Linguistics & Science Fiction Network Online Bulletin -- August 3, 1999
**NOTE: This bulletin is mailed only to members of the L&SF Network, and only by request. If you receive a copy by mistake, please let me know and I'll take you off the list immediately, with my apologies.
Greetings.....
1. Long after it was too late to fix it, I discovered that some of the copies of L&SF 18:6 had print flaws all over the place; I'm sorry. Getting the repairs done on the copier before mailing the issue would have delayed it at least a week, and that wasn't an acceptable solution. If you received one of the badly-printed issues and want a replacement, just let me know and I'll send it.
2. Early Alert: In the September/October issue of L&SF I'll be breaking the news that I'm starting the process of converting the newsletter to an email newsletter only, with email printouts provided for current members who don't have email access -- but no new print-only memberships accepted in future. I've put this off as long as I can, and it simply has to be done.
The new arrangement will have features that are going to please a lot of members, but the very *idea* will infuriate others. I'm therefore allowing an ample transition period -- the email-only version won't start until the January/February issue. The newsletter will still be available only to members of the L&SF Network, so that dues will cover costs and I won't have to take advertising. A number of the email newsletters that I get are so cluttered with ads that reading them is a chore and they're visually offensive even to a hearing dominant person like me; I'm not going to go that route.
I'm alerting you to this well ahead of time so that you can send your comments and suggestions before I make the announcement; please help me do this right.
2a. The September/October issue is the Women & Language one, by the way; if you have things you want included, now's the time to send them.
3. I've joined a brand new online list that's afflicted with growing pains clearly linked entirely to inexperience. You know the sort of thing -- every message includes all the previous messages because people don't know they should delete them, people send messages followed by the complete code for said messages -- and so on. *Nevertheless*, those of you who enjoyed L&SF 18:6 would probably enjoy this list (which came along too late to be included in that issue, unfortunately). It's called "the religious art list" and is composed primarily of artists struggling to create religious art; it has one enthralling item after another.
There've only been a few issues, and they're archived at <www.cin.org/digest.html>; you might take a look. Also of possible interest to you, the Pope's recent letter to artists, stashed at <www.cin.org/jp2/jp2artist.html>.
4. Recommended URLs: the Linguist List website, which is splendiferous, at <www.linguistlist.org>; and a search engine that I fell over by accident and find impressive, at <www.debriefing.com>.
5. Frances Green sent a note I want to quote here: "You go to this site, click the button, and the sponsor donates a day's worth of food to feed the hungry. There's a whole FAQ up there for the skeptical...but this doesn't cost you anything. You can only feed one person a day, but it sure beats a blank." The URL: <www.thehungersite.com>.
6. I recommend the July 12, 1999 issue of Christianity Today, which is almost completely devoted to religious *music*, and has some pretty startling stuff in it. It proposes that American churchgoers no longer sort themselves out by denomination, they do it by musical preference; it goes on to suggest that music has become the marker of "ethnicity" in the U.S. And there's more. I'll be taking it up in the newsletter, but wanted to give you a chance to take a look at it; any feedback will be much appreciated.
7. I'll be away for a couple of gigs this month: a presentation on Ozark English, and a psychoneuroimmunology seminar. If you try to reach me and nothing happens, that's why; I'll be in touch as soon as I get back.
8. The month of July, thank heavens, is over. It was awful here, it seems to have been awful everywhere, and I'm not just talking about the weather. Things will surely start looking up now that we're into August....
All my best to you,
Suzette
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