Hollywood Shambles

“Hollywood Is in Shambles”

Our recent discussion about the slow death of the legacy gatekeepers drew a lot of comment. One reader who's in the know wrote in to relate his personal experience. I know I'm a little late to this but just wanted to give my own inside info on Hollywood's status to…
May 3, 20247 Comments
Catholic Shift 7

The Catholic Church Is Going Back

The actuarial tables have at long last caught up with the Modernist movement that tried and failed to subvert the Church. According to a recent report from AP News, the Catholic Church is going back to the traditions of her illustrious past. Across the U.S., the Catholic Church is undergoing…
May 2, 202425 Comments
Tolkien Long Defeat

Fighting the Long Defeat?

Spend some time scrolling through dissident Twitter, particularly those corners favored by more traditional Catholics, and you'll soon run across references to J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Both are the subject of myriad BrainyQuotes and, especially in Tolkien's case, movie still memes. There's no denying that the works of these…
May 1, 20246 Comments
Kids TV 1980s

Gen Y and the Pre-Internet Age

Getting mugged by reality is a definitive experience of Generation Y. The last cohort with personal memories of the pre-9/11 world, Ys have entered middle age in a state of deep confusion regarding their place in society. So far, the story of their lives has been “Stuff yourself on fast…
April 30, 202419 Comments
Whirlwind

Millennnials: Reaping the Cultural Whirlwind

A recurring theme of this blog is the widening gap between Baby Boomers and Millennials in terms of wealth distribution and cultural inheritance. The data paints a stark picture: Baby Boomers, through a combination of historical windfalls and economic expansion, have accumulated unprecedented wealth, wielding significant power and influence that…
April 29, 20247 Comments
Pump Up the Volume 1

Pump Up the Volume, Pump Up the Jam

A Gen X introvert's Baby Boomer dad uproots their family from New York and moves them across the country to a prefab Arizona suburb. Gifted a short-wave radio to keep in touch with his friends back east, the isolated and disoriented Mark finds an outlet for his existential angst as…
April 26, 202416 Comments
Holes in Publishing

Elle Griffin: Shooting Holes in Oldpub

My valued neopatrons called my attention to this viral Substack post by author and editor Elle Griffin. In it, she shares facts that came to light in the US government's recent suit against oldpub giants Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster. The main takeaway is that publishing house representatives…
April 25, 202414 Comments
Star Wanderers

Introducing Star Wanderers

Author JD Cowan introduces his latest swashbuckling sci fi adventure! Detective Ronan Renfield is a Galactic Enforcer sworn to protect the innocent and bring evil-doers to justice to maintain order throughout the stars. The Agent is a nameless knight errant tasked with hunting the most brazenly wicked and blasphemous who…
April 24, 2024No Comments
Brandon Sanderson BackerKit

King Brandon Does it Again

In yet another definitive win for him—and Neopatronage—Fantasy King Brandon Sanderson has shattered a second crowdfunding record. Brandon Sanderson, the bestselling author known for his epic fantasy novels, has already raised more than $16 million on crowdfunding platform BackerKit since launching it earlier this week. Related: Neopatron Brandon It should…
April 23, 20249 Comments
Gate No Walls

No Gatekeepers Where There Are No Walls

My cherished Neopatrons and I were discussing the phenomenon of the indie author who goes back to signing with publishers. It's been fascinating to see this regression to the oldpub model the minute some realize the newpub model is obsolete. Falling back on the even more obsolete yet familiar instead…
April 22, 202412 Comments