They are pesky, unwanted emails that can overflow our inboxes. They are so annoying and "invasive" that laws have been created to try and stop their spread, but to little avail. If you’ve done anything on the internet over the last decade or so, especially send and receive email, then you know what I’m talking about – spam!

Now it appears there is a new movement in poetry (probably not all that new, but this is the first I’m hearing about it) that turns those annoying, unwanted messages into works of art. It’s called "spoetry". Pretty clever, huh?

According to a blog post in the Guardian Unlimited Arts section, spoetry very could well be the next big thing in poetry:

Here is the future language of poetry: part machine, part human, all good. Just as pre-pen and ink societies produced narrative poetry, the industrial revolution gave birth to the Romantics, and the post-war American economic boom begat the Beats, so too – if the rash of blogs devoted to it over the past year or two are anything to go by – the technological age in which are living gives us spam poetry.

Computers and the internet have become so intertwined with our daily lives that I guess it’s no wonder that a phenomenon like spam will works its way into our artistic culture as well. The whole movement, at first glance, is surprising, but on a deeper level it’s one of those "ah-ha" moments when spoetry is something we should have been engaged in for a long time now. It’s that obvious.

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I apologize for the shameless self-promotion. But as you read this, I am putting together the August Brad’s Reader newsletter. It’s FREE and it comes directly to you inbox at the beginning of each month. Signing up is easy, just type in your email address in the box on the right, click subscribe, and let us do the rest!

Worried about spam? Well don’t! I take great pride in never spamming my subscribers. Your personal information is NEVER sold, rented or given away to third parties. I keep all you information 110% confidential. I hate spam too!

Sign up today! The August newsletter will be going out August 1. You don’t want to miss it!!!

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Once upon a time an aspiring author had to jump through hoops, fire, an army of dragons, and maybe even a few lava fields to get on the road to promote their new book. And even then there was no guarantee that anyone would show up. In fact,  it’s not all that uncommon for an author to hold a book signing and no one comes. Sad, isn’t it?

Thanks to the internet, which is once again proving itself as the "great equalizer", the infamous book tour is now becoming a little easier.

A new website, booktour.com, connects authors and readers alike. Authors can set up their own free page (yes, it’s all free) that promotes their upcoming signings, speaking engagements, and other public events. And readers can sign up to receive news about appearances their favorite authors will be making. But it’s much more than that. Any organization, whether it’s a local college or a public library, can set up author speaking engagements through the booktour website.

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For me, an enjoyable part of going to my local bookstore (aside from being surrounded by books), is the relaxed atmosphere. But according to one article, bookstores may have gotten too relaxed, and now they’re trying to change that.

What’s the problem? It appears that those plush chairs and couches that you can still find in many bookstores might be on the shortlist to get dumped. The problem is, too many customers are lounging away the hours in those chairs, but not "paying their dues" by buying a book or two. The original idea behind installing plush furniture was a noble one:

Just a decade ago, the trend in the bookstore industry was to fit nooks and crannies with big chairs for browsing, which, it was hoped, would spur buying. The idea was to recast the bookstore as a community place or an extension of the home. Out with sterile bookstores where customers stood at attention to check out a book; in with warm, sinking chairs where book lovers could be by their lonesome.

Of course, the Law of Unintended Consequences never fails to make an appearance when least expected:

But now the availability of so-called "soft" seating – overstuffed chairs and sofas – is on the decline at some bookstores, done in by various complications: homeless squatters, overly enthusiastic young lovers, food trash left behind.

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Have you ever wondered if well-known, classic authors would be able to get published today? One man attempted to find out for himself. David Lassman tried an experiment where he would send out manuscripts of some of Jane Austen’s most timeless work, with a few minor changes. The experiment’s premise is that in todays publishing world, where blockbusters and marketability are everything, someone like Austen wouldn’t stand a chance of landing a publishing contract. Here’s what happened:

After making only minor changes, he sent off opening chapters and plot synopses to 18 of the UK’s biggest publishers and agents. He was amazed when they all sent the manuscripts back with polite but firm "no-thank-you’s" and almost all failed to spot that he was ripping off one of the world’s most famous literary figures.

Now remember that Jane Austen isn’t only known to the literary elite. And as the article from the Guardian Unlimited points out, her books have withstood the test of time and have sold millions of copies. Not to mention all the movie adaptations made from her writing. Jane Austen is definitely a literary powerhouse.

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What books do you imagine filling a CEO’s library? Actually, this question can be broadened from CEO to anyone who has reached a high level of success in life. You might be thinking business books, investor guides and other dry writing that would have most of us asleep in seconds. And you’d be wrong.

Many of the most successful people in the business world today have a surprisingly literary library, where non-fiction business books are the rare commodity. According to an article from the New York Times, these high-powered movers and shakers seek something else from their reading material:

Serious leaders who are serious readers build personal libraries dedicated to how to think, not how to compete.

It’s hard to describe the subtle difference that the above passage is trying to convey. A business-oriented book, for example might give successful sales strategies by laying them out in layman’s terms so the reader can easily absorb the main point without much thought. In other words, the point of the book is being spoon fed to the reader.

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I know what you’re thinking: "Another post about Harry Potter?" Yeah, I know. To be honest, now that the final book is out, I promise this will be one of the last Potter posts for a long while.

Whenever a series as popular as Harry Potter hits the reading public, there is bound to be criticism. Not everyone will be a fan – that’s to be expected. But in the case of the Potter series, I haven’t read a lot of criticism at all. Maybe I’m just not paying attention. Maybe I’m reading all the wrong newspapers, magazines and websites. I really don’t know why, but heavy Potter criticism doesn’t seem to be out there.

One thing I have really been interested in, is knowing what academics think of Harry Potter. I’m talking about literary theorists and old grouchy college literature professors. I finally got my wish the other day in my email inbox in one of my many Google Alerts I receive regarding literature.

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A little more than 24-hours from now the newest and final Harry Potter book will be released to the masses. Of course, for some, the book has been released a little too early for the publisher’s taste. I’m not surprised. Given that this is one of the most anticipated book releases of one of the most popular children’s series to ever hit literature, is anyone else really surprised that the book leaked out early?

I’m actually even more surprised at the actions of the publisher, Scholastic. They appear hell-bent on take legal action on anyone who lets the book out early. While many agree with their position, and to a point, so do I. But let’s consider that all the books that were leaked out have been paid for. Let’s also consider it’s a well-known fact that booksellers aren’t going to make a cent off direct sales from the new Potter book. Then where does all that money go? Scholastic, of course!

The publisher doesn’t seem to be losing money on this deal. If a few books slip out early, that’s the price of doing business. The only crime would be if books were somehow stolen, then a lawsuit would be in order. But suing their own customers?

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After the completion of a story/novel, or just about any other manuscript for that matter, you need to let it sit. No, this doesn’t mean giving up your favorite easy chair so your manuscript can watch television (ouch! that was bad, sorry!).

What are you talking about?
You spent a lot of time writing your novel (for example) and thinking about it. Now that you have a completed draft, you need to get it out of your mind for a while. This doesn’t mean forgetting about your work altogether, rather, you should set it aside and work on another project. Place the manuscript in a safe place, where you’ll remember it. I put mine in a file folder and tuck it away in my filing cabinet. Make a note on your calendar so you remember to come back to it.

Why?
By letting your manuscript sit, it will seem more fresh to you when you come back to start making revisions. This will make it easier to catch mistakes (grammatical, spelling, etc), and you’ll see "holes" in your plot with more clarity than if you were to start editing right away.

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I’m going to be honest, I never really thought about this issue much until I came across this article in the Guardian Unlimited. The issue: contemporary fiction authors ignoring the explosive political climate America finds itself in. There aren’t many authors speaking out against the current administration, not to mention all the injustices done by way of eroding civil rights.

Instead, a majority of criticism has come from, of all other people, a former sports broadcaster! Keith Olbermann takes constant jabs at our government on his daily, primetime show, Countdown, asks questions and raises issues that few dare to bring up. I watch the show whenever I get a chance and must admit he does an incredible job pointing out the blunders of the Bush administration (not that it’s very hard to begin with).

Yet, in the United States, intellectuals (ie. authors) are usually thrown into the background and regarded as sideshow entertainment, listened to but not taken too seriously. And novelists just haven’t been that vocal in the American political scene, especially since 9/11:

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