Cylons in America

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#21

I’m in music. I am primarily a composer although I also run my own new music ensemble (DEFINITELY a non-for-profit. Hell, I don’t even get paid for it). For the last two years I’ve been making my living as a visiting professor in upstate NY (there is now a small–very small–chance of it no longer being a visiting position, but I won’t know for a while). Before that I taught for a year at Reed College in Oregon then free-lanced for three years around Washington, D.C., which is how the new music ensemble got started. I’ve never really been one for writing too many academic articles (I’ve had a couple of things published on online new music magazines, but it’s been a few years since that), so saying I’m an academic is a little strange, but I suppose I am even though I’m in a creative rather than a theoretical area of research (I’m thinking about starting to explore the theory aspect again, though, but I can’t bring myself to do it. Kind of like going back to the gym).

Didn’t you also edit the Seinfeld volume in the pop culture and philosophy series?

#22

I actually didn’t edit the Seinfeld volume, that was Bill Irwin, who’s the overall editor of the pop culture and philosophy series. I just co-edited the Star Wars volume w/ my friend, Kevin Decker, the BSG volume, and (also w/ Kevin) a volume on Star Trek that’ll be released next fall just before the new movie.

I’ve written chapters for other volumes, though, on Harry Potter, Metallica, and Stanley Kubrick.

#23

Sorry about the confusion. I guess your expertise, then, is the philosophy of science fiction? I bet you teach some really cool classes!

(Then again, I’d love to sit through a philosophy course on Seinfeld, The Simpsons and Monty Python as well as Star Wars and BSG.)

#24

Sorry about the confusion. I guess your expertise, then, is the philosophy of science fiction? I bet you teach some really cool classes!

(Then again, I’d love to sit through a philosophy course on Seinfeld, The Simpsons and Monty Python as well as Star Wars and BSG.)

Sorry about the double post. Frakking cylons!

#25

I teach a course each summer on philosophy through pop culture w/ my colleague George Dunn (who wrote a chapter of the BSG and Phil book). We use all sorts of media. Yes, I’m the sci-fi guy; and George is the ‘Buffy’ guy. But we also have used ‘The West Wing,’ Woody Allen films (such as ‘Crimes and Misdemeanors’), graphic novels (such as ‘Persepolis’), and other films such as ‘Minority Report’ and ‘The Matrix.’ We’ve also used ‘The Simpsons,’ and did a couple classes using music, particularly Metallica and Bob Dylan.

#26

So I was at Barnes and Noble today and noticed that BSG and Philosophy is finally out. While I haven’t picked it up yet (things are still a little tight financially after last fall), I do intend to and I did read through your article on religion in BSG as it relates to atheist/agnostic vs. theistic (through Aquinas, whose logic is somewhat lacking in my opinion, but you addressed that very well) positions. It was a brilliant article, I must say, and I can tell you that, as I expected, your book is very different from Cylons in America. BSG and Philosophy seems more interested in general philosophical questions, much in keeping with the general focus of the Pop Culture and Philosophy series while Cylons in America treats specific issues relating to the immediate cultural impact of the show, the commentary it makes on current events and its place in early 21st century television as a medium.

Which, ultimately, is a testament to the value of this show we love that we can have books like these published about it. There are very few television series that can say the same thing.

#27

I just got ‘Cylons in America’, ‘BSG and Philosophy’, ‘Star Wars and Philosophy’. A very Happy Valentines Day :). I saw the Star Trek one coming soon. I am looking forward to that. Once I make a dent in the BSG one, you know I’ll be back.

#28

Aaahhh… the elusive dream of finding a way to make pop culture commentary for the intelligentsia into a viable source of income. How I admire those who have achieved it! How I long to be offered money for my essays on BSG, the West Wing, Lost, hip-hop-infused teen dance movies, the infiltration of theoretical physics into pop literature, and the sexualization of the Founding Fathers mythology!

I’ll definitely have to pick up these books and check them out. Thanks for the recs!

#29

Do people actually make money for contributing essays to these books? I think it’s one of those things you submit to a committee and if you’re accepted, they print your article in their book and give you a small royalty. Half the people on Cylons in America are still graduate students!

#30

Think of it as publishing royalties. People get very invested in small rewards. :wink:

#31

As one of the people who wrote a chapter for Cylons in America, I assure you we all did it for the love - the contributors don’t get royalities, and the editors might … (but if they do, it’ll never be much…)

#32

Hey, believe me I know. The last couple of years I’ve been getting a very nice small reward from BMI for various performances of my work (mostly ones I’ve organized myself). It’s certainly a welcome check in the early fall (of course, come winter and tax season I get slapped with self-employment taxes and lose a great deal of it, but what’re you gonna do?).

#33

I had meant to say something about that. I, for one, would love to see my name in a book someday (though I’m too lazy to write anything that would actually get published. I am a man full of contradictions, I am!).

So tamaleaver, which chapter did you write? I found the book absolutely fascinating and would simply LOVE to talk about it with one of the contributors. How cool is that?

(By the way, you can reply to that on a private message if you would like to maintain your privacy.)

#34

Hi Armando. I wrote chapter ten, ‘“Humanity’s Children”: Constructing and Confronting the Cylons’. I’d be happy to talk about the chapter, so what would you like to know? Or disagree with? :slight_smile:

Oh, and thanks for the offer of privacy, but given that my name is Tama Leaver, I wasn’t gunning to be anonymous by simply leaving the space between my names out! :stuck_out_tongue:

#35

Ah yes! Singularity and such. Give me a little bit to re-read your article and I’ll come back to you (I’ve got a ton of grading, not to mention a job application, a couple of commission proposals and my taxes to finish this week, but I’m all by myself till Sunday, so I think I can squeeze it all in).

#36

Oh, so you’re not Tamal Eaver? My bad…

#37

Regarding royalties, everyone (especially me) did the ‘BSG and Philosophy’ book first and foremost out of love for the show and philosophy. The contributors proved their love by accepting only a small stipend and two free copies of the book. I do get royalties, but only about a buck per book sold and most of my advance payment went to the contributors.

I won’t lie, though, it is nice to get a little extra money – especially when Uncle Sam comes to break my legs on April 15th!

#38

Gods, this sounds so good!