The voice of one person is very small.Even a guy like Donald Trump wouldn’t be the terrible threat to this nation that he is if nobody would pass on the nonsense he says.I often think of this because internet personalities are always have to remind their fans to share their posts.It’s a simple thing—click “share” and more people find out about something.What if that something were free?Isn’t something free worth sharing?So tomorrow I’ll be participating in Virtual Voices Author Fair: A Day of Nonfiction Books, a small Zoom conference from one to five, to talk about Holy Horror.Various readers over the years have asked if they can get a discounted copy—like most conferences this one will have a discount associated with it.Stop by if you have the chance!
The variety of the books being discussed is pretty wide.Topics will cover many of the areas for which the publisher McFarland is known: television, film, music, politics, the outdoors, and more.A schedule may be found here.For those of us who have been (or the lucky who still are) academics, the conference is a sacred cow that has largely been sacrificed to the pandemic.Getting together with others to discuss ideas is important—the funny thing about ideas is that they often arise from talking with others.For three years, for instance, the American Academy of Religion offered a session on monsters and monster theory.That would never have happened if I hadn’t had a discussion with a friend and colleague who shared that interest.If it’d been only me, it never would’ve transpired.Sharing is important.
One of the things about generations is that mine (no longer the younger one), is still trying to wrap its collective head around this internet thing.Now we feel like a bunch of avatars with no onboarding.We don’t think in terms of clicking a share button.We still feel like browsing is an individual thing.They young people I know tend to think of the internet as a place for community.It’s easier to find like-minded people there.Unlike school (and often work) where you’re thrown together with people who may or may not share your interests, the web offers places where you can find others who share your interest.If you’re interested in the kinds of things that you’ll find in the media, and if you have a few minutes tomorrow afternoon, feel free to stop by the Virtual Voices Author Fair.If you land on their Facebook page, it’d be great if you’d click the share button.
