31 March 2010

Kitchen Project: 1 resume + 1 muffin tin= an experiment gone horribly right!

After months of receiving e-mails like this one,
 
[my problem]

kindly suggesting that I pay a small, small fee of $359.10 (OR $64.80 over 6 months) so that I might arm myself with a professionally written resume. Long story short, I was sick and tired of it. $350! $350?! Last month, I found tickets to Iceland for that price. I did need to revamp my resume, though. I needed a few extra sets of eyes.

Enter: tumblr.

[my plea]

I typed up a quick post on my personal tumblr, asking anyone and everyone to take a look at my resume. I promised baked goods in exchange for sage advice and a click of the "track changes" button.

I expected a few e-mails to trickle in over the next few days. What happened, however, was slightly different. I received over 50 e-mails within a few short hours. (!) Clearly I didn't send out 50+ packages, even with my post office hook up (I'm excellent friends with Shayla, the AM desk clerk at my branch) sending sugar all over the country adds up quickly.

My point being, ask and you shall receive. We live in an age of excess, you know that. Trying to put a measurement on content is just too difficult but the good news is that putting a measurement on goodwill is equally as difficult. 

PS: I ended up making

29 March 2010

"Publishing books to make money...

...is a little like hanging out in a singles bar if you want to get married.
It might work, but there are way better ways to accomplish your goal.
If you love writing or making music or blogging or any sort of performing art, then do it. Do it with everything you've got. Just don't plan on using it as a shortcut to making a living.
The only people who should plan on making money from writing a book are people who made money on their last book. Everyone else should either be in it for passion, trust, referrals, speaking, consulting, change-making, tenure, connections or joy."

--Seth Godin

24 March 2010


If you peek over to the left you'll see  that I keep my reading list under the headline "nightstand frosting". I tend to read for multiple purposes. Let me give you an example, this week, for instance-- Here Comes Everybody for the job search, The Conscious Cook for my stomach, and Juliet, Naked for the Nick Horby-loving girl that I am.

Just a few updates, however:

1.) Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations by Clay Shirky (Penguin): I picked this up after reading through the Online Marketing Syllabus posted at Chapman/Chapman. So far so great. This read is applicable, interesting, and and insightful.

2.) The Conscious Cook: Delicious Meatless Recipes That Will Change the Way You Eat by Tal Ronnen (William Morrow Cookbooks): From what I read, Tal Ronnen is the vegan chef and after skimming through this, it seems as though Mr. Ronnen might just be able to cook even the most meat-loving of chefs right under the stove. This book includes recipes, profiles of foodies, and Tal's personal picks for vegetables, grains, and superfoods.

3.) Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby (Riverhead Hardcover): I cannot tell a lie, I'm six pages into this sucker. I started it late last night and promptly fell asleep. I'll report back shortly.

Social Media, Demystified: Prof. Sree Sreenivasen on linking, tweeting, and earning attention


Sree Sreenivasan, workshop for NBCC membership, 2010 from Sonnet Media on Vimeo.

I've become quite the little videohead. For ages I would save up my podcasts and listen to them while running, but recently I've taken to adding a little visual fun to my morning treadmill dates. This particular AM, I watched Prof. Sree Sreenivasen, Dean of Student Affairs at Columbia Journalism School (among other things), give a talk on social media at an NBCC membership meeting. It was worth the time, but if you're particularly low on time, here are some of the great points:

*Be a good pointer! Sreenivasen advises that to be successful in social media we must become "pointers". Quite often, we take on social media from a broadcast perspective, generating loads of content, and this is not nearly as important as listening and pointing (read: conducting scans and linking).
*Remember we have the attention span of a gnat. Sreenivasen joins Les Hinton in predicting that the scarcest resource of the 21st century will be human attention span. I agree.
*How to avoid becoming a social media slave. The lure of twitter is that it is e-mail without the guilt. If you miss a few tweets, so what?! Sreenivasen points out that anything with real importance is bound to bubble up again at some point.
*Twitter Tools 101. What to use and how. Sreenivasen suggests: Twiangulate, Hoot Suite, and Twittersheep.

Hope you enjoy. Oh, and happy hump day!

15 March 2010

"And editors, too, can no longer view their red pencils as the only tool in the kit. They must start thinking of manuscripts or proposals as intellectual property, a kernel of an idea that could be launched into multiple formats. Publishers should stop emulating the old music industry and start picturing themselves as movie studios and books as film development. Max Perkins, meet David Selznick."

-- Peter Miller for Jacket Copy "At SXSWi: A panel on the future of publishing"

Lots Before 5: What I've Been Reading

Sorry for the pause in blogging. I'm in the middle of a week-long nanny gig (including nights).
Keywords for context: gummy vitamins, Silly Bandz, iCarly, Junie B. (Jones, that is), pancakes with sprinkles, pink toothpaste, homemade cinnabuns, conga lines around the kitchen and pony rides around the living room, bus stop meltdowns, 6am wake-up calls and total exhaustion by 7pm. 
Tell me you're not green with envy...

Here's what I've been reading:
And with that, I leave you, as I'm on girl scout duty this evening and need to plan...please don't think I'm kidding. 

Later loves,
The Nanny

    10 March 2010

    5 Before 5: YA for A, marginal musings, and crafty book tours

    1. "Young adult lit comes of age" (via Jacket Copy) Adults are crushing on YA. Check out responses from Bookninja and Bookshleves of Doom
    2. "David Foster Wallace In the Margins" (via eBookNewser)
    3. "DIY Touring" (via Bookninja)
    4. "Social Media in Corporations- The pros and cons of an organizational model" (via PR Squared)
    5. "The Tournament of Books Launches" (via Jacket Copy) Loads more bloggage about this...too much to link!

    09 March 2010

    5 Before 5: Peanut butter, media overload, and acceptable mooching

    The baristas at Starby's must had added a little something extra to my morning coffee because throughout the day I have found myself to be overly enthusiastic about... well, everything--including the blog posts that landed in my reader/tweet deck. Of course, the more likely reality is that I am, in fact, surrounded by insightful Bloginis with lots to share. Which is it? Please take a look at let me know, will you?
    1. "The weird and wacky in publishing (Your Questions Continued)" (via Editorial Ass) Hilarious blogger ends up in hilarious (and somewhat horrifying) book-related pickles.
    2. "Are You the Peanut Butter" (via The 26th Story) Brad Inman claims that "getting things done in publishing is like trying to swim through a jar of peanut butter." Here are 10 warning signs that you are the peanut butter.
    3. "Is your reading suffering from multimedia overload?" (via Guardian) 
    4. "Mooch with me" (via Book Bench) Profile of a terribly awesome bookswap site called BookMooch.com
    5. "Old Media Monday: Reviewing the Reviewers" (via Omnivoracious)
    And a few extra from the archives:

    Fortune Mag: "The Future of Reading" (aka: my treadmill accessory of sorts)

    This tender, green, old-media sprout began to bloom in a curious way, however. Each month Clem was excited when Vogue arrived. She'd rip into the issue and scamper up the stairs to her chambre à coucher, with enough enthusiasm to do Anna Wintour proud. But after digesting each issue, Clem would reappear with it hours later -- only now a zillion Post-its jutted from its pages, stegosaurus-like. 
    Over time, one by one, those stegosauri began to stack up, spines out, in her closet. One day I decided to take a peek at the dinosaur graveyard to see what my daughter was tagging so furiously. It turned out that she was trying to annotate each issue, sorting the material by outfits, accessories, footwear, and other categories for later reference. I noticed that the more issues she tagged, the more frustrated she became. This was a lot of work. So why was she doing it? 
    "Don't you get it?" my wife observed. "She's trying to turn the magazine into a computer." 
    Et voilà! Of course she was."
    -Josh Quittner "The Future of Reading" Fortune Mag, Vol. 161 #3

    This magazine has been resting on my bedside, unread, for an unforgivably long period of time. I dusted off the cover and schlepped it to the gym this morning entertaining hopes that it might make the treadmill a bit more bearable. While the dreadmill may have dashed my hopes, the article was worth the once over. It's a great article that provides an outline of how the physical act of reading is transforming before our very eyes. After the outline you'll find interviews (in the print version) conducted by Beth Kowitt. Interviewees include: Kurt Anderson, Katharine Weymouth, Jimmy Wales, Steven Brill, and Marc Andreessen

    08 March 2010

    What I'm Reading: The AM Ed.

    Hello there, Monday. Back so soon?

    07 March 2010

    Kitchen Project #12: Caramel Apple-Spice Cupcakes with Caramel-Penuche Frosting

    So, as I mentioned in this post that I have fallen in love with this book; you should consider these cupcakes the physical manfestation of that love.

    First things first, this project is an absolutely perfect example of how vegan baking can be just as lucious (and caloric) as regular baking. Second things second, this project is an aboslutely perfect example of how vegan baking can be just as easy and affordable as regular baking.

     
    {Only out of ordinary ingreds: almond milk and earth balance}


     
    {After the frosting, the caramelized apples make these cupcakes. Oozy goodness.}


     
    {The finished product.}

    {Up close and delectably personal.}

    Gracias, Veganomicon... you are pure genius.

    05 March 2010

    What I'm Reading: The AM Ed.

       HAPPY WEEKEND, BEANS!

      03 March 2010

      Kitchen Project: V is for Vegan

      I'm two weeks in on "Project Vegan" and I could not be happier with my decision to start this experiment. I initially decided to embark on 40 days and 40 nights without dairy and meat in an effort to refocus my diet. I'm not a terribly unhealthy person, but when I visit the grocery store I seem to check off eggs, milk, and cheese within the first five minutes. Why? After reading bits from Bittman, Pollan, and Schlosser, I began to wonder, could I do it? Could I make delicious food sans cheese? Could I bake without bright yellow yolks? Could I eat organically without going brizzoke? The answer? A resounding yes!

      I approached this project as I do any other: with a library card and gusto. I'm a big time research kid (blame it on the liberal arts undergrad) and I believe that what's good for term papers is often good for big kid research. Listed below are five of my favorites thus far.

      The best part about these books is that they are not just "vegan good" they're "good good" (which I'm discovering is the deal with most vegan food). Even if after the close of Project Veg.,  I decide to enjoy a steak once in a while, each of these titles has a permanent spot in my kitchen. They rock.


      1.) The Bible:
       The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes for a Delicious Revolution by Alice Waters (Clarkson Potter)

      Buy it. Learn it. Live it. Love it. Alice Waters is the queen and and this is her book. This book is not vegan-specific, but instead lays the foundation for eating simply, ethically, and with the use of each and every taste bud. Waters suggests "Delicious Revolution" principles (there are nine) and then claims they can: "reconnect our families and communities with the most basic human values, provide the deepest delight for our senses, and assure our well-being for a lifetime." I believe her.

      See also: Chez Panisse VegetablesChez Panisse Fruits

      2.) Vegan Eating 101:
      Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero (Da Capo Press)

      Never before has the term "ultimate" been more appropriately used. I was introduced to Isa and Terry during a freelance project. A friend found out that I was working as a ghost tweeter for a Vegan Bakery, and handed me a copy of Vegan Cupcakes with a post-it directing me to, "READ IT AND WEEP EAT!" The famous vegan duo has done it again. Veganomics provides pantry staples, prep techniques, and words to the wise, all in style that is unique and entertaining. Check all wackadoo (hat tip, Kelly Cutrone) ingredients at the door, this book is vegan cooking, plain and simple.

      See also: Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule
      Please try: Black bean burgers, Blueberry corn pancakes, Chewy oatmeal cookies, and Apple peanut butter caramel bars

      3.) The Seasonal One:
      Clean Food: A Seasonal Guide for Eating Close to the Source with More Than 200 Recipes for a Healthy and Sustainable You by Terry Walters (Sterling Epicure)

      I'll admit it, I heard the buzz about this book and decided I liked it weeks before actually purchasing a copy. Thankfully, the book lives up to the buzz. The recipes are divided into seasons and each ingredient list is healthy and whole. Walters steers away from sugar and excessive oil, making it easy peasy to take her up on each dish.

      Please try: The Spicy coconut pumpkin soup and the Tofu kale lasagna (really!)

      4.) For a little sooooul:
      Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine by Bryant Terry (Da Capo Press)

      I can't find the right words to describe this book. Delicious? Glorious? Drool-inducing? Bryant gives flow and that "really, really awesome factor" to food activism and with a suggested soundtrack to accompany every dish and his blessing to "remix" any of his recipes, you're sure to find a little soul hiding right in your very own kitchen.

      See also: Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen
      Please try: Cajun-Creole-Spiced Tempeh Pieces with Creamy Grits and Black-Eyed Pea Fritters with Hot Pepper Sauce

      5.) The One for Beginners:
      The Complete Vegan Kitchen: An Introduction to Vegan Cooking with More Than 300 Delicious Recipes from Easy to Elegant by Jannequin Bennett (Thomas Nelson)

      Newbie, meet vegan eating. Vegan eating, meet newbie. This was the first "vegan" title to appear on my library account and I believe that was a very good thing. This book is highly organized with an approachable grouping of recipes that even my cheese-loving heart fell for instantly.

      See also: Very Vegetarian
      Please try: The Pumpkin Bread

      Obviously I am only two weeks into this, my "favorites" list will probably grow by leaps and bounds. Stay tuned!

      02 March 2010

      5 Before 5: Seitan, Classic Covers, and Rules

      From: Me
      To: You

      Happy Tuesday!
      1. "Publisher's concerns halt Hiroshima book" (via Boston Globe Books) Controversy and doubt led Henry Holt to drop Pellegrino's "The Last Train From Hiroshima." 
      2. "Barry, Hannah 1942-2010" (via Omnivoracious) Great reference to this profile written by Wells Tower
      3. "Lunch with FT: Jonathan Safran Foer" (via FT) Talk of fork pointing and Whole Foods browsing. Check it out. 
      4. "Penguin Classics team up with (RED) for typographic covers" (via Creative Review)
      5. "Lynn Coady's rules for writing" (via Bookninja)

      01 March 2010

      5 Before 5: Gatekeepers, TOC, and Totes

      It's Monday and I'm so sorry about that. There is hope, however, because it's also March. On my run this morning I couldn't quite put my finger on what felt different...same road, same shoes, same tunes, and yet still, something was not right. Just as I bounded into mile 3 I realized that it smelled like spring.

      It smells like spring.

      Enjoy the linkage. I promise kitchen projects later on in the day.
      1. "Math of Publishing Meets the E-Book" (via NYT Media & Advertising)
      2. "Art Spiegelman to Judge Strand Bookstore Contest" (via GalleyCat)
      3. "iPad and the Publishing Conundrum" (via More Intelligent Life)
      4. "Publishing will always needs its gatekeepers" (via Guardian Book)
      5. "Take-Aways From Tools of Change 2010" (via 26th Story) At least make sure to check out the "quick and dirty" observations near the bottom. Good stuff. 
       
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