|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
My attorney – not nearly as gonzo or Samoan as Raoul Duke’s - advised me while filing the paperwork to form Two Dollar Radio, that the novel, as an art form, is dying a slow and painful death. He is a family friend, and we were speaking frankly. From a business perspective, starting a book publishing company in the digital age makes as much sense as going quail hunting with the vice president. But this ain’t about money. It has always frustrated me to sit around talking. There is no lack of energy when it comes to talking about finally starting that literary magazine, putting together that band, convincing that art gallery to let us have a show. But when it came time to actually follow through you had to have your tonsils removed, you picked up an extra shift at the chain bookstore in the mall, flyers cost too much to have printed. And there are those trying to constrain their work to fit within the consolidating ranks of corporate publishers/labels. Here we are: a pile of young people playing king of the hill in hopes of getting the attention of a middle-aged white businessman in a suit. I was bartending in San Diego with five televisions fixed to ESPN surrounding me. Herman Edwards, the then-coach of the New York Jets, was screaming at a reporter, “Put your name on it! Put your name on it!” I don’t watch football, and I don’t necessarily admire Herman Edwards, but something clicked. This is about creating something that you will be proud to put your name on. This is about looking in the mirror in thirty years and smiling. This is about a story you can tell while sitting on the rocking chair of your front porch, armed with a sweaty glass of lemonade, to a pair of your grandchildren. I can already brag that I was one of the first people to hear Swim Party, and that they played at our first Literacy Benefit Concert. I'm proud of the fact that I can include the talented writers that we publish as my friends. I want Two Dollar Radio to be a platform, a diving board from which writers, artists, and musicians can leap. What do you think? Gravity defines the others.
Two Dollar Radio's mission is to reaffirm the literary, cultural, and artistic
ambitions of the publishing industry.
|