Imagination@Work

Starlings, Starlings, Everywhere

Steve Mirsky writes a humor column for Scientific American called Antigravity. His observations about life and science always brings a smile to my face. I know it seems an odd pairing--science and humor--but scientist can be a hoot. Few things are funnier than a recombinant DNA joke.

This month, Mirsky tells the feathery tale of the starling. That's right the bird. A couple of lines caught my attention and set my mind to pondering. Here's what he wrote:

"The Acclimatization society released some hundred starlings in New York City's Central Park in 1890 and 1891. By 1950 starlings could be found coast to coast, north past Hudson Bay and south into Mexico. Their North American numbers today top 200 million."

Wow, 200 million. All those birds from just 100 or so released a century before. Reproduction is a powerful thing. Perhaps, I should say "multiplication."

Mirsky's comment reminded that things can spread fast. In the book world, word-of-mouth remains the most powerful force in the publishing universe. The right word from the right person can take an unknown book and make it a bestseller. (Just ask Tom Clancy how much President Ronald Reagan's comment, "Who briefed this guy," aided the sales of Hunt for Red October.

Books also sell when ordinary people (is there such a thing as an ordinary person?) talk about what they've read. There are many stories about authors whose books hit the sales stratosphere because people began telling friends about it.

That's were we come in as readers. If a book is good, if it has touched us in some fashion, then why not tell others? Not for the author's sake but for the reader's. One of the simple joys in life is reading a fine book and saying to a friend, "Have you read . . .?" It makes a difference in the lives of authors, editors, publishers, but most of all readers.

So what have you read lately that you want to crow about (notice the subtle way I introduce another bird into this starling story). Let us know.

Alton Gansky

Sipping from a Tsunami

“The blog site has flat lined.”

“Paddles! Clear!”

Nothing.

“Um, someone want to plug this thing in?”

“Try it now.”

“Clear.” Zzzzt.

“It didn’t work.”

“Trying again. Clear.”

Zzztffft.

Beep, beep, beep.

It’s been awhile (okay, way too long) since I’ve posted. Between conferences, deadlines, and a terminal case of confusion, I haven’t made time to post. In fact, I’ve come within an inch of shutting the whole thing down, but chickened out. I think I’d miss it.

So, I’m giving it another shot. It’s like starting over. There might be one or two readers out there who remember this thing. Hopefully a few more will come back.

SOME NEWS: I’m the new director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. The founder, Yvonne Lehman, has passed the mantle to moi after a very successful 25 year run. I’m thrilled with the honor and the opportunity to help new writers sail the uncertain waters of publishing.

I’ve just returned from the conference where I had the pleasure of sharing the mountain with about 480 other writers and faculty. I went as a teacher and came back director and there is a ton of material for me to learn. It’s like sipping from a tsunami.

The BRMCWC has its own blog (which I run, so I have been blogging, just not here). Come by and say howdy. www.brmcwc.com.