The Illusion of More

David Newhoff

David Newhoff, editor of The Illusion of More blog, talks copyright law and digital-age issues with experts, artists, and academics.

  1. On Being Among the Banned with Author J. J. Austrian

    06/20/2023

    On Being Among the Banned with Author J. J. Austrian

    Pride month is more than celebratory in a time when book bans are on the rise in the United States, and 26% of the titles banned “have LGBTQ+ characters or themes,” according to PEN America. With politicians like Ron DeSantis determined to make “anti-wokeness” part of the Republican brand, this neologism for hate-speech has taken the form of book and media censorship in school and public libraries around the country. One of these banned books, entitled Worm Loves Worm, was written by a close friend named J. J. Austrian, who joins me for this episode of the podcast. Illustrated by Mike Curato and published by Harper Collins in 2016, Worm Loves Worm is a story for young children about two earthworms getting married and trying to figure out which is the bride and which is the groom while navigating the not-so-helpful advice and opinions of the other bugs and critters in attendance.  Show Contents 01:22 - How does it feel to be among the banned?03:42 -  The creation of Worm Loves Worm.08:12 - What children get from Worm Loves Worm.09:36 - It’s not about sex. Indoctrination to what?12:23 – Attacks on the transgender community.15:03 – Did you expect the backlash when the book first came out?18:34 -Is it hard not to look at the negative comments?20:19 – The “shotgun wedding.”21:50 - Increase in attacks since it was first published.24:10 - More worried about middle grade and young adult readers.28:10 - Ever criticized for writing about a subject that’s not your subject? (outside your lane)34:45 - Do you have Woke Mind Virus?37:15 – A conversation about satire.44:33 – How banning can affect the author.47:44 - The victim’s narrative.50:15 – Hope for the future?52:44 – The Printing Press and the Internet57:05 – Love is love.

    59 min
  2. Talking with Helienne Lindvall Because Streaming is Still Broken

    02/14/2022

    Talking with Helienne Lindvall Because Streaming is Still Broken

    Neil Young pulls his music from Spotify to protest the content on Joe Rogan's podcast, and Joni Mitchell and Crosby, Stills, and Nash follow suit. It's a big story for a week, and some noise about "cancel culture" and Rogan himself lingers, but we've mostly moved on. Meanwhile, the economic model for music streaming is still broken. Songwriters make pennies for millions of streams, and the dynamics of the data-driven market are not quite conducive to the kind of experimentation and risk-taking that dominated the period when artists like Young and his contemporaries rose to fame. So, why don't legacy artists who can command so much attention use that power to advocate for fair compensation for the next generation of artists?  I don't know the answer, but the question prompted me to invite songwriter/columnist Helienne Lindvall to join me for this episode. 01:22 – Helienne’s background.04:23 – Cyber-bullied for speaking out.08:05 – Changing views about free music, etc.08:52 – The Spotify Young/Rogan controversy.14:48 – What about big artists using their power on behalf of small artists?17:54 – Streaming is also changing the craft of songwriting.25:23 – Are we losing diversity in the digital age?30;20 – Placing value on the work.34:47 –Data driven creation and what that means.39:51 – Devaluing the music.43:35 – Are we producing variety compared to the past?48:30 – Looking at Billie Eilish.51:36 – Songwriting as a job.54:18 – Reprise hope for big artists to speak out.

    56 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
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About

David Newhoff, editor of The Illusion of More blog, talks copyright law and digital-age issues with experts, artists, and academics.