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|2009-02-26, 23:52
|Link #41
Honyaku no Hime
Join Date: May 2008
Location: In the eastern capital of the islands of the rising suns...
I love anime.
I'm a born bookworm.
I whore over novels but cannot get into the media format of manga/comics, it's just not something my brain compresses well.
I prefer to read line after line and have the movie play out in my mind's eye rather than seeing it on the page with frames, sfx and text.
Saying that, 'what is a light novel?' then?
Where does the 'light' aspect fall into it, how is it different from any random teenage fantasy or Harry Potter book?
Basically, give a quick rundown of 'light novels 101'.
-Thus clueless anime fan and bookworm would like to know
|2009-02-27, 04:23
|Link #42
The Owl of Minerva
Join Date: Apr 2006
Indeed the line between "ordinary novels" and "light novels" is getting thinner and thinner with quite a number of titles existing in both sides of the border already.
Generally speaking, light novels tend to come with (1) anime-style covers, with (2) anime-style illustrations and (3) anime-esque storylines. These are not golden rules btw. But you can probably understand that the extra effort on adding these features are for attracting (4) teenagers.
Scrap off the fancy external features, and you get a contemporary Japanese entertainment novel for teenagers and young adults. No more, no less. You might have written Haruhi in Japanese, but if you failed to get it published under LN labels, it would be recorded as an "bunko" i.e. "ordinary pocket-size paperback novel" in any book store's database.
So how about Japanese entertainment novels for youngsters? First, (A) each book tends to be much shorter than your average English novel. This is largely because of the emphasis on portability since most Japanese readers enjoy their daily readings during commutes. For long stories (eg Saiunkoku, Marimite, etc), they are separated into countless paperbacks, again for portability. Bringing your brick-like Harry Potter with you all day makes you look like a nerd and brings you inconveniences, but a regular Japanese paperback can fit nicely into your coat pocket, and can probably bring you more fun than your NDS/PSP.
Second, similar to anime and manga and unlike your average teenage fantasies, (B) they have Japanese as their target audience. This is both an advantage and disadvantage in the Western market. Anime/manga fans probably have enough cultural understandings to appreciate the customs and jokes. But people who overemphasize on the beauty of English prose and try to expect them to be a substitute to English classics will surely be disappointed.
More specifically (and with a growing number of exceptions), they have the following characteristics :
1. Extensive use of colloquial language
2. Plot and writing style influenced by anime/manga
3. Solely for entertainment
4. The writers are not exactly "telling" stories to the young readers, but sharing with them interesting stories written from the viewpoint of an average young reader.
5. "Media mix" - manga, anime and game adaptations/novelizations
(from wikipedia CH)
IMO the best way to understand what a LN is, is to experience it by your own self. Try to get a copy of Kino's Journey (Kino no Tabi). It was the very first LN I read, and I have been sucked into the LN world ever since.
Last edited by Doraneko; 2009-02-27 at 04:44.
|2009-02-27, 05:37
|Link #43
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Where I am, what more do you need to know?
Um, lol, I'll try to answer what a light novel is. But first, let me respond to what Doraneko's explanation was.
Light Novels are not simply Light Novels because they are published under a LN label. Sure, a small number of light novels could fit into this idea, but for many, they are in fact LIGHT NOVELS at their core.
Of-course, that is the question isn't it? WHAT IS A LIGHT NOVEL?
It is a perplexing question, one so difficult, and yet very simple.
For one thing, let me respond to what was said a light novel WAS.
I mean, no duh a light novel has a target audience of a JAPANESE PERSON. Shall we forget that they are PUBLISHED and WRITTEN "WITHIN JAPAN". I mean, what, you think Japanese authors think about writing novels for Americans or Brittish when they realize they are going to be published in Japan?
And what in the world do you mean by "unlike your average teenage fantasies".
Sorry to break it to ya, lol, but Eragon was written for the WEST. Harry Potter was written for the WEST. These authors never had any idea that their books might become popular enough to get translated into Japanese. So every novel in america written within america or the WEST is going to have been written to target the audience of the country its being published in. This is just common sense.
However, from reading light novels, I can tell you, there aren't alot of INSIDE JOKES depending on the novels you read. I mean, some light novels like Full Metal Panic and GOSICK and Kino no Tabi and Ballad of a Shinigami are easy for a non-japanese understanding person to get into. Heck, GOSICK takes place in Europe, not Japan.
Your second point should have been worded better. Just because light novels have anime illustrations does not mean that they are influenced by Anime/manga. In fact, as a friend of mine told me, Light Novels go back farther than anime/manga ever existed. The entire idea of short novels with illustrations was invented long ago in China (if I am remembering the country he told me correctly). So although Light Novels may have anime illustrations, it is a good thing to remember that Light Novels are being TURNED INTO Anime and Manga for the most part, not the other way around. In a sense, Light Novels are creating the new standards of anime storylines.
The third point of being soley for entertainment is completely eroneous. Sure, the majority are, but not all.
Kino no Tabi and Ballad of a Shinigami (each 12 books so far in series length) are just two to point out that are DEEP, THOUGHT-PROVOKING, and EMOTIONALY TOUCHING, even touching on Philosophy. These are not simply for ENTERTAINMENT, but actually go far deeper than that, adding a meaning to the writing and creating an impact that is long lasting.
But yes, for the majoirty of light novels, they are entertainment (just like the overwelming majority of american novels being published). But this is by no means to mean ALL Light Novels as a whole are this way.
Your 4th point is highly confusing. Are you regarding to "third person (POV)" writing and "first person (POV)" writing? If so, again, you are wrong. Many light novels are written in Third Person, and many light novels are written in First Person. It just depends on the author.
Your 5th point about media mix. Light Novels are for the most part, not adaptions of existing anime and manga, its rather the other way around.
Your recommendation of Kino no Tabi is backed by me as well. It is in my opinion one of the best, if not the best, light novel series released in the US.
Ok, so after correcting whats been said.
What IS a light novel?
Well, its....whatever the author wants it to be. lol
Well, to be exact, here are some basics.
1. It has anime illustrations, even if just one.
2. They are typically between 40-50,000 words (and I don't want anyone saying that this is a novella, cause it isnt, 50,000 words is a typical minimum of a normal length american novel). However, some Light Novels do go beyond 50,000 words. And some can be incredibly thick. So, point being is, Light Novels can at times during a series NOT be LIGHT. lol
3. The writing styles have differences from normal novels you're used to reading. Instead of long paragraphs after another, you can have paragraphs that are maybe only one sentence or two or three. And some times you can have a sound effect like "WHAM" have an entire line all by itself, if you wish to emphasize the effect of the word in the story. Not only that, but the idea of a light novel is to simply say what needs to be said and say no more. The idea is to not be wordy, and have sentences that drag on. You as an author want the light novel to continually move the story forward with every sentence, only enveloping the reader deeper into the story.
4. The planning of a light novel series is very different. One person above stated that it was like taking parts of harry potter and chopping it up into a small series. But this isn't true. Light Novels are not planned by cutting up what would be a big novel into a smaller one. Because for one thing, considering that 50,000 words is the normal minimum length of an american novel, there's nothing too small about a light novel in the first place. Second, a light novel is planned from the beginning to have an ending and or cliff hanger to lead to the second book. The author designs the story to be a series. They dont get an idea for a single novel, and then cut it up, they from the beginning on average plan to writer each books storyline within the series.
5. The stories are different. Now, this may be a weak point, but yet, it deffinitly is a glaringly obvious ones. The imaginitive stories seen in Light Novels are not seen in books in the west for the most part, or at all. But this is mainly due to an overall inability of western authors to allow themselves to use their imagination fully. All they write about is on average what CAN happen and what they have seen. They never try to write stories that are completely imaginitive and unfamiliar to readers. Only a few try, a very small few. So although Light Novels can't hold onto this characteristic forever as exclusive, they are for now known largely for their stories, which can range from horrible, to brilliant, depending on the author writing.
And although the above doesn't fully explain what a light novel is, it attempts to.
And as Doraneko put it so perfectly, you really DO have to read a Light Novel for yourself to truly understand what one is. It's kind of a self revelation that your mind comes to after you read enough of them.
PS. I have nothing against novels from Korea, China, India, or UK, etc. And I'd have no problem enjoying a story taking place in their country.
And as for burning old school books. No, I'd never advocate that. lol I'm simply saying that if the class isn't learing to LOVE reading through them, Light Novels offer a great alternative.
|2009-02-27, 12:04
|Link #44
The Owl of Minerva
Join Date: Apr 2006
Hey Matt, for most part of your reply, you basically have explained what I want to say in a better way :P.
IMO light novels simply have little difference from Japanese bunko for youngsters, that have been existing well before the birth of the term "light novel" or the "light novel publishers." For example, Umi ga Kikoeru is in every way a light novel spiritually, but is classified as a bunko. At the same time, Sherlock Holmes is recognized as a light novel in Japan, but it is hard to fit any light novel stereotypes into it.
So I'd say the focus of the light novel debate is mainly between the technical side and spiritual side. A technical "light novel" is a novel promoted and published as "light novel," regardless of the content. A spiritual "light novel" is one that appears to be a light novel in terms of content, regardless of its origin or pubisher.
The latter is simply too subjective as a formal, exhaustive definition, so I mostly use the former. For example, most Japanese readers would agree that "Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou" is in no way similar to a light novel in terms of content and package: with a serious oil paint cover, no illustrations inside and a story that strikes most reader as a traditional folk tale for children. But since it is published by Dengeki Bunko, most will still agree that technically it is a light novel.
Other examples of titles that cross the blurry border of "light novel" and "ordinary novel" can be found in one of my previous posts. I spent more time writing that so most likely it is more coherent and you can see where I come from, especially on my viewpoint that why being "Japanese" and being published by "light novel publishers" are the only two definite characteristics of any technically recognized light novel.
You may scream DUH for the "Japanese-ness" characteristic, but the said characteristics is essentially equivalent to saying that "anime is Japanese animation, which differs from other kinds of animation because it is made in Japan with unique Japanese cultural traces". No one screams at the latter definition though . As stupid as it sounds, it is at least accurate.
But then getting too obsessed with technical details and accuracy is in no way useful in explaining a less-than-well-known phenomenon to the general public. It is like saying Newton's law is completely useless by quoting results you gathered at quantum level. So I tried to include some external views, including some glaring stereotypes, after emphasising the more accurate definitions.
Basically, every characteristic both of us have put forward, except the two technical definitions, are easily refutable, but it doesn't automatically means that they are completely useless.
For example, it is equally easy to find examples of serious literate LN and just-for-fun colloquial LN, though for 10 random LN you can get from a book store, most likely 3 or less will be in serious prose. (Try the classics in the early 20th century to see what non-colloquial works should be like.) It is easy to state ad hoc views like "LN can be philosophical or non-philosophical, literate or colloquial, wordy or non-wordy...". But no matter how accurate it is, it is not exactly helpful to those who have no idea of what the whole "light novel" fuss is.
Therefore, to make my explanation to Mystique less abstract and more "useable", I shamelessly quoted from Wikipedia ZH as I stated, which in itself is by no means exhaustive or highly accurate. For accuracy's sake, I included a cover-my-a*s note (which apparently is not on anyone's radar ^^; ) stating that there are more and more exceptions that deviate from the less-than-perfect list. So direct your dissatisfaction to Wikipedia .
Indeed, I even suggested Kino no Tabi as a starter read, and any Kino reader knows that they can rebut any light novel stereotype with so much ease. As for the so-called "unlike your average teenage fantasy", it is simply a response to Mystique's question of "how is it different from any random teenage fantasy." Again, check my previous post for more serious arguments. For a seasoned LN reader like you, I would appreciate if you could comment more on that post. It is much easier for me to have a more intelligent discussion with you on the definition of light novels, when I don't need to be bound by some watered-down stuff meant for newbies .
It may be a bit out of topic, but a number of professionals in the industry have recently suggested that after the rapid expansion in the last decade, LN has reached its peak, and it is both "the best of times" and "the worst of times" for the whole light novel industry. Try to put yourself into their own shoes and see the whole industry by a macro view. You may start to understand their joys, their worries, as well as my viewpoints on what light novel "was", "is", and "to be" based on that.
Anyway thanks for your time and effort in explaining what a light novel really is. Too bad that English is not my first language, and I have to apologize if there are times that my prose becomes too clumsy and difficult to understand.
Last edited by Doraneko; 2009-02-27 at 13:07.
|2009-02-27, 17:29
|Link #45
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Where I am, what more do you need to know?
lol, ok.
But it is true, Light Novels are really hard to accuratly describe.
However, it is not true for some people to simply say that the term 'Light Novel' is useless. Hardly.
Just like "short-story" and "novella" and "novel" are all technical terms used in literacy to describe works. So is "Light Novel" a new and emerging term, however more ambiguious.
Sometimes I wonder if the only thing that makes a light novel a light novel is its "anime illustrations, short paragraph style, and imaginative storyline."
Remember though, its the AUTHORS who chose to be published as a light novel. It was the authors who WANTED to have it as a light novel. So in essence, the publisher has nothing to do with this, because its the original author who saw the vision of what his/her book should become. These writers understood what they were writing was a "light novel", and all the publisher did was agree with their assesment.
However, the art should never imply a lack in literature value. For one thing, a good light novel can be read without illustrations and be just as great. For one thing, the writer writing it doesnt have illustrations, and the publisher who accepts it has to read it without illustrations. So essentially, illustrations simply add another dimension to the reading experience by allowing a visual component to enter into the equation.
It's marketing, yes, but its not marketing to MAKE it a light novel, but rather to have it appeal to non-light novel readers. However, again, like the other series, did it have internal illustrations, and were these kept in the other editions?
In terms of literature, your right. There are small differences, but nothing truly amazing. Its simply a different way of writing a story, but otherwise, its still just a unique novel. Depending on the book, it can have great literary value.
But anyone who calls Shakespear's works crap, simply because of the difference in writing style, is very wrong to do so. Just like light novels have differences in writing style, in Shakespear's time, his plays were in a different writing style, but at the time they were published, it was normal. So you have to be able to appreciate the different writing styles of all writers from all parts of the globe and time.
You mention scrapping the anime covers, but um, lol, you can only do that in Japan. In america, we don't have those slip covers like they have for paperback novels in Japan, so you can't scrap the anime covers. lol
There, I replied to your points in your previous post. ^_^
|2009-02-28, 06:27
|Link #46
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: God only knows
That would be awsomeness!
|2009-02-28, 09:40
|Link #47
The Owl of Minerva
Join Date: Apr 2006
Thanks for your reply, Matt
A writer's bargaining power is based on a number of factors, but mainly lies on their fame (and the sales figures that come with it). For a fledging writer, with no previously published work before and having knocked the door of every publisher to get their work published, very few of them would have a strong opinion on which shelf they want their work to be on.
After a moderately successful first publication, the writer will become a member of the publisher's team of writers. Subsequent publications are made with the input by the editors on the general theme, plot and other elements they deem necessary. It is very similar to the manga scene and unlike the Western novel scene.
Less than successful first publications can make a writer shelved, or in some case, turn them into those that specialize at writing for the ideas of someone else. Again this is very much like the manga scene, where some mangaka has to wait for enough fame and popularity before graduating from the period of drawing someone else's story. FYI, the more traditional LN labels, like Dengeki Bunko, were initially specialized at making novelizations of games.
It is only when a writer has gained significant recognition in the market and commands a good size of followers, that they will start to gain more bargaining power on the format of their publication, plot, number of volumes to be released, as well as the illustrator of choice. Btw it is highly competitive to find Yasu as your illustrator. If you are successful in getting Yasu drawings in your book, either the editors really love your work or you already have a nice number of regular readers.
The only way to guarantee your work to be published on a LN label is to enter one of the LN competitions and get an award. For example, Arigawa's "Sio no Machi" (of the SDF series) won the Dengeki Competition and was therefore published as a LN (yea it has illustrations inside). It is the only LN Arigawa has ever written. All subsequent works are published as regular novels (with no illustrations inside).
It is not to say that Arigawa must be sad about that. Given her current widespread fame, it is on her full discretion to decide whether to publish something as a LN or not. But so far her only LN is her debut work. It may be interesting to note that the re-releases of "Sio no Machi" is by the format of hardcover regular novel, so getting the LN is probably a bit difficult.
Also, there is still a weird and widespread thinking in Japan that LN is inferior to regular novels even though the situation is getting much better than before. It is not so different from the way Japanese rejects late-night anime while embraces late-night TV dramas. Indeed, many talented writers use LN as a stepping stone because of the lower entry barrier and later shift their focus to regular novels. Some later develop their field of specialization in the regular novel world, like children literature, science fiction or love dramas. But thanks to their positive influence on the contemporary novel field, the general public is getting more and more comfortable with LN.
You may find it weird that Japanese bookstores offer paper/plastic book covers for your newly purchased books, but they exist for a reason ^^; .
Anyway IMO most authors would love to see their works reaching a greater number of audience. The LN crowd, however large may be, is still a droplet in the vast sea of the general reading public. This explains why so many LN authors, if given the chance, gladly focus more on regular novels.
I personally enjoy the illustrations a lot and totally agree that it adds an extra dimension to the story. Some of my hardcore friends go as far as picking LN base on illustrator but not writers o.0 . However, unlike visual novels, light novels can exist independently without illustrations, without disrupting the flow of story or lower the legibility. To a certain extent, "with illustration" is a LN feature catering to the younger ones who appreciate illustrations, while "without illustrations" is another feature catering to the older ones who love sophisticated stories but get embarrassed with anime-style drawings. Adding illustrations simply for capturing the teenage market is registered as a gimmick in my dictionary.
Indeed my whole point of calling cover arts and illustrations as gimmicks is to explain to Yaulen that LN stories can exist on its own merit and should be judged by such. There is no reason to reject LN as "elementary stories" just because its way of presentation is different from its Western counterparts.
Back to the book, notice that the first two are published by Fujimi. The last one is by Kadokawa. There is also a manga but it is out of today's scope of discussion
Sakuraba started her writer career as a LN writer in 1999 by winning in the Famitsu Entertainment Award Novel Category. Since then she had been writing purely LN for a number of years. After gaining more recognition by "GOSICK" in 2003, she published "A Loli or a bullet" which marks her shift of specialization from LN to regular novels. She has not written any LN ever since except the GOSICK sequels. But her popularity in the regular novel field has been rising continuously, contributing her to win the Naoki award, one of the top novel awards in Japan.
Considering such a scenario, you can easily tell before publishing "A Loli or a Bullet," her bargaining power is not exactly high. But how come she can make such a change with a single book? Scrap the cutesy shoujo cover, big-eye illustrations and the fussy title, and you will get a surreal and shocking story of murder and torturing: a complete departure from all her previous works. She also employed a unique technique of presentation to heighten the atmosphere. This book defined her uniqueness and appeal, helped to her to gain popularity outside the otaku niche and transformed her into a veteran writer. The very same writing technique is also employed in her Naoki-Award-novel "Watashi no Otoko."
So after all these stuff, anyone can see her uber level of bargaining power. As her agreement with Fujimi has lapsed this year, she brought the rights of "A Loli or a Bullet" to Kadokawa. Her choice, as you have already known, is to re-release it as a bunko, without illustrations of course.
Sorry for the long story .
Light novels, being tailor-made to cater to a more specific segment with high purchasing power etc otaku, tend to bring more revenue in a shot term. Indeed it is relatively easy for the publihsers to adjust their marketing strategies, like creating buzz by some 2ch post or otaku events: cost little but effective. It is also safer in a sense, because poor story quality can be offset by illustrations, especially if the illustrator is a famous one.
To the authors, however, I guess most of them would like their work to reach the greatest number of readers possible in order to enhance the chance of each perfect book-reader match. They will also like the complete freedom in writing what they truly want to write. They derive their joy from recognition and reader's support instead of merely profit. Therefore, if given chance, most of them will gladly shift their direction to the regular novel field.
The conflicting interests of these two parties are one of the factors shaping the current landscape of the industry. But scrapping all the fancy marketing stuff, packaging and politics away, what you get is a book written for young readers. Its future success still largely depends on the quality of the content.
That is the very reason why I have always been emphasizing that we should treat each LN as just another conventional Japanese novel, and judge it by its own merit instead of the category of label it is currently sorted under. Labels, publishers and classifications are bound to change, but a story with quality can transcend all these changes and deliver.
I simply can't think of another objective way to technically define a light novel aside from the label it is under.
(OOT: Trust me, you can't go wrong with any book by Kougyoku . She's simply amazing as a writer beyond words . No frills, no gimmicks, just the traditional way of using well written plots and prose to move anyone to tears. If the Dengeki team is so confident to decide that no packaging is necessary to attract the otaku crowd, you can as well feel safe give a try.)
Last edited by Doraneko; 2009-02-28 at 10:07.
|2009-02-28, 15:34
|Link #48
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Where I am, what more do you need to know?
I am confused regarding what you have to say regarding authors in Japan having no control how their work is published?
I have a hard time believing this true....<_<
As I understand it, a writer no matter who he goes through has COMPLETE control over how his work is published. Even if hes totally unknown.
If a publisher believes his work will be good as a published book, then that writer is in control of how it is published.
For one thing, Dengeki Publishes both light novels and normal novel correct?
Well as any writer will tell you, and a publisher, each of the two publishign divisions of Dengeki will probably have seperate publishing submision forms that go to each individual section.
In other words, if they recieve a submission in LN division, thats because the writer wants it as a LN and the publisher, if they want to publish this author, will do so as a LN. But if its sent to the other normal novel division, the publisher knows to publish this as a normal novel.
The exception is if a publisher believes the story is not LN material or normal Novel material.
But as far as I know, in almost any culture that publishes novels, a writer is in full control.
And yes, I realize that most of the time, illustrators are chosen by publishers, but were not talking about them, this is about the writers.
Point is, the writer chooses which division to send the novel to, and depending where it arrives, that division will publish it as what they publish (either LN or Normal Novel).
|2009-02-28, 20:35
|Link #49
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
A fairly good number of LN labels target the otaku too, and therefore also include the sort of content already mentioned. Imagine the embarrassment of being seen on the street reading a book with a loli on the cover; I would need one of those paper/plastic book covers you mentioned too then
|2009-02-28, 23:48
|Link #50
The Owl of Minerva
Join Date: Apr 2006
Well I have lived and worked in Japan and outside Japan. In my home country people simply don't give a sh*t on what you are reading as long as it is not porn. Attaching book covers on your book will only make you look silly, girliy and like a primary school kid.
On the other hand. People don't give a sh*t if you read porn magazines on Japanese trains, but if you openly read some moe LN without book cover, good luck to you.
At least don't let your colleagues see you, or else you will be the next topic of jokes and laughters in the office.
Buying LN from Japanese bookshops is a pain too . I don't want to get into the details, but the fact is that most Japanese otaku get their monthly dose of LN through online shops.
On the other hand, I have to get LN from specialized shops in my home country. The otaku salesgirls are so open that they will say "oh it seems like you like lolis! Btw we have a new 18X loli game, wanna give a try?"
Weird or not, it is simply a different way of thinking that there is no way except accepting it.
|2009-03-01, 00:38
|Link #51
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Land of the rising sun
The publisher gains publishing rights and holds control on how it will be marketed and/or which label it will be published under .
The publisher also retains management rights of the author and demands exclusivity of their works before anything is published. That is why novels are mostly grouped by publishers and not authors.
This is because most authors are discovered through writing contests. The winners are given a chance to have their work published but within the contract it also limits the right of the author and certain rights are transfered to the publisher in exchange of publishing. Author applying for a contest is also required to waiver their right to the applied work they presented for the contest so the author is required to forfeit the right to have the applied work if he decides not to sign the contract. It's all written within the terms and condition of any writing contest sponsored by a publisher.
Both publishing rights and management rights can be bought back by the author but with a high price.
|2009-03-01, 01:43
|Link #52
The Owl of Minerva
Join Date: Apr 2006
Tri-ring has explained the LN system perfectly. Indeed it is really more like the manga/record scene and is radically different from the Western novel scene.
A Japanese writer can of course send his work to whatever contest he likes. But in the process, it is possible that he has also unwillingly relinquished a portion of his rights (terms can be nasty in novel competitions). Until the writer becomes famous with enough bargaining power and the initial terms expire, the publisher makes most of the ultimate decisions regarding the work. Of course, out of courtesy, they will consult the original writer and get his opinions first. But how much these opinions weigh in the whole equation is another matter.
One of the ways to retain your full control is to set up your own publishing house and LN label. fund the cost and do all the marketing on your own. But that is too far-fetched for any newbie writer who just want his story to reach the public.
|2009-03-02, 09:49
|Link #54
The Owl of Minerva
Join Date: Apr 2006
Maybe back to the topic of light novel recommendations... ^^;;
I have always been wondering if there is any decent book club online with an emphasis on Japanese light novels.
Say, participants can choose a certain light novel at the start of the week/month, and they can then discuss the content in depth in forums or chatrooms.
I would be grateful if anyone can shed some light on this
|2009-03-05, 09:40
|Link #55
I just want to thank Doraneko for mentioning this wonderful title in one of his posts. I wouldn't have given it a second thought if I haven't seen it on your post. Well, The cover art was done with an oil pastel (maybe paint) and there aren't any illustrations. I'd confess that I tend to buy new light novels by the cover art for most of the time. Then, I'd go check the plot summary and see if it suit my tastes. Upon picking up this title, I told myself that I'd see if only words were enough to move me...and yeah, It did. Deeply too. n_n
ミミズクと夜の王 (Mimizuku [Great Horned Owl] and the king of the night)
by Kougyoku Izuki
Plot summary:
Tears flowed from my eyes as I read the last chapters. I'd say it was great reading it, and I would be confident to recommend it to the light novel readers. Definitely one of my favorites now. n_n
|2009-03-05, 11:45
|Link #56
The Owl of Minerva
Join Date: Apr 2006
My pleasure to spread the love towards Kougyoku's stories :P.
Mimizuku is a unique specie in the light novel world. On a shelf full of light novels with cute and attractive covers, it may look incredibly plain at a glance. But frankly it is one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read.
Despite the story being relatively simple and short when compared with many popular light novel series, you can feel the author's painstaking efforts and love in crafting the characters and giving them true emotions. Kougyoku spends as much as one year on each book she has released: an incredibly slow turnover rate indeed in the LN industry. However this may also be a contributing factor to the high standard of quality prevalent in all of her works.
Mimizuku is the first book in her man-eater series. The second one in the series is MAMA, and the last one is 雪蟷螂 (Yukikamakiri) which was just released a few weeks ago.
MAMA is as good as Mimizuku and I would sincerely recommend it to you. As for 雪蟷螂, I haven't got it yet, but the readers' comments are overwhelmingly positive. I very much look forward to reading it.
Btw it is interesting that Kougyoku's books are incrementally moving closer and closer to the general "light novel style" in terms of appearance.
Mimizuku: a complete departure from the norm, with no illustrations inside and an oil painting covers.
MAMA: comes with a stylish cover with slight manga influence, a colour foldup with anime style drawings, and no illustrations between pages.
Yukikamakiri: comes with a cover that screams light novel. Readers report that there are pretty good illustrations inside too.
With a "normal" cover and no illustrations, Mimizuku can easily lure booklovers in the general public who enjoy well-written and moving stories to enter the light novel world. Incremental increases in light novel features can disarm their stubborn resistance towards light novels. After finishing the whole series, most of them should have been "converted."
Well, seems like every single step in the light novel publishing business is highly strategical .
|2009-03-06, 06:51
|Link #57
Oh yeah, more Kougyoku Izuki titles! XD
I'd be more than happy to go for them n_n (goes to my favorite net-shop to order)
I agree that Mimizuku would be perfect for persons who doesn't like much of the usual light novel titles. It would give them something else to think about.
|2009-03-07, 13:28
|Link #58
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: God only knows
Im starting to like this theard.
Very soon, i will (try ) to write a recommendation about my 3 current favourite novels, which i have in my shelf. Sadly, uptill now, these are the only novels(and some mangas) i have and i want increase the number.
Later on, perhaps some of you people, who seem to know a lot novels and a lot about novels, could give me some suggestions.
|2009-03-07, 13:42
|Link #59
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Dying to get back to Japan (but currently near Chicago)
Age: 30
I'll definitely have to check out Kougyoku Izuki's titles as they're receiving so much praise. Maybe these'll be the novels that allow me to expand away from just anime related novels.
|2009-03-08, 05:53
|Link #60
There are some interesting titles that've already been introduced, like Ore no Imouto, Gosick, C^3, Mimizuku, etc. I bet they're great stuff to add to your collections.
|light novels
|Thread Tools


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Osagie Imasogie GL'85
Adjunct Professor of Law
Senior Managing Partner, Phoenix IP Ventures
Osagie has over 28 years of experience in the fields of law, finance and business management, healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry. Prior to co-founding Phoenix IP Ventures, an IP based Merchant Bank, Osagie conceptualized and established GlaxoSmithKline Ventures and was its founding Vice President. Osagie led GSK Ventures in concluding over thirty (30) worldwide transactions, within a 3 year period, in which he invested various GSK R&D non-progressed assets into various companies and/or as the basis of starting new companies.
Prior to this role within GSK, Osagie was a Vice President for Product Development Strategy at SmithKline Beecham. Prior to this role at SmithKline, Osagie was the Founding Senior Vice President for Business Development and General Counsel at Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc., a multi-Billion publicly traded specialist pharmaceutical company. Osagie previously served as a DuPont Merck Vice President for International Sales and Marketing and General Counsel to DuPont Merck's International, Manufacturing and Generic Drug Divisions. Osagie has also been a Price Waterhouse Corporate Finance Partner and the Partner-in-Charge for PW Corporate Finance activities for West Africa as well as a practicing attorney with a leading US Law Firm in the fields of corporate, corporate finance, taxation and intellectual property law.
Most recently, Osagie was a co-Founder and former President, CEO and Chairman of Ception Therapeutics. Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel products to address unmet medical needs. Osagie was also the Founder of Trigenesis Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing pharmaceutical products for the dermatological market which he sold to a publicly traded pharmaceutical company. Osagie is Chairman of the Board of Directors of iCeutica Pharmaceuticals, Inc. as well as Iroko Pharmaceuticals LLC. In addition, he serves on the Board of StoneRidge Investment Partners, a Money Management Firm with over $300MM under management. Osagie is also the Chairman of the Advisory Board for Quoin Capital, a Philadelphia based, full service Investment Bank.
In addition, Osagie is a member of the Board of Overseers of the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Osagie is also the 2008 recipient of the Penn Law School Alumni Award of Merit. For six years (2000-2005), Osagie was Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the International House of Philadelphia. Osagie is also a member of the Wilson Council of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington DC, in addition to a number of other non-for-profit organizations and institutions such as the Philadelphia Orchestra. Osagie also served as a Senior Consultant to the President's Emergency Plan For Aids Relief (PEPFAR), a unique initiative by the United States Government to have a direct, positive impact in the fight against the global Aids epidemic by committing, at that time, over a five-year period, $15 Billion and a multifaceted approach to combating HIV/AIDS.
Osagie holds post-graduate degrees from the London School of Economics and the University of Pennsylvania Law School, is a member of the New York State Bar. In addition, Osagie is the I Grant Irey Adjunct Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School where he teaches a seminar on "Intellectual Property and National Economic Value Creation".

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UPMC Montefiore was founded as Montefiore Hospital in 1908, thanks to the efforts of the Ladies Hospital Aid Society (LHAS). The LHAS recognized that Pittsburgh needed a hospital where Jewish physicians would be welcome to practice, where Jewish patients could be cared for with dignity and understanding, and where the achievements of Jewish health care could be extended to everyone. From its inception, Montefiore welcomed patients of all faiths and races.
Among the milestones in the history of Montefiore are the construction of the hospital at its present site in 1929 – again with generous support from the LHAS; the second clinical allergy laboratory in the world, in the 1930s; and the first school for medical technologists in western Pennsylvania, founded in 1938. In the 1940s, Montefiore became one of the first hospitals to use "wonder drugs" like penicillin and streptomycin, and its electroencephalograph department was the first in western Pennsylvania when it opened in the 1950s. In 1957, Montefiore Hospital affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and became an important site for training new physicians. In 1990, Montefiore joined UPMC.
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Pseudopod 368: Short & Nasty
"Short and Nasty" was first published in OBSESSIONS edited by Gary Raisor in 1991. It is in his collection TRANSIENTS AND OTHER DISQUIETING STORIES (1993) and was also reprinted in 100 CREEPY LITTLE CREATURE STORIES (ed. Stefan Dziemianowicz, Robert Weinberg, and Martin H. Greenberg (1994)). "While the characters bear no resemblance to persons living or dead, the settings are quite real. The Philadelphia transit system is pretty creepy at night. My friend Lee Weinstein used to live in the house described in the story. But he has moved up in the world and out of that neighborhood long since."
DARRELL SCHWEITZER is a 4-time World Fantasy Award nominee and one-time winner, as co-editor of WEIRD TALES, a position he held for 19 years. He has also edited anthologies, including CTHULHU'S REIGN (2010), THE SECRET HISTORY OF VAMPIRES (2007), FULL MOON CITY (with Martin Greenberg, 2010), and THAT IS NOT DEAD (PS Publishing, forthcoming). He is the author of about 300 published stories, which have been collected in many volumes, two of the most recent of which are THE EMPEROR OF THE ANCIENT WORD and ECHOES OF THE GODDESS (both from Wildside Press) and the novels THE WHITE ISLE, THE SHATTERED GODDESS, and THE MASK OF THE SORCERER. He has also written much non-fiction, including books about H.P. Lovecraft and Lord Dunsany. Upcoming books include, SPEAKING OF HORROR II (a collection of interviews) from Wildside, THE DARRELL SCHWEITZER MEGAPACK (e-book collection, from Wildside), a revised version of LORD DUNSANY: A BIBLIOGRAPHY (with ST Joshi) from Scarecrow Press, and, in 2014 or 2015, PS Publishing is to publish a two-volume retrospective collection of his short fiction.
Your reader this week – George Hrab would like you all to check out The Geologic Podcast and George Hrab.com
"That was the old way, Henry, when we were young. Remember?
When we two were in college together, when everybody else was reading Hermann Hesse, we were heavily "into" Gothic novels – Monk Lewis, Mrs. Radcliffe, and the ever prolific Anonymous – the early Romantics, De Quincey, Byron, Keats, Mary Shelley – in short anybody who seemed suitably exquisite, melancholy, and doomed for Art's sake.
Remember how we used to try to top each other's affectations, just for the fun of it, the outrageous, frilly clothes, the sweeping gestures, the dialogue never heard outside of a bad costume flick: 'I say, old chap, I think I shall take up opium. It's so frightfully decadent.
'I much prefer laudanum, old bean. The visions of Hell are much more vivid that way.'
Neither of us could have fooled a real Briton for a minute, by the way. Our accents were pure college theater. I suppose most of our classmates just thought we were gay.
Ah, with a sweeping sigh. We had joy; we had fun; we had seasons in the crypt."


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The Subtle Body Practice Manual
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Cyndi Dale's The Subtle Body has become the go-to reference guide for anyone who wants to learn about the many varieties of energy healing. With The Subtle Body Practice Manual, she offers an equally valuable resource: a practical instruction manual for putting energy healing into action. Filled with lucid information, step-by-step guidance, diagrams, and key insights, here is an expansive how-to manual that covers practices from a vast range of holistic healing and energy medicine traditions, including:
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"In My Mailbox" is a meme, created by Kristi at The Story Siren, that features books I have
Guess what lovelies? Spring is in a few weeks! EEP. Can't wait to go out again in the warm sun *sigh*. This week was pretty busy here on the blog. Zombie month is over and I hope you all enjoyed the fabulous zombie posts. March is already starting with a bang: have you all seen the gorgeous Black City cover reveal? You can even read the 1st chapter, AND win an ARC: Click here! It's even open internationally so that's pretty awesome – big thanks to Penguin Books for Young Readers. I also revealed the cover for Karice Bolton's upcoming New Adult book – Lonely Souls. Check it out!
In other Xpresso news; in case you missed it, The Weeping blog tour dropped by on Tuesday for an awesome dream cast, my review and a chance to win a SIGNED copy – have a look! As for future tours, you can look forward to April 23rd when I'll have the Siege tour dropping by. This is the 3rd book in Rhiannon Frater's As The World Dies zombie trilogy, which is an incredible series that you REALLY have to read! You can read my glowing review on the first book here. Well, that's all for highlights this week. Moving on to my mailbox!
I just finished it too and it's awesome!
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- Fresh Batch (July 29th – August 4th) - July 28, 2018


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Hello Fred, Your site is VERY helpful, Thank You! One basic question for you: my assistant was researching the various companies and they led her to believe that Virtual PBX (non-VoIP) requires high-speed internet constant connection of a computer at our location to make this happen. We will be moving to an area which may not have high-speed internet available to us (yes there are still a few of these locations in the world!), although we do have Verizon internet cards what is viagra made of, or will have satellite if high-speed cable is not available. It appears there is a dashboard in each VirtualPBX system which of course would require a descent internet speed. But, the companies led her to believe that it what is viagra made of would be our computer that controls the actions of the call (which sounds like hosted PBX to me) and that for this system to work, high speed internet is required. Could you set us straight? Would [what is viagra made of] we need a computer at our main location at all? And if we do, what does "our" computer do? Any help you can offer is GREATLY appreciated. What is viagra made of all my best, thyrahi thyra, the only time you would need a high-speed connection is if you are using voip technology instead of a landline or cell phone to talk to someone. While VirtualPBX offers a package that provides voip, it is not required AND most people do not use it. You will need a computer to configure the account, view reports, etc. but some people rarely use the online account once it's set up. Me for example – I set my RingCentral account up and now I rarely need to go on the website for anything. I might access the website once every two months. The only downside to having a dialup connection is if you have voicemail messages sent to your email. If there is a large recorded file it may take a while to download to your machine, but it will still work. The only thing you would need a computer on a daily basis would be if you are going to use ACD queuing. VirtualPBX has intelligent queuing which requires "operators" to log in and update their status to "available"; however, you can do that without a high speed connection. Hope that helps! Fred


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College of Arts & Humanities
The Lander University Department of Music will present a holiday concert, "Christmas in Song and Ceremony," at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 29, in the Josephine B. Abney Cultural Center Auditorium. Admission is free and open to the public; doors will open 30 minutes before curtain time.
The University Singers, under the direction of Lander associate professor of music Dr. Chuck Neufeld, will open the concert with Randol Alan Bass's setting of "The Gloria," a piece that was premiered by the New York Pops Orchestra and has been recorded by the Boston Pops under the baton of Keith Lockhart.
The University Singers will also be performing Alice Parker's "Personnent Hodie," from a very famous set of six Latin carols called "Gaudete." Both pieces feature Amy Blackwood, Lander's new collaborative pianist.
Old Main Singers, also under Neufeld's direction, will be featured in the middle of the concert, performing Benjamin Britten's "Ceremony of Carols," with accompaniment by Joyce Fankhauser on harp. "Ceremony of Carols" is a group of Middle English Christmas carols that were set to music by Britten during World War II. The choir and the harp engage in intricate interplay in many of the songs, which include carols of enunciation, lullabies, a martial hymn, a carol of thanksgiving, and a harp solo.
The University Singers will close the concert with well-known Christmas music, including "Fum, Fum, Fum," "The Jesus Gift" and "Silent Night."


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CARMA open house this Saturday
CARMA, the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy facility east of Big Pine, will be holding its annual and much-anticipated Open House on Saturday, June 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Located on Westgard Pass about 13 miles east of Big Pine, CARMA is the Northern Hemisphere's largest millimeter-wave radio observatory. Astronomers from all over the world use the facility to make cutting-edge observations and study such diverse topics as the formation of stars and planetary systems, the dynamics of galaxies, and the evolution of galaxy clusters in the distant universe.
The Open House is a unique opportunity to view CARMA's state-of-the-art telescopes and control facilities, as well as displays of recent scientific results. Scientists, who will also be available to answer questions and explain their own research, will lead tours of the site. Reservations for the Open House are not needed. Refreshments will be served free of charge.
CARMA is located just off Hwy 168, about 13 miles east of U.S. 395. A sign will be posted at the access road to the CARMA site, just east of the road to the Bristlecone Pine Forest. (Note: No events will be held at the Owens Valley Radio Observatory. Do not turn onto Leighton Lane.)
For information, call 760-938-2075 to speak with Dr. Mark Hodges (x109) or Dr. Stephen Muchovej (x130).


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Jenneth Mkhawana is a Community Health Advocate working for TAC in Mopani District under Dan/Nkowa-Nkowa area. She is assisting Sesana Seoka, who is using a wheel chair to apply for an ID Book. Because she is applying for this without a birth certificate, no short cut, she have to start by applying for birth certificate. This is called Late Registration of Birth. Now she has completed first part of her application.
Here is a link to the Newsletter of TAC Mopani District
This is Mopani District's first newsletter, it intends to cover some of the work TAC Mopani has conducted since March 2009. The highlights includes: Resources for Health March in Giyani and how TAC Mopani has mobilised, The successes of the Prevention Treatment Literacy Program and Community Health Advocacy Program


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STAMFORD, Conn. – Greenwich resident Linda McMahon, former chief executive officer of Stamford-based World Wrestling Entertainment, was selected as this year's recipient of the Prescott Bush Award, the Connecticut Republican Party's highest honor.
State GOP Chairman Jerry Labriola Jr. made the announcement Tuesday. The award will be presented at the annual Prescott Bush Dinner, the largest annual event hosted by the state GOP. McMahon was the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2010 and 2012.
The 36th Annual Prescott Bush Awards Dinner will take place on April 10 at the Stamford Hilton Hotel. Gov. Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida and a grandson of Prescott Bush, will be the keynote speaker. Prescott Bush, who lived in Greenwich, was the father of President George H.W. Bush and grandfather of President George W. Bush.
"Linda McMahon has shown tremendous leadership, both as a candidate herself and as a tireless advocate for Republicans at all levels of local, state and federal government," Labriola said. "Her experience creating, building and running a business has helped shine a light on the need for government to help, not hinder, the creation of jobs in order to help our state and our economy prosper."
Since leaving the campaign trail, McMahon has continued to support Republican candidates across Connecticut and the country. She has also shared her insights and experience as a CEO to educate small business owners and future entrepreneurs; and she has drawn attention to the need for more women in leadership, both in government and in business. She has been active in philanthropy.
McMahon stepped down at WWE in 2009 to run for the U.S. Senate. McMahon helped WWE grow from a 13-person operation to a publicly traded global enterprise with more than 700 employees.
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Friday, August 08, 2008
Friday Funnies - Justin Marshall does a Hollywood
It hasn't been the funniest of weeks for Rugbydump, or even in the world of rugby, so we'll go back in time a little bit and revisit an amusing incident from earlier in the season, featuring that man Justin Marshall yet again.
It was January of this year when the Ospreys and Gloucester met at Liberty Stadium in a Heineken Cup played in atrocious conditions. The crowd weren't phased though, and it was cheered on by an 18 000 strong contingent.
Former All Black scrum half Marshall was everywhere on the night, putting in a well deserved Man of the Match performance as he marshalled (I couldn't resist) his troops to a 32-15 win.
His brilliant counter attack run down the right wing set up Nikki Walker, who was stopped well by the covering defence. As Marshall went in to grab the ball, Gloucester flank Peter Buxton came in at the side and hit Marshall just as he was trying to gather the ball.
The subsequent flamboyant Oscar-worthy dive resulted in Buxton being sent to the bin, looking rather angry and feeling hard done by. I don't blame him.
It's funny to watch it now, but this kind of milking of a yellow card is poor. The dive, the hands waving in the air, it's all a bit cynical really.
The good thing about a guy like Justin Marshall though, is that he knows it was outrageous, and he's willing to have a laugh at himself about it, as you can see during this short snippet from a European rugby chat show.
Incidentally, Marshall has recently left the Ospreys, and will be playing for Montpelier in the French Top 14 this season. The league kicks off later this month, with big name players from all corners of the rugby globe being involved, making it one of the most exciting upcoming French seasons for many a year.
On the move, Marshall said: I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Ospreys and in many ways I will be sorry to leave, however, I believe the time is right to move on.
Im now looking forward to my move to Montpellier and the very different challenges that playing rugby in France will offer.
We'll keep an eye on Justin and his antics, and if any other award winning performances are to be put in, we'll be sure to feature them for you, right here on Rugbydump.
Time: 1:18
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Interviews, book reviews, guest blogs, tips, links and the occasional Slightly Scary Story. WARNING: Some cursing and adult content found in the short stories.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Torn Asunder, by Amy Grech
Torn Asunder
500 word short by Amy Grech
Shelia Kiernan's come to a head when Robert, her husband of seven years showers. His iPhone won't stop beeping, so she while he's no doubt rubbing one out, she grabs his phone from the nightstand and swipes through his text messages. Her jaw drops when she sees hundreds sexts from Mellanie Montgomery, his Physician's Assistant. An extremely successful Cosmetic Plastic Surgeon with a Park Avenue office in Manhattan, his day ofen starts at 6:00 a.m. and often ends at 10:00 p.m.
She comes to bed dressed in her silky red teddy, brown curls caress her shoulders; her husband reclines in bed busy with his iPhone, tucked in, all warm and toasty. She slides reaches under the comforter.
"I'm not interested! Can't you see I'm busy?!" Robert, a fiery redhead, grabs her arm and clamps down with a vice-like grip.
"You're hurting me!" She drops the comforter and stands frozen at the foot of the bed, like a statue.
"You asked for it!"
Shelia rolls her eyes.
"While you're up, make yourself useful and bring me a nightcap. Dewar's, on the rocks." Robert scowls.
She storms out of the room, grabbing her bottle of Ambien from the bathroom medicine cabinet on her way to the full bar in the living room. Shelia sighs, reaches for a frosted highball glass from the shelf, takes some ice from the mini-fridge, and plunks the cubes in. Clink! She takes four pills from the bottle, slams them down on the bar. Raising the glass, as if making a toast, an overdue farewell. The highball glass collides with the bar, pulverizing the pills into a powder blue haze. Shelia gently lifts the glass and sweeps the remnants in.
A Hooters matchbook, real classy, sits on the remarkably cold, black marble next to Robert's precious Dewar's. Shelia pours Scotch over ice, smiling for the first time in months. A quick stir with an orange swizzle stick, also from Hooters, helps this potent nightcap lose its murkiness. She takes the matchbook and makes a quick trip to the garage for some lighter fluid.
Drink in hand, Shelia saunter back into the bedroom.
"It's about time. I'm dying of thirst!"
Robert chugs it like a frat boy, wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and puts the empty highball glass next to his phone.
She hands him the drink. "Bottom's up!"
"What's the lighter fluid for?" His eyelids grow heavy; he collapses on the pillow.
Shelia smirks. "I know how much you love barbecue."
She opens the lighter fluid and douses her husband with it before striking the match against the cover; it hisses to life. Shelia tosses it in Robert's lap, which ignites with a whoosh! Bright yellow flames hungrily engulf him; a charbroiled Irish bastard gets his just desserts.
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Never trust a man who gives into his lust!
About the author:
Amy Grech has sold over one hundred stories and three poems to various anthologies and magazines including: Apex Digest, Beat to a Pulp: Hardboiled, Fear on Demand, Funeral Party 2, Inhuman Magazine, Needle Magazine, The Flash Fiction Offensive, The Horror Express, Space & Time, The Brutarian, Zombie CSU, and many others. Damnation Books published her second collection, Blanket of White.
She has a story forthcoming in The Uninvited Magazine, exclusively for the iPad. Amy is an Active Member of the Horror Writers Association who lives in Brooklyn. Visit her website: http://www.crimsonscreams.com. Follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/amy_grech.
15 comments:
- farawayeyes said...
I love it a cheating bastard gets his due.
Draven,I've missed you and the macabre. Glad your back.
- November 24, 2011 at 7:16 AM
- Donna Hole said...
Instant justice; how sweet :)
- November 26, 2011 at 11:16 PM
- S. L. Hennessy said...
Hey, I've awarded you a blog award! Stop by and check it out!
- http://annalisacrawford.blogspot.com/
- November 28, 2011 at 9:48 PM
- S. L. Hennessy said...
Oops, wrong blog address. I meant
- November 28, 2011 at 9:51 PM
- M Pax said...
Creepy story.
Hope your computer is fixed.
- November 30, 2011 at 2:11 PM
- Draven Ames said...
Thank you all for the comments. I am sure Amy will be ecstatic about the positive criticisms.
- November 30, 2011 at 7:09 PM
- Amy Grech said...
So glad everyone is enjoying my twisted tale!
- November 30, 2011 at 7:15 PM
- Regge Ridgway said...
OMG. I am never gonna cheat again. Even on taxes. Scary story Amy. Step away from the matches....
- December 3, 2011 at 4:52 PM
- Amy Grech said...
- December 3, 2011 at 5:59 PM
- L.M. Stull said...
I'm late commenting, but I LOVED this little creepster of a story. Great job, Amy!
Draven, thanks for sharing her wonderful words with us!
- December 6, 2011 at 7:47 AM
- Michael Offutt, Supra-Genius said...
Wow. I'm late finding this but burning a man alive...holy cow. I like the prose but that's gotta suck.
- December 24, 2011 at 10:34 AM
- Wendy Ewurum said...
OMG how chilling....I do wish he had been in his right senses though and knew why. LOL
Nice to see you Draven.
- January 20, 2012 at 2:03 AM
- Jeremy Bates said...
I would have hated to be that guy! A cheater, be it a man or a woman should be dealt with, but murder doesn't atone for that.
Nevertheless, it was a quick read and well done.
- March 26, 2012 at 4:28 PM
- Pat Tillett said...
Yikes! Talk about quick and brutal payback...
- April 7, 2012 at 12:09 PM
I love Amy Grech's work! Happy to have this little gem from her to read!
- May 1, 2012 at 5:18 AM


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LifePath 2040® Fund
The LifePath 2040 Fund from State Farm® is managed for investors who are planning to retire around the year 2040 and begin withdrawing their investments.
Open an Account
Investment Objective
Seeking to maximize assets for retirement or other purposes, the State Farm LifePath 2040 Fund is managed for investors planning to retire (or planning to begin to withdraw a substantial portion of their investment) approximately in the year 2040.
Who Should Invest?
Based strictly on statistical considerations, you would want to invest in the LifePath Fund corresponding to the year when you expect to begin withdrawing your investment (2020, 2030, etc.). If you are willing to assume greater risk in exchange for the possibility of higher returns, you might direct some or all of your assets to a LifePath Fund with a longer time horizon. If you desire a more conservative investment, and are willing to forego some potential returns, you might direct some or all of your assets to a LifePath Fund with a shorter time horizon.
Fund Resources
Risk Spectrum
Types of risk:
Market Risk
Stock prices may fluctuate widely over short or even extended periods in response to company, market, or economic news. Stock markets also tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising stock prices and periods of falling stock prices.
Bond Investment Risk
The risk of fixed-income investing. Although these risks include short-term and prolonged price declines such price declines in the bond market have historically been less severe than stock declines.
Foreign Investing Risk
Investing in foreign securities involves higher trading and custody costs than investing in U.S. companies. Accounting, legal, and reporting practices may be different than in the U.S., and regulation is often less stringent. Potential political or economic instability presents risks, as does the fluctuation in currency exchange rates and the possible imposition of exchange control regulation or currency restrictions that could prevent the conversion of local currencies into U.S. dollars.
Model Risk
Although a model used to manage a fund's assets has been developed and refined over many years, there is no assurance that the recommended allocation will either maximize returns or minimize risks. There is no assurance that a recommended allocation will prove the ideal allocation in all circumstances for every investor with a particular time horizon.
Add a Class to Compare:
Period to View:
Investment return and principal value will fluctuate and your investment, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than its original cost. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Recent performance may be less than the figures shown. Obtain total returns current to the most recent month-end by calling our Mutual Funds Response Center at 800-447-4930.
Total returns are the compounded rate of change in value during a period of investment, including the value of shares acquired through reinvestment of all dividends and of all capital gain distributions for the period. They include all applicable fees and expenses, including: A maximum sales charge of 5.00% for Class A and Premier shares and maximum contingent deferred sales charges on Class B shares of 5% during year one, 4.25% in year two, 3.50% in year three, 2.75% in year four, 2.00% in year five, 1.00% in year six, and 0% in year seven. A maximum contingent deferred sales charges on Legacy Class B shares of 3.00% during year one, 2.75% in years two and three, 2.50% in year four, 2.00% in year five, 1.00% in year six, and 0.00% in year seven. Class B and Legacy Class B shares convert to Class A shares after 8 full years, unless the total value of a shareholder's account(s) is $100,000 or more, then these shares convert to Premier shares. Ten-year returns for Class B and Legacy Class B reflect the applicable conversion to Class A with no additional sales charge. NAV Total Return does not include any initial sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge for any shares and, if reflected, would reduce the performance quoted.
There is no sales charge or 12b-1 fee associated with Institutional Class shares. Class R-1, R-2, and R-3 shares may only be purchased for certain qualified retirement plans as set forth in the prospectus.
Class B shares and Legacy Class B shares are not available for purchase by any investor after 5/1/2015.
Effective for transactions occurring on or after April 1, 2017, State Farm VP Management Corp. will waive receipt of all sales charges disclosed in the Prospectus, and no sales charges disclosed in the Prospectus will apply to transactions occurring on or after April 1, 2017.
State Farm Investment Management Corp., the investment adviser for each fund, has voluntarily agreed to reimburse each fund for certain annual operating expenses. This agreement may be eliminated at any time.
Fund Composition as of: 3/31/2018
The fund data below is as of quarter end unless otherwise noted.
Asset Allocation
|Asset Class
|Underlying Funds
|Fund Holdings
|Large Cap Stocks
|iShares Russell 1000 ETF
|Small Cap Stocks
|iShares Russell 2000 ETF
|International Stocks
|iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF
|Emerging Markets Stocks
|iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF
|Canadian Stocks
|iShares MSCI Canada ETF
|U.S. Real Estate
|iShares Cohen & Steers REIT ETF
|U.S. Bonds
|iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF
|U.S. Inflation-Linked Bonds
|iShares TIPS Bond ETF
|Money Markets
|State Street Government Money Market Fund
Note: Percentages do not include securities lending.
Fund Fees, Expenses, and Charges
Below you will find the fees associated with this fund.
|Class A
Maximum Account Fee
(For certain accounts with balances below $5,000, a quarterly account fee of $10 may be charged.)
Minimum Initial Investment
(does not apply to Tax Qualified Transfer or Rollover money)
| Minimum Additional Investment
(per Fund, per Transaction)
|Maximum Sales Charge
|Capital Gains Distribution
|May be Annually
|Dividend Distribution
|May be Annually
|Gross Expense Ratio
|Net Expense Ratio
Our Objective
Our main objective is to make each of our 15 State Farm Mutual Funds® a competitive and rewarding long-term investment for our shareholders.
Our Investment Advisors
Our investment management structure capitalizes on the strengths, focused attention and knowledge of investment professionals in the internal Investment Department of State Farm. Because we offer a variety of funds, we have chosen to partner with five other asset management organizations.
State Farm LifePath® Funds are advised by State Farm Investment Management Corp. (SFIMC). Each State Farm LifePath Fund invests its assets in a combination of equity (including real estate investment trusts) and bond exchange traded funds and a money market fund (the "Underlying Funds") in proportion to the Fund's own comprehensive investment strategy. BlackRock Fund Advisors ("BFA") serves as the sub-advisor to the LifePath Funds and selects investments for the Fund.
BlackRock Fund Advisors (BFA)
Since 1988, BFA has been one of the world's preeminent asset management firms and a premier provider of global investment management, risk management, and advisory services to institutional, intermediary, and individual investors around the world.
Quick Facts
- BlackRock has $6.3 trillion in assets as of 3/31/2018.
- The firm employs some 100 investment teams in 27 countries around the world, including North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and Africa.
Risk Disclosures
Investing involves risk, including potential for loss.
LifePath Funds are target-date portfolios whose investment objectives are adjusted over time to be more conservative as the target date (date the investor plans to start withdrawing their funds) approaches. The principal value of the fund(s) is not guaranteed at any time, including at the target date.
An investment in the Money Market Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Although the Fund seeks to preserve the value of your investment at $1.00 per share, it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund.
Diversification does not assure a profit or protect against loss.
Income may be subject to state and local taxes and (if applicable) the Alternative Minimum Tax.
Mutual Funds Disclosure
Automatic investment plans do not assure a profit or protect against loss.
Neither State Farm® nor its agents provide tax or legal advice.
It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
State Farm VP Management Corp. is a separate entity from those State Farm entities which provide banking and insurance products.
As of June 2, 2010, additional fees may apply to certain accounts with balances less than $5000.
Each State Farm LifePath Fund invests its assets in a combination of equity (including real estate investment trusts) and bond exchange traded funds and a money market fund (the "Underlying Funds") in proportion to the Fund's own comprehensive investment strategy. BlackRock Fund Advisors ("BFA") serves as the sub-advisor to the LifePath Funds and selects investments for the Fund. State Farm Investment Management Corp. (SFIMC) is the investment advisor to the State Farm LifePath Funds. State Farm VP Management Corp. (SFVPMC) is the distributor of the State Farm LifePath Funds. Neither SFIMC nor SFVPMC are affiliated with BFA or its affiliates.
BFA is a wholly owned subsidiary of BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. ("BTC"). Neither BTC nor its affiliates are affiliated with SFIMC or SFVPMC.
BlackRock Fund Advisors ("BFA") is the investment sub-advisor to the S&P 500® Index Fund, the Small Cap Index Fund, and the International Index Fund.
Ascensus provides recordkeeping and administrative services for 401(k) retirement plans offered by State Farm Investment Management Corp.
Net Asset Value (NAV) is calculated by adding all of the assets of a Fund, subtracting the Fund's liabilities, then dividing by the number of outstanding shares.
The Russell 2000® Index tracks the common stock performance of the 2,000 smallest U.S. companies in the Russell 3000 Index.
The Russell 2500 Index measures the performance of the 2,500 smallest securities in the Russell 3000 Index.
The Russell 1000 Index is a market-capitalization weighted index that tracks the largest 1,000 companies in the Russell 3000 Index.
The Russell Midcap Index measures the performance of the mid-cap segment of the U.S. equity market and is a subset of the Russell 1000 Index.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average is an unmanaged average of 30 actively traded stocks.
The NASDAQ Composite is an unmanaged market capitalization weighted index that is designed to represent the performance of the National Market System.
The S&P 500® Index tracks the common stock performance of 500 large U.S. companies.
The Bloomberg Barclays 1-5 Year U.S. Treasury Index measures the performance of short-term U.S. Treasury Securities maturing within one to five years.
The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index represents debt securities in the U.S. investment grade fixed rate taxable bond market.
The Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index is an unmanaged index representative of the tax-exempt bond market.
The Bloomberg Barclays High-Yield Bond Index covers the U.S. dollar-denominated, non-investment grade, fixed-rate, taxable corporate bond market.
The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. TIPS Index is an unmanaged index composed of inflation protected securities issued by the U.S. Treasury.
The Citigroup 3-Month Treasury Bill Index is an unmanaged index of three-month Treasury bills.
The FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Real Estate ex-U.S. Index is designed to measure the stock performance of companies engaged in specific real estate activities of the real estate markets outside of the United States.
The FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Real Estate Index is designed to measure the stock performance of companies engaged in specific real estate activities of the North American, European, and Asian real estate markets.
The Morgan Stanley Capital International Europe, Australasia and Far East Free (EAFE® Free) Index currently measures the performance of stock markets of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the Far East.
The MSCI All Country World Index (ACWI) is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets.
The MSCI All Country World Index (ex-U.S.) (MSCI ACWI ex-U.S. Index) is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure equity market performance in global developed and emerging markets, excluding the United States.
The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is a float-adjusted market capitalization index designed to measure equity market performance in global emerging markets.
The New York Stock Exchange is considered the largest equities-based exchange in the world based on total market capitalization of its listed securities.
The Blended Benchmark for the Equity and Bond Fund is a combination of 60% of the S&P 500 Index and 40% of the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, rebalanced monthly.
The blended benchmark for the LifePath Funds is a hypothetical representation of the performance of each of the underlying asset classes according to their weightings as of the most recent month end. For a list of the indexes used to calculate the blended benchmark, please refer to the Prospectus.
iShares, LifePath and LifePath followed by 2020, 2030, 2040 and 2050 are all registered trademarks of BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A.
"S&P 500®" is a trademark of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. and has been licensed for use by the State Farm Mutual Fund Trust. The State Farm S&P 500 Index Fund (the "Fund") is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Standard & Poor's, and Standard & Poor's makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in the Fund.
Russell Investment Group ("Russell") is the source and owner of the trademarks, service marks and copyrights related to the Russell 2000® Index. Russell® is a trademark of Russell. The State Farm Small Cap Index Fund (the "Fund") is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by, nor in any way affiliated with Russell. Russell is not responsible for and has not reviewed the Fund nor any associated literature or publications and Russell makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to their accuracy, or completeness, or otherwise.
The EAFE® Free Index is a trademark, service mark and the exclusive property of Morgan Stanley Capital International, Inc. ("MSCI") and its affiliates and has been licensed for use by the State Farm Mutual Fund Trust (the "Trust"). The State Farm International Index Fund (the "Fund"), based on the EAFE® Free Index, has not been passed on by MSCI as to its legality or suitability, and is not issued, sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by MSCI. MSCI makes no warranties and bears no liability with respect to the Fund. MSCI has no responsibility for and does not participate in the management of the Fund assets or sale of the Fund shares. The Trust's Statement of Additional Information contains a more detailed description of the limited relationship MSCI has with the Trust and the Fund.
Non-US Residents
Each of the investment products and services referred to on the State Farm Mutual Funds web site is intended to be made available to customers or prospective customers residing in the United States. The customer's U.S. permanent residence address must be a street address. This web site shall not be considered a solicitation or offering for any investment product or service to any person in any jurisdiction where such solicitation or offer would be unlawful.
Business Continuity Plan
State Farm VP Management Corp. has developed a Business Continuity Plan on how we will respond to events that significantly disrupt our business. Since the timing and impact of disasters and disruptions is unpredictable, we will have to be flexible in responding to actual events as they occur. With that in mind, download this information on our business continuity plan [PDF-41.3KB].
Not FDIC Insured
- No Bank Guarantee
- May Lose Value


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what some girls with a big ass have, especially when their shirt is too short and their pants are too tight
many men find this extremely attractive
many men find this extremely attractive
damn did you see kristina's ass on christmas? it was flat but you could see under her shirt and there was like, this chasm. where did it come from?
yeah I know man, that was some serious ass cleavage! I wish I could meet her ass in person
yeah I know man, that was some serious ass cleavage! I wish I could meet her ass in person
by bill mesich January 16, 2007
person 1: Pull up your pants.
person 2: What?
person 1: Um, ass cleavage...
person 2: Noooooooo!
person 2: What?
person 1: Um, ass cleavage...
person 2: Noooooooo!
by proudfangirl February 07, 2006
o.k.! ass cleavage is defined by how deep a girls ass crack is set within her gluteous muscles. in other words if you took a ruler and stuck it in between a girls ass muscles till it stops at her crack you would have an ass cleavage measurement. how deep a womans ass crack measurement yeilds, is what is known as ass cleavage! ass cleavage is a phrase normally utilized with girls who are very athletically built!
georgia peach, luscious lopez, sophie dee, mayara rodriguez, naomi, velicity von, gianna michaels, ricki white, destiny, sophie castello, candi summers, kristi lynn (God rest her soul), shanna mccullough, are all great examples of ass cleavage! all of these athletes possess exceptional ass cleavage characteristic of deep ass cracks!
by sleepy head t March 19, 2007
massive gadunk adunk that resembles big bodacious tatas.
by FupaTroopa July 14, 2003
The act of a girl wearing a bikini bottom that is too small. So small to the point that her butt cheeks get pushed together and there is not enough material to cover the top of her butt thus creating ass cleavage.
by cali bred22 July 27, 2008


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Nilay İşlek was born in İzmir,Turkey. She completed her elementary and high school education in this city. Photography became her interest in her high school years. In 1999, she entered Dokuz Eylül University Fine Art Faculty and graduated with the thesis "Sensual Projections" in 2003. She completed her Master degree in the same faculty with her thesis "Visual Culture and Social Memory in the Context of Digital Photography Aesthetics" in 2009.
She started to Advertising Photography in 1995 during her education and also gave photography courses in İzmir Fen High School.During her photography carrier, She has been the Photo Editor of Universiade 2005 İzmir Summer Plays. As the founder of Artlens Visual Culture and Photography Atelier in 2010, she is also the lecturer of the courses, basic digital and advanced photography Besides her personal lecturing professions in many foundaitons, she's entering workshops in Fujifilm Education Centre currently. .
Besides her personal exhibitions at home and abroad, the photographer has particiapated in many group exhibitions. As a counselor and editor in sectorel level, Nilay İşlek is currently working as a professionel photoprapher and as academically she's still a PhD student at Ege University Faculty of Communication, Radio, Television and Cinema and a lecturer at Izmir University of Economics.


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Clinic de Genolier Genolier
Department of Neurosurgery
Diagnostic tests for cervical neurinoma #375149
As a result of the today's sedentary lifestyle almost everyone felt spine pain at least once in his or her life. Moreover, musculoskeletal system diseases are one of the most common reasons for people to seek medical attention. Spinal surgery, which involves surgical operations, deals with spinal cord injuries.


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Browse Museums and Historic Sites
Wortendyke Barn [NJ]Park Ridge
The Wortendyke Barn is a mid-18th-century New World Dutch barn. The interior houses an exhibit on the agricultural history of Bergen County, New [...] »
Worthington Historical Society [OH]Columbus
Worthington Historical Society preserves the unique and colorful history of Worthington, Ohio, which was formed by westward-bound settlers from [...] »
Wright Brothers National Memorial [NC]Manteo
"Wind, sand, and a dream of flight brought Wilbur and Orville Wright to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina where, after four years of experimentation, they [...] »
Wrightsville Beach Museum of History [NC]Wrightsville Beach
"Visitors to the cottage will find a scale model of Wrightsville Beach circa 1910, exhibits featuring the early days of the beach including Lumina [...] »
Wupatki National Monument [AZ]Flagstaff
Less than 800 years ago, Wupatki Pueblo was the largest pueblo around. It flourished for a time as a meeting place of different cultures. Yet this [...] »
Wyandot County Historical Society and Museums [OH]Upper Sandusky
The Wyandot County Historical Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to the acquisition, preservation, and interpretation of physical [...] »
Wyandotte County Historical Museum [KS]Bonner Springs
The Wyandotte County Historical Museum is dedicated to preserving the historical heritage of Wyandot County, Kansas, through the collection and [...] »
Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum [NY]Brooklyn
Pieter Claessen Wyckoff emigrated from Holland to New Amsterdam in 1637 at the age of 17. In 1649, he brought his bride Grietje van Ness to this [...] »
Wylie House Museum [IN]Bloomington
The 1835 Federal and Georgian Wylie House was home to Andrew Wylie, the first president of Indiana University. The site has been restored to its [...] »
Wynnewood [TN]Castalian Springs
Wynnewood is the largest extant log structure in Tennessee. It was built in 1828 by A. R. Wynne, William Cage, and Stephen Roberts as a stagecoach [...] »


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The Proverbial Quilt is inspired by early "talking" quilts. Denyse's version – originally in her Couture Collection in the mid-1990's – is an amalgamation of proverbs and fortunes from cookies. Denyse included the entire alphabet in this pattern so you can customize, personalize, memorialize, or editorialize. You can even (if you must) dispense advice. And they can sleep on it. Create your own Proverbial quilt with the vintage-modern charm of Denyse's fabrics. A full set of fat quarters will (generally) make up to a queen size quilt with fabric to spare.
All DSQ patterns include easy-to-use instructions, patterns, and measurements to make your own Proverbial Quilt in baby, twin, queen, or king sizes, and sham.
Order the PDF pattern with the blue button! $15.95
The print version of this pattern is out of stock forever!


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02 January 2012
sparkle in 2012- an acme1225 giveaway! (this one is for the ladies!)
hey girls, did santa forget to bring you a new piece of jewelry?
well, m21 and acme1225 are going to help fix that for you with our first giveaway of the year!
acme1225 is the brainchild of our dear friend, rochelle mayfield, an in-demand wardrobe and fashion stylist working out of the san francisco bay area, and also "the dame" behind the "the dame's got moxie" blog, "a fashion and beauty resource for the stacked woman".
when looking for that chic and unusual accessory to finish off a look, rochelle's search came up somewhat lacking, so she set out to create her own line of chic fashion jewelry, and provide herself with a ready resource! rochelle's inspiration for the line "acme1225" came from a group of native craftspeople in johannesberg, south africa known as the inkwenkwezi, who took materials others discarded- like safety pins and telephone wire- and refashioned them into bangles and baskets to both adorn themselves, and sell for extra money. rochelle has updated the concept of these recycled craft projects by re-imagining them in luxe and unusual materials like colorful crystals imported from czechoslovakia, and safety pins in matte black and gunmetal finishes, and turned them into exquisite, one of a kind, works of art for the modern fashion-conscious woman. rochelle also realized that she could honor the indigenous african roots of her jewelry, after reading the shocking fact young girls in impoverished areas of africa are absent from school several days out of the month because they don't have access to feminine hygiene products- something any western girl would simply take for granted- so she decided to donate a portion of her sales to the galkayo education center for peace and development, a program providing educational opportunities for young girls and job training for women in somalia. fashion & good works- a great combo!
so as our first giveaway of 2012, maison21 and acme 1225 are giving away one of rochelle's cool creations! simply visit the acme1225 shop and select your favorite bracelet, and leave a comment on "the dame's got moxie" blog letting us know your selection (if there isn't an email connecting to your comment profile, be sure to click the link in rochelle's sidebar to send her your email info so she can contact you if you win, and please put "bracelet giveaway" in the subject line). to spice things up, if you want to double your chances of winning , follow the dame on twitter, and if you want to enter a third time, simply like the dame on facebook! (again, be sure to email the dame with your comment and "bracelet giveaway" in the subject line, along with your twitter and FB info, so we can attach the right number entries to the proper person). also, please note that if the bracelet you've selected is no longer available at the time of our drawing, rochelle will reserve the right to substitute something equally chic to the winner- no matter, they're all good!)
we'll be announcing the winner on monday, january 9th! good luck, and may the moxie be with you!
5 comments:
- wendy said...
This is for the giveaway - I left a comment on the other blog on one of the posts but I am not sure which post I am supposed to leave this comment on..HELP!
madamerkf at aol dot com
- Monday, January 2, 2012 at 11:19:00 PM PST
- MJH Design Arts said...
The bracelets are gorgeous. Mary
- Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 8:02:00 AM PST
- MJH Design Arts said...
The bracelets are gorgeous. Have a super New Year. Mary
- Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 8:02:00 AM PST
- Karena said...
Love the Chantal Gunmetal with Fuchsia and Grey beads! Wonderful Giveaway Christian.
Art by Karena
- Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 7:43:00 AM PST
Oops! Did I post a comment in the wrong bloggie area? I love GREER!!! Love love love. And I loves me some M21 too if that counts. And looking at your jewelry, I love you too!
Have a great 2012 with lots of success and happiness and love in your life.
Cindie White-Weiss
- Monday, January 9, 2012 at 2:39:00 PM PST