Like any other right we exercise, technology is no different. Our right to do something is balanced by our innate responsibility. Meaning: just because you can do something, should you do it? What are the ramifications? What is the legal perspective?
In recent weeks, technology has been used in an unscrupulous fashion. From images to videos, prominent figures in society are being defamed for clickbait. Clickbait is emotional advertisements that invoke a strong reaction like anger, hate, surprise, shock, and even curiosity. If you feel impassioned by a headline and its imagery, then it is best to steer clear of that link. This manipulation is milking the public for money without adding anything positive to culture.
Let’s say that you are an actor or musician in the public eye. Your identity is your source of notoriety and income. The public buys your products because they enjoy your style, image, and music or movies. The actor or musician also has contracts with production companies, record labels, agents, and others in their industry that bank on that specific style, image, and product. Many contracts have legal clauses, which prohibit any deviation from the artist’s public persona, as well as morality terms. A public figure has a vested interest in keeping the status quo.
If someone creates an Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) image of an inappropriate nature, then the creator of said image has defamed you. Imagine that you are a young, female popstar with an innocent, wholesome image, but someone creates an A.I. representation of you as a blood-soaked, slut, then the generator of said image has defamed you as an artist. The same goes with male actors, who are purported to say or do something on video that is not them.
The term “defamation” means any action or other proceeding for defamation, libel, slander, or similar claim alleging that forms of speech are false, have caused damage to reputation or emotional distress, have presented any person in a false light, or have resulted in criticism, dishonor, or condemnation of any person.
The First Amendment protects speech and freedom of expression, but not defamation, be it libel or slander. A public figure owns their appearance and likeness, public image, and other copyright and trademark rights. The First Amendment states:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
If you would like to state unfavorable political, religious, social, or other views, then your right to say or write them is protected speech. Hate speech, which this fascistic phrase is not a legal term, is covered by the Bill of Rights. The right to speak, even to be silent (Miranda Rights), are both covered by the First Amendment. Comedy, as well as parody (Spaceballs) and criticism of another’s works (Book & Movie Reviews), are preserved as a right.
Nevertheless, the First Amendment does not cover every facet of speech or expression. For instance, freedom of speech does not grant someone the right to shout fire in a crowded theater, or threaten the health and safety of other people (fighting words). Pornographic materials created with minors is unprotected speech and expression (child pornography). Reckless disregard for facts and truth about a public figure is considered defamation (malice). Other actions unshielded by the First Amendment include: obscenity, perjury, blackmail, incitement (to be lawless), solicitation (to commit a crime), fraud, and plagiarism.
In the age of technology, users must understand and navigate the legal framework of their rights, including speech and expression. What does the creative community do in an ever-changing landscape of expressive and innovative technology? First, read the law. Next, research case law. Both of these legal avenues will help creators create with peace of mind.
Copyright in the United States as a general rule is the death of the artist, actor, musician, et al., plus seventy years. If you would like to delve into the entirety of the law, visit the U.S. Copyright Office: www.copyright.gov/title17.
Besides laws to govern new technology, the best way to balance rights and responsibilities is to ask yourself: would I like someone doing that to me, my works, or my copyright/trademark? If the answer is no, then you have found the legal threshold.
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DL Mullan holds a Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning with Technology.
Her lecture, Spacescapes: Where Photography Ends; Imagination Begins, debuted at the Phoenix Astronomy Society, which then led to her Sally Ride Festival lecture invitations. Her presentation, Bridging the Gap between Technology and Women, won her accolades at a community college’s Student Success Conference. She has been a panelist at speculative fiction, science fiction, and other regional conventions. Her digital exhibition pieces have won awards at convention art shows, as well as garnered her Second Premium at the Arizona State Fair. Currently, Ms. Mullan’s artistic renditions are seen on book covers, blog sites, video presentations, and various merchandise. As an independent publisher, she uses her technical background to innovate the creative arts.
As a writer, DL Mullan loves to stretch her imagination and the elasticity of genres. She writes complex multi-genre stories in digestible and entertaining forms, be it poetry, short fiction, or novels. Her science, history, mythology, and paranormal research backgrounds are woven into her writings, especially in Undawnted’s Legacy Universe. Ms. Mullan’s creative endeavors are available in digital and print collections, from academia to commercial anthologies. She is also an award-winning poet.
Be sure to subscribe to her newsletters and follow her on social media. For further information, visit her at www.undawnted.com and www.undawntech.top.
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Arthur Rosch is a novelist, musician, photographer and poet. His works are funny, memorable and often compelling. One reviewer said “He’s wicked and feisty, but when he gets you by the guts, he never lets go.” Listeners to his music have compared him to Frank Zappa, Tom Waits, Randy Newman or Mose Allison. These comparisons are flattering but deceptive. Rosch is a stylist, a complete original. His material ranges from sly wit to gripping political commentary.
Arthur was born in the heart of Illinois and grew up in the western suburbs of St. Louis. In his teens he discovered his creative potential while hoping to please a girl. Though she left the scene, Arthur’s creativity stayed behind. In his early twenties he moved to San Francisco and took part in the thriving arts scene. His first literary sale was to Playboy Magazine. The piece went on to receive Playboy’s “Best Story of the Year” award. Arthur also has writing credits in Exquisite Corpse, Shutterbug, eDigital, and Cat Fancy Magazine. He has written five novels, a memoir and a large collection of poetry. His autobiographical novel, Confessions Of An Honest Man won the Honorable Mention award from Writer’s Digest in 2016.
Want to be sure not to miss any of Arthur’s “Mind Fields” segments? Subscribe to Writing to be Read for e-mail notifications whenever new content is posted or follow WtbR on WordPress. If you find it interesting or just entertaining, please share.
We’ve all heard of Amazon. They are the single largest book distributors out there, but they aren’t just a book distributor, but they require exclusivity and they make authors jump through hoops for them to give us a second glance. Now, I admit, I have a problem with going exclusive with Amazon KU, although I know there are may authors out there who do quite well. But Amazon also has a habit of cancelling author accounts for percieved infractions to their Terms of Service. So, just stop and think for a moment what would happen if Amazon were to decide that something you do violates their TOS and cancels your account. You can appeal the decision, and you might even win, but in the meantime, your books are not available anywhere and you’re loosing money, or at least the potential for money.
Most of us have heard of Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Apple Books, and Rakutan Kobo. These are the larger book distributors, and books are what they do, so authors can get a little loving care when dealing with these guys, but with the exception of Smashwords, you may have to be an author with a bigger name to get noticed. But here’s the thing. Publishing on each of these platforms is possible, (with the exception of KU, which requires exclusivity, but Amazon will let you publish without being in KU), but it would be very time-consuming. Any time that I spend publishing, is time that I’m not writing, so for me, publishing once to D2D and letting them take care of the rest is appealing.
Some distributors are only available in certain countries outside the U.S. Others are subscription services, or like Overdrive, sell only to libraries. My books are available on all of them and I only have to hit publish twice: once for the digital format and once for the print book. To me extending my reach in this way just makes good sense.
Why Use Books2Read Links?
I work with a lot of authors doing WordCrafter anthologies, and I ask them all to use Books2Read links in their promotions. I’ve had several people feeling the need for an Amazon link, because that is what they’ve become accustomed to. I had to explain that the Amazon link shows up under the Books2Read link, along with links for Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Rakutan Kobo, Scribd, Smashwords, Baker & Taylor, Overdrive, Tolino, Bibliotheca, Odilo, Borrow Box, Palace Marketplace, Gardners, Vivlio, and others. Google Play is the only one I know of that D2D does not work with. If you haven’t heard of some of the above distributors, don’t be surprised. I hadn’t either until I started publishing through Draft2Digital.
Every book I publish through D2D gets a Books2Read link, so with one click readers can find links for all the distributors carrying my book and select their favorite distributor in order to make their purchase. This makes my books available on all devices, not just Kindle. Above is a screenshot of my Books2Read landing page for The Rock Star & The Outlaw. You can see the distributors where my books are available. There may be others where print is available, but print links must be added manually, so I’ve only added the two largest ones. I’ll add others down the road when I find time. There are enough distributor choices here to reach readers on any device in many different countries.
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Book 1 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
Want exclusive content? Join Kaye Lynne Booth & WordCrafter Press Readers’ Group for WordCrafter Press book & event news, including the awesome releases of author Kaye Lynne Booth. She won’t flood your inbox, she NEVER sells her list, and you might get a freebie occasionally. Get a free digital copy of her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction, just for joining.
When I’m with my grandkids watching movies from the Marvel Comics universe I have to remind myself not to view this material with an adult mind. It’s better to watch with the mind set of my 13 year old grandson and ten year old grand-daughter.
Last night we watched “Ant Man And The Wasp”. My grandkids loved it. I liked it. Well… I endured it. There’s so much filler in Marvel movies. Every “BOP! POW!” or “WHAM!”, every end-over-end toppling of a character whose booties excavate the pavement or crush an office building: all that stuff is so much dross. Such destruction! Miraculously, no one is annihilated by the falling buses or shattered facades.
It seems to me that great writers are those who go the extra mile. Lazy writers are those who go right up to the mile before the mile before the EXTRA MILE. That’s what’s frustrating about Marvel movies. The producers know that they can inject a liberal amount of fake fighting and harmless destruction into the script. How much? Fifteen minutes? Twenty? Maybe half an hour of combat-without-consequences? IF (and we are) raising children with this stuff it sets a dangerous idea, that is, “THERE ARE NO REAL CONSEQUENCES”. There are just provisional outcomes that can always be changed by using a time machine or some deus ex machina, some easy out. Kids absorb this data hungrily and without critical thinking. They love the bop!bam! stuff and don’t seem to be frustrated by the relative emptiness of the script.
“Ant Man And The Wasp” deals with some heayy concepts, like the world of Quantum Mechanics, the realm of the minute sub-quark particles. I enjoy the psychedelic visuals to depict these mysterious areas. “Someone” I thought (but did not speak aloud) has been smoking some DMT or ingesting psilocybin. I took a few moments to explain Quantum Mechanics to my grandkids. They’re super-bright little people who are far more powerful than I am. They’re still kids. So I have to tell myself to chill; watch the Marvel Universe with an uninformed mind. They understood my explanation of Quantum Mechanics“ as a continuum, from the mighty sizes of galaxies to the infinitesimal sizes of sub atomic particles. BUT..if you live in any of these places then it all looks normal-sized. To you and your friends”. Right? Right.
My grand-daughter just came into my office and asked “Whatcha doing?” I said that I was writing a review of the movie we saw last night. I explained my point of view and she seemed to grasp that a world in which no one REALLY dies is a bit fatuous. I explained that Marvel’s tactics remove the real terror from their productions. We all know that none of the heroes will die. That there’s some last minute rescue. Or the sequel will resuscitate the seemingly annihilated people.
Hasn’t the media world always been like this? The soft-peddle American media archives are full of plots with happy endings. The hero always triumphs; the frustrated couple always get their kiss. I think this is true, but now, in 2023, it’s just more so. There’s more technology, more ways to soften the blows of so called REALITY.
Reality has never been less real.
The sound track of “Ant Man And The Wasp” brings a relentless rhythmic figure, a continuous percussive BAH BUH BUMP BUMP that induces an excited state in the viewer. It was so pernicious that my sleep was disturbed until I got up at around three in the morning and quietly played some Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. THAT was the last thing I heard before returning to bed and snoring away the next four hours. It’s important to understand this level of mind hygiene. The last sounds you hear remain in your head until you hear something else. If you want to sleep, you need to ditch the rough stuff in favor of something soothing. At least it works that way for me.
I explained the thrust of this essay to my ten year old granddaughter: that none of the heroes REALLY die and that makes the movies way less scary. I’m pretty sure she grasped my point. She’s really smart. I don’t know what kind of people god is now manufacturing but they are somethin’ else.
I’m less worried about the future when I see how these kids cope. Quantum Mechanics? They don’t care; its just something people say that means invisibly tiny stuff, like stuff that makes bacteria look HUGE!
They get it. They know that bacteria are too small to see, so why not even smaller stuff?
Why not? In a world where nothing is impossible; everything that’s going to happen has already happened and continues to happen. The future is giving way to this stuff. And it’s happening again.
About the Author
Arthur Rosch is a novelist, musician, photographer and poet. His works are funny, memorable and often compelling. One reviewer said “He’s wicked and feisty, but when he gets you by the guts, he never lets go.” Listeners to his music have compared him to Frank Zappa, Tom Waits, Randy Newman or Mose Allison. These comparisons are flattering but deceptive. Rosch is a stylist, a complete original. His material ranges from sly wit to gripping political commentary.
Arthur was born in the heart of Illinois and grew up in the western suburbs of St. Louis. In his teens he discovered his creative potential while hoping to please a girl. Though she left the scene, Arthur’s creativity stayed behind. In his early twenties he moved to San Francisco and took part in the thriving arts scene. His first literary sale was to Playboy Magazine. The piece went on to receive Playboy’s “Best Story of the Year” award. Arthur also has writing credits in Exquisite Corpse, Shutterbug, eDigital, and Cat Fancy Magazine. He has written five novels, a memoir and a large collection of poetry. His autobiographical novel, Confessions Of An Honest Man won the Honorable Mention award from Writer’s Digest in 2016.
Want to be sure not to miss any of Arthur’s “Mind Fields” segments? Subscribe to Writing to be Read for e-mail notifications whenever new content is posted or follow WtbR on WordPress. If you find it interesting or just entertaining, please share.
Did you know that there is a large audience of readers, which many authors are overlooking with their books? It’s true. Visually impaired and those with other disabilities are limited in the availability of reading materials which they can access, and authors are limiting themselves if they exclude this vast potential audience.
As a publisher, I have worked with several print disabled authors, who have helped to educate me on the why making my content accessible is important and how to better reach the members of this very large community of potential readers. Patty Fletcher is a visually impaired author who works hard to make her blog content and books accessible to the visually impaired community of readers, and she advocates to educate her fellow authors on this important subject. She points out that the size of this potential audience is immense, “with millions of impaired or disabled readers, who would read if they could access the content.” (Patty Fletcher, email March 24, 2023).
As an author, I want to get my books in front of as many potential readers as possible. That’s why I publish wide and offer my works in as many different formats that I can. But here, right under my nose, is this huge group of potential readers that I was overlooking. And I know that many of my fellow authors do, too. As authors, it makes good sense to be concious of this large group of potential readers, and do what we can to make our own online content and books accessible to them. What a great way to extend your author reach and grow your reader platform.
In order to reach out to this audience of potential readers, we must have some understanding of what visual impairment and other types of print disabilities are like and how they affect the lives of those who must deal with these issues every day. Ann Chiapetta is visually impaired due to retinal disease, which she acquired later in life. In her article, “The Print Barrier“, she talks about how she has adapted to her visual impairment, and how it has changed the way others percieve her, and the frustration of trying to work with people who just don’t get it. Being visually impaired doesn’t mean no longer “doing”, but it does mean adapting so that “doing” is possible.
My grandmother was blind from diabetes, so her disability also came to her later in life. I’m told that when I was born, she could see me as a shadow, but whether she could see me or not, she helped to raise me. She took care of me during the day when I was little, while my mother, who was a single parent, was at work. When I started school, she was who got me off each day. I wore a side-ponytail long before it came into fashion because my grandmother was who fixed my hair. Some of the kids teased me about it, but I always thought it made me special and unique. I’ve never been one to do what everyone else is doing. My grandfather was a doctor, so my grandmother ran the household. She could move through the house alone, with the aide of a cane; she cooked by feel, and she got her entertainment from television, radio, and talking books. I often wonder what she would think of the internet and modern adaptive technology.
This is not a difficult thing to do, but it does take time. This is a work in progress for me here on Writing to be Read, because the site is very image heavy, but the recent release of Poetry Treasures 3: Passions had alternate text added to all of the images in that book. It was the first WordCrafter Press book to have alt text, and I was pleased to accomplish the feat. I feel strongly that it was worth the time it took, to not exclude those who access content differently from the way that I access it, visually.
While your book and your site should be accessible to all, including those with disabilities, it can’t stop there. We live in a world where much of our communications with the world, including advertising and promoting your brand and your book, is done through social media. If a potential reader can’t access the promotion to receive your message, they won’t be a potential reader for long. Patty Fletcher’s “Life of a Blind Girl: Your A-Z Guide to socail media accessibility“, touches all the important points on accessiblity. This article lays out ways to make content accesible that every author should be thinking about, and areas where we can do this that might be overlooked if you are not aware of readers or potential readers with disabilities. I’ve been focused on creating proper headings and adding alt text to my images. After reading Patty’s article, it seems my next step will be learning how to add captions to videos, so that I can reach hearing impared individuals.
It’s a lot to learn and can’t all be done overnight. My site is a work in progress on this front, but I’ll keep at it, because I believe it is important to make muy content accessible to all. I will also continue to work on making my books and social media content more accessible as I go. If you would like to learn more about making online content accessible to visually impaired and print disabled individuals, beyond the aboove articles, Content for Everyone, by Jeff Adams and Michele Lucchini, is a good book of reference. They discuss not only why accessible content is necessary, but ways that you can make your content more accessible for many types of visual disabilities. You can read my “Review in Practice” for this book here.
It’s a large potential audience, which could turn into readers of your work. How far will you go to make sure they can all access your content?
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
Want exclusive content? Join Kaye Lynne Booth & WordCrafter Press Readers’ Group for WordCrafter Press book & event news, including the awesome releases of author Kaye Lynne Booth. She won’t flood your inbox, she NEVER sells her list, and you might get a freebie occasionally. Get a free digital copy of her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction, just for joining.
Titles, titles. It’s all about the titles. If you can write an article called “A Sex Cult Kidnapped My Kitten” and present some credible material, you will gain new readers. The titles drive the readership. I’ve cooked up some titles for you here, guaranteed to build audience. Let’s see: .” “Russian Captive Breeding Program Producing Ukrainian Zombies”
Or
“Penis Envy Among Narcissists”. or “Trump’s UFO Claimed By Repo Men”. “Ten Ways To Get More Lust.” There’s “Elvis Is Alive and Has Become a Woman”. How about this? “I Got Kim K Pregnant And I’m a Giraffe.”
Okay, about the kitten and the sex cult. I’ve had kittens but never joined a sex cult, so far as I know. I think the 60s were a sex cult and I’m sorry they’ve passed and it’s now 2023 and no one knows what they’re doing. The world hasn’t just gone nuts: it’s been nuts forever. If we get up in the morning and think, “Wow, the world is crazy” just try to imagine what your grandpa did during World War Two. You think the world is crazy now. It is. You don’t have to worry about certain things but you have other things to worry about and I’ll mix in a few more titles here: “Global Warming, History’s Greatest Scam”. Then there’s “My Narcissism Was More Trouble Than It Was Worth”. How about “Government Collapses Without Suspenders”.
Or “Hog Breeding And Cryptic Marriage Ceremonies In Papua.” The list goes on and on. The magic titles grab attention. These days one must market one’s self, even if the aptitude for marketing is non existent. If you don’t market yourself you’ll be writing titles like this one: “Even I Don’t Know How I Got Involved With Idiotic Medium Posts”. You might try “I Get Paid To Be Stupid”. That would draw thousands of readers. I wish I could write that story but alas, I’m too stupid.
The ultimate give- away title of the year goes to Ruben Pondwater, of Gassy Beach, Florida. His suggestion was “If You Try Hard Enough You’ll Hurt Yourself.” I might write that one. Everybody seems to be engaged in massive efforts to cure the world of its ills. I’ve never seen generations like the recently spawned Millenials, Gen-X’s, Gen Z Plus , Post Boomers, and Nazi Hippies. These people work so hard! Surely the ills of the world will be healed by the time the thirtieth century rolls around. We’ll be swooping through wormholes into the future and then returning to the past and re-writing these Medium articles to have global impact. Try to imagine that!
Arthur Rosch is a novelist, musician, photographer and poet. His works are funny, memorable and often compelling. One reviewer said “He’s wicked and feisty, but when he gets you by the guts, he never lets go.” Listeners to his music have compared him to Frank Zappa, Tom Waits, Randy Newman or Mose Allison. These comparisons are flattering but deceptive. Rosch is a stylist, a complete original. His material ranges from sly wit to gripping political commentary.
Arthur was born in the heart of Illinois and grew up in the western suburbs of St. Louis. In his teens he discovered his creative potential while hoping to please a girl. Though she left the scene, Arthur’s creativity stayed behind. In his early twenties he moved to San Francisco and took part in the thriving arts scene. His first literary sale was to Playboy Magazine. The piece went on to receive Playboy’s “Best Story of the Year” award. Arthur also has writing credits in Exquisite Corpse, Shutterbug, eDigital, and Cat Fancy Magazine. He has written five novels, a memoir and a large collection of poetry. His autobiographical novel, Confessions Of An Honest Man won the Honorable Mention award from Writer’s Digest in 2016.
Want to be sure not to miss any of Arthur’s “Mind Fields” segments? Subscribe to Writing to be Read for e-mail notifications whenever new content is posted or follow WtbR on WordPress. If you find it interesting or just entertaining, please share.
I’ve lived in the world of my sexual fantasies for decades. There are times to put away the fantasy but first I must ask it why it was there in the first place. I’m seventy five years old. I’ve had enough sex in my life, with a number of partners. Men born in the forties and fifties grew up entitled, so they thought, to all the sex they could get. Turns out that things have changed and sex is no longer a perk of the boomer male. Sex is more complex because we became aware (some of us) to the fact that women have been treated with abominable cruelty, apparently forever. There is no style of feminism that comes close to redressing that injustice. I told my partner yesterday, “I’ve been so unfair to you.” It was true. My fantasies pulled me away from her. We are the same age. She doesn’t’ conform to the image. She’s a granma. Of what sexual use is she? I’ve deleted post menopausal women from my sex fantasy life.
SO… I’ve come to a decision to put away the fantasy. I’m not really horny any more. This issue, the transition OUT of sexuality, is difficult. I‘ve been slow to release it and give it to the process of my emotional maturation. There is an evolution to such feelings. They have to be owned and then governed from within. Honesty is required. This inner transformation takes time and help from our therapists and peers. It’s been something of a wild ride for me but things are settling down. I’m revising my identity. I am an elder. I have been motivated by a sense of my having new tools at my disposal. New insights. I had wanted to bring them into a relationship and that relationship already exists, with my partner and with my peers.
The fantasy of falling in love is powerful. It can be all enveloping, overwhelming. Its allure is its intoxication with a sensual element. Everyone wants those feelings of love: until they have them. Then, it is often a case of getting what you wished for and discovering its unintended consequences. A new vulnerability exists, and a new responsibility. Things are never that easy. Falling in love brings the possibility of confusion and devastating betrayal. It’s a simple formula: one cannot make someone else happy. Don’t look for love to complete you. Be complete. It sounds so simple. It isn’t; but it comes at the right time, when one has prepared the way for being complete.
Arthur Rosch is a novelist, musician, photographer and poet. His works are funny, memorable and often compelling. One reviewer said “He’s wicked and feisty, but when he gets you by the guts, he never lets go.” Listeners to his music have compared him to Frank Zappa, Tom Waits, Randy Newman or Mose Allison. These comparisons are flattering but deceptive. Rosch is a stylist, a complete original. His material ranges from sly wit to gripping political commentary.
Arthur was born in the heart of Illinois and grew up in the western suburbs of St. Louis. In his teens he discovered his creative potential while hoping to please a girl. Though she left the scene, Arthur’s creativity stayed behind. In his early twenties he moved to San Francisco and took part in the thriving arts scene. His first literary sale was to Playboy Magazine. The piece went on to receive Playboy’s “Best Story of the Year” award. Arthur also has writing credits in Exquisite Corpse, Shutterbug, eDigital, and Cat Fancy Magazine. He has written five novels, a memoir and a large collection of poetry. His autobiographical novel, Confessions Of An Honest Man won the Honorable Mention award from Writer’s Digest in 2016.
Want to be sure not to miss any of Arthur’s “Mind Fields” segments? Subscribe to Writing to be Read for e-mail notifications whenever new content is posted or follow WtbR on WordPress. If you find it interesting or just entertaining, please share.
Note: I wrote this piece ten years ago. Things have changed. I’m doing much better than I would have expected when I wrote this essay. Here it is in all its misery.
Lately I’ve been waiting for a heart attack to drop me in my tracks. It isn’t that I have heart disease. I just turned seventy and I’m waiting for my official Hypochondriac’s License to be delivered in the mail. I think that every little twinge in my body is an incipient cancer. I’m waiting for the stroke that will paralyze my speech centers and put me in a wheel chair. I’m old, and I’m terrified. My imagination runs wild as I fantasize every possible affliction. I feel as though something awful is lurking just around the bend. It’ s like a giant boot in a Monty Python skit, it’s waiting for me to walk under it so it can go SPLAT! and squish me to a gooey puddle.
This is called “catastrophizing”. It’s a feature of depression. When I wake up early in the morning I’m churning with anxiety and my mind boils with fears of the worst things that can happen to me. Life is hard and I’m like a child: I can’t reconcile myself to the level of difficulty that life has thrown in my path. I’m inadequate. I’ve been broken since childhood. I want my mommy. I want to feel safe. I feel vulnerable, lonely, unsupported and bereft of family and community.
Now that I’ve introduced you to some of the fun features of depression, I will make an observation. Depression is extremely common. So is despair, but that’s different than depression. Despair is an emotion. Depression is a disease. It can kill you.
When I turned sixty five I was waylaid by the highwayman of failed dreams. It was too late (I felt) to rebuild my life. It was too late to develop an audience for my writing. To say that I was disappointed is too mild. I was heartbroken. I had worked my butt off but the world had changed and suddenly everyone was a writer. Five million self published books were elbowing my fine works into oblivion. I couldn’t gain traction. In spite of great reviews and an award from Writer’s Digest, I couldn’t even give away my books.
I have become almost proud of my obscurity. When I say “I couldn’t give away my books” I feel a weird yet heroic conceit. If my books were shit I would still feel proud, but my books are not shit; they’re damned good. They are compelling. One reviewer called them “important”.
There’s no reason you should care about me. You don’t know me. If you’re still reading it’s because I’ve touched a nerve. You may share some of these feelings and I’ve roused your curiosity. “Oh, does someone else feel overwhelmed the way I do?”
Yes. I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment, respond on Medium and Facebook, talk to me! What we lack is connection and mutual support. I’m looking to connect. I’m not looking for a dialogue about depression. I’m looking for truth. I want to know how you really feel and are maybe too ashamed to admit it.
It’s important to consider the state of the world when we contemplate our emotional pain.
The world is sick. The planet is reeling with toxic conditions. These things affect us personally, they have impact on our health and our moods. Seeing the faces of certain politicians rouses me to anger and nausea.
Every human being comes into the world with a set of parents and a third parent that is the culture in which he or she lives. The information that programs the infant child is transmitted by the parents and the culture. If it’s good information chances are that the human will live a good life. If the information is flawed there may be problems.
Let’s start with the culture, this culture, American culture. Every child born in America inherits an inner blueprint that guides in the construction of a personality. A Self. The weird thing about this blueprint is that it shows a structure that lacks a foundation. There’s no bottom on this diagram. It starts on the first floor.
If I had lived a more fulfilling life I might not be so catastrophic. My life, however, has been one of incredible effort and little reward. I have been endlessly creating works of music, literature, photography…that no one cares about. It’s good that I’m not prone to self pity. (Sound of sardonic laughter in the background.)
I don’t have any significant heart disease. My blood pressure’s running high but that’s because I’m terrified. It’s a vicious circle. Terror increases the BP and the BP increases my chances of stroke and heart disease. You can’t win.
Depression can stop you in your tracks. It is epidemic, it’s the most dangerous disease of the human race. I know you don’t care about my problems. You care about YOUR problems, whatever they are. Health, money, relationships, all the basic stuff that won’t behave and won’t get organized in a sustainable way.
When I’m REALLY depressed I don’t want to live but suicide’s not an option. I have responsibilities to people. I feel like a prisoner in my life, in my body, and that’s a fact. It’s irresistible. I can’t even open my email because none of it is for me, it’s all spam and fills me with ennui. I’m socially isolated. I’m old. My friends and family are scattered and gone. If I had a family I’d probably tell them to get lost. You know how families are: when you have one you loathe most of the people in it, but when you don’t have a family you feel cut adrift from reality.
This is my screed from a moment of dangerous difficulty. I understand that obstacles are necessary to my development. I get that. I accept the fraught process of living. There’s little else I can do other than bow to the will of a higher intelligence within myself. I believe in that higher intelligence. I believe it is not only possible to know God but that God has designed our consciousness so our understanding progresses by increments towards that knowing.
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Arthur Rosch is a novelist, musician, photographer and poet. His works are funny, memorable and often compelling. One reviewer said “He’s wicked and feisty, but when he gets you by the guts, he never lets go.” Listeners to his music have compared him to Frank Zappa, Tom Waits, Randy Newman or Mose Allison. These comparisons are flattering but deceptive. Rosch is a stylist, a complete original. His material ranges from sly wit to gripping political commentary.
Arthur was born in the heart of Illinois and grew up in the western suburbs of St. Louis. In his teens he discovered his creative potential while hoping to please a girl. Though she left the scene, Arthur’s creativity stayed behind. In his early twenties he moved to San Francisco and took part in the thriving arts scene. His first literary sale was to Playboy Magazine. The piece went on to receive Playboy’s “Best Story of the Year” award. Arthur also has writing credits in Exquisite Corpse, Shutterbug, eDigital, and Cat Fancy Magazine. He has written five novels, a memoir and a large collection of poetry. His autobiographical novel, Confessions Of An Honest Man won the Honorable Mention award from Writer’s Digest in 2016.
Want to be sure not to miss any of Arthur’s “Mind Fields” segments? Subscribe to Writing to be Read for e-mail notifications whenever new content is posted or follow WtbR on WordPress. If you find it interesting or just entertaining, please share.
I don’t know what to call my writings any more. Poems? Not really, or not always. Sometimes these things have a poetic rhythm, sometimes not.
I Forget
September 26, 2022
I forget that evil tyrants run the world.
I forget that poets and artists
barely exist, barely scratch by
with a sigh, with patient resignation.
I forget that kindness is hindered
at every turn by evil intentions of those who command
the power of Calamity. I forget
that bad guys have no love
but don’t even miss it. I forget
that tenderness is
but a beginning to ever greater tenderness.
I forget that
we create ourselves in versions
of the pattern laid down within
a larger memory whose boundaries extend
beyond the edges of everything. I forget everything
except that I exist and sometimes I forget that, too.
What I remember is this: I am aware of you. I am aware of your scent and the streams of feeling that flow between us.
That I Can Never Forget.
The Big Bang
The Big Bang was the beginning of consciousness.
As consciousness is not confined by the laws of physics
it presents to us an enigma that we strive to unravel.
We take the first tentative steps towards this end with Quantum Mechanics. Quantum science acknowledges the influence
of the observers’ consciousness. That is only the first baby step
on the road to full awareness of the sheer magnitude of existence.
We may find existence terrifying and baffling with its beauty. That is up to us, not up to God or anything else. As entities with any degree of consciousness we are tasked with the responsibility to love our own awareness and then love it in all other beings.
Arthur Rosch is a novelist, musician, photographer and poet. His works are funny, memorable and often compelling. One reviewer said “He’s wicked and feisty, but when he gets you by the guts, he never lets go.” Listeners to his music have compared him to Frank Zappa, Tom Waits, Randy Newman or Mose Allison. These comparisons are flattering but deceptive. Rosch is a stylist, a complete original. His material ranges from sly wit to gripping political commentary.
Arthur was born in the heart of Illinois and grew up in the western suburbs of St. Louis. In his teens he discovered his creative potential while hoping to please a girl. Though she left the scene, Arthur’s creativity stayed behind. In his early twenties he moved to San Francisco and took part in the thriving arts scene. His first literary sale was to Playboy Magazine. The piece went on to receive Playboy’s “Best Story of the Year” award. Arthur also has writing credits in Exquisite Corpse, Shutterbug, eDigital, and Cat Fancy Magazine. He has written five novels, a memoir and a large collection of poetry. His autobiographical novel, Confessions Of An Honest Man won the Honorable Mention award from Writer’s Digest in 2016.
Want to be sure not to miss any of Arthur’s “Mind Fields” segments? Subscribe to Writing to be Read for e-mail notifications whenever new content is posted or follow WtbR on WordPress. If you find it interesting or just entertaining, please share.
just breaking rocks to earn a penny, rocks to pave
gravel roads that go away. Anywhere
is better than poor in Africa, Asia, America, the poor are broken just like the stones they break.
Ending poverty is the work of a civilization. If we can’t end poverty anywhere in the world, we are not a civilization
What to Believe
These days I can’t believe anything. A lie
hovers overhead day and night. All the competing agendas clash
and the books, videos, news, none remain without a stink
of mendacity. The liars hold the highest offices. They control
information. Their tech is the latest but
their lies are old, ancient, lies told by tyrants to the innocents.
Those who are brave defy their terror and protest. In Iran,
the women are sick with disgust at control by tottering old men wearing white fezzes and large skullcaps. Liars! I can’t
hold enough outrage! I see things daily
I never expected to see, ever. People are murdered by lies.
It was said, “A lie is both murder and suicide in the world of the spirit.” Mostly these days it’s murder. The suicides will have to wait
to write their notes. The supply of pencils, pens and paper
has been interdicted by the Lie Police.
Will Truth set us free? Perhaps in the Kingdom of God, but here
Truth has been split asunder and reality can’t be recognized by anyone but other liars, and those are so far lost from Truth that they would not know it
IF IT BIT THEM IN THE ASS.
Saving What’s Left
“It’s broken.” My grandson stands over his red fire truck. The wheels have come off. The boy’s lower lip thrusts out and I can see that his heart is broken too. If I tell him that it’s just a toy, he won’t be comforted. This was the only truck in his world and now his grief will carry him to a child’s little hades, for just a minute. What is a minute to a three year old? It may as well be forever. For the duration of that minute all hell breaks loose and his tears and rage fill the room till all the grown-ups flee. Except me. I’m the baby sitter. I know how he feels.
The world is broken, our world. And it was we who broke it, stuffed it, neglected it, tore its roots out. Has it come to this? My grief for a broken world carries me to my own hades, my underworld of sorrow where what has been done cannot be undone until we have atoned like ancient Jews on Yom Kippur.? What punishment do we receive if we fail to atone? Regret, more like: oh the regret we have yet to feel as the land sinks and the seas rise. Our earth is frangible, it can be waylaid like the victims of highway robbery. “Hands up, planet!” The men in dark suits are digging holes. “Can’t you see we’re busy here? Go away with your storms. We know how to deal with your kind!”
They’re only doing their jobs, they’re following orders.
“Take them away”, croaks the man in the suit and tie. “Take them away and hide them in the deepest mines.” ]
It’s broken. Can it be fixed? The next generations are tasked with this inhuman mess. They will have to be strong beyond what we know. They will have to develop themselves in unforeseen ways to have the stamina to work within the broken systems on the derelict highways. Armageddon will be indefinitely postponed. It already happened and we missed it. We were busy fighting. The next apocalypse will hit us before we’re ready. That is the nature of things. We have only the promise in Luke and Mark and John, Christians before Christianity, who learned that the lilies of the field will always be in their raiment, even if it is only in heaven.
Arthur Rosch is a novelist, musician, photographer and poet. His works are funny, memorable and often compelling. One reviewer said “He’s wicked and feisty, but when he gets you by the guts, he never lets go.” Listeners to his music have compared him to Frank Zappa, Tom Waits, Randy Newman or Mose Allison. These comparisons are flattering but deceptive. Rosch is a stylist, a complete original. His material ranges from sly wit to gripping political commentary.
Arthur was born in the heart of Illinois and grew up in the western suburbs of St. Louis. In his teens he discovered his creative potential while hoping to please a girl. Though she left the scene, Arthur’s creativity stayed behind. In his early twenties he moved to San Francisco and took part in the thriving arts scene. His first literary sale was to Playboy Magazine. The piece went on to receive Playboy’s “Best Story of the Year” award. Arthur also has writing credits in Exquisite Corpse, Shutterbug, eDigital, and Cat Fancy Magazine. He has written five novels, a memoir and a large collection of poetry. His autobiographical novel, Confessions Of An Honest Man won the Honorable Mention award from Writer’s Digest in 2016.
Want to be sure not to miss any of Arthur’s “Mind Fields” segments? Subscribe to Writing to be Read for e-mail notifications whenever new content is posted or follow WtbR on WordPress. If you find it interesting or just entertaining, please share.
Writing to be Read 
Undawntech: Emergence of the Engineered Reaction
Posted: February 2, 2024 | Author: DL Mullan/Undawntech | Filed under: Commentary, Technolgy, Undawntech, Writing Technology | Tags: AI Technology, technology, Undawntech, Writing Technology, Writing to be Read | 2 CommentsLike any other right we exercise, technology is no different. Our right to do something is balanced by our innate responsibility. Meaning: just because you can do something, should you do it? What are the ramifications? What is the legal perspective?
In recent weeks, technology has been used in an unscrupulous fashion. From images to videos, prominent figures in society are being defamed for clickbait. Clickbait is emotional advertisements that invoke a strong reaction like anger, hate, surprise, shock, and even curiosity. If you feel impassioned by a headline and its imagery, then it is best to steer clear of that link. This manipulation is milking the public for money without adding anything positive to culture.
Let’s say that you are an actor or musician in the public eye. Your identity is your source of notoriety and income. The public buys your products because they enjoy your style, image, and music or movies. The actor or musician also has contracts with production companies, record labels, agents, and others in their industry that bank on that specific style, image, and product. Many contracts have legal clauses, which prohibit any deviation from the artist’s public persona, as well as morality terms. A public figure has a vested interest in keeping the status quo.
If someone creates an Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) image of an inappropriate nature, then the creator of said image has defamed you. Imagine that you are a young, female popstar with an innocent, wholesome image, but someone creates an A.I. representation of you as a blood-soaked, slut, then the generator of said image has defamed you as an artist. The same goes with male actors, who are purported to say or do something on video that is not them.
The First Amendment protects speech and freedom of expression, but not defamation, be it libel or slander. A public figure owns their appearance and likeness, public image, and other copyright and trademark rights. The First Amendment states:
If you would like to state unfavorable political, religious, social, or other views, then your right to say or write them is protected speech. Hate speech, which this fascistic phrase is not a legal term, is covered by the Bill of Rights. The right to speak, even to be silent (Miranda Rights), are both covered by the First Amendment. Comedy, as well as parody (Spaceballs) and criticism of another’s works (Book & Movie Reviews), are preserved as a right.
Nevertheless, the First Amendment does not cover every facet of speech or expression. For instance, freedom of speech does not grant someone the right to shout fire in a crowded theater, or threaten the health and safety of other people (fighting words). Pornographic materials created with minors is unprotected speech and expression (child pornography). Reckless disregard for facts and truth about a public figure is considered defamation (malice). Other actions unshielded by the First Amendment include: obscenity, perjury, blackmail, incitement (to be lawless), solicitation (to commit a crime), fraud, and plagiarism.
www.britannica.com/topic/First-Amendment/Permissible-restrictions-on-expression
In the age of technology, users must understand and navigate the legal framework of their rights, including speech and expression. What does the creative community do in an ever-changing landscape of expressive and innovative technology? First, read the law. Next, research case law. Both of these legal avenues will help creators create with peace of mind.
Copyright in the United States as a general rule is the death of the artist, actor, musician, et al., plus seventy years. If you would like to delve into the entirety of the law, visit the U.S. Copyright Office: www.copyright.gov/title17.
Besides laws to govern new technology, the best way to balance rights and responsibilities is to ask yourself: would I like someone doing that to me, my works, or my copyright/trademark? If the answer is no, then you have found the legal threshold.
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DL Mullan holds a Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning with Technology.
Her lecture, Spacescapes: Where Photography Ends; Imagination Begins, debuted at the Phoenix Astronomy Society, which then led to her Sally Ride Festival lecture invitations. Her presentation, Bridging the Gap between Technology and Women, won her accolades at a community college’s Student Success Conference. She has been a panelist at speculative fiction, science fiction, and other regional conventions. Her digital exhibition pieces have won awards at convention art shows, as well as garnered her Second Premium at the Arizona State Fair. Currently, Ms. Mullan’s artistic renditions are seen on book covers, blog sites, video presentations, and various merchandise. As an independent publisher, she uses her technical background to innovate the creative arts.
As a writer, DL Mullan loves to stretch her imagination and the elasticity of genres. She writes complex multi-genre stories in digestible and entertaining forms, be it poetry, short fiction, or novels. Her science, history, mythology, and paranormal research backgrounds are woven into her writings, especially in Undawnted’s Legacy Universe. Ms. Mullan’s creative endeavors are available in digital and print collections, from academia to commercial anthologies. She is also an award-winning poet.
Be sure to subscribe to her newsletters and follow her on social media. For further information, visit her at www.undawnted.com and www.undawntech.top.
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