Averting a Serious Bike Accident, by Luck
Had a helluva scare yesterday when I went out for a bike ride, one of my usual routes up Riverside Drive toward upper Manhattan. Shortly after setting off from my block, 102nd Street, at around 116th Street, I noticed a tugging against the front wheel of my Trek, a bike I bought June 5, 1982, as a present to myself shortly after saying goodbye to my longtime black Labrador, Noah, whom I’d buried the day before, June 4. I later read that this was the first year Trek began selling their bikes widely across the country, and it’s always been a tremendous ride for me. I thought the rubbing must have been the saddle bag I’ve long hung over my handlebars, so unhooked it, and wrapping it up with bungee cords around the trap above my rear wheel, I set off again. However, then I noticed my brake pads were rubbing on the front rim. I could scarcely pedal anymore, there was just too much resistance and drag. I turned around and began walking the bike to my bike shop, Champion Bicycles at 104th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.
When I got in to the shop, Jose, grown son of the owner Marcos, asked me what was going on. I told him of the drag on my front wheel. He immediately pointed to the front fork and said, “Your fork is broken.” I was shocked to notice what I had overlooked until just then, and stunned I hadn’t realized it myself. Jose added, “Good thing you quit riding. You could have eaten it.” I understood what he meant. If this failure had occurred while I was, say, riding as I often do, at 20 mph along the Riverside Drive viaduct at 125th Street, the whole bike could have crumpled to the street, and me with it. I could have been seriously hurt. Also, as the photos below show, bad as the fracture was, it did not snap completely in two.
Marcos said he can probably find a new fork for the Trek, though it’ll take a couple days. I asked him to thoroughly check the bike for any other signs of metal fatigue and stress. I’ve been riding the bike in NYC since moving here in 1985, and the potholes and broken pavement are often jarring, so I wonder if there might be other parts about to give way. I’ve never stinted from regularly maintaining it, also retrofitting it to make it better suited to use in the city. It started out as road bike, with drop handlebars and appropriate gearing, and I basically made it into a modified hybrid over the years. I’m very attached to the bike, for sentimental reasons and because the frame fits me so well. I hope it can be made road-worthy once again. If not, I’ll be soon shopping for a new ride. I left the bike behind and walked home in some shock. Here are two pictures I took before leaving the shop. 
A Tired Meme Rears its Head at the NY Times–Obama as Too Cool to Care
Count on the NY Times to be dickish the day before President Obama’s 2nd Inaugural. The article leading off today’s Week in Review is a familiar litany of complaint from someone–David Rothkopf is who, please?–poking darts this time at Barack Obama’s management style. I read the whole column and found nothing about it persuasive as a critique. The presidency isn’t a business, and management isn’t necessarily the only goal, or holy grail, of leadership.
The opinion expressed in the column is unsurprising, even overly familiar but I have an even bigger beef with the illustration accompanying it. The artist, Mark Ulriksen–perhaps at the suggestion of Times op-art editors, or at least with their final approval–has created an aloof Obama in baseball uni with a bunch of dropped balls all around him, as one floats in the air above his hand. It seems to say, “Will he drop this one, too? Meanwhile, the caricatured president has his nose stuck up in the air striking an arrogant pose. I instantly found it offensive, perpetuating a meme of the president as unfeeling, uncaring, even a bit lazy, as if he can’t be bothered to catch the balls tossed his way. I’m sick of these portrayals of the president. Would anyone unfeeling have gone so gray in four years and often appear so careworn, even while his smile does still break out like a sunbeam, as in the official White House photo unveiled last week?
I want to add that I’m not the only blogger to find this column odd, at the least. At TPM, Josh Marshall has asked people to read it and send him their thoughts on it. I’ll send my take to Josh.
There are times when I hate the NY Times, among other things for its smugness, its know-it-all air, and its attempts at coining the establishment line and minting conventional wisdom. This is one of those times. They’re the arrogant party here, not the president. Here’s a screenshot of the column as presented online, and the drawing on its own. Please let me know what you think, especially if you see it differently than me, or agree, and see aspects of the unfortunate meme that I’ve overlooked. For instance, maybe the subtext of the drawing is even more overtly racial than I suggested above. Could be. 
This Time President Obama Nails the Oath
As shown in this video, for the oath of office today–unlike 2008–Chief Justice John Roberts read the text from a piece of paper. There was no screw-up like 4 years ago, when Roberts’ out-of-order recitation of “faithfully execute” unavoidably tripped up the new president. It’ll be fun to see this done again tomorrow in front of a throng on the Mall. I hope Roberts is just as careful then. Sasha, the Obamas’ youngest daughter, can be heard saying, “Good job, Daddy,” to which he responds, “I did it,” and she adds, “You didn’t mess up.” Indeed. It’s a good day for the United States of America and the world. Video courtesy C-Span.
Enjoying Whitehorse at Hill Country with Friends
Amid an incredibly busy week–teaching a nonfiction book writing seminar on Tuesday at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, and attending Digital Book World (DBW) Wednesday and Thursday, it was fun to still get out and hear some live music, when Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland, aka Whitehorse, played at Hill Country, the fun BBQ restaurant and saloon in Manhattan on Thursday night. What made it even better was that I was able to bring some friends from DBW with me. Joining me were Peter Evans, CEO of Speakerfile, the Toronto company that connects conference organizers to author experts that do public speaking, whom I represent to the publishing industry; and Chris Howard and Jason Freeman of Libboo, an exciting new engine for book advocacy and discovery. We enjoyed an amazing dinner first and had a kinetic conversation that encompassed vintage guitars, music performance, emerging technologies, and whether Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR) is the best beer to have with smoked wings. Before we knew it, Whitehorse was taking to the stage.
I had heard and met Luke and Melissa last year, so it was great to see them again, and this time turn some friends on to their music. Though they are ‘only’ a duo, they play like twinned one-person bands, supplying percussion, bass, keys, guitars, vocals, and foot-stomping to the sonic mix. Melissa’s voice is a powerful, arcing instrument, and Luke’s guitar work, mostly on a big, white Gretch Falcon, is consistently mind-blowing. Their ensemble work was especially powerful on such songs as “Wisconsin,” “Passenger 24,” “Devil’s Got a Gun,” and “I’m on Fire.”
I love it when spontaneous fun can be enjoyed amid a busy trade show. Thanks to Peter, Chris, and Jason for all the good company, and Luke and Melissa for the soundtrack to our evening!
#FridayReads, Jan. 18–“God Save the Mark,” Donald E. Westlake and “Going Clear,” Lawrence Wright
#FridayReads, Jan. 18–God Save the Mark, a wise-cracking mystery novel by the peerless Donald E. Westlake, featuring a naive young man who inherits a fortune from an uncle he never even knew of, and then tries to keep his hands on it, and away from the lurking no-goodniks who want to fleece him of his windfall. Westlake’s dialogue is street-wise, funny, and real.
Also, just starting to read Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood & the Prison of Belief,Lawrence Wright’s careful dissection and, as the flap copy reads, “deep penetration” of a modern cult. One case Wright reports on is that of Kyle Brennan, a 20-year old whose tragic suicide may have been preceded by his father’s acquiescence to a Scientologist bigwig’s instruction to withhold from the young man medicine prescribed for him by a psychiatrist. The NY Times has already released a review of the book that will appear in this coming Sunday’s Book Review, by Michael Kinsley, who calls it “essential reading.” Should make for revelatory reading this weekend. 
Speakerfile, on Stage at Digital Book World
Thursday Update: Here’s a pic of Speakerfile CEO Peter Evans at the Digital Book World podium yesterday, just after the panel he was part of discussing innovation. Photo by Mercy Pilkington. Today I’ll be on the floor with Peter talking with publishers and agents about how Speakerfile can help their authors be discovered by more readers.
Wednesday Update: Speakerfile has sent out this press release on the wires about CEO Peter Evans’ appearance on a DBW panel later today about innovation:
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It’s not even the middle yet of what’s bidding to be a great week.
Today, Tuesday, I team-taught in a nonfiction book writing seminar at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism.
Wednesday and Thursday I’ll be attending Digital Book World (DBW), third year in a row I’ve gone to this conference that showcases the evolution of the book world in the sometimes lurching transition into digital reading. What’s more, tomorrow Peter Evans–CEO of Speakerfile, a Toronto company I represent to the publishing industry–will be part of a DBW panel devoted to innovation in publishing. Speakerfile, which has a click-through promo near the upper right corner of this website, is a software platform and website that connects conference organizers, meeting planners, and members of the media to author experts and thought leaders who do public speaking.
I began working with Speakerfile in 2012, and one of the first clients I brought them was Movable Type Management (MTM), a literary management firm. Last summer MTM put two dozen of their author clients in to a mini-speakers bureau that resides on Speakerfile’s website, with the same bureau also appearing on MTM’s site. MTM president Jason Ashlock has just recorded a brief testimonial video about Speakerfile in which he says, “Within the first week we had a couple of bookings . . . we’ve now booked over a dozen events for our clients, each of which has paid our clients well and promoted them across the audiences that we’re really hoping that we’ll reach.”
With publishing clients I’ve introduced to Speakerfile finding many new speaking engagements for their authors, I am convinced that this smart Canadian company can become a dynamic engine of discoverability for publishers, bringing authors and their books together with motivated audiences. I’m very pleased that Peter Evans will have the opportunity to share Speakerfile’s story with the questers for innovation at Digital Book World.
Today’s Work–Teaching Journalism Students at CUNY Grad School
Teaching journo students at CUNY today. Thx to Prof Glenn Lewis for asking me back 5th straight year. Eager to hear their good book ideas.
— Philip Turner (@philipsturner) January 15, 2013
Enjoyed myself today, team-teaching in a nonfiction book writing seminar with a dozen students at CUNY’s Graduate School of Journalism on W. 40th Street. I first presented the evolving book world–digital and print–and filled in my book biz background, from retail bookselling to years as an editorial director at major houses publishing topical nonfiction. In the 2nd half of our session, the students presented book project ideas they’re thinking of launching into. With Prof. Glenn Lewis, who’s invited me to join him at least 5 years in a row, we listened to their pitches, hearing some really good ideas. Encouraged them to be in touch going forward, and hope to hear from them again, particularly a few.