The details are still hazy. But we know this: Google will be launchÂing a “colÂlabÂoÂraÂtive research proÂgram to explore the digÂiÂtal humanÂiÂties” using Google Books. ScholÂars will get up to $50,000 per year, and they’ll come from eight potenÂtial disÂciÂplines (archaeÂolÂoÂgy, hisÂtoÂry, anthroÂpolÂoÂgy, linÂguisÂtics, litÂerÂaÂture, clasÂsics, phiÂlosÂoÂphy & sociÂolÂoÂgy). And what’s the point of their research? EssenÂtialÂly to make Google’s online digÂiÂtal library more effecÂtive and friendÂly for researchers. Just last year, a promiÂnent acaÂdÂeÂmÂic called Google Books a “DisÂasÂter for ScholÂars” in a high proÂfile forum. The new grants should begin to address these conÂcerns in some meanÂingÂful ways. For more inforÂmaÂtion, head over to The ChronÂiÂcle of HighÂer EduÂcaÂtion, which has the full stoÂry.
Here’s a litÂtle nugget for you. The great invenÂtor Thomas EdiÂson visÂitÂed the home of Mark Twain in 1909, and capÂtured footage of “the father of AmerÂiÂcan litÂerÂaÂture” (says FaulknÂer) walkÂing around his estate and playÂing cards with his daughÂters, Clara and Jean. The film is silent and deteÂriÂoÂratÂed. But it’s apparÂentÂly the only known footage of the author who gave us HuckÂleÂberÂry Finn and Tom Sawyer. Twain would die the next year.
And if you like what we serve up, don’t miss us on TwitÂter on FaceÂbook. It’s any easy way to share culÂturÂal gems with famÂiÂly and friends.
A couÂple of days ago, we feaÂtured a video postÂed on PenÂguin’s YouTube ChanÂnel that used a smart video techÂnique to restore faith in the future of book pubÂlishÂing. A couÂple of our readÂers were quick to point out that the video’s creÂative eleÂment was highÂly simÂiÂlar to an award-winÂning video called “Lost GenÂerÂaÂtion”. (See above.) And yet there was no attriÂbuÂtion. A probÂlem? ParÂticÂuÂlarÂly for an entiÂty in the intelÂlecÂtuÂal property/copyright busiÂness?
UPDATE: Tonight, anothÂer readÂer tells us that “Lost GenÂerÂaÂtion” has its own oriÂgins in a 2006 adverÂtiseÂment for ArgenÂtinÂian presÂiÂdenÂtial canÂdiÂdate RicarÂdo Lopez MurÂphy called “The Truth.” Does this make this style of video a meme of sorts? A style that’s so out there that attriÂbuÂtion is not worth a bothÂer? PerÂhaps I’m holdÂing PenÂguin’s feet too close to the fire on this one. PerÂhaps (as, Maria, a blogÂger colÂleague menÂtions via email) this highÂlights a bigÂger probÂlem. Too much derivaÂtion. Not enough origÂiÂnal thinkÂing all around.
A quick heads up for book lovers: Goodreads is a large social netÂwork for readÂers, with over 3,000,000 memÂbers who review, recÂomÂmend and swap books. The site also feaÂtures “book-give-aways” for its memÂbers. This month you can enter to win a free copy of If You FolÂlow Me, a novÂel by MaleÂna Watrous, a talÂentÂed colÂleague of mine at StanÂford. About the book one reviewÂer said: It’s “the kind of book you finÂish and then clutch to your heart as you run around telling everyÂone you know that they have to read it.” The book is hitÂting the bookÂstore shelves today, and you can sign up to win a free copy until March 16.
Back in 1975, filmÂmakÂer Tom Schiller (only 20 years old at the time) made a short docÂuÂmenÂtary on the novÂelÂist HenÂry Miller (TropÂic of CanÂcer, TropÂic of CapriÂcorn). In the scene above, Miller, then 81 years old, remÂiÂnisces about his difÂfiÂcult earÂly life in New York, and it all takes place on the set used to shoot the movie HelÂlo, DolÂly!. Schiller’s comÂplete film, HenÂry Miller Asleep and Awake, can be watched for free on SnagÂfilms. (It’s also availÂable at AmaÂzon on DVD here.) The run time is 34 minÂutes. ExcelÂlent find by Mike.
More than 65,000 19th-cenÂtuÂry works of ficÂtion from the British Library’s colÂlecÂtion are to be made availÂable for free downÂloads by the pubÂlic from this spring.
OwnÂers of the AmaÂzon KinÂdle, an ebook readÂer device, will be able to view well known works by writÂers such as Charles DickÂens, Jane Austen and Thomas Hardy, as well as works by thouÂsands of less famous authors.
You can read the rest about this Microsoft fundÂed iniÂtiaÂtive here. In the meanÂtime, we’ve made it relÂaÂtiveÂly easy to downÂload major clasÂsics to your KinÂdle, iPhone, smartÂphone or comÂputÂer. See our colÂlecÂtion of Free eBooks (and Audio Books).
10.) Books with graphÂics. Many books conÂtain phoÂtos, graphÂics and diaÂgrams that the KinÂdle does not hanÂdle well, if at all. When peoÂple realÂize that the iPad will do this flawÂlessÂly, they’ll head in that direcÂtion. ExamÂple: while readÂing the new CarvÂer biogÂraÂphy on my KinÂdle, an expeÂriÂence that I loved, I had to miss out on all of the picÂtures colÂlectÂed from Carver’s life. Once you take into account newsÂpaÂpers and magÂaÂzines, there’s even more weight on iPad’s side.
9.) Cost: SeriÂousÂly, AmaÂzon realÂly overÂstepped their boundÂaries when they set Kindle’s price at around $300, as they did. If they had made it $100 or less, they would have probÂaÂbly have sold 4 or 5 times the numÂber of devices, hookÂing more readÂers to their bookÂstore and their device. Look at Gillette as an examÂple: which costs more—the razor or the razor blades?
8.) “I love my KinÂdle!” – less than two milÂlion peoÂple have bought the AmaÂzon prodÂuct. By comÂparÂiÂson, over forty milÂlion iPhones and iPod TouchÂes have been sold. No one knows how many folks will rush out to buy an iPad, but if preÂviÂous iPhone sales and the buzz around the iPad are any indiÂcaÂtion, this is going to be anothÂer big win for Apple.
7.) iPad is a KinÂdle: just use that free KinÂdle app on your iPad and you’ve got the whole KinÂdle store wide open to you. You can even take your whole KinÂdle library right over to Apple’s iPad with the KinÂdle App.
6.) Cost, again: with iPad comÂing in at a low $499 for a device that’s much betÂter made and feaÂtures much more capaÂbilÂiÂty than the KinÂdle, with at least four times the memÂoÂry… well, you get the picÂture. Oh jeez… I just found out the KinÂdle DX goes for $489. Oh, Mr. Bezos… what are you thinkÂing?
5.) CapaÂbilÂiÂty. PeoÂple don’t want a dedÂiÂcatÂed readÂing device: if you can carÂry around a device the size of your e‑reader, but also use it to check email, surf the web, watch TV and movies, lisÂten to music, use office-type apps, etc. then that’s going to win in today’s econÂoÂmy.
4.) Book pricÂing. It looks like Apple, the diaÂbolÂiÂcal pricers of all songs at $.99, might wind up being the pubÂlishÂers’ darÂling in the e‑book marÂket by pricÂing their titles highÂer than AmaÂzon has been. So far it looks like ibooks will be closÂer to the $14.99 price point that pubÂlishÂers like. Right now, as evinced by this past weekend’s squabÂble between AmaÂzon and MacmilÂlan, pubÂlishÂers appear to be fed up with Amazon’s pricÂing stratÂeÂgy. Apple may just become pubÂlishÂers’ white knight. (more…)
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