‘Star Wars,’ And The Force It Awakened In Me
“Star Wars” and its sequels were touchstones, mind-bending fantasy movie experiences into which I poured my longings for escape, creativity and adventure. Read the rest of the essay here.
Apparently this is what I look like when I'm talking about Star Wars
I was on WGBH's Greater Boston to talk about The Force Awakens. Apparently this is what I look like when I'm talking about Star Wars. Watch the full video here.
Star Wars Means Different Things to Different Generation
In four decades and over six movies, “Star Wars” has infused our culture like a Force unto itself. Devotees view George Lucas’s universe of lightsaber duels, spaceship dogfights, and father-son conflicts as holy writ. Even casual fans are counting down to the release of the long-awaited Episode VII, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” on Friday.
But what “Star Wars” means to its admirers, and the expectations they bring to the new installment, depends not just on personal taste but on how old they were when they initially encountered the epic science-fiction saga — and on where, for them, the story began.
Read the rest of my story over at the Boston Globe.
Computer games can save your life
All part of the NYTBR's coverage of nerdy/comics/gaming books.
See the Sketches J.R.R. Tolkien Used to Build Middle-Earth
Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings but he also drew it:
The many maps and sketches he made while drafting The Lord of the Rings informed his storytelling, allowing him to test narrative ideas and illustrate scenes he needed to capture in words. For Tolkien, the art of writing and the art of drawing were inextricably intertwined.
In the book The Art of The Lord of the Rings, we see how, and why.
My sneak peek of his sketches for Wired.com
A Conversation about Conversation with Sherry Turkle
An interview I did with Sherry Turkle for the Boston Globe, about the demise of conversation in the digital age:
Turkle, 67, professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a prolific author, wants to have a conversation. About conversation — and why so few people seem interested in having, or are able to have, that face-to-face anymore.
The crisis of conversation is at the heart of Turkle’s new book, “Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age.” With it, she hopes to spark a discussion about what we lose when we settle for fleeting texts, sound bites, and status updates, instead of pursuing meaningful, nuanced human connection.
“I had a question. All these people were saying, I’d rather text than talk,” says Turkle. “What happens if in business, in education, in romance, and child-rearing, you text rather than talk?”
With Boda Borg, Reality Gaming Comes to Boston
Is Boston ready for the "Maze of Craziness"? I explore the reality-gaming center Boda Borg Boston for The Boston Globe.
Boda Borg Boston is a place where completing “quests” isn’t the only challenge.
One is explaining what goes on there. Recently, a reporter was given a sneak peek of the new facility, which opens its doors Saturday in the building that once housed Sparks department store, a downtown Malden landmark. To bring this “reality gaming” center to the Boston area, Ellis spent close to $4 million renovating the 30,000-square-foot space. Inside, there’s a sleek reception area, a taco restaurant that seats 150, and space upstairs for corporate retreats and birthday parties. But downstairs is the heart of Boda Borg, what Ellis calls “the maze of craziness”: a warren of black-painted hallways leading to 16 real-time,live-action puzzles, or what the company calls “quests.” They await teams of three to five players, who must figure each one out.
Boda Borg is no Dungeons & Dragons fantasy game, nor is it a haunted house with ghouls. Still, guests should bring a sense of adventure and be prepared for befuddlement. Being stumped by any quest on the first attempt — or 21st — is expected.
Why Facebook's Proposed "Dislike" Button Is a Bad Idea
Facebook may finally be getting a button that lets you quickly express something beyond a “like.” In this commentary for WBUR's Cognoscneti, I say "Thumbs Down On Facebook’s ‘Dislike’ Button," and propose something else entirely.
Follow my insane itinerary?
Hey Boston travel fans: I dare you to do all this in Boston in a mere 36 Hours. Here's my insane itinerary for the New York Times Travel section "36 Hours in ..." series.
The Day My Mother Became a Stranger
In the May issue of Boston Magazine, I write about my mother Sara Gilsdorf. After her sudden aneurysm, she was transformed. Almost 37 years later, I search for answers. Read the story here.
Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks Released in Brazil as "Tudo que um Geek deve saber"
I'm thrilled to announce that my book Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks is available in Brazil as Tudo que um Geek deve saber (All a geek should know). Read a sample chapter, in Brazilian Portuguese, here. And it looks like you can order it online here. (Someone, help me with the translation.) Thanks to Novo Conceito for publishing the book. Obrigado!
Head-Banging, Dice-Rolling, and Summoning Demons: A Talk About
I'm excited to be part of this three-way reading/discussion with my nerdy pals Peter Bebergal and Chris Robichaud. Hope you can make it. It's on Tues Nov 25, Pandemonium Books and Games, in Cambridge.
A Discussion/Author Signing
Tues Nov 25, 2014, 7:00 pm
Pandemonium Books and Games
4 Pleasant St, Cambridge, Mass.
More info:pandemoniumbooks.com
How does Led Zeppelin connect to Gary Gygax? Can rock and roll be a religion? Is the Dungeon Master's guide a holy text? Other than that weird kid who taught you how to play D&D in middle school, is anyone actually chaotic evil? Join three writers and gamers -- Christopher Robichaud (hks.harvard.edu/about/faculty-staff-directory/christopher-robichaud), editor of Dungeons and Dragons and Philosophy; Peter Bebergal (mysterytheater.blogspot.com), author of Season of the Witch: How the Occult Saved Rock and Roll; and Ethan Gilsdorf (ethangilsdorf.com) author of Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks -- for a free-ranging discussion about rock, D&D, the occult, philosophy, dungeonmastery, morality, soul craft, and spiritually. We'll probably talk about the Satan Panic of the 1980s, too, and try to decode that mysterious art on Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy. Followed by a Q&A and book signing with the authors.
Pilgrim for a Day
I'm going to be a Pilgrim for a Day! On Mon June 16, noon-1, join me and deputy director of Plimoth Plantation Richard Pickering, for a Google Hangout live-cast and witness my transformation into 17th-Century Pilgrim, Stephen Deane.
I'm going to be a Pilgrim for a Day! On Mon June 16, noon-1, join me and deputy director of Plimoth Plantation Richard Pickering, for a Google Hangout live-cast and witness my transformation into 17th-Century Pilgrim, Stephen Deane. Watch me struggle with a period dialect and ill-fitting shoes in preparation for my live role-play experience on site at Plimoth on June 21. It's all for Boston Gloibe story I'm writing.
Settle your colonial-role-playing curiosity and ask us questions in this rare opportunity to look behind the scenes at Plimoth Plantation’s role players!
More info on how to participate here http://www.plimoth.org/pilgrimforaday
June/July classes at Grub Street
Here is the current schedule of adult writing workskops and seminars I'm offering at Grub Street (in Boston) this summer. These are open the public and do not require enrollment in a degree program.
Some of these are part of my Freelance Essentials Series, which teaches students the skills and craft to become working freelance journalists Details and registration information here.
Hope to see you in the classroom!
Freelance Essentials: Navigating the Freelancer's Market in Boston
4 Wednesdays from 6:00-9:00pm, starting June 4th
Freelance Essentials: The Ethics, Practice and Business of the Freelance Life
Tuesday, June 10th, 6:00-9:00pm
Kickstart Your Writing Mojo with A Random Exercise
Friday, June 20th, from 10:00am-5:00pm
Freelance Essentials: Writing Commentaries, Op-eds & Personal Essays for Publication
6 Tuesdays from 10:30am-1:30pm, starting June 24th
Workshop That Pitch Letter!
Friday, June 27th, 10:00am-5:00pm
Freelance Essentials: Gonzo, Stunt and Immersion Writing Boot Camp
Saturday, June 28th, 10:00am-5:00pm
Freelance Essentials: Freelance Writing 101
Saturday, July 12th, 10:00am-5:00pm
More details and registration info here.
200 People Singing Happy 40th Birthday Dungeons & Dragons
D&D turned 40 this year. To honor that, at PAX East 2014 (in Boston), I was part of a panel called "Why D&D Is Still Awesome: A 40th Anniversary Dungeons & Dragons Tribute."
But that didn't seem enough. I tried (and failed) to make a giant 40-sided die birthday cake. Instead, I lead the 200+ person crowd in a rousing "Happy Birthday to Dungeons & Dragons" singalong.
With David Ewalt, author of Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and The People Who Play It and and Jon Peterson, author of Playing at the World: A History of Simulating Wars, People and Fantastic Adventures, from Chess to Role-Playing Games.
Help, My Computer Is Turning Me Into A Robot
The first three months of 2014 have given us three momentous milestones in technology. There was the 30th anniversary of the Macintosh personal computer back in January. Then came the 10th birthday of Facebook in February. March celebrated 25 years since the beginning of the World Wide Web.
These technologies have made us more connected, more adept, more independent and more informed. Seemingly overnight, they’ve become irreplaceable tools for the workplace and for leisure, allowing us to do things we’d previously never dreamed possible: send messages at the blink of an eye, search vast databases from our homes and offices, and store vast amounts of information. Computers, social media and the Web have unleashed a powerful, creative DIY force. We are now our own secretaries, publishers and number-crunchers. We are indeed powerful.
But to what end?
Much has been written about technology’s downside. Largely, that critique centers on its de-socializing effects. The Internet and our smart devices distract us, and addict us. They tempt us to not “be present” in real world space. I often feel these things to be true. But my take on the dehumanizing aspects of digital technology is somewhat different.
My fear is this: Has my trusty and seemingly innocuous MacBook Air made me more robot-like? Have our computers turned us into them?
Dune is in Your Head
If you've ever seen the 1984 David Lynch film version of Dune, or the three-part TV mini-series from 2000, you know that both adaptations of Frank Herbert's classic sci-fi novel left plenty of his world on the cutting room floor --- and left something to be desired.
If you've ever seen the 1984 David Lynch film version of Dune, or the three-part TV mini-series from 2000, you know that both adaptations of Frank Herbert's classic sci-fi novel left plenty of his world on the cutting room floor --- and left something to be desired.
But what if there was one version of Dune that would have blown the minds of critics before they had a chance to grumble?
In this story for BoingBoing, "Dune is in Your Head: The mirage of Jodorowsky’s Unfilmed Epic," I delve into the history of director Alejandro Jodorowsky's version of Dune, the one that was never made, and the one now captured in a terrific documentary called Jodorowsky's Dune.
Below, a couple of the production stills from the never realized film.
Concept art by Swiss artist H.R. Giger. All photos courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
Storyboard of Dune, art by Jean Giraud, aka French comic book artist Moebius(Photo: David Cavallo) All photos courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
Hollywood, ditch the childhood nostalgia trip
I had a piece in USA Today today about Hollywood and Madison Avenue resurrecting dead franchises from the hoary childhoods of Gen Xers.
I had a piece in USA Today today, about Hollywood and Madison Avenue resurrecting dead franchises --- Battleship, Transformers, Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, GI Joe, The Lego Movie, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, Muppets Most Wanted, Peanuts -- from the hoary childhoods of Gen Xers. Yes, the movies have been busy trolling the deep sea waters of our collective nostalgia for childhood media. Seeking the next franchise, they dredge up another toy or TV show to see whether new life can be breathed into it for another generation's pleasure.
How about some edgier Muppet movies?
A post about possible alternative Muppet movies, from “The Muppets’ Rings of the Lord” and “The Muppets’ End of the World” to “The Muppets Go Psycho” and “The Muppets Greatest Story Ever Told.” You might have better ideas.
I enjoyed putting together this post about possible alternative Muppet movies, from “The Muppets’ Rings of the Lord” and “The Muppets’ End of the World” to “The Muppets Go Psycho” and “The Muppets Greatest Story Ever Told.” You might have better ideas.
... what if these puppets explored other Hollywood tropes and genres—more risky ones at that? There’s some slim precedent for this frog’s leap into more adult themes: The Muppets took on the Seven Deadly Sins and other more prurient themes in a weird 1975 TV special called “The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence.”
Read the rest on WBUR's The ARTery