.
The symbolization of the bell jar entraps Ester in the stereotypical domesticity of the role of mother and housewife. Society's expectation of woman's domesticity is a condition which indirectly bears responsibility for Ester's inferiority complex. Fear is the controlling factor. Even though Ester may want to experiment with sex, she feels she is not free to do so because of the fear of pregnancy. Individual female education goals and desires are secondary in society's framework. This is apparent when her mother (Julie Harris) stresses women must be practical and learn shorthand. In other words, woman must heed what a society of man dictates. Learning shorthand serves as a message to Ester of her place within society. As a result, she feels inferior because even with all her education she does not have the knowledge she needs to survive in the world:
"Not knowing shorthand meant not getting a good job after college. My mother kept telling me nobody wanted plain English major. But English major who knew shorthand was something else again. Everybody would want her. She would be in demand among all the up-and-coming young men, and she would transcribe letter after thrilling letter. The trouble was, I hated the idea of serving men in any way. I wanted to dictate my own thrilling letters"(61-62).
Plath suggests Ester's inferiority complex is an extension of a societal norm, a norm that does not accept women as equal to men in any way. Regardless of a woman's educational accomplishments, she can only hope to please a man by doing his bidding or serving him. The double standard extends not only to the workplace but also to personal choice, limiting a woman's sexual freedom through fear by trapping her in the stereotypical role of mother and housewife.
The introductory framework of the film also gives the allusion of entrapment. However, when the film introduces the abnormality of a lesbian sexuality into the story, it changes the original theme of fear and entrapment by serving lesbianism up as an avenue of escape from the bell jar hanging over head. The film is not brought back into perspective with the original work until after the death of Joan with Ester's exclamation: "I am. I am. I am." Then the film immediately diverges again, framing the beginning with the end by addressing the person in the bell jar: "To the person in the bell jar blank and stopped as a dead baby, the world itself is a bad dream" (193). Ester recounts, "I asked [Dr. Nolan] if I would survive. She said, yes. She at once freed me and condemned me back to life". Then as if an afterthought she says," If am the arrow, I cannot fly through darkness." In other words, all the change and excitement she wants is null and void because she can't ". . . shoot off in all directions [herself], like the colored arrows from a Fourth of July rocket"(68).
Plath, Sylvia. The Bell Jar. Bantam Books (published by arrangement
with Harper & Row). 1972.
Kellog, Marjorie, The Bell Jar. Directed by Larry Peerce, Based on
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.
gramatrudy
BA degree in English with a single subject certification 1994 I enjoy writing, art (all forms), especially drawing/multi-media , quilting, sewing, embroidery, photography (still and video), and most of all, my grandchildren and great-grand-children.	View all posts by gramatrudy
Posted on July 16, 2014 August 18, 2018 Author gramatrudyCategories Books, Literary AnalysisTags Bell Jar, Book versus Film, Comparitive Analysis, If I am an Arrow, Inferiority Complex, Societal Restraints, Stereotypical
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This is a Wedding Gift Expandable Bangle Bracelet with Hand Stamped Heart Shaped wedding charms.
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All state, Coast Guard, federal, and Parks and Wildlife regulations shall apply at all times.
Maximum Horsepower will not exceed B.I.A. recommended limit.
No stick steering, minimum boat length is 15 feet, and minimum horsepower is 50. All boats must meet B.I.A. and U.S. Coast Guard requirements. Each boat must have a functional bilge pump and properly aerated live-well.
Properly operating engine kill switches are mandatory. Kill-switch must be attached to driver's flotation device. All contestants must wear a Coast Guard approved flotation device any time their boat is on plane. Co-anglers must provide their own personal flotation device.
Absolutely no alcoholic beverages are to be consumed by any contestant from midnight before a tournament through the conclusion of that day's weigh-in activities. No alcoholic beverages will be allowed in or on a boat during tournament hours. The possession or use of illegal drugs at any chapter function is prohibited.
Each contestant is expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation. Maximum safety and courtesy must be practiced at all times, especially with regard to boating and fishing in the vicinity of non-contestants who may be on tournament waters. Any act of a contestant, which reflects unfavorably upon the Leavenworth Bass Club's effort to promote fisheries conservation, clean waters, and courtesy, may be reason for disqualification.
Fishing will be done with rod and reel using artificial bait only (pork rinds are acceptable). Only one rod may be used at a time (you must complete retrieve before using another rod). Once hooked, a fish must be played and landed by that competitor. Partners may only assist by use of a landing net or by "lipping". NO TROLLING.
Only Largemouth, Smallmouth, Kentucky Spotted Bass (Black Bass), and Mean Mouth Bass will be counted.
You cannot do anything that will harm or interfere with other competitors. You cannot fish within 50 yards of another competitor who is anchored or tied, with trolling motor up, without their permission. If a fisherman is so anchored or tied and gives permission for another angler to fish within 50 yards, he must extend that same permission to any other angler. The Tournament Director has the flexibility to be more or less restrictive, and will clarify the "off-limits" areas at the meeting prior to that tournament, or as conditions change.
There will be nine or more regular tournaments per year, some buddy and some draw. The full buddy weekends may be counted as two separate buddy tournaments (one-Saturday and one-Sunday). In draw tournaments, it is the boater's responsibility to coordinate and insure link-up with the co-angler.
The Tournament Committee may, at its discretion schedule optional tournaments. Optional tournaments are tournaments scheduled during a tournament year (not necessarily a calendar year) that do not count toward the total number of regular tournaments, but can be used by anglers instead of or to replace regular tournaments for yearend standings if needed. Optional tournaments do not count toward the total number of buddy tournaments partners can fish together.
You cannot fish more than four regular Buddy Tournaments per year with the same partner.
You may enter a buddy tournament late with no penalty. However, for draw tournaments your name must be in the hat for the drawing at the meeting prior to the tournament or a late charge of $10.00 will be added to the entry fee. The late charge will not be required if the Tournament Director "recruits" the angler to fill the tournament field. If you cannot attend the meeting, you must notify a Tournament Committee member or Club Official to enter your name in the draw. If there are not enough non boaters to complete the field, the first two boaters drawn without non boaters can decide to fish together and subsequently the 3rd and 4th boaters and so on. If a change in partners is required the Tournament Committee will pair the fishermen as best they can. If a fisherman is a co-angler, every effort will be made to find him a boater partner. If a "boater" enters late, he will first be paired with a co-angler that does not have a partner; he will then be considered a "co-angler" and paired with the first boater without a partner. If all boaters and co-anglers have partners then the late entrant may fish by themselves.
Tournament entry fee is $15.00 per person per tournament. (Exception: see rule II, 7 for late draw entries). Payment should be made to the Tournament Director at the monthly meeting. Payments made after the meeting must be made to the Tournament Director or Club Treasurer. Failure to pay before the tournament begins will result in an assessment of a $10.00 late fee per tournament (could be 2 tournaments in one week end) and not being able to fish another monthly tournament until the fees have been paid.
Non-members may not participate in any scheduled club tournaments.
Trailering at all tournaments will be at the discretion of the tournament committee. If trailering is allowed, you may start from any ramp at the scheduled start time, but you must be back to the weigh-in site by weigh-in time. When trailering is allowed, the starting position at each ramp will be the lowest number on the scorecard first.
Once the annual tournament schedule is finalized, changes can be made by the Tournament Committee for safety or other uncontrollable reasons. Optional tournaments may be added if circumstances dictate.
No off-limit days. Participation in any Club tournament must be on the scheduled day of that tournament. (See Section VIII for exception).
Any member who fails to show up for a tournament that they entered, without notifying their partner, Club President or Tournament Committee Member 48 hours prior to the beginning of that tournament, will automatically miss the next tournament and lose all entry fees. The Tournament Committee will make exceptions for "valid emergencies".
Boaters and co-anglers share expenses 50-50 for days / times that they are together.
There will be two separate optional big bass pots, one for the boaters and one for co-anglers ($10.00 per day) with a 60% / 40% payback for the two heaviest legal bass per pot each day; weigh-in penalties (see Section V) will apply. NOTE: Co-anglers cannot participate in the boaters' pot and vice versa (Exception: If there are 3 or less members in the boater or co-angler pot, they can decide as a group to enter the other pot. If there are less than 5 members in either pot only one place will be paid).
Protests for violation of tournament rules must be filed in writing and submitted to a Tournament Committee Member within 30 minutes after the end of that tournament day (after the weigh-in is complete). The Tournament Committee will provide recommendations to the Board of Directors.
All boaters must furnish a Certificate of Insurance to the Tournament Director before that boat maybe used in a Club tournament. The current insurance policy must have a minimum of $100,000.00 per accident and $1,000.00 per individual.
The current year Tournament Committee will set the dates and lakes for the full calendar year (January 1st to December 31st). The following year's Tournament Committee will select the format for tournaments after the current year Classic.
Launch order for all tournaments except the "classic" will be determined by a draw conducted at the meeting prior to the tournament. For two day tournaments, the draw will be reversed on the second day i.e. number one boat for day one becomes the last boat for day two.
The last boat will call the take-off. The Tournament Director will provide a list in order of take-off.
All tournaments will be "catch and release." (Injured or dead fish may be kept.) The Tournament Committee has the option to declare any tournament(s) as a paper tournament(s).
Score cards must be turned in at the weigh-in. New scorecards may be issued for the following day of the tournament. At the time of the contestant's weigh-in, a Tournament Committee member will record the number of fish and total weight of fish or total points on the Official Score Card.
If an angler does not attend weigh-in, he will be disqualified for that day. (See exception in III.5.) He must still notify a member of the Tournament Committee that he is safely off the water. If an angler fails to do so by the end of weigh-in, he will not be allowed to fish the next regular club tournament. This does not apply if the angler is unable to make contact because of mechanical breakdown or other emergency.
In the event of mechanical breakdown or other emergency, an angler may mark or segregate his fish and have those fish and his scorecard transported to the weigh-in by another tournament participant who is willing to do so. He will receive full credit for his weight or fish points subject to the weigh-in rules below.
Measure all bass 12" or longer when caught, and add up your largest fish (maximum five) at the end of the day. All fish are to be measured on a "Golden Rule" board. Measure with mouth fully closed and tail pinched or fanned.
If you are late to the weigh-in, there will be a penalty of four points per minute off the total fish points of the best five fish. After 15 minutes, you lose all fish points for that day. To be considered on time participants must be within the no wake buoys of the weigh in ramp or in the weigh in ramp parking lot.
Weigh-In limit is five fish per person per day. (See Section VIII, P5 for exception).
You must bring your fish to the weigh-in in a bag provided by the Tournament Committee. You may not use your own bag. The bag must have sufficient water to keep the fish alive. Bags must be returned to the Tournament Committee immediately following weigh-in. Once an angler has submitted fish for weigh-in, he is no longer eligible to receive fish points.
Measurement of fish shall be with the mouth closed and tail pinched or fanned. The official measuring board will be the "Golden Rule." If the contestant desires one fish to be weighed for big bass, he must identify that fish to the tournament weigh-in official. If a fish is designated as short, the fish must be re-measured by the Tournament Director or his designated representative, to verify the length. The Tournament Committee will provide a duplicate measuring board for use by the tournament participants, but will not do courtesy measurements except for their partner of the day.
All mangled, mauled or discolored fish will be counted at the discretion of the Tournament Director.
Each dead fish weighed will result in a 1/2-pound deduction from that dead fish.
Each short fish brought to the scales will result in a one-pound deduction from the contestant's total weight for that tournament. Each short fish is disqualified and will not count toward weight or points. If that contestant has no legal fish there will be a 5 point penalty from tournament points.
If you are late to the weigh-in, there is a penalty of one (1) pound per minute. This will be assessed against your largest bass first. After 15 minutes you lose all weight for that day.
Either total weight or total fish points will determine the tournament standings. First place will be heaviest stringer, with subsequent places awarded to next heaviest stringer, down to the last person who weighs in a legal fish. After that, total fish points will determine tournament standing. If, as the results of being late and/or dead fish penalties, the angler has negative weight, he may receive points for participation.
In paper tournaments the total fish points for the largest five fish will determine the standings. Anglers may weigh one legal fish for the big bass pot.
In case of a tie, the points will be split.
In case of a tie for big bass, heaviest total weight or most card fish points in paper tournaments will determine the winner. If still tied, Tournament Director will determine the winner by a coin toss.
If you don't have any weight or fish points during a tournament, you will be awarded 10 tournament points for participation.
Each angler will drop their two worst regular tournaments (beginning with 0s for missed tournaments) with the remaining regular tournaments being used to determine year-end standings (year-end standings will be based on best 7 of 9, best 8 of 10, best 9 of 11, etc.). Anglers may use any optional tournament to replace a regular tournament if need be.
There will be a "classic" tournament following the last regular tournament. The Tournament Director will be responsible for scheduling the "classic." The "classic" lake will be "off-limits" from 12:01 AM Monday until 12:01 AM Friday preceding the "classic" tournament. "Classic" participants may not be on the lake for any reason during this "off-limits" period.
Members will automatically qualify for the "classic" fishing at least half of the regular tournaments (fishing at least 4 of 9, 5 of 10, 5 of 11, 6 of 12, 6 of 13, etc.) The Tournament Director has the flexibility to insure an even number of participants by inviting members that did not qualify to participate. If a non-qualifying member is invited he or she must pay a sum equal to the number of entry fees it would take to qualify (if it takes 5 tournaments to qualify and the individual only fished 2 they would then owe 3 tournament entry fees to the Tournament Director prior to the Classic. The Classic buy in fees will not be refundable.
The "classic" will be conducted as a team event. A drawing will be held at the bass club meeting prior to the tournament. Launch order will be determined by the standings of the highest partner. This means if the top angler is a boater and his partner is rated at 16 in the standings they will be boater number one. If there is a co-angler rated number two and he has drawn boater number 20 he will be boater number two in the launch order. The Tournament Director will have flexibility to adjust the pairings to insure that each team has a boater. If boaters are drawn as partners, the angler with the highest year end standing will be considered as the boater for the tournament.
There will be no entry fee for the classic. The club treasury will fund the classic payout pot with a target of $150.00 per team based on a vote by members present at the September meeting. Each classic team will receive a portion of the payout pot based on their finish in the tournament using a pre-approved payout matrix. If two teams or more are tied, the money for those teams will be combined and split evenly. See Section VIII Table for payout schedule. Payout will be to the nearest whole dollar.
Scoring for the classic will be IAW existing club rules with the following exception: The limit for the "classic" tournament will be six (6) fish per team per day.
See next page for the Classic payout table in percent (%) of total dollars.


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Welcome to Vulkana
A traditional Norwegian fishing boat transformed to
a first class vessel for wellness and exploration.
In collaboration with the renowned Finnish architect Sami Rintala and local boat builder Gunnar Eldjarn we have transformed a traditional Norwegian fishing vessel and made a unique spa- and adventure boat. Welcome on board!
Spa and wellness facilities
Our beautiful boat was built in 1957 and was used in the herring fisheries in the south of Norway. In the seventies, she was moved to the Lofoten Islands and was part of the cod fishing fleet and even had some seasons as a whale hunting vessel.
Just after the millenium she was taken out of business and left in a sad state in at dock at the island of Senja. This is where we found her when we were looking for a vessel that could be used to create our dream boat. We are a group of friends who are passionate about wildlife and nature, about good food and drink and about sharing great experiences with friends and loved ones.
We wanted to build a boat that would offer comfort and well-being and that could be used to explore the superbly beautiful coastline of northern Norway. We also share a passion for sauna and bathing and decided that one of the most important facilities on board would be the arctic spa. In 2009 the boat had been through her transformation and was born again as Vulkana. We look forward to welcoming you on board and to sharing our arctic dream with you!
"We wanted to build a boat that would offer comfort and well-being and that could be used to explore the superbly beautiful coastline of northern Norway."
The Vulkana crew is a great mix of locals and people who have come from all over the world to live and work in Tromsø. We share the passion for our arctic region, for the stunning and raw nature that surrounds us and for this crazy boat which is the ultimate way to experience it all. We look forward to welcoming you on board!
Read more about us here.


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Commercial Law Keyed to Lopucki
Checking Accounts as the Paradigm Payment System
McGuire v. Bank One, Louisiana, N.A 744 So. 2d 714,1999 La. App. 2963, 42 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (Callaghan) 804
McIntyre v. Harris 304 Ill. App. 3d 304, 709 N.E.2d 982, 1999 Ill. App. 262, 237 Ill. Dec. 513
First National Bank v. Colonial Bank 898 F. Supp. 1220, 1995 U.S. Dist. 9722, 28 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (Callaghan) 290
Maryott v. First National Bank 2001 SD 43; 624 N.W.2d 96, 2001 S.D. 43, 44 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (Callaghan) 240
Outdoor Technologies, Inc. v. Allfirst Financial, Inc
Kimberly A. Allen Trust v. FirstBank of Lakewood, N.A 989 P.2d 203, 1999 Colo. App. 129, 40 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (Callaghan) 1048; 1999 Colo. J. C.A.R. 2657
Decibel Credit Union v. Pueblo Bank & Trust Company 996 P.2d 784, 2000 Colo. App. 26, 43 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (Callaghan) 941; 2000 Colo. J. C.A.R. 599
HSBC Bank USA v. F & M Bank Northern Virginia 246 F.3d 335, 2001 U.S. App. 5588,44 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (Callaghan) 319
Stowell v. Cloquet Co-op Credit Union 557 N.W.2d 567, 1997 Minn. 13, 31 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (Callaghan) 623
Cable Cast Magazine v. Premier Bank 729 So. 2d 1165, 1999 La. App. 1083, 39 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (Callaghan) 159
Gina Chin & Associates v. First Union Bank 256 Va. 59, 500 S.E.2d 516, 1998 Va. 98, 35 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (Callaghan) 1069
Meng v. Maywood Proviso State Bank 301 Ill. App. 3d 128, 702 N.E.2d 258, 1998 Ill. App. 714, 234 Ill. Dec. 92
Other Consumer Payment Systems
Other Business Payment Systems
Negotiability
Creditors Remedies Under State Law
Creation of Security Interest
Default the Gateway to Remedies
Maintaining Perfection
Competitions for Collateral
Commercial Law Keyed to Warren
Commercial Law > Commercial Law Keyed to Lopucki > Checking Accounts as the Paradigm Payment System
HSBC Bank USA v. F & M Bank Northern Virginia
CitationHSBC Bank USA v. F&M Bank-Northern Va., 246 F.3d 335, 2001 U.S. App. LEXIS 5588, 44 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (Callaghan) 319 (4th Cir. Va. Apr. 4, 2001)
Brief Fact Summary. HSBC Bank USA, (Respondent) brought suit against F & M Bank Northern Virginia, (Petitioner) for breach of presentment warranty under U.C.C. Section:4-208(a)(2). Petitioner appeals judgment for Respondent.
Synopsis of Rule of Law. A company has exercised ordinary care in writing a check if the company has filled in the spaces sufficiently such that any alteration that was made was obvious.
Facts. Donald Lynch purchased a check from Allied Irish Bank. The check was for $250 U.S. dollars payable to Advance Marketing and Investment. Prior to deposit, the check was altered without authorization to make the amount $250,000. This was done by adding zeros to the end of the numerical 250 and by adding the abbreviation "Thoud" to the end of the written 250. Advance Marketing and Investment deposited the check into its account with Petitioner. Respondent paid $250,000 to Petitioner on the check. Subsequently, Allied Irish Bank informed Respondent of the unauthorized alteration. Respondent credited Allied Irish Bank for the difference and brought this suit against Petitioner. Petitioner asserted the affirmative defense that Allied Irish Bank, the issuer of the check, failed to exercise ordinary care in preparing the check and such failure contributed to the unauthorized alteration of the check.
Issue. Whether the district court's finding that Allied Irish Bank exercised ordinary care in making out the check is clearly erroneous.
Held. No. The district court's factual finding that Allied Irish Bank exercised ordinary care in making out the check is not clearly erroneous.
Discussion. Reviewing a copy of the check reveals that the district court's rationale is logical. Since the written portion of the check contained enough writing such that the alteration could only be accomplished with the "scrawled up" abbreviated form of the word thousand, ordinary care was exercised in making out the check.
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Constitutional history of
The Kingdom of Bahrain covers 36 Persian Gulf islands off the east coast of Saudi Arabia. These islands make up only 760 square kilometres, but Bahrain is one of the most densely populated nations in the world. This ancient island paradise and trading centre is home to over 1.2 million people, mostly Shi'a Muslim Arabs, though there is a powerful Sunni Muslim Arab minority. While the capital of Manama has a population of only 163,000 people, 89% of the Bahraini people live in urban centres situated throughout the islands.
Political and historical developments
Like many of its neighbouring Middle Eastern countries, Bahrain was ruled by a series of conquering nations, including the Assyrians, the Babylonians, and the Greeks. The Persians took control of the country in the 4th century A.D., and their rule lasted until the Portuguese invaded in 1515. While the Persians were able to regain their control of Bahrain in 1602, the Al Khalifa family of the Sunni Bani Utbah tribe rose up in 1783 and Shaikh Ahmed Al-Fateh became the first of the Al Khalifa rulers. This family continues to rule Bahrain to this day.
Regional struggles led the Al Khalifa to sign a protectorate treaty with Great Britain in 1820. After oil was discovered in the region in the 1930s, the British moved their main military base to the islands, a relationship that lasted until 1968 when Britain decided to end its protectorate agreements in the Persian Gulf. After a failed attempt to create a union of Arab emirates, Bahrain was forced to declare independence on 15 August 1971. The first constitution of the now independent State of Bahrain was promulgated in 1973. It created an advisory legislative body (the National Assembly) and a 14 royally appointed Cabinet of Ministers, but the Amir disbanded the National Assembly in 1975 when it attempted to end of the Al Khalifa rule. The Amir removed all of the sections dealing with legislative power from the constitution and continued to rule mainly unchallenged. The Iranian revolution of 1979, however, changed the social dynamic in Bahrain. The Shi'a majority was empowered and encouraged by Ayatollah Khomeini's Iran, while the fall of the Shah greatly weakened the Sunni cultural and religious authority throughout the Middle East.
The Shi'a community began to agitate for more democratic representation over growing frustration with Sunni political dominance. After a series of violent clashes, the government responded by changing the Cabinet for the first time in 20 year. In 1995, the Consultative Council, created to advise and, in special circumstances, draft legislation, was expanded from 30 to 40 members. These efforts proved too little, as a series of bombings in the following year resulted in several fatalities. The government resulted with over 1,000 arrests, detaining political opponents and people connected to the violence. This tense situation continued until Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa replaced his father Shaikh Isa bin Hamad Al Khalifa in 1999. The new ruler constituted a committee during his first year in order to transform Bahrain into a constitutional monarchy. In the first national vote since the 1970s, the public overwhelmingly voted in favour of the referendum instituting the resulting National Action Charter in February 2001. The Shaikh also released all political prisoners and detainees. On 14 February 2002, Shakih Hamad officially proclaimed Bahrain a constitutional monarchy, with himself as king.
2002 Constitution
The 2002 Constitution of the Kingdom of Bahrain recognizes the country's Islamic faith by placing Islamic Shariah law as its principle source for legislation. It also affirms that the goal of the state is to advance the interests of the larger Islamic community, but it also guarantees freedom of religion, expression, and the press. It creates a government with powers divided among the King, the Prime Minister, the Council of Ministers, a bicameral National Assembly, and a Constitutional Court.
The King maintains broad powers under the Constitution. The monarchy is hereditary, passed from father to eldest son. As the Head of State, it is the King's duty to uphold the Constitution and the sovereignty of Bahrain, to award honours and decorations, to grant pardons, and to appoint and dismiss the Prime Minister, Ministers, judges, civil and military officials, ambassadors, and the Consultative Council. He also acts as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. However, the King's most important powers are his legislative powers. He has the ability to ratify constitutional amendments, propose legislation, and veto laws. His veto of a law can only be overcome by a majority vote of the legislature. He also has the ability to declare war and a state of emergency, as well as the power to conclude treaties. The King is assisted in his duties by a Council of Ministers chaired by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is appointed by the King, and the Ministers are appointed by the King on advice from the Prime Minister. It is the duty of the Council to supervise the activities of the government agencies and to implement national policy. Removal of the Ministers and the Prime Minister is conducted by the King, though if the Prime Minister is removed or resigns, the entire Council is considered resigned as well.
The National Assembly of Bahrain is divided between the Consultative Council and the Chamber of Deputies. The Council is composed of 40 royally appointed members who serve for 4 years, subject to reappointment. The Chamber likewise has 40 members who serve 4 year terms, but its members are elected by a direct vote. When the new constitution was proposed, the King gained support for the 2001 referendum from the Shi'a majority leaders by promising that the appointed Consultative Council would have only advisory powers, but when the actual governing document was released in 2002, both houses had legislative powers. In order for a bill to become a law, it has to be approved by both the Council and the Chamber and ratified by the King. However, the Chamber does possess some specific powers, including the power of interpellation and the passage of a vote of no-confidence against any Minister or the Council of Ministers as a whole. The Chamber may not pass a vote of no-confidence against the Prime Minister directly. If two-thirds of its members believe that they cannot work with the Prime Minister, then it is put to a vote in the entire National Assembly, and if they decide by a two-thirds vote that they cannot work with the Prime Minister, then the matter is submitted to the King who must decide whether to replace the Prime Minister or the Chamber of Deputies.
The judicial power of Bahrain is divided among a number of lower courts created by law, including military, civil, and religious courts using Islamic law. This system is regulated and overseen by a Higher Judicial Council, chaired by the King, which is tasked with ensuring the functioning of the courts and the Public Prosecution Office. The highest appellate court is the High Civil Appeals Court, though the Constitution does provide for a Constitutional Court as well. The Constitutional Court is comprised of a President and 6 other members appointed by the King on the recommendation of the Higher Judicial Council. It is their task to makes sure that all laws are constitutional as requested by Government, the Consultative Council, or the Chamber of Deputies. The King may also ask the Court to review a law before it is passed. Members of the Court cannot be dismissed.
Political challenges
Bahrain continues to face popular demands for increased democratization, which has manifested itself in protests and uprisings around the country. Due to the King's reneging on his promise to keep the appointed Consultative Council in an advisory position, many Shi'a Muslims boycotted the first elections held under the Constitution in 2002. While they participated in the 2006 and 2010 elections, resulting in a win for the largest Shi'a political Society, Al Wifaq, the Shi'a population continues to demand increased powers for the elected Chamber of Deputies and more representation in the government. Bahrain was caught in the tide of the so-called Arab Spring of 2011 in which several countries in the Middle East and North Africa saw a rise in popular protests. That same year, Shi'a protestors in Bahrain began a popular movement demanding a new constitution, a release of political prisoners, and an end to discriminatory policies favouring Sunnis in education, health care, and the government, as well as the creation of a regulatory body that could investigate corruption. Some called for the end of the monarchy entirely, in favour of a completely elected government. The government responded in an effort to disband the protests, including the use of tear gas and rubber bullets. After government forces opened fire on a crowd of mourners at the funeral of a protestor, Al Wifaq withdrew from the National Assembly. Tensions further increased when protestors took control of the Pearl Roundabout in the capital, prompting government forces to send security forces to retake the area. The King eventually was forced to release some political prisoners and fire some government officials, but protests continued in dissatisfaction over this response. Despite a dialogue between the opposition and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, negotiations have stalled and the King called in troops from the Gulf Cooperation Council and declared a state of emergency.
System of government under 2002 Constitution
1515 Portuguese invade the islands of Bahrain
1602 Persians oust Portuguese to take over Bahrain
1783 Al Khalifa family takes control of the country from the occupying Persians
1820 Al Khalifa signs protectorate treaty with the British
1931 Oil discovered in Bahrain, British move their main regional naval base to the islands
1968 Britain ends its protectorate over the Persian Gulf States, Bahrain attempts to form a union of Arab emirates
15 August 1971 Bahrain declares independence
1972 Elections held for a Constituent Assembly
1973 First constitution promulgated
1975 Amir disbands the National Assembly when they attempt to remove him from power and get rid of American naval bases on the islands
1979 Iranian revolution energizes the Shi'a majority
1981 Islamic Front for the Liberation of Bahrain stages unsuccessful coup
1991 Bahrain participates in US-led coalition's Operation Desert Storm after Iraq invades Kuwait
1992 30 member Consultative Council appointed by the Amir
1995 Amir changes the government in response to growing popular discontent from the Shi'a community
1996 A series of bombings on restaurants and hotels in the capital results in over 1,000 government arrests
1999 Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa replaces his father Shaikh Isa bin Hamad Al Khalifa, establishes a committee to create a constitutional monarchy
2000 Amir appoints non-Muslims and women to the Consultative Council for the first time
February 2001 National referendum votes in overwhelming favour of the new constitution, the National Action Charter, Shaikh releases all political prisoners
14 February 2002 Shaikh Hamad officially proclaims Bahraini constitutional monarchy with himself as King, four main Shi'a political groups boycott the election calling for increased powers for the elected house of the new legislature
2005 Popular protests demanding a fully-elected legislature
2006 Second set of elections under the 2002 Constitution results in a victory for the Shi'a party Al Wifaq, women allowed to participate for the first time
2011 Popular protests by Shi'a majority calling for increased democratic representation, an end to discrimination in favour of Sunnis, the release of political prisoners, and the creation of an anti-corruption watchdog agency lead to government suppression and the declaration of a state of emergency
United States. CIA World Factbook: Bahrain. , 2011. Web. 8 Jul 2011.
"Bahrain Country Profile." 04/06/2011. BBC News. Web. 8 Jul 2011.
United States Department of State. Background Note: Bahrain. , 2011. Web. 29 Jun 2011.
"Constitution of Bahrain." University of Richmond Constitution Finder. Web. 8 Jul 2011.
Dabrowska, Karen. Bahrain Briefing: The Struggle for Democracy. London, UK: Colourmast Limited, 1997. Print.
3 Dec 2018 Bahrain achieves record number of female legislators in latest election
23 Feb 2017 Bahrain amends Constitution allowing civilians to be tried in military courts
The Role of Constitution-Building Processes in Democratization - Case Studies
by IDEA
Thematic Paper: Constitutional Reform in the Arab World, Amina El-Messaoudi - 2009
by external source
Parliamentary and municipal elections in Bahrain 2006
Bahrain's October 24 and 31, 2002 Legislative Elections
More related resources …


One of the goals of FEST-Assert 2.0 is to learn from the mistakes we made in the 1.x releases, even if that means not being backwards-compatible.
Not fully understanding the semantics of the API we were building, is, IMHO, one of the biggest mistakes we made in FEST 1.x. We were not able to see that each assertion in the method chain should be an independent unit.
This is when it gets confusing. Now a method in the chain affects the behavior of the next one. It is hard to tell if overridingErrorMessage only applies to isInstanceOf, or to all the methods in the chain. It is so confusing that I cannot remember what were the semantics of overridingErrorMessage!
Now it is easier to understand that overridingErrorMessage only affects isInstanceOf.
Looking back, I can see that I introduced overridingErrorMessage the way I did because I naively thought that method chaining makes it easier to write and read code. It surely makes it easier to write code (just press "." and your IDE's content assist will show you all the available methods) but I showed you that chaining methods does not always produce a readable API.
In short: I abused method chaining.
When creating a fluent interface using method chaining, step back and think what are you trying to achieve. Do the methods in the chain share a common purpose? Are you chaining a bunch or independent methods? Regardless of the style you choose, be consistent and try not to mix them. That will make the code written with your API readable.
Published at DZone with permission of Alex Ruiz , DZone MVB. See the original article here.


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It Really Is Kind of a Funny Story, As It Turns Out
October 7, 2010 at 12:01 am by Derek Boeckelmann
Based on the acclaimed young adult novel by Ned Vizzini, "It's Kind of a Funny Story" is a coming-of-age indie dramedy in the same vein of 2009's "Adventureland".
The film follows fifteen-year-old Craig (Keir Gilchrist), who, after contemplating suicide, decides to admit himself into an adult psychiatric ward. During his time in the ward, Craig reflects on the events that have brought him here and builds connections with the ward's other occupants, namely middle-aged father Bobby (Zach Galifianakis) and Noelle (Emma Roberts), an emotionally-scarred teenage girl. As the film progresses, the bond Craig has formed with his fellow patients strengthens and his own outlook on life begins to change.
The narrative is predictable, but the material is so aptly handled by directing duo Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden that the film remains strong. To their credit, Fleck and Boden recognize the humdrum nature of several scenes and manage to reinvigorate them with unconventional stylistic choices. The remarkable way in which Fleck and Boden handle a rooftop-set scene involving Craig and Noelle is particularly refreshing.
As the naïve but compassionate Craig, Gilchrist (TV's "The United States of Tara") has all the attributes of a charming lead in spades. Equally charming is Roberts ("Valentine's Day"), who is captivating as Noelle — a character every bit as fragile as she is beautiful. It's the strong chemistry between Gilchrist and Roberts, that gives a lot of dramatic weight to the Craig/Noelle/Nia (Zoë Kravitz) love-triangle — an otherwise trite plot device.
However it's Zach Galifianakis ("The Hangover") who is undoubtedly the film's strongest performer, managing to steal every scene from his skilled co-stars as Bobby — a wise man plagued by his own insecurities and family problems. Able to blend his trademark humor with more tender emotional moments, the layers Galifianakis adds to Bobby make him the film's single most tragic figure.
In the end, "It's Kind of a Funny Story" is both delightfully charming and genuinely funny. Even the predictable narrative doesn't make the film's impact any less significant.


Warped Tour Vancouver 1998: NOFX takes the stage for a headlining set before blasting into a tune from one of their many iconic '90s albums. Fat Mike declares that he has just witnessed one of the greatest bands he's ever seen — the Real McKenzies. The Real McKenzies were already an institution in Vancouver at this point, so the crowd's uproarious reaction to Fat Mike's proclamation was no surprise, nor was it surprising when the McKenzies released an album on Fat Wreck Chords' subsidiary Honest Dons, a couple years later.
Fast-forward to 2015: the McKenzies have released their seventh studio album, Rats in the Burlap with Fat Wreck Chords (released on Stomp! in Canada). This is their eleventh release in total since the Scottish influenced punk band's inception in 1992, four years before the formation of a certain Irish influenced Boston band the McKenzies are so often compared to.
The McKenzies have never been hesitant to keep the punk in Celtic punk. This is most evident in full out rockers like "Who'd a Thought," and pop punk tracks like "Catch Me." All the songs on Rats in the Burlap showcase the band's solid musicianship and their ability to include traditional celtic instruments — particularly bagpipes — throughout the album without sounding kitchy.


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March 8, 2008: Bad MQ News, Good Ogre News
First the bad and personally embarrassing news. Yesterday we looked at Munchkin Quest and decided that it wasn't really in shape to go to the printers. The component layouts are absolutely beautiful, and outside testing indicated that it was acceptably good, but we didn't feel it was GREAT. And as we talked about it, Phil Reed came up with a great idea for regulating monster movement, which was the part that had the most problems. So I stayed up till 2:30 in the morning writing new cards, and rewriting the rules, to incorporate that idea. But of course it needs playtesting. So Munchkin Quest gets kicked back by at least a month.
And for this I apologize to you fans and retailers, and especially to Paul and Ross - our Marketing and Sales guys, respectively - who had been repeatedly assured that yes, this deadline could be met. And I also apologize to our foreign translation partners, because this probably makes it impossible for their translated editions to debut at Essen. MQ was our first priority for 2008 (and still is), and this delay is painful.
Now the good news, news that personally delights me. We now have to fill a hole in our schedule. When we looked at everything that might fit into that hole, a spiffy big-box version of Ogre - big board, heavy counters, and so on - had the best combination of "needs no further rules development" and "is in demand." So we get to have Ogre back. I have been really unhappy that it was out of print, but other things had to come first. Now that the other priorities have temporarily fallen down . . . Ogre gets its chance!
What will the new 6th Edition include? Basically, the same game that we have been selling as Ogre/G.E.V., but with massively upgraded components. Further details will have to wait a few days, and when we unveil them, you'll also get to see the redesigned Ogre webpage. Colored type on black backgrounds is SO last-century.
And the bottom line is that you'll see one more big boardgame out of us this year. So . . . not all bad!
Unfortunately, this also means that the month-long vacation that I was supposed to be starting RIGHT NOW (darn it) . . . won't actually happen. But for a while, my job description will not be Boss; it will be Game Designer and Developer. I'll get SOME time out of the office, and Phil will be Boss. He's been doing a great job.
-- Steve Jackson


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Corey Taylor: This Is the Most Fun I've Had Making an Album Since 'Slipknot' — Interview
Lauryn Schaffner Published: July 29, 2020
Remember last summer when Slipknot released We Are Not Your Kind and Loudwire changed its name to Knotwire? We know what Corey Taylor thinks about it now, and he loved it.
"I was just losing it," he said in a new interview with Loudwire Nights. "That is such a great way to troll the trolls, it just made me so happy."
Now that that's out of the way, we can share what Taylor revealed about his upcoming debut solo album CMFT, which he's understandably very excited about.
"This is probably the most alive album I've done in a long time. It's probably the most fun I've had making an album since the first Slipknot album, to be honest," he teased. Not only did he get to work with some of his best friends on it, but some of the songs on it are ones he's kept on the shelf for over 20 years.
"It's gonna throw people for a loop because it is unlike anything I've ever done," he continued. "However, it is the most fun album people are gonna hear in all of 2020."
Taylor and his collaborators also recorded several acoustic versions of the songs, as well as covers of songs by other artists, ranging from Dead Boys to Eddie Money. The plan is to eventually release the extra material, which will likely be packaged as a special for Record Store Day.
To hear more details about about the album, including the story behind a song he wrote when he was in high school, listen to the full interview above, and check out his two new songs "CMFT Must Be Stopped" and "Black Eyes Blue" below.
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