A New Monthly Column at Currency: The Culture Q&A

Starting today, I've begun a new column at Currency, an American Express-sponsored personal finance site geared towards the so-called Millenial Generation (aka those aged 21-32 or thereabouts.) Every month, I'll be asking writers about their money and finance habits, mixing up questions about what big purchases they're saving up for, what they worry most about financially, and how they juggle the writing life with fiscal stability (or not.)  First up is Charles Yu, author of the most excellent novel HOW TO LIVE SAFELY IN A SCIENCE FICTIONAL UNIVERSE:

Do people assume you earn a lot because you're published? People either think I'm on the verge of being able to write full-time, or that writing is basically an unpaid hobby. The truth is that writing has contributed to our household income, but not anywhere near where it would need to be for me to even consider doing it full-time. But if I were only writing full-time, I'd feel a lot more pressure, and I'd miss the daily interactions with people.

Read on for the rest. And since this is a monthly gig, if you're an author or publicist and are interested in being one of my interviewees, please drop me a line, with the following conditions: The slate for 2010 is booked, so I'm looking for books published from February 2011 onward. I need to know at least 6-8 weeks in advance so the Q&A can be timed to the publication date. And the book must be a good fit for the Millenial demographic (and the author either falls in that age range or is close enough to it.)

Comments

[Toddpruzan]

Note to Sarah: I'm thrilled beyond belief to have you writing this column for us!

Note to Sarah's readers: This is actually a weekly column—we're very fortunate to have Sarah covering our authors every month, and check out getcurrency.com's "Culture Q&A" every Monday morning to read how musicians, filmmakers, painters, and even the occasional butcher make their finances work. Currency, incidentally, is the brand-new personal-finances site I edit for Federated Media, partnered with American Express. We've only been live for a couple of weeks. Please visit getcurrency.com and take a look around!

[Terrill Lankford]

I'm far too old to read this.

[Scott Phillips]

hell, I'll do it as a public serviece

[Scott Phillips]

I meant service.

Dang.

[Misha]

Congrats!

[Dean B]

Good lord.
And with that...I have one less blog to check each day.
www.sarahweinman.com -- considered yourself deleted.

[K Rovinsky]

I second that, Dean!

Sarah, would love it if you could recommend other blogs that cover thriller/mystery books. You used to do that, and simply don't anymore. Life goes on for us both.

[J Donaghy]

Me, too.

The Sunday Smattering were the best, but, now both the Picks of the Week and the links in general are out of date.

And a comment I made was deleted.

Ba-bye.

[Edward Champion]

An open note to the whiners:

What obligation does Sarah have to this blog? Or to you? She has maintained this blog without pay for several years and attempts to juggle a considerable amount of work. She is understandably trying to earn a living through a very tough line in a very rough economy. (And if any of you sad bastards have been paying attention, you'll note that she's still writing a very current mystery column for the Los Angeles Times.)

I'd like to assume that you don't know what it's like to be a full-time freelance writer. To work long hours and toil for very little. (Have you not noticed this little thing called the economic downturn? Or the 10% unemployment rate? Or are you too busy tonguing your own assholes?) But your remarks clearly emerge from entitled amentals incapable of open minds or empathy. So I must conclude that the three of you (or likely the singular persona shuffler) are a bunch of clueless assclowns who should choke on a bowl of cocks at the first opportunity.

Sarah doesn't owe you or anyone a fucking thing. And the fact that neither of you three (likely the same guy) cannot leave your full names like adults demonstrates the kind of selfish and frightened pussies you truly are.

If you don't like it here, leave. Maybe you'll learn someday that the world doesn't revolve around you.

Of course, like everyone, I'm hoping that Sarah will still update this blog. But I totally understand why she can't.

Sincerely,

Edward Champion

[Jack Donaghy]

Dear Edward,

Who said Sarah owes us anything? No one. We simply are expressing that we no longer will frequent her blog because:
in the case of Dean B, he is offended by its content, and
in the case of K Rovinsy and myself, its content is useless/out-of-date for our respective purposes.

Is that offensive to you? Why?

I do not know what it's like to be a freelance writer (nor do I care). I only posted as myself. My full name is John Francis "Jack" Donaghy.

Is this information useful to you in any capacity? Certainly none of it helps you with your supposed case.

Good riddance.

Jack.

[Roddy Reta]

Probably the best up-to-date blog on crime/thriller fiction is "The Rap Sheet."

http://therapsheet.blogspot.com/.

[kathy d.]

I also miss Sarah Weinman's news updates, summaries, comments and the Sunday Smatterings, which I could waited for every week. But understanding that she has to make a living as a writer, in this dastardly economic situation, I acknowledge that I miss her updates, but have found other blogs to read and on which to add my comments.

Here are a few:
U.S. fiction
Jen's Book Thoughts
Lesa's Book Critiques
Rap Sheet is very good with links to book news, authors' sites

International
Petrona
Reactions to Reading
Detectives Beyond Borders
Murder is Everywhere

And there are a lot more blogs which focus on crime fiction.

Most blogs have a list of other blogs centered on mysteries which runs along the right side of the web's home page. There are so many that one could read them 24/7 with no problem, except for work, sleep, the usual time constraints. There is an abundance of mystery blogs out in cyberspace.

Congratulations to Sarah on her working life.

[David J. Montgomery]

People still read blogs?

[Roddy Reta]

I guess the rumors of David J. Montgomery's death have been exaggerated.

Slightly.

[David J. Montgomery]

Roddy!

I'm still alive. Just pursuing different interests these days.