#bindercon

[laresearchette]

Wednesday, April 03, 2024 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

This Video Not Available in Your Country: Wednesday Canadian Lineup (Times Eastern):

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: LOOT (Apple TV+) WALKER (CTV Drama) 8:00pm TAKE MY TUMOR (TLC Canada) 10:00pm AMERICAN HORROR STORY: DELICATE (FX Canada) 10:00pm

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT?: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FUTURE (PBS Feed)

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

AMAZON PRIME CANADA LONG LOST FAMILY: WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?

CBC GEM CRIME SCENE KITCHEN (Season 2)

DISNEY + STAR KIYA & THE KIMOJA HEROES (Season 1) LIFE BELOW ZERO: NEXT GENERATIONS (Season 7) PLAYDATE WITH WINNIE THE POOH (Season 1) UFO FACTORY UFO Factory (Fabricantes de Ovnis) WISH

NETFLIX CANADA CRIME SCENE BERLIN: NIGHTLIFE KILLER (DE) FILES OF THE UNEXPLAINED RODEIO ROCK (BR)

CURLING (TSN/TSN5) 10:00am: LGT World Men's Curling Championship: Netherlands vs. Canada (TSN/TSN5) 1:00pm: LGT World Men's Curling Championship: Korea vs. Canada

2024 IIHF WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (TSN3/TSN4) 11:00am: Denmark vs. Sweden (TSN3/TSN4) 3:00pm: Finland vs. Czechia (TSN3/TSN5) 7:00pm: United States vs. Switzerland

MLB BASEBALL (SN) 1:00pm: Rangers vs. Rays (SN1) 8:00pm: Jays vs. Astros (SN Now) 10:00pm: Giants vs. Dodgers

NHL HOCKEY (SN) 7:00pm: Rays vs. Leafs (SN360) 9:30pm: Oilers vs. Stars (SNPacific) 10:00pm: Canucks vs. Coyotes

NBA BASKETBALL (SN Now) 7:30pm: Thunder vs. Celtics (TSN/TSN4) 8:00pm: Raptors vs. Timberwolves

TRIGGER POINT (CBC) 8:00pm: Experienced bomb disposal operative Lana Washington is pushed to her breaking point dealing with a series of improvised explosive devices that threaten London during a summer terror campaign.

ALLEGIANCE (CBC) 9:00pm: Alex puts Michelle in grave danger by telling her the truth about Black Dagger, Sam and Faber try to track Alex when he goes off the grid, Victor takes drastic measures to keep Natalie safe from harm, and Christoph arrives in New York undetected.

RED EARTH UNCOVERED (APTN) 9:00pm: Doc sends Hayley to Comox to attend a Sasquatch conference called BinderCon. Hayley speaks with the organizer, Thomas Sewid, and learns about a female Sasquatch known as Dzunuk'wa.

DON'T HATE YOUR HOUSE WITH THE PROPERTY BROTHERS (HGTV Canada) 9:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): When Warren and Tricia bought a recently remodeled house in the perfect neighbourhood, they dreamed of hosting large family holiday gatherings.

CELEBRITY HELP! MY HOUSE IS HAUNTED (T&E) 9:00pm (SEASON PREMERE): Learn why Diana's former butler, Paul Burrell, thinks strange smoke and noises in his home could be a sign that the People's Princess is reaching out from beyond the grave. Watch the team's investigation open the door for two lost souls to reunite.

THE CRIME IS MINE (Crave) 9:00pm: Madeleine Verdier, a young actress, is accused of murdering a famous producer; after being acquitted, she begins her new life of fame and success, until the truth comes out.

SECRET NAZI SCIENCE (Super Channel Fuse) 9:00pm: Liebensraum breeding programs and bunk studies in heredity helped to justify mass sterilizations and genocide. In concentration camps, twisted experiments like Josef Mengele's twin studies masquerade as science and justify all manner of Nazi horrors.

LANDS ENCHANTED (APTN) 9:30pm: Join Ernest Webb in Forillon National Park, on the unceded territory of the Mi'gmaq community of Gespeg. Witness the residents' efforts to rediscover their traditional lands, bridging the past, present and future.

BIG BROTHER CANADA (Global) 9:30pm

QUIET ON SET: THE DARK SIDE OF KIDS TV (Investigation Discovery) 10:00pm: A look at accusations concerning showrunner Dan Schneider, including a toxic workplace for female writers and two crew members' arrests for child abuse.

[nyfacurrent]

Business of Art | Literary Submissions 101

Top tips for getting your work seen by editors and publishers.

When it comes to getting your work published, writing is only half of the job. Submitting your work to publications is also a big part of being a writer, and it requires some strategizing. Not sure where to begin? We compiled a series of tips from previous NYFA Current articles, plus updated best practices, and some very helpful advice from former #ArtistHotline guest chat participants Elisa Gabbert and Lincoln Michel. So take a deep breath, gather your courage, and take note of the tips below before starting to submit your work!

Step 1 - Doing the Research

It might sound obvious, but we will say it one more time for the people in the back: you must read and familiarize yourself with the publications you’re considering sending your work to. What kind of work do they typically publish? Do any of their published works stand out to you? Who is their audience? When do they usually have open calls? 

If you’re not sure how to begin this research, a good place to start is by following the steps of your main inspirations. Where have they published before? Have they written about their process anywhere? Do they talk about it in interviews? Interact with them on social media, but don’t expect them to take you by the hand and answer all of your questions, especially if unsolicited. Every now and then writers will feel like engaging on Instagram or Twitter, either creating threads or soliciting questions. Take advantage of these moments, but don’t be invasive. You can also follow hashtags like #pubtip and #querytip, used by writers, agents, and editors to share snippets of advice for aspiring writers. Another great way to understand where your heroes currently are and how they got there, is by reading the “Thank Yous” and “Acknowledgments” in their publications. 

Step 2 - Getting Organized

Step number one means you’ll collect a lot of information, which can quickly become unparsable. Before that happens, we suggest preparing a spreadsheet where you can organize all the publications you believe are a good match. Here’s a sample spreadsheet with some basic information you should have on hand for tracking your submissions. You might have to submit several times before getting a yes (and that’s totally normal), so make sure to track your “yes” and “no” responses and feedback received (if any) for future applications.

Feeling overwhelmed? Prioritize your submissions. What is your dream venue? If it’s a super-selective place, they’ll probably require a more extensive publication history. Focus on building this history first, perhaps applying to smaller names in the industry, and then aiming for the powerhouses. The most important thing here is to make sure this process doesn’t compromise your writing time. Here are a few tips on how to balance your time between submitting work and making it. 

Step 3 - Selecting Materials

Your “favorite-ever-thing-you-have-ever-written” is probably great, but it still might not be the best fit for a particular open call. When choosing what materials to send out, ask yourself the following question: does this work fit seamlessly with the other stories, essays, or poems this platform typically publishes? Choose objectively.

Along with your writing, open calls may ask for other supporting materials. The main one, and arguably, the most feared, is the cover letter. According to Lincoln Michel, writers don’t need to worry so much about them, focusing on keeping them short, direct, and simple. It's still important to know who you’re writing to, though. Show you did your research by matching the style of the publishing venue, Elisa Gabbert advises. CVs, references, and bios are other common files requested. Learn how to prepare them with these older, but golden tips from BinderCon. In terms of design, err on the side of cleanliness. Stick to the basics unless formatting is a big part of your text (for example, if you’re writing concrete poetry). 

Last but not least, follow the guidelines! Remember, one very important thing must happen before an editor even gets to read your submission: you must make it out of the slush pile. Due to competitiveness or likely lack of time on the side of jurors, you might receive a rejection simply because you did not follow simple rules like sticking to the word count or labeling your files correctly. 

Step 4 - Dealing with the Nos

Rejection is normal and does not necessarily mean your work is not good enough. Maybe your manuscript got lost in the slush pile—it happens to the best of us—or maybe it was not a good fit for the platform at that particular moment. 

Use rejections as a teachable moment. Ask for feedback if possible, but don’t be offended if editors are not able to answer. If you do get a response, don’t feel pressured to internalize all critiques or to revamp your work completely. Know your writing and your value as a writer so you can process useful commentary and disregard the rest. Follow the advice of Gabbert and develop a network of trusted peers (folks in the industry, friends) that can be your beta-readers and be ready to accept and learn from honest criticism. 

- Luiza Teixeira-Vesey, Designer/Marketing Officer

This article draws inspiration from #ArtistHotline, an initiative dedicated to creating an ongoing online conversation around the professional side of artistic practice. Our goal is to help artists discover the resources needed, online and off, to develop sustainable careers. You can follow NYFA at @nyfacurrent​ on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Find Elisa Gabbert and Lincoln Michel tweeting at @egabbert and @TheLincoln.

Have an arts career question? You can contact NYFA staff directly by emailing source@nyfa.org.

Image: Gil Avineri (Fellow in Printmaking/Drawing/Book Arts Fellow ’14); Ghastly Spread Between; 2009; color pencil, ink, acrylic, photo,collage on paper

[karolynprg]

I'm at #Bindercon this weekend, wearing this skirt I've had since the Olmstead verdict. The skirt is starting to fall apart. I'm still here. #hospitalglam #disabled #writers #womenwriters #murphybill #disabilityrights #resist #disabilityfashion

[fiftyshadesor]

@robinnelee "So great participating in #binderconla these last couple of days! A shot from this morning's How to be a Media Hybrid panel, with Marisa Echeverria and Lucia Brawley. Love this community of smart, passionate, creative women! #bindercon #womenwriters #TheIdeaOfYou" #FiftyShadesDarker #FiftyShadesFreed #RosBailey

[drunklander]

Hi there! First off, love love love all your Outlander stuff/drunk recaps and I'm totally with you! That kinda leads me into my next thing: how the show handles sexual assault. More specifically, I'm outlining a book where the main ch. is assaulted by her fiance prior to the start of the story (stopped before it turns into rape, but obv very traumatizing)&I want to handle it properly as I've never experienced that myself, so looking for advice/sources&want to avoid Outlander's mistakes

Hi again! I’m the anon who was asking about writing sexual assault and to be clear the type of assault I’m talking about is more akin to what happened between Dougal and Claire in the Gathering episode back in season 1.  

This is a doozy of an ask, anon. And I’m fairly certain I’m not at all qualified to answer it. I didn’t want to ignore your ask, though, since it’s a timely and important question, so I did some googling to try to find out what people and organizations who are actually qualified to give advice on this subject had to say.

The below links are just what I found on a cursory search and are definitely not a definitive list of resources or advice. Other folks (specifically fic writers who have done their own research into this subject), please jump in if I’m missing a resource or tips from someone/some group that’s considered to be an authority.

I think the first step is to ask yourself, why are you including this assault?

Here’s a checklist of questions from an author regarding rape scenes, but they could be tweaked to apply to what you’re including in your character’s backstory:

What am I trying to do with this rape scene? What is its function?

Is this necessary to the plot? Will this book fall apart if this rape scene is not included?

Will this story focus more on the rapist than the victim? Will the victim essentially be forgotten?

If I swap out this rape victim with a young child, will audiences still accept this scene? Or will they find this scene wholly unnecessary, and condemn me for it?

I found that checklist via a link in a different post by a different author titled “Something To Think About Before Writing That ‘Edgy’ Rape Scene.”

The next step would be to actually figure out how to incorporate the assault into your story.

I found an old article by Roxane Gay that’s sort of applicable to this subject titled “The Careless Language of Sexual Violence.”

BinderCon, a writing conference and community for women and gender variant writers, did a panel in 2015 titled “Education or Exploitation? The Tricky Business of Sexual Assault in Fiction.” The panel is recapped here by a student in American University’s creative writing MFA program.

This post titled “Don’t Make Violence and Abuse Just Another Plot Device in Your Novel” is written by an author and covers the way authors write about rape and trauma.

And finally there is the actual language used to describe the assault and the aftermath.

Here are some guides, meant for reporters but might be helpful to you, on what language to use when writing about assault from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, the Columbia Journalism Review, the New York Times and the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault.

I hope this is somewhat helpful, anon!

[minotivaishnav]

Fantastic panel at Bindercon with some fantastic people! Women writers rule!

[thewildertype]

The crippling anxiety of having less than two months until all these fellowship applications are due is here.

oh boy.

[otherpplnation]

Episode 662 — Leigh Stein

Leigh Stein is the guest. Her new novel, Self Care, is available from Penguin.

This is Leigh's third time on the program. She first appeared in Episode 105, on September 16, 2012, and again in Episode 407, with Lux Alptraum, on March 30, 2016.

Stein is a writer interested in what the internet is doing to our identities, relationships, and politics. She is also the author of the memoir Land of Enchantment, the poetry collection Dispatch from the Future, and the novel The Fallback Plan. Her non-fiction writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker online, Allure, ELLE, Poets & Writers, BuzzFeed, The Cut, Salon, and Slate. 

From 2014 – 2017, she was cofounder and executive director of Out of the Binders/BinderCon, a feminist literary nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the careers of women and gender variant writers. Nearly 2,000 writers attended BinderCon events in NYC and LA, to hear speakers including Lisa Kudrow, Anna Quindlen, Claudia Rankine, Jill Abramson, Elif Batuman, Effie Brown, Leslie Jamison, Suki Kim, and Adrian Nicole LeBlanc. Leigh also moderated the private Facebook community of 40,000 writers.

Leigh is no longer on Facebook.

Today's monologue: zilch.

www.otherppl.com

[char27martin]

6 Lessons Learned from a Year of 101 Rejections

By Natalie D-Napoleon

Earlier this year I came across an article by Kim Liao in which she explained “Why You Should Aim For 100 Rejections A Year.” As soon as I finished reading the piece I went to the folder in my email marked “Writing Submissions 2017” and for the first time in my life, I began to count my rejections rather than counting my acceptances. I had effortlessly amassed 53 rejections. I punched my fist in the air and whooped out loud. It was June and I was already halfway to 100 rejections for the year.

Writer’s Market 2018: The Most Trusted Guide to Getting Published

I am the sensitive type (of course, I’m a writer): I weep openly when listening to sad love songs or during Claire and Jamie’s various reunifications on Outlander, and I have cried in the past on my friend’s and husband’s shoulder when my writing has been rejected. However, before Kim Liao’s article, another woman had sent me on the journey of beginning to accept that rejection was less about failure and more about getting closer to your goals. In 2015, I attended the first BinderCon conference in L.A. BinderCon began as a “secret” Facebook group of women writers sharing contacts and information and grew into a movement and conference which supports women and gender variant writers.

At BinderCon 2015, Katie Orenstein, founder of The OpEd Project, spoke about the lack of representation of women in the media and the reasons why. As a former journalist and foreign correspondent, she had a perspective on being rejected that I could not fathom at the time. Orenstein opened my eyes to one impressive fact—that women submit their work less than men. She had the statistics to prove it and the acceptances and consequent higher representation of men in the media. In one generalized conclusion: When women and people of color get rejected, we take it personally. When white men’s work is rejected, they don’t take it as a measure of the worth of their work—they decide it simply needs to find the right home elsewhere.

Orenstein says that the dearth of women’s voices in the media, “has affected the quality of our nation’s conversation, the way research is conducted, how stories are reported, and how history plays out—and indeed, what we think history is. As it turns out, the most crucial factor in determining history is more often not the distinction between what is fact and what is fiction, but who tells the story.”

Orenstein’s talk put a fire in my belly. I had an aim now that was both personal and political, to start by not taking writing rejections personally, and to submit more often because that’s what had worked, most likely for centuries of successful male writers. I didn’t aim for 100 rejections in that year; however, I had begun a master’s degree in writing, and the idea was placed in my back pocket for when I had produced the work that needed to be put out into the world. The formula seemed so simple: Submit, submit, submit, submit, and don’t take rejection personally.

Checking that “Writing Submissions 2017” folder again as I neared the end of December 2017, I counted 100 rejections—and one written rejection in a pile of papers on my desk from The Sun—took me to 101! While walking the path that Kim Liao and Katie Orenstein put me on, I have learnt a few lessons:

1. Have a body of work to submit.

In the past when I had submitted work. I didn’t have a body of work behind me to make submitting worth my while—just a handful of poems, a new short story every year. From 2014 to 2016 I completed my degree online. With a four-year-old and a part-time job as a writing tutor, I didn’t have much time to do anything other than produce creative writing. I was ferocious and voracious; I wrote and wrote and re-wrote and didn’t stop to think for a moment about what I would do with the work. I simply enjoyed the process of creating after taking a break for several years to be a mom and pursue the life of a singer-songwriter. What this time gave me was a significant body of work to begin dipping in to in order to begin submitting when the time was right. By the time I completed my degree, I had a complete poetry collection and several creative nonfiction essays ready to submit.

Online Course: Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

2. Pitch your submissions like a freelance journalist pitches stories.

My husband is a freelance journalist, so when I began submitting and expressing my frustration when I was rejected, his first question to me was Why don’t you try submitting like journalists do? “Research the publication, the editors, the judges, and pitch the work you think will resonate specifically with that publication or judge,” he advised.

I had read the worn “read our publication before you submit,” but I figured that advice was for everyone else, not me. Despite my reservations, I started to heed his and journal editors’ advice, I began to read publications and pitch my work accordingly. This meant researching editors, then finding examples of their work online and reading them. I can say that a good portion of my acceptances—and positive rejections—were the result of taking the time to research and read before I submitted work. The added bonus: I discovered new writers, poetry and creative nonfiction writing that I both enjoyed and could learn from in order to improve my own work.

As a part of this process, I subscribed to each journal’s mailing list. I now regularly go to my email inbox and read these mailings, which often leads to submitting work when themes are called for, or reminds me of reading periods and submission deadlines.

3. Rewrite to meet the word count, and learn to edit your work.

Continuing to think like a freelancer, when I found competitions I wanted to enter, I rewrote work to meet the word count or cut stanzas out of poems to meet the line count. Through this process I became a better editor of my own work. I removed a whole stanza from one poem that placed me second in a competition, and I now prefer the edited version.

I came to discover what author Katherine Paterson says: “I love revisions. … We can’t go back and revise our lives, but being allowed to go back and revise what we have written comes closest.”

Part of this process also meant finding good, trustworthy readers of my work who would give me feedback on what was working and what was not in my writing. In the past I took little time to reflect on my own work, or to find readers. Often, knowing that I had a reader about to peruse my work with a critical eye made me edit more ruthlessly before forwarding my work to them. I learned to ask my readers for specific feedback—e.g., “What do you think of the dialogue on page two of the story?” This helped me identify the weak areas in my own work, especially when readers confirmed my own judgement.

The rejection process also allows you to get to know your stronger and weaker work through the self-reflective process of editing, getting reader feedback, and occasional editorial feedback. As Paul Martin writes in Writer’s Little Instruction Book – Getting Published, “Every rejection … adds to your knowledge about the right market for your work.”

4. IRL connections matter.

No art is created in a vacuum, and no art exists without community. Often writers find community online; however, very few of my online connections have been made without some seven-degrees-of-Kevin-Bacon real life connection. When I began my master’s degree I joined two different local in-person writing groups, began attending local poetry readings and book launches, and through this process I met local writers and publishers.

Eventually these relationships—and I’d like to think the quality of my work—led to getting a poem published in an ekphrastic poetry collection by a local publisher. A friend suggested I submit a memoir piece to a local reading series, and although I had a cold and hacking cough at the time, I thought about my 100 rejections, soldiered on and made a recording. I was accepted to the series, got to read to a full room of attentive listeners, and was coached by a drama teacher on how to read my work aloud—another valuable lesson—all the while connecting with a local writing community I could lean on in the process.

5. Celebrate encouraging feedback.

As an editor told Liao in (according to her article), “The thrill of an acceptance eventually wears off, but the quiet solidarity of an encouraging rejection lasts forever.” The few personal notes I received in 2017 added fuel to the fire, which kept me submitting. When a prominent journal in Australia rejected two poems they wrote, “We enjoyed the intense, vertiginous imagery in these poems,” and then urged me to submit more work in the future. Encouraging rejections let you know your writing is on track (and apparently gives some people vertigo), and that someone out there is carefully considering and paying attention to your work.

The added bonus is that once you know the editors like your work, if you continue to submit to that journal they should: a) remember your name, and b) eventually accept a piece. Getting to know the body of work of an emerging writer is what often gives editors an “in” to understanding your unique point of view. After I had a poem accepted for publication in Australian Poetry Journal, I realized I recognized the editor’s name, and when I reviewed my submissions I found out that I’d sent samples of my work to other journals she edited. Maybe she recognized my name, or maybe once she read the work one more time it “clicked.”

6. Set aside regular time to submit, review and rewrite your work.

Because I was inspired by Liao’s article to continue submitting, I began to set aside time each week to submit. However, this didn’t mean I began submitting blindly. I would carefully study the newsletters of journals, do Google searches, read the Submittable weekly mailer and search the site, the Poets and Writers newsletter, and save competitions that arose on Facebook. Then I would take the time to read the journal I wanted to submit to and decide if my work was appropriate or needed to be rewritten, or if I needed to review my own body of work to find something that may fit a theme call-out. By doing this for an hour or two, two or three days a week, I built up to 101 rejections.

I also learnt during the process that I had underestimated some of my own work. My experimental erasure poetry was being published extensively, and I found that what Orenstein had suggested was true: more rejection builds resilience and an ability to brush it off. Most of all, I realized the truth of what Zora Sanders, the former editor of Australian journal Meanjin Quarterly, said: For women to bring our work to the attention of editors we need “to take more risks.”

This led me to the greatest lesson of all: How to use rejection to review my work and improve my writing.

And the result of my year of 101 rejections? I won second place for my poem “First Blood” and had another poem commended in a poetry competition judged by the international editor of the Kenyon Review; I made two competition shortlists with a creative nonfiction memoir piece, “Crossing,” and then the same story was accepted by a major Australia literary journal for publication; I had four erasure poems published online and another accepted in Australian Poetry Journal; I read a memoir piece at a local reading series to a sold-out room, and finally, an ekphrastic poem was published in a collection by Gunpowder Press. That’s 11 acceptances for 101 rejections, if anyone is counting.

This year, I’m prepared to aim for 102 rejections with glee, while I quietly place a few more cracks in the literary glass ceiling.

Natalie D-Napoleon is a writer, singer-songwriter and educator from Fremantle, Australia who now lives in California. She has an MA in Writing from Swinburne University and currently works as a Coordinator at a Writing Center in a California city college. Her work has appeared in Entropy, The Found Poetry Review, LA Yoga Magazine and the Santa Barbara News-Press. Recently, her story “Crossing” made the finalists’ list for the Penelope Niven Prize in Creative Nonfiction, and her poem “First Blood” placed second in the 2017 KSP Poetry Awards judged by John Kinsella.

Twitter and Instagram: @nataliednapo Blog: http://nataliednapoleonwordplay.blogspot.com/

The post 6 Lessons Learned from a Year of 101 Rejections appeared first on WritersDigest.com.

from Writing Editor Blogs – WritersDigest.com http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/questions-and-quandaries/publishing/6-lessons-learned-year-101-rejections

[kataryniss-blog]

В чём разница между эротикой и порнографией

ВОСПРИЯТИЕ ЭРОТИКИ И ПОРНОГРАФИИ всегда было субъективным и полным стереотипов и предрассудков. По устоявшемуся мнению, порно — неизбежно грубое, низкое и жесткое изображение секса, а прилагательное «порнографичный» несет исключительно негативную окраску. Эротику, в свою очередь, одни считают бессмыслицей и пошлостью, а другие — единственным «приличным» способом возбудить свое воображение. Режиссеры, психологи, секс-терапевты и другие эксперты объясняют, чем различаются эротика и порнография, почему одно явление социально приемлемее, чем другое, и почему семантические споры порой — лишнее.

БРЮС ЛАБРЮС

кинорежиссер, писатель, фотограф, артист, пионер квиркора

Тони Уорд, звезда моего фильма «Hustler White», однажды сказал Rolling Stone, что разница между эротикой и порно — в освещении, и я с ним согласен. Есть много критериев, по которым люди оценивают откровенность материала. Мягкий фокус, рассеянный свет, мизансцена, монтаж, общее внимание к композиции и атмосфера могут заставить зрителя думать о весьма откровенном видео в контексте эротики, а не порно.

В эротических видео актерам льстят на постобработке или прямо во время съемки, подбирая наиболее выгодные ракурсы, чтобы скрыть высыпания на коже, несуразность некоторых позиций и физиологические подробности. В то же время разница между «искусством» и «эротикой» часто легко прослеживается. Первое иногда может быть непривычно реалистичным, чтобы нарушить иллюзию «идеального» секса, которая культивируется в большинстве современных порнофильмов. В эротике же акцент с проникновения и эякуляции смещается на само занятие любовью.

Исторически дихотомия порно и эротики носит классовый характер. Порно — зрелище для масс, обращается прямиком к либидо, а эротика, созданная для людей с более тонкой организацией, прячет сам сексуальный акт. Порно часто считается грубым и эксплуататорским, а эротика привлекает внимание артистичностью и вуалью приличия.

Я всегда говорю, что главная разница между «искусством», или «эротикой», и «порно» заключается только в том, как представлено проникновение. «Высший класс» рассматривает расслабленное обнаженное тело как эстетический объект. Порно чаще наблюдают в закрытой обстановке, оно носит более личный характер и зачастую использует политически некорректные приемы, которые и позволяют ему быть намного веселее, чем эротике.

СИНДИ ГЭЛЛОП

основательница сайта Make Love Not Porn, бренд-консультант

Разница между эротическим и порнографическим — в контексте. Слово «порнографический» намного чаще используется неправильно, чем «эротический». При этом оба слова используются, чтобы дать оценку чему-либо.

У эротики больше положительных коннотаций: «эротическим» часто обозначают «позитивно сексуальное» явление: классическое, социально приемлемое и т. д. «Порнографичный» же используется для описания всего «негативно сексуального» за пределами, собственно, единственного назначения порно (меня всегда удивляет фраза «смотреть порно»: его на самом деле никто не смотрит — все мастурбируют под него).

Но «эротика» слишком узкое по смыслу слово для обозначения действительно большой области — той, которую журналист Techcrunch Джон Эванс правильно идентифицировал как сексуальный контент, который не является порнографией (как раз в этом поле Make Love Not Porn и действует). В MLNP мы пытаемся нащупать новый вокабуляр для правдоподобного секса, так что однажды у нас в расположении будет много других слов, чтобы писать, обсуждать и исследовать эту со всех сторон недооцененную тему.

ЛЮКС АЛЬПТРОМ

писатель, консультант, секс-инструктор, сооснователь BinderCon, бывший CEO Fleshbot

Разница та же, что и между «промискуитетом» и «нормой»: мы склонны называть порнографичными вещ��, которые причиняют нам дискомфорт, и эротичными те, что нас заводят. Большинство жестких вещей действительно попадают в категорию порно, а мягких и эстетичных — эротики, но чаще всего эти характеристики очень субъективны и больше говорят о человеке, который их использует, чем о конкретном видео.

СОВЕРЕН САЙР актер, писатель, звезда «Boss Bitches of History»

Прежде чем я стал создавать собственное порно, я работал ню-моделью. Я слышал много чепухи в спорах о том, в чём разница между искусством и порно, и мне было важно найти ответ, чтобы никто не мог обвинить меня в позировании для порнографии. Американский фотограф Джордж Питтс, которому я первому позировал и был музой первое время своей работы, сказал мне: «Порнография — это эротика без сопереживания». Примерно ту же мысль высказывали работники других студий, в которых я потом работал. Но потом я пришел работать в порно и увидел, что многие артисты и режиссеры действительно переживают за то, что они делают, и имеют собственное представление о том, каким именно образом возбудить зрителя.

Как я понял, выбор подходящего слова — это выбор класса. То, что «обычный» человек посчитает возбуждающим, скорее всего, порно, а то, что заводит благоустроенного интеллектуала, скорее всего, эротика с ее оберткой художественности. И еще проще: если назначение артефакта состоит в том, чтобы просто возбудить зрителя, это порно.

РЭЙЧЕЛ КРАМЕР БАССЕЛ

автор, блогер, редактор «The Big Book of Orgasms: 69 Sexy Stories»; шестикратный победитель Gold Independent Publisher Awards (Ippy) в номинации «Erotica and Sexuality / Relationships»

Граница между эротическим и порнографическим формируется маркетингом и склонностью к осуждению. Я пишу эротические книги — по крайней мере, так они позиционируются на рынке, — но не будет ошибкой назвать их порнографичными. В общем, если кто-то пытается продать свои эротические работы, напирая на то, что они «лучше» порнографии, я теряю к ним интерес. Короче говоря, эротика социально приемлема, порнография — не до конца.

Такое положение дел довольно быстро меняется, и порнография, особенно видеоформата, становится предметом широкого обсуждения, преимущественно среди молодого поколения. Но я думаю, что четко разграничить эти д��е категории нельзя. Обе, в конц�� концов, созданы для возбуждения, но у каждой свои методы. Оба термина субъективны: то, что кажется одному эротичным, для другого выглядит пресным и непривлекательным. Я думаю, людям следует искать то, что делает им хорошо (вне зависимости от того, как это официально называется), вместо того чтобы выискивать бесполезные различия в неосязаемых вещах.

МАЙКЛ КАСТЛМАН

журналист, блогер, издатель сайта Great Sex After 40

Это очень субъективно. Для тех, кому нравится порнография, эти два термина синонимичны, хотя «эротика» охватывает некоторые изображения вне порно (например, картины с обнаженными женщинами). В глазах любителей эротики в порно только трахаются люди, между которыми нет никаких отношений, — в противовес этому в эротике есть любовные сцены R-фильмов. Ну, и есть еще те, кто против широкого представления секса в медиа, и для них эротика под вопросом, а порно абсолютно неприемлемо.

МАРИССА НЕЛЬСОН

психотерапевт, CEO XoXo Therapy

Вопрос о том, что считать эротическим, а что — порнографичным, субъективный, но я думаю, всё начинается с наших нейроассоциаций с каждым словом. Когда большинство людей думает об эротике, возникают образы чего-то чувственного и в хорошем смысле раздражающего. Она, как правило, основана на недомолвках и оставляет много пространства для воображения смотрящего, подводя к удовольствию, желанию и похоти. «Порнография» же автоматически воспринимается как лобовое изображение сексуальности. Многие описывают ее менее чувственной и более грубой, чем эротику.

Меня больше интересует, где располагаются желания конкретного человека в промежутке между этими двумя явлениями. Для некоторых порно может выглядеть эротичным, а другим нужна чувственная стимуляция, чтобы расслабиться и получить удовольствие от секса. В любом случае я бы хотела, чтобы мои клиенты исследовали себя и свои желания, ведь главное в этом деле — удовольствие.

РОБЕРТ УЭЙСС

автор книг «Cruise Control: Understanding Sex Addiction in Gay Men» и «Sex Addiction 101: A Basic Guide to Healing from Sex, Porn, and Love Addiction», соавтор книги «Always Turned On: Sex Addiction in the Digital Age»

Что-то, что расценивается как слабо возбуждающее во Франции или Италии, в США может стать высокопорнографичным. А американский R-фильм, предназначенный только для аудитории старше 17 лет, может оказаться порнографией — если его посмотрит 11-летний. В общем, эти слова носят социальную и культурную окраску, которая влияет на их восприятие.

ФРЭНСИС КОЭН ПРЕЙВЕР

клинический психолог, психоаналитик, автор «The New Science of Love: How Understanding Your Brain’s Wiring Can Rekindle Your Relationship» и «Daring Wives: Insight into Women’s Desires for Extramarital Affairs»

Эротика и порнография обе затрагивают тему секса, но они разительно отличаются. Эротика — чувственная, намекающая и немного мучительная. Воображению приходится поработать, чтобы дорисовать сцену, которая вам нужна. Это ваша работа.

Порнография же похотлива, развратна и начисто лишена воображения. Наиболее эрогенная зона во всём теле — мозг, и воображение — лучший инструмент для того, чтобы получить максимум удовольствия. Эротику можно назвать прелюдией, а порно — это акт сам по себе, стейк без шипения.

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How I Plan to Cut My Business Expenses in Half This Year

Since quitting my job in 2015, I’ve intentionally chosen not to write about my business too much. It’s not the topic I want to be known for, and there are bloggers who do a much better job of it already. However, my good friend Kara who runs bravely keeps reminding me that being transparent and sharing the details (including the numbers) has the power to help other women who want to start their own businesses. Being transparent is already part of my M.O., and my numbers have never been off limits. So, if there’s a chance that sharing this information could help even one person, I think I’ll publish my numbers once a year.

It probably makes the most sense to show you my overall numbers at the end of each year, so that will be the plan. However, since I’ve never published this before, I’ll start by sharing some of last year’s numbers so we have something to compare this year’s to. Last week, I mentioned that one of my two new financial goals is to cut back on my expenses and run a lean business this year; that goal only exists because I was not happy with how much I spent in 2016. You might thinking running an online business would be cheap, but somehow I managed to spend exactly $14,000 on mine. Here’s a quick breakdown of where that total came from:

Advertising (domains, email marketing, ads, etc.): $1,987

PO Box (required for email marketing): $164

Printing and Postage (for Mindful Budgeting 2017 Planners): $1,696

Equipment (new computer and external hard-drive): $1,857

Travel (flights, hotels, cabs, meals): $2,537

Education: $932

Contractors: $2,772

Accounting (FreshBooks and accountant): $777

Other Online Services (hosting, etc.): $1,278

Some of these numbers won’t change in 2017. I expect my advertising costs to remain the same. I need my PO Box. I would (figuratively) die without FreshBooks. And I love my hosting providers. In fact, if you’re curious which services I use to run my online business, here are the ones I pay for and would happily recommend to anyone:

BigScoots – for blog hosting

Libsyn and SoundCloud – for podcast hosting

Buffer – for social media management (I schedule everything for Rockstar Finance)

ConvertKit – for email marketing

FreshBooks – for small business accounting

While these costs won’t change, there are a handful of expenses I want to slash this year. In fact, I’ve drawn up a rough budget to spend only $7,000 on my business in 2017, which means I would have to cut my spending by 50%. Again, as I said last week, I’m not entirely sure this is doable, because I don’t know what the second half of the year is going to look like yet, but here is my plan…

Accounting Target for 2017: $320 (Save $457)

For the 2015 tax year, I hired an accountant to file my taxes for me. I had worked full-time for the first half of the year, then was self-employed for the second half, and I had an even longer list of expenses (and bigger box of receipts) to deal with. Hiring an accountant wasn’t an option – it was essential. I paid mine $475 and she was worth every penny. And I would have continued working with her, if she hadn’t changed the direction of her business and decided to stop filing taxes. Fortunately, I learned so much from her last year that I feel confident filing my own taxes this year (will cost $20). It helps that I kept meticulous records of my income and expenses in FreshBooks (I currently pay $215 USD/year).

Contractors Target for 2017: $1,200 (Save $1,572)

One of the things I do love about having my own business is being able to work with other like-minded business owners – and being able to support their work, by hiring them to help me with various projects. So far, I’ve worked with two amazing graphic designers, both of whom I will use again and again in the future. But last year, I hired them to do some work I wasn’t quite ready to share with the world. The work is done, I love it, and it will be shared in 2017! But I could have put those projects on hold until I was actually ready to release them (and saved me some money in the process). This year, I’m not going to start any design projects until I’m ready for them to go live.

Education Target for 2017: $0 (Save $932)

Last year, I spent $932 on a handful of courses to help me with my business, and I only completed one of them. Similar to how I used to buy too many books, I am now guilty of buying seats in too many courses. My education budget is on a shopping ban. It’s time to complete the ones I’ve already paid for.

Travel Target for 2017: $1,000 (Save $1,538)

This is one target that I’m not entirely sure I’ll be able to stick to, but here’s why I’ve set it to $1,000: I only plan on going to one conference this year (FinCon in Dallas). I could go to WDS, BinderCon, CPFC and more. Honestly, bloggers and writers could probably find at least one conference to go to every month of the year, and expense them all! However, I’ve decided to start looking at the return on investment (ROI) and know that FinCon is the best conference for me. I’ll likely be speaking this year (on behalf of Rockstar Finance) and doing all kinds of fun stuff with the team. So, that’s the one place you’ll be able to find me, friends! (And if you see me, please say hi!)

The only reason I could see this budget changing would be if/when I can convince a small group of writers in the money/minimalism space to go on a retreat. I’m thinking: 8-12 women come to BC, we rent a big house and talk shop for a few days. Interested? Email me and let’s talk (seriously).

Printing + Postage Target for 2017: $1,200 (Save $496)

Finally, last year I spent $1,696 printing planners and shipping them to people at no cost. Some went to family and friends, some went to bloggers, and I always keep some on-hand for special cases. I will never stop doing this, because it’s an easy way for me to give back to the people who support me, but I do want to try to lower my costs a bit this year. Again, I’m not entirely sure this will be doable, especially because I’m looking at some different printing options for the 2018 version of the planner. But this is my initial target, based on the facts I have today.

Altogether, I’m targeting to shave $4,995 off of last year’s spending + I spent close to $2,000 on equipment last year, which I won’t need to repeat this year. If I meet all of my targets, I would only spend around $7,000 on my business in 2017. Again, I can’t promise it’s doable, but it feels good to have some goals to work towards! And if you go back and look at the chart in my last post, you’ll see how quickly business expenses can eat into your income when you’re self-employed. This year, I’d like to keep a little more of my money in my pocket (and invest it in my future).

Before 2015, I didn’t know how much I was spending on my business. Thanks to tracking my expenses for the past two years, I am now acutely aware of how much everything costs, which has helped me answer the question of whether or not I’m happy with where my money has been going. If the answer is yes, I can carry on. But if it’s no, I can set new targets and try to work towards them. This exercise is no different from what any of us should be doing with our personal finances – business owners or not.

The only way you can change your numbers is if you first know what they are. Click To Tweet

Are there any specific numbers you want to change/work towards this year?

How I Plan to Cut My Business Expenses in Half This Year posted first on http://ift.tt/2lnwIdQ

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Get the Yes: Application Tips for Writers from BinderCon NYC

Planning ahead pays off, and so does “becoming one with the spreadsheet.”

Last fall, NYFA staff members attended BinderCon NYC, a professional development conference for women and gender non-conforming writers. The biannual, bi-coastal conference is hosted by Out of the Binders, a non-profit dedicated to promoting gender parity in the literary world. Find out more about the organization in our interview with Executive Director and Co-Founder Leigh Stein.

In anticipation of BinderCon LA, which takes place April 1 - 2, 2017, we’re sharing tips from a BinderCon NYC session, Get the Yes: Crafting the Best Application for Residencies, Fellowships, Grants, and Workshops presented by Grace Jahng Lee (IAP ’13) and Glendaliz Camacho. Between them, the two writers have been awarded 15 residencies within two years. They’ve also received several grants, fellowships, and scholarships, and have been on the other side of the application process as selection committee members. 

Application Essentials

During the presentation, Jahng Lee and Camacho shared their personal best practices for applying, while covering the essential elements of the application process, which often include the following items:

• Artist Statement • Resume/CV • Artist Bio or Artist Statement • Project Description • Work Plan/Statement of Intent • References or Letter(s) of Reference • Writing Sample

One of the first steps to a successful application process is evaluating whether an opportunity is right for you. As Jahng Lee and Camacho pointed out, a writer contemplating a residency should consider a variety of factors, from questions of logistics—When will the residency takes place? Is a stipend provided?—to questions related to your work, such as—Who is on the faculty? How will the location influence my writing? How well do my work and the organization’s mission align?

You can get even more specific with your questions, as visual artist Rosemarie Fiore (Fellow in Printmaking/Drawing/Artists’ Books ‘09) explained in an interview about How to Select an Artist Residency Program: “The type of residency I choose to apply to matches my goal for developing a specific body of work.”

Get Time on Your Side

For many, writing, revising, and workshopping all take time. It may feel difficult to squeeze in time for applications as well. But as Camacho advised: planning ahead will pay off, and so will “becoming one with the spreadsheet.” Organize yourself by arranging opportunities by deadline, and noting application requirements, application fees if applicable, and submission dates.

Break the application process down. Make sure you’re giving your references enough time to write their letters of recommendation, and give yourself the time needed to carefully select your writing sample and revise your artist statement; if it’s your first time writing an artist statement, it’s an especially good idea to go through a few drafts.

A spreadsheet (or calendar, or whichever organizational tool you’re using) can not only help keep you organized, but can also “soften the blow of rejection,” Camacho noted, as a visual reminder that there are many more opportunities coming up.

The Artist Statement

You can rely on your community of fellow writers for encouragement and for help with your application. You may know a lot of writers who have gone through the process of creating an artist statement, for example. Ask them for advice on how to go about writing what is, for some, “the most dreaded piece” of the application. Jahng Lee also recommended workshopping your artist statement with other writers, the same way you’d workshop your creative writing.

If the thought of writing about your work makes you freeze up, jot down phrases that get at the heart of who you are and what you write about. You can “heighten the language” for a more polished artist statement later.

The Writing Sample

When it comes to selecting your writing sample, “we’re often not the best judges of our own work.” Ask for feedback from your peers and your writing group if you have one. Camacho believes the writing sample “has to show you at the height of your skill.” That might mean published or unpublished, or complete or a work-in-progress, so long as the excerpt is polished. Camacho tends to choose the work that’s been best received, or published more than once.

The Letter of Reference

Having peers, editors, or teachers who know you and your writing well can come in handy for several reasons. For one, they can write your letters of recommendation. It can be a better idea to ask people who are familiar with your work, instead of simply asking someone because they are well-known. Avoid causing “the sigh heard ‘round the world” by asking your reference to write a letter from scratch. You can draft a letter for them to modify, which references the specific strengths of yours they’ve seen in action. Just be sure to not be too humble, in case that person simply signs the letter without changing anything. In this case (as in many others, in NYFA’s opinion), it’s ok to brag!

The Artist Bio and Project Description

Peers who know you and your writing can also help you curate your artist bio and offer perspective on what makes you unique. As Jahng Lee told NYFA in a Con Edison Immigrant Artist Program Newsletter interview, she was born stateless and denied citizenship. She found this embarrassing, but her fellow writers found it interesting and helped her connect her distinctive background to themes in her work.

A final surprising resource: the language used on the covers of books that are like your own. When writing a project description, which describes what you’re working on, you can reference the jackets of books that speak to the same themes you grapple with, for an idea of how to frame these parts of the application.

Right Here, Right Now: Create a Sense of Urgency

Even if this question is not asked specifically in the application, answer the question “Why now?” as well as why the particular opportunity for which you’re applying is crucial. If you’re making the case for why you need a residency, don’t just leave it at “because I need time to write.” Is the project you’re working on especially timely? Are you documenting a culture that feels endangered? Then spell that out.

Just Keep Swimming: Additional Resources

If the application process seems daunting, just remember that every writer has assets that can help them “get the yes,” from writing group peers to unique biographical details and spreadsheets. Ready to kickstart your application calendar? Check out our article, “Everything You Need to Know about Literary Submissions.” If you’ve never been published but want to apply for a residency or another opportunity, you might be encouraged to know that Jahng Lee was accepted into several residencies before being published.

Now writers, get those applications started!

To read more articles about creating and sustaining an artistic career across disciplines, visit NYFA’s Business of Art archive. Follow NYFA on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for updates on all of NYFA’s programs, including our Immigrant Artist Program.

- Mirielle Clifford, Program Associate, Online Resources

Images, from top: Jahng Lee and Camacho discussing spreadsheet use; participants discussing artist statements. Photo credit: Mirielle Clifford

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Coaches with #heart and #talent #bindercon speed coaching team! (en The Cooper Union)