Wed 1 Jul 2009
Long Time No See
By
Yesterday I stumbled across my life’s work. It took the form of a spattering of magazine contributions, piled high in the dusty belly of a Soho thrift store, 25 pence an issue.
There amongst the musty clothes, yellowed comics and cracked DVD casings I read my old words, partially unfamiliar and somehow estranged, like photographs of your parents taken before you were born.
I thought they were worth more at the time.
At least they still exist, I guess, even as dog-eared relics. No such honour for tomorrow’s writers, whose children snuff out with a thoughtless flick of a server’s off-switch.
Publishers may be in the business of turning passion into profit, but time’s transformations are far crueller, I think.
July 5th, 2009 at 5:25 am
[...] chewing pixels » Long Time No See [...]
July 6th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
I’m actually facinated by reading old pieces – especially anything non-review based – but actually finding the material is between difficult (if you’re in the right territory, have the cash, and know the right place to buy things – I don’t personally have the cash aspect) and impossible (wrong region, items being too out of print).
I wish there were more publishers putting old editions of their magazine online, or having old magazines entirely scanned. Libraries simply don’t keep every magazine produced, I think historical research will become a bit limited in the future if you don’t own a wide range of magazines.
Perhaps a solution will be found within the NVA which might host a library collection, who knows…it’s something worth thinking of, and certainly if you’re a writer, keeping an original and edited copy of the printed words is a much easier way to get them available to people who would, in fact, want to read them now, 5 years time, 50 years time…or whenever!
No way to monetise it though, rather a niche I guess.
November 6th, 2009 at 3:11 am
[...] chewing pixels » Long Time No See [...]