$$$$$ and clicks. The profile basically went viral, which is no doubt what they were hoping for. Though I think it’s generated worthwhile public debate.
TOTALLY. I just finished Stolen Focus by Johann Hari and found it so disturbing along this same vein. I have to limit myself with Twitter, because I occasionally get really sucked into the news cycle.
It actually wasn't me that pointed out that Catapult instructors were fairly paid in response to your IG comment-- it was one of my subscribers who pointed that out to you. Their classes weren't expensive given the amount of labor and attention and care the instructors put into their classes. As a writer and a Catapult author, I've known the Koch money was behind Catapult since I signed with them-- most indie presses are financed by shady money, same in the art world, same in many artistic spaces. The problem is there used to be a buffer of true creative types running the show, and those people have now been fired. So Elizabeth's hand is much heavier and visible now. Hence the "Perception Box."
Also, thanks so much for putting up the two job boards for the laid off Catapult folks! I dream of hiring one of them as an editor. Really kind of you to do that.
Oh wow! Thank you so much for this correction. I’ll edit that now. I didn’t check that one as I remembered it as you! 🤦♀️ Oops!
And would never fault any writer for signing with them. Which other presses have shady backgrounds?
Though with an MFA and business background, maybe she is a qualified creative type to run Catapult. I’m sure if I met her in person my impressions might be totally different. Such a complex situation.
A friend of mine from the writing workshop I'm in just shared this with a few of us this week. I missed it when the news broke, but this is pretty wild. Thanks for laying it out.
When I saw the title I almost passed, since I don’t really need to know any more about the poor little Koch girl, but you made that pretty lively.
Haha thank you! I almost didn't write it, but I really couldn't resist. Nothing like MFA drama to get me going.
You just wonder how that shit gets approved for the Times. Gross.
$$$$$ and clicks. The profile basically went viral, which is no doubt what they were hoping for. Though I think it’s generated worthwhile public debate.
Kind of like the Bing/Sydney thing: huge traffic generator. You wonder when we’ll all wise up and stop giving this crap attention.
TOTALLY. I just finished Stolen Focus by Johann Hari and found it so disturbing along this same vein. I have to limit myself with Twitter, because I occasionally get really sucked into the news cycle.
It actually wasn't me that pointed out that Catapult instructors were fairly paid in response to your IG comment-- it was one of my subscribers who pointed that out to you. Their classes weren't expensive given the amount of labor and attention and care the instructors put into their classes. As a writer and a Catapult author, I've known the Koch money was behind Catapult since I signed with them-- most indie presses are financed by shady money, same in the art world, same in many artistic spaces. The problem is there used to be a buffer of true creative types running the show, and those people have now been fired. So Elizabeth's hand is much heavier and visible now. Hence the "Perception Box."
Also, thanks so much for putting up the two job boards for the laid off Catapult folks! I dream of hiring one of them as an editor. Really kind of you to do that.
Oh wow! Thank you so much for this correction. I’ll edit that now. I didn’t check that one as I remembered it as you! 🤦♀️ Oops!
And would never fault any writer for signing with them. Which other presses have shady backgrounds?
Though with an MFA and business background, maybe she is a qualified creative type to run Catapult. I’m sure if I met her in person my impressions might be totally different. Such a complex situation.
A friend of mine from the writing workshop I'm in just shared this with a few of us this week. I missed it when the news broke, but this is pretty wild. Thanks for laying it out.
Thanks for reading! I still think about Perception Box... it’s still going.