Feature Post
New contact info / call for submissions
Sometime during the middle part of June the Netfirms e-mail account I had been using for Branta business first swallowed all but a handful of letters then followed that trick up by kicking me out completely. So I apologize if you sent in queries or submissions or anything over that last couple of months, but that stuff appears to be in the world wide dead letter office of the web.
More» Editor's Picks
The conventional axiom is that Gutenberg and movable type were the point at which books and technology began to merge - but I’m now reminded that this isn’t true. The technologies of reading and publishing have entwined and evolved since writing was first invented - often in response to the available resources and the cultural pressures in play as societies have changed.
Sheila Bounford/Off the Page
The following are suggestions for the best magazine articles (in English) ever. Works are arranged in chronological order. Stars denote how many times a correspondent has suggested it. Reader notes are in italics. This is a work in progress. It is a on-going list of suggestions collectively made by readers of this post. At this point the list has not been vetted or selected by me. It is woefully incomplete. You may notice that your favorite author or piece is missing. This is easy to fix.
Kevin Kelly/Cool Tools
“Literature has the unique power to distinguish us as a culture and as a people. It helps us understand what it means to be human. In Dublin, the city has been defined by its writers, and continues to be remade and discovered through their words,” Arts Council director Mary Cloake said.
Steven Carroll/Irish Times
Branta Recommends
Kickstartup: Where is Publishing Heading?»Contemporary publishing is engulfed by a forest of question marks. What defines a beautiful book? Is it printed or digital? How much does it take (time, money, energy) to produce? How do you get it to your audience? There are so many questions because there are presently so many available options. Advancements in affordability of printing, promotion and distribution has significantly lowered the barrier to entry for would-be publishers.
Craig Mod/Kickstartup
Happenings
Boring Article Contest»Years ago, at another publication, I held a contest among our readers to identify the most boring headline published in a newspaper. There were many excellent submissions, but none beat the headline that had inspired the contest. It was over a New York Times column by Flora Lewis—the Tom Friedman of her day—and it was three simple words: “Worthwhile Canadian Initiative.” To this day, I think, it has not been topped.
Michael Kinsley/The Atlantic Wire
