The following BBC story on the science of time travel should be of interest to readers: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4097258.stm
--- belsidus2000 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > <<This has been a great discussion. This is, I > think, what I had in > mind when I came here. That we would have these > kind of in depth > discussions on sci fi lit in general and African > American sci fi lit > specifically. > > I had time to think of this being offline > yesterday--I was helping > out at a jobfair for black folks seeking employment > where we had > folks lined up out the door and down the block > seeking employment--- > I am going to shoot the next person who says black > people don't want > to work in the ass, I swear--and I came up with > this. > > You are an academic right? A professor, right? You > have to publish > articles books whatever? > > Why not write a story or novel that illustrates what > you are talking > about? You can write the novel that you wished > Barnes had written. > In the manner of Derek Bell, I'm sure you can > justify it as a > historical or literary excercise. At any rate you > can set the > standards for the genre. > > If you don't want to do that, you could write an > article on the > matter or gather together a journal or one time book > featuring the > type of alternative history work you'd like to see. > > Chris > > > Chris Hayden > --- In [email protected], "Dr. Lester K. > Spence" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Chris, I don't have the time to answer all of your > questions, > though > > all of them are fair. The one that I think you > asked when > the "what > > does steve barnes need to do to get to the next > level" is one that > I'd > > like to take a stab at. > > > > Steve Barnes is a published novelist, an essayist, > a martial > artist, a > > television personality (i didn't know this), and > an overall > renaissance > > man. He is what many of us aspire to. > > > > But I don't think the original poster asked the > question to ignore > or > > downplay his accomplishments. The average NBA > journeyman, or > newspaper > > columnist, is already better than the vast > majority of hobbyists > in > > their respective fields. It isn't downplaying > Barnes' skills to > > suggest that he can get better--get to the next > level--anymore > than > > it's downgrading Ben Wallace's skills to say that > homeboy needs to > work > > on his free throws. > > > > One of the things that separates blacks and > latinos from their > white > > counterparts in general is that we have a great > deal of experience > at > > multitasking. What this means SOMETIMES is that > we aren't > EXCELLENT > > at one thing. Barnes is a good essayist, a good > novelist, a black > belt > > (i think)...but for people like him the next level > shouldn't > be "more > > of the same". It should be "excellence". What > excellence means > to me > > is being the best at his craft. > > > > Now in the realm of alternative fiction I chose > Turtledove for two > > reasons. One, he is one of the most recognizable > alt. history > writers > > in the business--alternative history is damn near > all that he > DOES. > > Two, he's the one I've read the most of. But your > mileage may > vary. > > Whatever the case, Barnes is not the best at > alternative history. > > > > This isn't a knock on him. I recognize that he's > already > accomplished > > more than most of the people on this list would if > they had two > > lifetimes available to him. But he's only what? > 45 maybe? At > some > > point as a human you've got to make a decision to > either push > forward > > and accept new challenges, or be satisfied with > doing more of what > > you're already doing. > > > > Working on the idea that Barnes is interested in > excellence, AND > that > > he is interested in becoming excellent at the > types of books he > writes, > > I said he should spend more time on the research > end fleshing out > his > > works. As has already been established there are > other capable > > writers in the field who have carved out nice > niches for > themselves > > telling neat stories without really going deep > into the history. > If > > that's what Barnes wants to do...cool. He can be > the Cornel West > of > > alternative history. But if he is aiming for > higher, and he has > the > > skills and the stamina to do so, he should reach > higher. > > > > We all should. And while being understanding of > people who shoot > high > > and fall, I don't think we're in a position to > simply be happy to > > shoot. > > > > lks > > > > > > Dr. Lester K. Spence > > Assistant Professor, Political Science, > Afro-American Studies > > Washington University > > Kellogg Scholar in Health Disparities > > > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! 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