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September 10, 2015

Ray Williams Wired for Success

Anti-Intellectualism and the "Dumbing Down" of America

There is a growing anti-intellectual dumbing down of our culture

Posted Jul 07, 2014

There is a growing and disturbing trend of anti-intellectual elitism in American culture. It's the dismissal of science, the arts, and humanities and their replacement by entertainment, self-righteousness, ignorance, and deliberate gullibility.

Susan Jacoby, author of The Age of American Unreason says in an article in the Washington Post, "Dumbness, to paraphrase the late senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, has been steadily defined downward for several decades, by a combination of heretofore irresistible forces. These include the triumph of video culture over print culture; a disjunction between Americans' rising level of formal education and their shaky grasp of basic geography, science and history; and the fusion of anti-rationalism with anti-intellectualism."

There has been a long tradition of anti-intellectualism in America, unlike most other Western countries. Richard Hofstadter, who won a Pulitzer Prize in 1964 for his book, Anti-Intellectualism In American Life, describes how the vast underlying foundations of anti-elite, anti-reason and anti-science have been infused into America's political and social fabric. Famous science fiction writer Isaac Asimov once said: "There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."

Mark Bauerlein, in his book, The Dumbest Generation, reveals how a whole generation of youth is being dumbed down by their aversion to reading anything of substance and their addiction to digital "crap" via social media.

Journalist Charles Pierce, author of Idiot America, adds another perspective: "The rise of idiot America today represents -- for profit mainly, but also and more cynically, for political advantage in the pursuit of power -- the breakdown of a consensus that the pursuit of knowledge is a good. It also represents the ascendancy of the notion that the people whom we should trust the least are the people who best know what they are talking about. In the new media age, everybody is an expert."

"There is a pervasive suspicion of rights, privileges, knowledge and specialization," says Catherine Liu, the author of American Idyll: Academic Antielitism as Cultural Critique, and a film and media studies professor at University of California. The very mission of universities has changed, argues Liu. "We don’t educate people anymore. We train them to get jobs."

Part of the reason for the rising anti-intellectualism can be found in the declining state of education in the U.S. compared to other advanced countries:

-- After leading the world for decades in 25-34 year olds with university degrees, the U.S. is now in 12th place. The World Economic Forum ranked the U.S. at 52nd among 139 nations in the quality of its university math and science instruction in 2010. Nearly 50% of all graduate students in the sciences in the U.S. are foreigners, most of whom are returning to their home countries;

-- The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs commissioned a civic education poll among public school students. A surprising 77% didn't know that George Washington was the first President; couldn't name Thomas Jefferson as the author of the Declaration of Independence; and only 2.8% of the students actually passed the citizenship test. Along similar lines, the Goldwater Institute of Phoenix did the same survey and only 3.5% of students passed the civics test;

-- According to the National Research Council report, only 28% of high school science teachers consistently follow the National Research Council guidelines on teaching evolution, and 13% of those teachers explicitly advocate creationism or "intelligent design;"

-- 18% of Americans still believe that the sun revolves around the earth, according to a Gallup poll;

-- The American Association of State Colleges and Universities report on education shows that the U.S. ranks second among all nations in the proportion of the population aged 35-64 with a college degree, but 19th in the percentage of those aged 25-34 with an associate or high school diploma, which means that for the first time, the educational attainment of young people will be lower than their parents;

-- 74% of Republicans in the U.S. Senate and 53% in the House of Representatives deny the validity of climate change despite the findings of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and every other significant scientific organization in the world;

-- According to the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress, 68% of public school children in the U.S. do not read proficiently by the time they finish third grade. And the U.S. News & World reported that barely 50% of students are ready for college level reading when they graduate;P> -- According to a 2006 survey by National Geographic-Roper, nearly half of Americans between ages 18 and 24 do not think it necessary to know the location of other countries in which important news is being made. More than a third consider it "not at all important" to know a foreign language, and only 14 percent consider it "very important;"

-- According to the National Endowment for the Arts report in 1982, 82% of college graduates read novels or poems for pleasure; two decades later only 67% did. And more than 40% of Americans under 44 did not read a single book--fiction or nonfiction--over the course of a year. The proportion of 17 year olds who read nothing (unless required by school ) has doubled between 1984-2004;

-- Gallup released a poll(link is external) indicating 42 percent of Americans still believe God created human beings in their present form less than 10,000 years ago;

-- A 2008 University of Texas study found that 25 percent of public school biology teachers believe that humans and dinosaurs inhabited the earth simultaneously.

In American schools, the culture exalts the athlete and good-looking cheerleader. Well-educated and intellectual students are commonly referred to in public schools and the media as "nerds," "dweebs," "dorks," and "geeks," and are relentlessly harassed and even assaulted by the more popular "jocks" for openly displaying any intellect. These anti-intellectual attitudes are not reflected in students in most European or Asian countries, whose educational levels have now equaled and and will surpass that of the U.S. And most TV shows or movies such as The Big Bang Theory depict intellectuals as being geeks if not effeminate.

John W. Traphagan, Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Texas, argues the problem is that Asian countries have core cultural values that are more akin to a cult of intelligence and education than a cult of ignorance and anti-intellectualism. In Japan, for example, teachers are held in high esteem and normally viewed as among the most important members of a community. There is suspicion and even disdain for the work of teachers that occurs in the U.S. Teachers in Japan typically are paid significantly more than their peers in the U.S. The profession of teaching is one that is seen as being of central value in Japanese society and those who choose that profession are well compensated in terms of salary, pension, and respect for their knowledge and their efforts on behalf of children.

In addition, we do not see in Japan significant numbers of the types of religious schools that are designed to shield children from knowledge about basic tenets of science and accepted understandings of history--such as evolutionary theory or the religious views of the Founding Fathers, who were largely deists--which are essential to having a fundamental understanding of the world, Traphagan contends. The reason for this is because in general Japanese value education, value the work of intellectuals, and see a well-educated public with a basic common knowledge in areas of scientific fact, math, history, literature, etc. as being an essential foundation to a successful democracy.

We're creating a world of dummies. Angry dummies who feel they have the right, the authority and the need not only to comment on everything, but to make sure their voice is heard above the rest, and to drag down any opposing views through personal attacks, loud repetition and confrontation.

Bill Keller, writing in the New York Times, argues that the anti-intellectual elitism is not an elitism of wisdom, education, experience or knowledge. The new elite are the angry social media posters, those who can shout loudest and more often, a clique of bullies and malcontents baying together like dogs cornering a fox. Too often it is a combined elite of the anti-intellectuals and the conspiracy followers – not those who can voice the most cogent, most coherent response. Together they frment a rabid culture of anti-rationalism where every fact is suspect; every shadow holds a secret conspiracy. Rational thought is the enemy. Critical thinking is the devil’s tool.

Keller also notes that the herd mentality takes over online; the anti-intellectuals become the metaphorical equivalent of an angry lynch mob when anyone either challenges one of the mob beliefs or posts anything outside the mob’s self-limiting set of values.

Keller blames this in part to the online universe that "skews young, educated and attentive to fashions." Fashion, entertainment, spectacle, voyeurism – we’re directed towards trivia, towards the inconsequential, towards unquestioning and blatant consumerism. This results in intellectual complacency. People accept without questioning, believe without weighing the choices, join the pack because in a culture where convenience rules, real individualism is too hard work. Thinking takes too much time: it gets in the way of the immediacy of the online experience.

Reality TV and pop culture presented in magazines and online sites claim to provide useful information about the importance of The Housewives of [you name the city] that can somehow enrich our lives. After all, how else can one explain the insipid and pointless stories that tout divorces, cheating and weight gain? How else can we explain how the Kardashians,or Paris Hilton are known for being famous for being famous without actually contributing anything worth discussion? The artificial events of their lives become the mainstay of populist media to distract people from the real issues and concerns facing us.

The current trend of increasing anti-intellectualism now establishing itself in politics and business leadership, and supported by a declining education system should be a cause for concern for leaders and the general population,one that needs to be addressed now.

-x-x-x-


August 22, 2015

Imagine this -- Analog, a zine which is a major founding father-zine of s-f, celebrated its 1000th issue recently. (And they said it would never last!) One of our fine Whortleberry Press writers had an essay in that celebratory issue. We are so proud of Marian Powell, not only for hitting Analog, but for creating the following essay which you will find both thoughtful and thought-provoking. Congrats, Marian, and thanks for your enlightening thoughts.

Now, here's Marian:

This letter was published in Brass Tacks in the October 2015 Analog. It refers to the editorial on Campbell by Ben Bova in the June 2015 Analog which was the 1,000th issue.

Dear Editor Quachri,

Congratulations on being editor for the 1,000th issue! I love the idea of using a 1930 cover but with a modern twist.<_P> I was delighted to see a special feature devoted to Campbell. He well deserves to be remembered. Ben Bova did a fine job in the space he had. If he had covered all there is to say about Campbell, it probably would have required the entire issue! I hope you will publish more articles about Campbell.

I am a second generation Astounding reader. I grew up reading Campbell's editorials and feel he taught me how to think. That's why I hope more can be written about him because in recent years, there are some who seem determined to discredit him. What is forgotten is how playful he was intellectually and how much he loved controversy. Only in his final years did he seem to lose his spark and become dogmatic. The rest of the time, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying saying things that would spark debate. Bova alluded to that in his article, but I think it should be expanded on.

Another area to explore is how many of the classic stories originated with ideas tossed out by Campbell. Asimov always credited him with the idea for Nightfall-That is, Campbell asked what would happen if people could only see the stars every few thousand years. Apparently, that happened a lot.

I have heard that the classic The Cold Equations* was the result of Campbell working with author until he got it right. Since Tom Godwin never wrote anything else nearly as superlative, it is likely that is true.

And I must say that I am in total disagreement with Ben Bova on his comment on The Cold Equations. He says the pilot forces the girl out the airlock. The story would not have the impact it does if that were true. The pilot explains the situation to her. Once she understands, she grows from the impulsive teenager to a true hero who writes a farewell letter to her parents telling them it was not the fault of the pilot and then voluntarily walks out the airlock. And that makes the story upbeat because it is a story of growth compressed into a short time.

Again, congratulations on the one thousandth issue!

Marian Powell

Second Generation Reader

(* Note from Jean: The Cold Equations is definitely worth a read. Take a look at it here: http://www.spacewesterns.com/articles/105/")


August 14, 2015

Dear Whortleberry Friends;

Hello! Hope you are having a happy summer.

We have been receiving a goodly number of excellent submissions for our forthcoming "Strange Changes" antho. But we won't close until Sept. 15, so you still have time to work on yours if you haven't completed and sent it to us yet.

After that, what? Yes, it's time to think of Christmas anthos....but we have already done EIGHT Christmas anthos. I cannot face another one. Same for Halloween books -- we have done five of them.

I think maybe "Strange Changes" will complete our publishing for this year. But of course there is next year. Naturally, a new Strange Mysteries -- and this will be Number 7 -- will be in the works.

And as to holidays, for next year what would you think about a "Strange Festivals" antho -- one which permitted stories about all those wonderful fall/winter holidays? You know, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Year's...what would you think about such a collection? To me it would be fun, interesting and refreshing -- but what do you think?

Let me know on our Forum page at WhortleberryPress. You can click on the Forum page from the opening screen.

And remember -- write on!

-- Jean


What, another Whortleberry Press anthology? Yes, we're ready to go on another sf/f/h antho -- but this one is going to be a little bit different.

Who doesn't think there's something wrong with our world today? Even as the poet Omar Khyam put it:

Ah, love, if you and I could but conspire
To change this sorry scheme of things entire;
Would we not shatter it to bits and then
Remould it closer to the heart's desire?

Well, changing the entire "sorry scheme of things entire" is kind of a big order, even for us -- but suppose you could change ONE thing? What would you change? And how would it affect life -- for good and for bad?

For example: Suppose our "one thing" changed is to eliminate war. Great idea! But since we can't change human nature (that would be more than one thing, right?) what would the result be? How would nations settle their differences or grab each others' land/resources? Would the results be good or bad?

Okay, how about something smaller....suppose animals could talk. How would that change things for good and/or bad? It might discourage people from eating meat -- maybe -- but suppose you had a dog that would _not_ shut up? and gossiped to the neighbors?

Not great ideas, of course. You can think of better ones. Starting now, at mid-June, and continuing until Sept. 15, send us your stories. No more than 5000 words, please -- less, if possible. We promise, we won't close early, no matter how many great stories we get. And we'll announce which ones are chosen after Sept. 15.

Ready? Get set? Go!

(Send to jean.goldstrom@earthlink.net.)

-- Jean, with Arthur Sanchez stepping into his always-successful role as Associate Editor.

x x x

Return to main page Here.


Book Release

The Critic, the Assistant Critic and Victoria, by Larry Lefkowitz.

"Philip Roth meets Woody Allen. A book worthy of the New York Times recommended reading list." Lionel Whiteson wrote concerning The Critic, the Assistant Critic, and Victoria, a literary novel by Larry Lefkowitz.

The novel tells the story of the assistant to a well-known literary critic who suffers from the dominance of the critic and from the critic's practice to "borrow" abundantly from the assistant's work and publish it under his own name. After the critic's sudden death, the assistant believes he has been freed, finally, from the critic's dominance.

However, when the critic's widow – the beautiful Victoria – asks him to complete an unfinished novel written by her late husband, the assistant finds himself still under the influence of the critic, as well as his wife.

Although set in Israel, the novel is appealing to the international reader because of its universality of plot, literary background, sharp and witty dialogue, and humor.

The stories of Lefkowitz have been widely published in the U.S., Israel, and Britain, in journals, anthologies, and e-zines. Chapters and excerpts from The Critic, the Assistant Critic, and Victoria have been published in journals and online.

The novel is available from Amazon, as is Lefkowitz's book Laughing into the Fourth Dimension, 25 Humorous Fantasy and Science Fiction Stories.


Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear:
Whortleaves 2013
Whortleaves 2012
Whortleaves 2011


January 18, 2014


January 1, 2014

Here's our chance to cheer for our favorite anthology of 2013. Vote your choice!

Put your cursor on the (very small) word POLLS:

polls


September 14, 2013

Here are the covers for Strange Lucky Halloween, thanks to our delightfully creepy artist, Chris Fortunato!


July 14, 2013

DEADLINE REMINDER; Strange Lucky Halloween anthology deadline July 31. See Writers' Guidelines at http://WhortleberryPress.com/

How's this for exciting news? Here's a "world first;" the first time a Whortleberry Press book ever had a Launch Event. We salute Hugh Spencer's efforts and energy he has put into this book launch.

Official Book Launch Event

The Dandelions of Mars is having an official launch celebrating the release of this anthology on July 20, 2013.

The Launch will take place at the Lakeshore Arts gallery:
2422 Lakeshore Blvd. West
Mimico, ON
12:00pm - 2:00pm
The event will include selected readings and snacks.

Copies of The Dandelions of Mars will be available for purchase, as well as a station set up for those who would like a digital copy.

About Lakeshore Arts

Celebrating its 18th year in existence, Lakeshore Arts is an incorporated (May 1997) Not-for-Profit Local Arts Service Organization (LASO) and a registered charity (as of 1999). With a Board of active residents from many sectors including arts, education and business (10 - 15 members), and an additional 100+ volunteers who serve on program committees and help with a variety of tasks.”

Located in Etobicoke, Ontario Lakeshore Arts aims to revitalize the Lakeshore Community through art, education, and restoration. This includes their significant role in $4.5 million revitalization of the Assembly Hall, of Etobicoke, as a community cultural centre. More information can be found on their website.

==========================

Thanks for the great salute to WhP, Hugh. Here's hoping it's a huge success!

===================================

Meanwhile, in our Author Success Department:

MADELEINE McDONALD was the first finalist featured in News Junkie Post's short story competition. Her witty satire on French politics, The People's Choice, can be read at The year-long competition is still open for submissions.

Yours aye, Madeleine
Madeleine McDonald
(contributor to Strange Lucky Valentines)
============================

Until next time, enjoy summer, everyone in whose region it's now summer. For everyone else -- enjoy the cool weather.

-- Jean

June 30, 2013

More on WhP writers success stories:

FRED WAISS

His story, "The Scent of Moonlight" appeared June 28 in Page And Spine Fiction Showcase
(http://cts.vresp.com/c/?YourCompanyName/6d664498de/494acad79e/b452ffde0c. Other of his stories are in their archives.

===============

JIM MEIROSE

Jim Meirose lives in Central New Jersey with his wife Mary Beth. He is the author of numerous short works that have been published in major literary journals, and that have been nominated for various awards. Two collections of his short work have been published and another novel, Claire, is available from Amazon. He is the author of Monkey, a novel now available from Sweatshoppe Publications. Monkey is structured in four chapters: the first is from Kevin's point of view, the second from George's, the third from Anna's, and the last from Monkey's. The story of their lives together is told from these varying points of view, and we follow them from the time of the mother’s teenage years, through George's being laid off and the aftermath, past Kevin's untimely death, to Monkey's decision to at last take his revenge.

Monkey can be purchased on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and many others.

Contact Jim at: jmeirose@optonline.net


June 22, 2013

HERO EDITOR AWARD to Ahmed A. Khan for his Associate Editor role in bringing Dandelions on Mars to life.

Without his super-human Associate Editor tasks on "Dandelions of Mars" this book probably would not have existed.


WHP WRITER SUCCESS STORIES:

====================

RICHARD DYER;
Richard Dyer has a flash fiction story, “Coyote Ugly” appearing in Haunted Waters Press, Penny fiction available free online.

============

KEITH LAUFENBERG:
Keith Laufenberg tells us: If anybody's interested in reading HIS short story entitled: "Any Other Name" just email HIM at kglaufenberg@gmail.com and he'll send you a copy.

===================

TONY THORNE
POINTS OF VIEW, my first near future SciFi novel, published by Eternal Press, Santa Rosa, CA, August 2012, $14.60 http://www.amazon.com/Points-View-Tony-Thorne/dp/1615727337/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371401189&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=thorne+mbe%2C+points+of+view

PoV2 - THE WEAPONS, first sequel to above, preview copies available from Amazon. $8.50 http://www.amazon.com/Points-View-The-Weapons-Volume/dp/1482745364/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1371400900&sr=8-6&keywords=thorne+mbe

THE BEST OF THE TENERIFE TALL TALES, (30 stories, 385 pages, $18.00) available from Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/The-Best-Tenerife-Tall-Tales/dp/1489530347/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1371400900&sr=8-3&keywords=thorne+mbe

THREE CULTURE SHOCKS published by SCREWPULP, available free for the near future, from https://www.screwpulp.com/index.php?browse&*=info&id=51

===================

CHET GOTTFRIED
He's had two novels accepted: EINAR AND THE CURSED CITY (YA fantasy) by Zetabella Publishing and THE GILDED BASILISK (fantasy) by Reanimus Press. Hopefully, they'll both be produced this year--and they should be available as ebooks and POD. In the meantime, he has a short story online at Perihelion SF for this month of June, at http://www.perihelionsf.com/ ("Boccaccio in Outer Space"), a somewhat ribald tale of bioengineering.

Details at his website: http://www.lookoutnow.com


June 14, 2013

Here are some interesting recent publications by our WhP writers. If/when _you_ get published elsewhere,let us know! Drop a msg to http://WhortleberryPress@Yahoo.com, so we can enjoy your success with you.

--------

LARRY LEFKOWITZ
Laughing into the Fourth Dimension
25 Humorous Fantasy and Science Fiction Stories
This moveable feast of fantasy and science fiction humor is available from Amazon in print ($10.99) or Kindle ebook ($7.99)

--------

ROGER TUNNEL
The Walled Garden
A short story on a supernatural theme
FREE at Journal Independent Ink magazine

--------

MARIAN POWELL
Knock
A flash fiction in the anthology Playing With Fire
At http://www.thirdflatiron.com/liveSite/pages/current-issue And
Beautiful Silver Earth
FREE at A Tale Told Thusly http://www.westernsfa.org/Book_Nook/Index.html

--------

GAIL GIBBS
Combustion
FREE at A Tale Told Thusly http://www.westernsfa.org/Book_Nook/Index.html

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RAY REBMANN
How Can You Give Up That Adorable Puppy -- a memoir about a family's experiences raising puppies to become Seeing Eye dogs.
Unlimited Publishing
Available through Amazon either in paperback or Kindle

Jersey Devil, The Cursed Unfortunate -- an ebook, fiction. It's a different kind of story involving time travel, romance, ghost dogs, and New Jersey's very own devil. It's available through MuseItUp Publishing
Available through Amazon.

Chalktown and the World's Bottle Cap Championship of the Universe -- a fantasy in which a boy seeks answers about what has happened to his life. With the help of a magical bottle cap, he defeats the forces of evil in a game with his soul as the stakes and creates his very own world using a special box of drawing chalk.
Wild Child Publishing
Available at Amazon as an ebook

--------

LYN MC CONCHIE
Flying Free -- Haast eagles have been extinct for a long time, so when Tina discovers an orphaned Haast eagle chick on her rooftop in the heart of Wellington, New Zealand's capital city, she knows she's found something special.
Price $4.99 Sky Warrior Book Publishing
Other Lyn McConchie books are at Avalook Publications

--------

ALAN IRA GORDON
"Interstellar Starship Bumper Stickers (As Seen On Real Starships)" – a poem. It was recently published in the January-March issue of Star*Line, the quarterly magazine of the Science Fiction Poetry Association (SFPA). Copies of the issue are available directly from the SFPA webpage (www.sfpoetry.com) for $5.00 plus $2.00 shipping.

In addition, the Northern Sun catalogue, at www.northernsun.com is currently marketing one t-shirt and two car bumper stickers with slogans from the poem. So go to their webpage and order your very own "I'd Rather Be Teleporting" t-shirt (Order #SKU 8390) or your very own "My Starship Is In For Repairs" (Order #SKU 7404) and "I'm Not Paranoid, I Know The Empire Is After Me!" (Order #SKU 7405) bumper stickers today!

-------------------

WhP writers are truly productive, aren't they?

-- Jean


June 1, 2013

Here's the back cover of the Bradbury tribute. (See the front cover below.) Wow! Coming this month to a bookshelf near you!



Here's front cover of Bradbury Tribute book, due out this summer.
Lee Kuruganti has outdone herself with this wonderful cover. Deadline for stories is May 1.


HERE IT IS -- THE ENTIRE WHORTLEBERRY COLLECTION, ON ONE SHELF!

All Whortleberry writers, Take a bow! Every one of you WhP authors has had a part in creating this, our Whortleberry Press bookshelf. Yes, I finally rounded up a copy of each of our 40-some books in print. This is what they look like. The dragon was the cover model for one of our Valentines book, and he stayed around.

To those who asked about titles, here they are, from left; A Caged Child Still sings; Anotherealm's Greatest Hits; Cats Around the Christmas Tree, Cats Rule the World...?, Catty New Year, Cheer Up - Universe, Christmas Angels, Christmas in Outer Space, Christmas Peace On (All) the Earth(s), Colonel Anne Mackintosh - Scotland's 'Beautiful Rebel,' Conversations with a Cat, Dear Valentine, Free Range Fairy Tales, Halloween Dances with the Dead, Halloween Hell-o-ween, Heaven's Realm, How To Be a Ouija Board Wizard, It Was A Dark and Stormy Halloween, Knoxville Borough; A History, Manimals!, Officer Kit, Officer Kit - Your Safety Friend, Santa's Givings - and Misgivings, Strange Christmas, Strange Lucky Mysteries 5, Strange Lucky Valentines, Strange Mysteries, Strange Mysteries 2, Strange Mysteries 3, Strange Mysteries 5, Strange Summer Mysteries - A Day at the Beach, Strange Valentines, Tara's Story - conversations With a Cat, The 12 Works of the Shmo, The Schrodinger Dialogs, The Twelve Cats of Christmas, Warriors of Light, Whortleberry Summer and You Can Write Fiction.

Let us know what you think on the Forum page, okay?

-- Jean


February 9, 2012

Enough holiday happiness was found in the Strange Christmas antho to last all year. These outstanding stories/writers are examples:

AWARDS 2012

FOR

STRANGE CHRISTMAS

CONGRATULATIONS TO
LARRY LEFKOWITZ
FOR THE BEST HORROR STORY OF
STRANGE CHRISTMAS

CONGRATULATIONS TO
KITTY SARKOZY
FOR THE BEST FANTASY OF
STRANGE CHRISTMAS

CONGRATULATIONS TO
TED ZAHRFELD
FOR THE BEST SCIENCE FICTION STORY OF
STRANGE CHRISTMAS

CONGRATULATIONS TO
ARTHUR CAREY
FOR THE BEST STORY OF
STRANGE CHRISTMAS




And now, just one more award. A well-deserved Bravo and Cheers for Arthur Sanchez -- for his heroic efforts as Associate Editor of Strange Summer Mysteries. Step up, Arthur, and take your bow.

Again, your thoughts? Post them on the Forum, please! Its hot link is at the left of the opening screen HERE.


To return to main page click here.


February 2, 2013

No tricks, just treats in the Strange Halloween antho, from these outstanding writers;

AWARDS 2012

FOR

STRANGE HALLOWEEN

CONGRATULATIONS TO
ANNA TABORSKA
FOR THE BEST HORROR STORY OF
STRANGE HALLOWEEN

CONGRATULATIONS TO
TERRY OPARKA
FOR THE BEST FANTASY OF
STRANGE SUMMER MYSTERIES

CONGRATULATIONS TO
M. FRANK DARBE
FOR THE BEST SCIENCE FICTION STORY OF
STRANGE SUMMER MYSTERIES

CONGRATULATIONS TO
GEORGE SCHAADE
FOR THE BEST STORY OF
STRANGE SUMMER MYSTERIES

Again, your thoughts? Post them on the Forum, please! Its hot link is at the left of the opening screen HERE.


January 26, 2013

And still they come! More awards -- these are for 2012's Strange Summer Mysteries.


AWARDS 2012

FOR

STRANGE SUMMER MYSTERIES

CONGRATULATIONS TO
MARIAN POWELL
FOR THE BEST HORROR STORY OF
STRANGE SUMMER MYSTERIES

CONGRATULATIONS TO
WARREN BULL
FOR THE BEST FANTASY OF
STRANGE SUMMER MYSTERIES

CONGRATULATIONS TO
CHET GOTTFRIED
FOR THE BEST SCIENCE FICTION STORY OF
STRANGE SUMMER MYSTERIES

CONGRATULATIONS TO
STEVEN FORD
FOR THE BEST STORY OF
STRANGE SUMMER MYSTERIES

Again, your thoughts? Post them on the Forum, please! Its hot link is at the left of the opening screen HERE.


January 19, 2013

What's a good encore for 2012 awards? How about _more_ awards? Here they are, for 2012's Strange Mysteries 4.

AWARDS 2012

FOR

STRANGE MYSTERIES 4

CONGRATULATIONS TO
DAVID HUGHES
FOR THE BEST HORROR STORY OF
STRANGE MYSTERIES 4

CONGRATULATIONS TO
JAMES HARTLEY
FOR THE BEST FANTASY OF
STRANGE MYSTERIES 4

CONGRATULATIONS TO
ARTHUR CAREY
FOR THE BEST SCIENCE FICTION STORY OF
STRANGE MYSTERIES 4

CONGRATULATIONS TO
WARREN BULL
FOR THE BEST STORY OF
STRANGE MYSTERIES 4

Again, your thoughts? Post them on the Forum, please! Its hot link is at the left of the opening screen HERE.



Here they are, the first of the 2012 writing awards described here last week. Congratulations to all!

AWARDS 2012

FOR

STRANGE VALENTINES

CONGRATULATIONS TO
DAVID PERLMUTTER
FOR THE BEST HORROR STORY OF
STRANGE VALENTINES

CONGRATULATIONS TO
LYN MCCONCHIE
FOR THE BEST FANTASY OF
STRANGE VALENTINES

CONGRATULATIONS TO
MARILYN K. MARTIN
FOR THE BEST SCIENCE FICTION STORY OF
STRANGE VALENTINES

CONGRATULATIONS TO
RACHEL AYERS
FOR THE BEST STORY OF
STRANGE VALENTINES

NOTE: Let us know if you agree/disagree with our Anonymous Committee's choices -- post your thoughts on our Forum. (Hot link on main page at left.)

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January 3, 2013

WHORTLEBERRY PRESS AWARDS FOR 2012 WRITING

How to recognize some of the wonderful writing that Whortleberry Press has had the pleasure of presenting to our readers?

That's a tough question, but we've come up with an answer this year. We've asked three friends who are very interested in literature to get together, read our 2012 books, and come up with some recognition. They agreed to do this, on the condition of anonymity. Here's what we can tell you about our Awards Committee:
-- Committee Member #1 teaches literature in a state university.
-- Committee Member #2 teaches English in a public high school.
-- Committee Member #3 is a Creative Director at an advertising agency.

Thanks to these kind friends, we are ready to offer awards in the form of graphics suitable for display on web sites, home pages, etc. They will be awarded in the following categories; In each of our five anthologies:

-- Best science fiction story;
-- Best fantasy story;
-- Best horror story;
-- Best story overall

We'll start presenting these awards next week.

P.S. I don't agree with every one of these awards.

Another P.S. -- Here's what these award graphics will look like:

--Jean

January 1, 2013

This past year took with it three wonderful writers.

One, of course, is Ray Bradbury. We are planning a tribute book for this summer -- be thinking about your story. The idea is NOT to try to write in Bradbury's style, of course, but to reflect something of what his writing meant or said to you.

It's not an easy task, I agree. But with Ahmed Khan at the helm, we'll give it a try. (See Writers' Guidelines for details.)

We also lost Walt Staples, one of our wonderful Whortleberry Press writers. He gave us two delightful stories, "Old Married Couple" in Strange Valentines 2012, and "The Christmas Fool" in Christmas, Peace On (All The) Earth(s) 2010. Walt was active in the Catholic Writers' Guild, and I understand they are planning an anthology of his works. We'll keep you posted as we learn more.

Jim Sunderland also left this life in 2012. Jim is the author of Conversations With A Cat, which to me may be the most endearing cat book I have ever read. It's about Tara, an orphaned Siamese kitten, who is found and adopted by an engineer who lives in Namibia...a guy who looks and sounds very much like Jim and his beloved cat(s). He provided their pictures provided their pictures for the book covers covers. We published his book in 2006. In his memory, I'm going to reformat and republish a new edition of his charming book later this year -- stand by for details.

-- Jean