internet – Clara Hsu

Click to Publish

Years ago I walked into Tower Records and was shocked that their LP collection had shrunk into a corner. The world had changed to CDs without me. Today the same sense of awe strikes me when I receive a print on demand book from Amazon. A book is printed and shipped within days. There is practically no cost for the author to publish a professionally printed book. E-Publishing has evolved to a point that cannot be ignored.

Things that have become/are becoming obsolete: typewriter, newspapers, land-line phones, encyclopedias, film cameras, the Yellow Pages, etc.. I don’t have nostalgic feelings for these things. And for authors, this might just be the golden age of publishing.

Rest In Peace, Live Forever

Elegiac poems are immediate and touching because they speak from the heart. I heard another one tonight at Sacred Grounds, and learned that a friend had passed away. It felt strange, because I just sent her an email this morning. She was one of the names on my mass email list.

A number of friends have died in the past years but their email addresses remain active. In a way the dearly departed have been immortalized. The communication is active, albeit one sided.

Death does not exist in cyber space. Memories are kept alive by Google and Youtube. It seems even easier to keep in touch with friends who are no longer around. They are just one button away.

Book in Hand

With all the internet publishing, poets still need to have a book in their hands. It is tangible like a business card, something that you can show others and at times, make a few bucks. It’s not the money, but the feeling that you have received appreciation and recognition. The bottom line is, we want to share our art.

There are still poets who want nothing to do with the internet. They believe in books. They believe in turning the pages with their hands. They believe in carrying the weight on their shoulders. It is not a burden but pleasure.