HAIL! ... and Farewell?

My thanks to you who have done me the honor of becoming “followers” of Write Away. May your New Year be filled with happiness, prosperity, and worthwhile reading.

Since embarking on my self-publishing adventure in 2009, I have sold some 147 copies of Storm Approaching, 62 of Gold and Glory, 41 of Resolution. Of Miscellanea, published in November, I have sold 4. Sales of AGT come to 265, but it was published in 2001. I have recovered about half of the cost of publishing and advertising these books. This is not very good.

I started this blog on Jan. 6, 2010, to share humorous essays and to generate interest in my books.

The counting mechanism that Blogspot thoughtfully provides says that Write Away has been favored by 3,459 visits, which averages almost ten per day. That does not sound too bad. But no one not previously known to me has left a comment or written. No one has ordered a book from me via the blog. (Even my lavish :-) offer of a free copy of Miscellanea, made at the end of the post on December 10, got no response.) I detect no blog-related sales at Amazon or B&N. So I fear that many of these visits have been the result of random clicking on some item buried deep in Google, or perhaps attempts to find out more about namesakes, such as the actor (in Shawshank Redemption and others) or the prolific photographer and commentator on city architecture and local sports in Portland, Oregon.

The tribulations of a self-published author are only to be expected; those expectations have been fulfilled. The difficulty of publicizing one’s works, the reluctance of those who learn of them to risk money on a product lacking the imprimatur of agent and publisher, are obvious. Additionally frustrating in my own case is that I did have a very good agent for Storm Approaching and I have evidence, from disinterested reviewers and impartial readers, that a great many people would enjoy the Mercenaries series and And Gladly Teach and Miscellanea.


A reasonable man must ask how long to pursue a chimera. My current intention is to leave this site up but, barring some discernible response, to add nothing further. It seems a bit too much like talking to myself, which I do enough already.

I shall probably publish The Free Lands, the fourth volume of Mercenaries, in the summer or fall; although it needs much editing, it would be a shame to leave it merely as a pile of paper (675 sheets) on my bookcase. After that perhaps I’ll take up quoits.

Still, hope springs eternal, etc. etc., so let me conclude, with as much objectivity as an interested party can display, that if you like humor and satire you would indeed enjoy And Gladly Teach and Miscellanea; and if you enjoy fantasy-adventure tales that are light on magic, heavy on things military written by one who has devoted decades to the study of military history, you would like the Mercenaries series. I invite you to explore this blog to find information on and excerpts from my books, and many amusing essays, too.

And please feel free to write or leave a comment – or even buy a book.

Brian A. Libby / Faribault, MN brnlbb@gmail.com

The Blindex

Here is a Blog Index to essays and excerpts, arranged chronologically so visitors may easily find them with a click or two.

ESSAYS

2011
November 1: History Repeats Itself? (on Libya)
October 10: An ‘Aria of Revenge’ a la Verdi
July 26: Lights! Cameras! Teach!
July 26: Project 1812: History for Kinesthetic Students
July 25 & 20: Historical Films
May 10: An Innovative Grading System
January 12: Evelyn Waugh on Educational Reform

2010
October 11: A Theory of Art
March 1: The LOTR Film Trilogy (Take That, Peter Jackson!)
February 21: Star Wars III: A Critique of “Revenge of the Plot”
February 15: The Test of the Future
February 7: Star Wars II: A Critique of “Tacky Clowns”
January 28: The Newest Members of the U.N.
January 18: Star Wars I: A Critique of “The Phantom Mess”
January 7: Just What the Doctor Ordered [on prescription medicines]

EXCERPTS FROM MY BOOKS

2011
March 17: “Consulting”: An excerpt from And Gladly Teach

2010
October 6: from Resolution
April 4: from Gold and Glory
March 7: from Storm Approaching
February 1: from And Gladly Teach

I welcome feedback, via comments here or e-mail. And perhaps you'll care to buy a book or two?

Merry Christmas, and remember: Taking life seriously is the first step to unhappiness.

WHY NOT GIVE THE GIFT OF...

my books? The festal season approaches. Surely your loved ones, friends, business associates, etc. enjoy receiving books? And not just any books—not the sort one finds all over the place, in supermarkets and at airports and even in… Walmart…—but books that nobody finds in any stores at all, books reserved for discriminating cognoscenti, bibliophiles who frequent online emporiums like Amazon and B&N.com. This Christmas (or Hanukkah or Saturnalia or the festival of Sol Invictus), give your nearest and dearest one (or more!) of Brian Libby’s chefs d’oeuvre:

STORM APPROACHING – Part One of the celebrated MERCENARIES series.

GOLD AND GLORY – Part Two of the celebrated MERCENARIES series.

RESOLUTION – Part Three of guess what.
-------------------------
AND GLADLY TEACH—A satirical look at life at a boarding school.

MISCELLANEA – Twenty-one essays sparkling with humor, satire, joie de vivre, jeu d’esprit, and occasional vicious sarcasm.
----------------------------
Hasten to your favorite online bookseller! Note that Storm Approaching is available on Nook.

OR, order from the author. Signed copies will wing their way to you as soon as I can get to the post office. Brian Libby / 1000 Shumway Ave. / Faribault, MN 55021

Prices (including postage):

Storm Approaching, $17 / Gold & Glory. $20 / Resolution, $20/ And Gladly Teach, $15 / Miscellanea, $10. Cash, check, or money order.
--------------------------
You can find sample chapters and much other information about these masterpieces right here on this blog.
-------------------------
Now for some jokes. Here are a few quotations, allegedly authentic, from college athletics:

A football player received four F’s and a D. His coach told him, “You’re spending too much time on one subject.”

“You guys line up alphabetically by height,” said a Florida State coach.

“You guys pair up in groups of three, then line up in a circle.” The same Florida State coach.

On being asked if he had visited the Parthenon during his trip to Greece, S. O’Neal replied, “I can’t really remember the names of the clubs we went to.”

A boxing promoter speaking of a fighter: “He gets up at six every morning regardless of what time it is.”

C. Nevitt, explaining why he was nervous: “My sister’s expecting a baby, and I don’t know if I’m going to be an uncle or an aunt.”

Asked if his problem was ignorance or apathy, a player replied, “Coach, I don’t know and I don’t care.”
--------------------------------
Do not yourself be ignorant or apathetic. Energetically make an intelligent choice: buy books!
--------------------------------
The first person to send me an order for any Mercenaries book will also get a free copy of Miscellanea.

A Nomination

If there are any other educational professionals (aka “teachers”) out there, or indeed anyone intererested in an important part of American history, you will be well rewarded if you take a look at http://becomingamerica.edublogs.org/, a site where you will find interesting and significant items on many aspects of immigrants and immigration in the history of the USA. I nominate this site for an Edublog Award (an “Eddy”) (http://edublogsawards.com/nominations/) in the category of Best New Blog.

History Repeats Itself? Let's Wait and See

This blog does not discuss politics; but I was struck today by the news that an unknown engineering professor who has lived much of his adult life in the U.S.A. has been named interim prime minister of Libya. His name is Abdul (or Abdel) Rahim (or Abdurrhamin) al-Kib, (or al-Keeb, or el-Keib). (Apparently Mummar Ghadaffi is not the only Libyan whose name is difficult to transliterate. This must be a national problem. Perhaps Libyans should have been given Italian names during the colonial period.) He faces many challenges, not the least of which is the disbandment of the “three hundred militia groups” mentioned in the news report.

The reason I was struck by this news is that by pure coincidence the material I taught in my Europe 1870-1945 course today was the first part of the Russian Revolutions of 1917, specifically the February Revolution (in March) and the establishment of the Provisional Government headed by a moderate politician, Prince Georgi Lvov, who had little name recognition or popularity in the country as a whole. He was replaced four months later by Mr. Kerensky, who was replaced three months after that by Mr. Lenin—and the rest, as they say, is history.

I advised my students, as I advise you who read this, to pay attention to what happens in Libya in the months ahead. No historian will presume to predict the future. But it would not at all surprise me if we see Mr. al-Kib (etc.) vanish into the limbo of forgotten names—although with luck he will return to his work at the Petroleum Institute rather than receive a less desirable retirement package, such as dangling from a lamppost.

At any rate, it will be interesting to see if what happens in Libya follows a frequent pattern in revolutions, i.e. the replacement of the initial moderates by increasingly radical successors.
I certainly hope that Mr. el-Keib (etc.) succeeds in disbanding the 300 militias (who counts militias in Libya? is there a government agency?) and brings to that troubled land the advantages of a free, open, pluralistic democracy ,freedom of speech and of assembly, complete religious freedom, and cooperation with the civilized nations of the West.

I also hope I win the Powerball grand prize next Saturday.

To help this nice man achieve the popularity he will need if he is to succeed, Mr. al-Keeb (etc.) deserves slogans designed to rally the people to his moderate cause. Here are some, which I invite my Libyan readers to set to music:

1) His name is spelled Keeb, Keib, or Kib
But what the heck—he loves our Lib
ya. He is just the man we need,
So hail to thee, Kib, Keib, or Keeb.

2) He’s patriotic. He loves our Libya.
Right from his cranium down to his tibia.
We all should join his winning team:
Let’s get behind Abdul Raheem!

3) Abdul – Abdel – Abdurrahim
We hope you’re more than what you seem.
Disarm militias! Let freedom ring!
Then stage a coup and you’ll be King!

4) He’ll rally Libya. He’ll never fib ya
If you need humor, he’ll gladly rib ya.
I can’t think up more silly rhyme
But hail to Abdul one more time!

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Miscellanea, my latest literary effusion, is available! Containing twenty-one essays of varying length, this slim volume (115 pages) can be yours for the slim price of $10 (postpaid) or $8 (in person). It is available from Amazon.com too. My address: 1000 Shumway Ave. / Faribault, MN 55021

The list of the essays in Miscellanea can be found by scrolling down two posts.

My next project is to edit The Free Lands, the fourth volume in the Mercenaries series; but I don’t plan to publish it until the first three volumes have sold more. I hope that Miscellanea will encourage some folks to sample my novels.

An "Aria of Revenge" a la Verdi

This bit of whimsy was inspired by listening to Count Stankar’s 3rd Act recitative and aria (“Disonorato io son!” and “Oh gioia inesprimibile”) in Stiffelio.

Argument: In Acts I & II, Count Ammazarlo, learning that Baron Scellerato said hello to Innocenza, the count’s daughter, without first having been properly introduced, considers all aspects of the outrage for almost a full minute before concluding that there is only one way (other than immediate suicide) to deal with such an insult. Accordingly, he accosts the baron at a party and, after hinting at his disapproval of the baron’s conduct by boxing his ears, spitting on his shoes, and pouring punch all over his doublet, he challenges him to a duel. The duel is duly fought (offstage), after which the Count appears on stage and sings:


Justice! Justice! I have found it! Halleluia! Praise the Lord!
Surely ‘twas the hand of Heaven that directed my sharp sword:
As we parried, thrust, recovered, as we fought with might and main
I soon chopped him into fragments that now decorate the plain.

Oh the remnants of his person have been scattered far and wide
Once my blade went in his liver and came out the other side.
So the honor of my family is restored to pristine state
Now that Baron Scellerato can be henceforth called “the late.”

My sweet daughter, Innocenza, I’ve protected all her life
For I’ve never met a man who could deserve to call her “wife.”
And a father has a duty to keep libertines in line.
(She is only fifty-seven and I’m only eighty-nine.)

In some countries family problems might be taken up in courts
With the lawyers and the judges scribbling stuff ‘bout pleas and torts—
But down here in fair Italia we despise mere feeble prose
And defend all slights to honor by just carving up our foes.


Count Ammazarlo then hastens to church to ask pardon for any recent peccadilloes.