N.L. refuses interview with entertainment reporter Danielle Belton who calls Lords a gumstick novel - By N.L. Belardes
Yesterday I received an email asking if I would call local entertainment writer, Danielle Belton about 'Hockey Songs' from the forthcoming CD Growing Up Fighting: Bakersfield Hockey Vol 1 for a podcast. I found that a good time to inquire about a book review/feature/article on Lords: Part One, the most controversial work of fiction ever released out of Bakersfield, California. After all, the hockey songs are all tied to a vision of a local literary scene...
Belton gave her usual excuses: she's a one woman show, the Californian doesn't do Book Reviews, she questioned why N.L. was bringing up such a topic when she just wanted to chat about hockey songs... and she even indicated that local writers are merely like little students asking a teacher for candy: that if she gave one stick of gum to a student, then she must to the whole class of local self-published writers...
Talk about a one-man show, hasn't she been on nlbelardes.com?
There were a lot of excuses which were all like the tail ends of donkeys, they stunk... and it is sad that in the end she lumped the biggest online marketing engine in town (nlbelardes.com) and a damn good book, with local writers who self-gloriously publish their works without thinking of others. She has certainly missed the point that I am all about growing a 'literary scene', just as I am about helping a 'music scene', etc... I help the people... that's why you find more links and more quotes from N.L. Belardes on websites and press material than Danielle Belton quotes.
Do other local writers do that?
Do I need to even seek a big nation-wide publishing company just to appease Belton and the Californian?
Hell no. I beat to my own drum and have a vision for helping literary arts grow locally, that if I just jumped on board with a big company I would have left Bakersfield in the dust.
I care about the arts in this town. I can't help it if the Californian lacks a shared vision.
Of course I re-butted Belton, indicating that hockey songs are related to Noveltown novels. You can't talk about one without the other... Proceeds go back to Noveltown... that it's all about helping to create a LITERARY scene in Bakersfield. The books are vastly more important. And then I wrote I would not be interviewed just about hockey songs. That would be a conflict of interest. I have books to promote...
And then I wrote, "Life goes on without the Californian".
And it does... thanks to KGEO 1230, KRAB 106.1, KERN 1410, Play 103.9 The Blackboard Free Press, Más Magazine (owned by the Californian, but accepting), KERO TV 23, Russo's, Borders Books, the local music scene (too many bands to mention), the Bakersfield Condors, The Spotlight Theatre, The Empty Space Theatre, Bakersfield Community Theatre, Cerro Coso Community College and their new Creative Writing Community and much much more to come...
Makes you wonder if something else is at play why such a work of art is ignored by the old bad guys of Lords: Part One. Is there an editor telling all to ignore my novel except as mentions? Is the publisher herself attempting to squash the Lords buzz? In the end it was they (Californian) who further planted the seeds of Lords into the consciousness of the people in 2003. Lords: Part One is merely the psychological manifestation of the local newspaper's seed-planting on such a dastardly conspiracy-oriented topic into a local author's mind...
And now they refuses to analyze it, feature it in a detail-oriented way that deserves justice...
Belton gave her usual excuses: she's a one woman show, the Californian doesn't do Book Reviews, she questioned why N.L. was bringing up such a topic when she just wanted to chat about hockey songs... and she even indicated that local writers are merely like little students asking a teacher for candy: that if she gave one stick of gum to a student, then she must to the whole class of local self-published writers...
Talk about a one-man show, hasn't she been on nlbelardes.com?
There were a lot of excuses which were all like the tail ends of donkeys, they stunk... and it is sad that in the end she lumped the biggest online marketing engine in town (nlbelardes.com) and a damn good book, with local writers who self-gloriously publish their works without thinking of others. She has certainly missed the point that I am all about growing a 'literary scene', just as I am about helping a 'music scene', etc... I help the people... that's why you find more links and more quotes from N.L. Belardes on websites and press material than Danielle Belton quotes.
Do other local writers do that?
Do I need to even seek a big nation-wide publishing company just to appease Belton and the Californian?
Hell no. I beat to my own drum and have a vision for helping literary arts grow locally, that if I just jumped on board with a big company I would have left Bakersfield in the dust.
I care about the arts in this town. I can't help it if the Californian lacks a shared vision.
Of course I re-butted Belton, indicating that hockey songs are related to Noveltown novels. You can't talk about one without the other... Proceeds go back to Noveltown... that it's all about helping to create a LITERARY scene in Bakersfield. The books are vastly more important. And then I wrote I would not be interviewed just about hockey songs. That would be a conflict of interest. I have books to promote...
And then I wrote, "Life goes on without the Californian".
And it does... thanks to KGEO 1230, KRAB 106.1, KERN 1410, Play 103.9 The Blackboard Free Press, Más Magazine (owned by the Californian, but accepting), KERO TV 23, Russo's, Borders Books, the local music scene (too many bands to mention), the Bakersfield Condors, The Spotlight Theatre, The Empty Space Theatre, Bakersfield Community Theatre, Cerro Coso Community College and their new Creative Writing Community and much much more to come...
Makes you wonder if something else is at play why such a work of art is ignored by the old bad guys of Lords: Part One. Is there an editor telling all to ignore my novel except as mentions? Is the publisher herself attempting to squash the Lords buzz? In the end it was they (Californian) who further planted the seeds of Lords into the consciousness of the people in 2003. Lords: Part One is merely the psychological manifestation of the local newspaper's seed-planting on such a dastardly conspiracy-oriented topic into a local author's mind...
And now they refuses to analyze it, feature it in a detail-oriented way that deserves justice...
This entry was posted by N.L. Belardes, on
Wednesday, November 09, 2005.
You can leave your response.
As is the state of affairs in butt-fuck bakersfield,.......
I too share the vision of a local arts community great enough to EXPORT! The talent is here and no-one's talking or giving us the room to speak.
FINE---We will be the little red hens and do it ourselves; for the fact is, no one else will. There WILL be an ART RENAISSANCE in this town with or without the help of that idiot rag called the CALIFORIAN~!
thomasjacksonwalker
Hey NL, That's the way it should be. Stick to your guns and do it your way. To not support a local writer and build that scene is like not supporting local music. How would we ever have had a KORN, if nobody payed any attention to them? How can we have any great writers if nobody knows that they're putting out books? Keep up the good work, and remember, they aren't the only game in town.
Later bro, Chris (My Dysfunctional Me)
N.L. - I say those of us who choose to march to the beat of a different drummer - a drummer of our own creation - are the ones who will change the planet. Like thomasjacksonwalker says - may we all call for an Art Renaissance...
I think it is unexcusable for the Californian to ignore local artists, bands, and local writers!
Without this communities support, they are teaching Bakersfield's children that they will have to move to a big city to fulfill their dreams of becoming a writer, an artist, a musician or embark on any other creative endeavor.
Literary arts in Bakersfield will not be held back by lack of support from the Californian and the community. It will grow from the ground up-- grass roots style and flourish...
I don't thinnk it's so much the attitude of Bakersfield itself as it is the Californian. There are plenty of people in this town who are interested in the arts and in cultivating a literary and music scene, as there are many talented artists and writers. And, as n.l. stated, there are other means to get the word out than by the Californian. Carry on visionaries!
She's an entertainment reporter... so in a way, it's her job to pass out the gum.
its all about grassroots anyway...
Have you bought your copy of Lords yet? I have...
Grassroots community?
The Californian is a joke. With so many ways to get your news, the only thing i'll use that newspaper for is to line my Ferrets litter box.
LONG LIVE THE BLACKBOARD!
I have been hearing buzz about this around the community, and I want to extend kudos to NL for sticking to his guns. In my view, Nick, you weren't just sticking up for yourself but for the entire local arts community. There is quite a bit of frustration with the Californian bubbling underneath the serface just about anywhere you look when it comes to local art. Personally, I don't understand why the Californian is so reluctant to dip into the local scene whether its local music, theatre, or visual art. Are we dirty or carrying some bohemian illness that will get passed through the pages of Bakersfield's biggets print publication? In my view, there is a huge buzzing community here and a lot of people like NL doing some very intelligent marketing and creating publicity and coverage of their own. One would think that the paper would only be too happy to benefit from that. But instead, every time we hear from Ms. Belton she is saying that her editors have decided to tone down coverage on theatre or concerts or whatever. Maybe they don't need us. Good for them if that is the case. Maybe articles about controvercial novels, upcoming bands, or reviews of local theatre don't sell papers. Fine. Personally, the only thing I care about seeing in the media is ART. Music, literature, and theatre. I assume there are more like me, perhaps lots more. If the Californian doesn't need us, we'll get by. We'll make our own media. We'll create our own press, find our own medium, and cover what we think is important and beautiful. Revolt. Viva la revolucion. I think Nick just fired the first shot.
I would be disappointed if you allowed yourself to get dragged into the stifling (ultra-right) world of the Californian. Stay free.
To be honest, I don't know if you even want the paper doing a story about Lords part one... They'll probably just mis-quote you about something, or steal something from another article written about another local author in another town.
We'll do our part to help push all local artist on this radio show!
Cheap plug... AM 1230 from 4 to 6PM, Monday through Friday!
well i'll keep it simple
"fuck the big man, fuck corparate bull-shit! just fuck!!!Buy the Lords and cancel your paper subscription, its filled with shit anyways.....love paul/exithead
My experience with Danielle Belton came after her statement that she supports the arts. I e-mailed her, as per request on her blog, about a show happening at Studio 99 featuring the band I play in. I told her the lineup, offered to pay her way in as well as get her food and drink. I hoped to hear some sort of response, but got none whatsoever. For someone who needs the community to let her know what is going on, much less actually serve the community at large, she sure knows how to sweet talk us. At least Nick and JR are approachable and are interested in giving back to a community that helps them with their projects.
Today's Bakersfield Californian... Cover story of Eye St. With a 3 page spread made up of 3 articles... ABOUT A MOVIE NOT EVEN SHOWING IN BAKERSFIELD.
And honestly, if you're going to do something on a limited release film, why 50 Cent?
Bakersfield, CANT be that stupid...
We should all back Nick, he's the one backing OUR scene. I"ve been playing professional celtic music in Bakersfield and abroad for years... earlier this year the Californian printed an article about a friend of mine for ireland. The article said that he "wanted to make bakersfield AWARE of celtic music." The guy whom the article was about never said that.... it was the usual slap in the face from the Californian delivered to the locals. What in the hell does the LOCAL paper have against the LOCAL scene?... Seems to me we should be working together. Good for Nick for refusing to give the local rag an article that they'll print at their convenience whenever some band or writer or actor from somewhere else hasn't dropped by to make the reporters all wet themselves. Someone needs to remind the Californian that it isn't outsiders that buy their paper everyday and hence pays their wages, it's locals (or was).... I don't think I'll but that paper again. It isn't ABOUT Bakersfield.
-kevin
Yes! continue to march at the beat of your drum. Bakersfield is such a small minded community that refuses to face the reality and history of the town we all live in. It is easier for them to hide their head, like an ostrich rather than allow positive changes to happen in our community. I view Bakersfield about ten years behind the rest of California. It will take strong-willed open minded and educated people like yourself to ever expand the narrow minds of our town. People are resistant to change but with enough pushing and expansion the only other option is change, someday change will be accepted. Someday Bakersfied will embrace literature, and embrace thier local artist. After all if our artist are not embraced locally somebody will embrace them, and thus taking revenue and talent elsewhere. I look forward to the day when Bakersfield is accepting of the local townfolks for whom they are and what they have to give the community. Bakersfield's conservative attitude has and will continue to choke out culture, education, literature, and creativity within our community. It takes independant educated individuals to expand the choke hold of conservatism that grasp our community. What doesn't kill you will only make you stronger! Keep up the hard work N.L. I'm proud of you!
Luv,
Flower.
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