I served as the first layout editor of Pakistaniaat, but I had to give up my responsibilities after working with the journal for two years so that I could devote my attention to my dissertation. Nevertheless, I am always happy to announce when a new issue is available for free online. Editor Masood Raja has just completed his first layout job with the first issue of 2011–Vol. 3, No. 1. You can find it here in PDF format, or you can purchase a nicely bound print version here.
Pakistaniaat: A Journal of Pakistan Studies Vol 3 No 1 (2011) Now Available
March 27, 2011
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Announcement | Tagged: journal, openaccess, pakistan, pakistaniaat | 
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Posted by Jason W Ellis
Short Zombie Film Announcement, The Black Earth, Shooting in WI
March 25, 2011My friend and film-making colleague James Warbington sent out a press release today for a short zombie film that he is shooting in Wisconsin. James combines southern sensibilities with his expansive imagination to create interesting film narratives, and I believe that he demonstrates his abilities in his upcoming film The Black Earth. I have worked with James on a number of projects including two 48-Hour Film Festivals in Atlanta (once he was the producer/director and once I acted as producer/director) and he and his wife Camille recorded the 2009 Science Fiction Research Association Conference in Atlanta for me. You may read more about his upcoming film The Black Earth in the press release below:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT:
Director & Writer: James T. Warbington
Production Company: Black Scorpion Films, LLC
Executive Producer: Kevin Wayne Film Studios
Producer: Family Curse Productions
warbrookfilms@gmail.com
Short “Zomedy” Zombie Comedy to be filmed in Black Earth, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin March 25th 2011. James T. Warbington in association with Kevin Wayne Film Studios, Black Scorpion Films, LLC and Family Curse Productions has announced the short film tentatively titled “The Black Earth” to be filmed in it’s name sake, Black Earth, Wisconsin in June 2011.
“The Black Earth” is the story of two country boys and their family. The two cousins are considered the Black Sheep and outcast of the town. As they spend their free time imitating stunts they have seen on television and known for having a beer or two they become the unlikely heroes that save the day. As the tourist run in fear, they laugh in the face of the undead, turn up a beer and the radio and get to protecting Black Earth from the undead invasion. The short film to be used as a stepping stone to secure the additional funding to film the feature length.
The title and location was inspired by a visit to Black Earth on ancestor search. After visiting the town and realizing it’s charm, not only did the tentative title spawn from it, it was decided it was an excellent place to film as well. Director and Writer James T. Warbington explained while scouting locations “It (Black Earth) is a wonderful town and everyone has been extremely accepting to what we want to accomplish there.”
Kevin Wayne Studios is the executive headquarters for Black Scorpion Films, LLC, based out of Birmingham, Alabama has filmed 4 feature length films as well as many short films and been a solid member of Sidewalk independent Film Festival in Alabama. Kevin Wayne Film Studios is currently in post production of the film “Company M: a mob of soldiers” as well as pre-production of the feature length “Bloodtype”. Family Curse Productions has been executive producers of 2 short films and is currently in pre-production of the feature length “The Beast” in Huntington, Pennsylvania. James T. Warbington, with over a decade of experience in professional sports, live theater as well as directed and been cinematographer on many Black Scorpion Films, LLC and Family Curse projects will be heading up “The Black Earth” short film in Wisconsin.
We hope to prove once again to all film makers that Wisconsin is a great place for the film industry.
For more information about the film, please visit www.theblackearthmovie.com.
Also you can contact for any information: warbrookfilms@gmail.com.
Leave a Comment » | Announcement, Movies, Science Fiction | Tagged: blackearth, comedy, film, postaday2011, sciencefiction, SFRA, wisconsin, zombie | Permalink
Posted by Jason W Ellis
Behold, The New Apple iPad 2
March 2, 2011
At today’s media event, Steve Jobs took to the stage despite being on medical leave to announce Apple’s iPad 2. It sports a new look, thinner size, less weight, and a dual core processor. It also has two built-in cameras. Visit the official iPad site here, or jump to the iPad 2′s specs here.
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Posted by Jason W Ellis
House Bill 1 Passed This Morning, Eliminates Funding for Public Broadcasting
February 19, 2011I received the bad news this morning in my email:
The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1 early this morning, which eliminates federal funding for public broadcasting. This is a blow to public radio and television stations across the country and the 170 million Americans who tune in every month.
But we are not giving up.
You have already had a powerful impact in Washington. We heard directly from Members of Congress that the hundreds of thousands of calls and emails in support of public broadcasting have created momentum that may yet save federal funding for this vital public service.
Now the bill heads to the Senate. You will get a message from us in the next few days when it is time, again, to send a clear message to Washington: Funding for public broadcasting is too important to eliminate.
What can you do today? Please reach out to your friends and family and encourage them to sign up at 170MillionAmericans.org and at Facebook.com/170Million over the coming week. This is going to be a marathon and we will need any many supporters as possible to prevail in the end.
THANK YOU for all that you are doing!
Jeff Nelson and Stacey Karp
170 Million Americans for Public Broadcasting
I received a reply email from Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio saying that he will support public broadcasting when the bill comes to the Senate. Please let your Senators know that America needs and deserves public broadcasting. The links above to 170 Million Americans for Public Broadcasting will help you contact your elected officials.
1 Comment | Announcement, Personal | Tagged: 170millionamericans, npr, pbs, postaday2011, publicbroadcasting | Permalink
Posted by Jason W Ellis
It’s Time to Fight Back: 170 Million Americans for Public Broadcasting
February 18, 2011NPR and PBS add to the American discourse in ways that no other broadcasting and online presence can do. PBS in particular offers educational and entertaining programming that you cannot find on any other broadcast network much less the hundreds of channels on cable. Public broadcasting is a service for the people, by the people that we all can use and enjoy. Much of its funding comes from individual donations, but a large portion of its funding is provided by the people through our national and state governments. That’s the great thing about governments–when they work for the people, they can do things that no individual or corporation can do–a thing like providing free, content-rich programming for every citizen, of any age. Unfortunately now, there are some lawmakers in our national and state governments who want to deprive the people of the United States of one of our most valuable and inexpensive projects: public radio and television. I have contacted my representatives in Ohio, and I would ask that you do the same where you live. Let folks know about what’s going on, and let your representatives know that some public investments are too important to our national discourse and future to eliminate under the guise of ‘fiscal responsibility.’
More information for joining the fight here:
170 Million Americans for Public Broadcasting.
Other voices in the fight here, here, and here.
A final thought: Why hasn’t The New York Times carried a story about this?
Leave a Comment » | Announcement, Personal | Tagged: free, npr, pbs, postaday2011, publicbroadcasting, publicinterest | Permalink
Posted by Jason W Ellis
Smithsonian American Art Museum Invites Public to Vote on Games to be Featured in “The Art of Video Games” Exhibition | Newsdesk
February 16, 2011
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is planning an exhibit on “The Art of Video Games,” and they want our feedback on the selections for the exhibit. Read below for part of the press release from the Smithsonian and the link to the official site:
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is inviting the public to help select the video games that will be included in its upcoming exhibition “The Art of Video Games,” which opens in Washington, D.C. March 16, 2012. The exhibition is the first to explore the 40-year evolution of video games as an artistic medium, with a focus on striking visual effects and the creative use of new technologies. Chris Melissinos, founder of Past Pixels and collector of video games and gaming systems, is the curator of the exhibition.
Voting will take place online, www.artofvideogames.org, from Feb. 14 through April 7. A valid e-mail address is the only requirement to vote. The website will offer participants a chance to vote for 80 games from a pool of 240 proposed choices in various categories, divided by era, game type and platform. The winning games will be displayed in the exhibition as screen shots and short video clips. The website will include an online forum where gaming enthusiasts can campaign for particular games and voice their opinions about the selections.
Leave a Comment » | Announcement, Video Games | Tagged: art, postaday2011, smithsonian, videogames | Permalink
Posted by Jason W Ellis
Deadline Approaching for 2011 Science Fiction Criticism Masterclass
February 11, 2011Farah Mendlesohn [website and blog] sent out an email reminder this morning that the deadline for this year’s SF Criticism Masterclass is at the end of February. For those of you who have not heard of the SF Criticism Masterclass, it is an intense workshop for scholars to work closely with experts in the field. I have not had an opportunity to attend a masterclass, but from what I understand, it is an enriching experience for science fiction scholars. Read below for all of the details:
SF Criticism Masterclass for 2011
Class Leaders: Paul McAuley, Claire Brialey, Mark Bould
The Science Fiction Foundation (SFF) will be holding the fifth annual Masterclass in sf criticism in 2011.
Paul McAuley is the author of eighteen novels, many of which have been nominated for the Campbell, BSFA and Clarke Awards, including the Arthur C. Clarke Award winning Fairyland. His most recent books such as The Quiet War and Gardens of the Sun.
Claire Brialey is co-editor of the Nova award-winning and Hugo-nominated Banana Wings, has been a Clarke judge, and contributed critical articles to Vector and other fanzines.
Mark Bould is the co-editor of Science Fiction Film and Television and author of The Cinema of John Sayles: Lone Star and Film Noir: From Berlin to Sin City. He has co-edited, The Routledge Companion to Science Fiction, Fifty Key Figures in Science Fiction and Red Planets: Marxists and Science Fiction among other projects, including several issues of Science Fiction Studies.
Dates: 1st to 3rd July 2011
Location: Middlesex University, London (the Hendon Campus, nearest underground, Hendon Central).
Delegate costs will be £190 per person, excluding accommodation.
Accommodation: students are asked to find their own accommodation, but two suggestions are the Golders Green Hotel, and the King Solomon Hotel, both in Golders Green, a short bus ride from the University.
Applicants should write to Farah Mendlesohn at farah.sf at gmail.com. Applicants will be asked to provide a CV and writing sample; these will be assessed by an Applications Committee consisting of Farah Mendlesohn, Istvan Csicsery-Ronay Jr. and Andy Sawyer.
Completed applications must be received by 28th February 2011.
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Posted by Jason W Ellis
Electronic Literature Collection Vol 2 Now Live
February 10, 2011Mark Marino, Director of Communication for the Electronic Literature Organization, sent out the following announcement earlier today for the second volume of the Electronic Literature Collection:
The Electronic Literature Organization has just released:
The Electronic Literature Collection, Volume 2:
http://collection.eliterature.org/2/Containing over 60 works from artists around the world, this second anthology of e-lit published by the Electronic Literature Organization offers a wide array of digital texts from traditional e-lit forms, such as literary hypertext, to newer genres using social media tools and new literary environments.
These works offer a glimpse of emerging writing forms employed in literary pursuits.
The works from ELC1 and some from ELC2 have become the subject of SLSA presentations and articles from our community. The new collection presents both veteran authors and newcomers with an increased presence of non-English works and contributions from beyond the US.
Read more about the collection here:
http://www.eliterature.org/elo/electronic-literature-collection-volume-2-launchesEnjoy!
Go here to ‘read’ the collection online. You can also find the first volume of the Electronic Literature Collection here.
Leave a Comment » | Announcement, New Media, Technology | Tagged: electronicliterature, eliterature, elo, newmedia, postaday2011 | Permalink
Posted by Jason W Ellis
New French Scholarly Journal of Science Fiction
February 3, 2011I saw this news about a new French science fiction journal come across the IAFA and H-Utopia listservs today:
NEW FRENCH SCHOLARLY JOURNAL OF SF
Professor Irène Langlet of the Université of Limousin is establishing a new French scholarly journal devoted to the critical study of science fiction.Initially, its format will be online-only as part of the “revues.org“ consortium in France. She is currently seeking sf scholars from around the world who would be willing to serve as editorial consultants and outside readers. To qualify, you should have some expertise in science fiction, sf theory, and the ability to read French. Although familiarity with and/or interest in French science fiction would be helpful, it is not required. If you would like to learn more about this opportunity, please contact her at: Irène Langlet, Université de Limoges, Faculté des Lettres et Sciences humaines, 39E rue Camille Guérin, 87036 Limoges, France,
<irene.langlet at unilim.fr>.
1 Comment | Announcement, Science Fiction | Tagged: announcement, french, journal, postaday2011, sciencefiction | Permalink
Posted by Jason W Ellis
New Book Announcement: Carter Kaplan’s Diogenes
January 19, 2011
Carter Kaplan, who I have mentioned here, here and here, and who is the author of the Michael Moorcock blessed novel Tally Ho, Cornelius!, has a new novel out called Diogenes, which he describes as, “Literary science fiction in the form of Aristophanic comedy.” Another interesting work by a more interesting character!
Leave a Comment » | Announcement, Science Fiction | Tagged: announcement, novel, postaday2011, postmodernism, sciencefiction | Permalink
Posted by Jason W Ellis
