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beamer
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[profile]
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Thu Aug 7th 10:44 2003 / #1 |
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Perhaps a Pill Think hybrid, maybe they could call it Pink? |
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[ anonymous ]
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[anon]
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Thu Aug 7th 18:15 2003 / #2 |
How about a nice long round of reflective silence for a while? Let's see, in terms of Prague's English language publications and zines graveyard we've had Prognosis, Yazzyk, Trafika, Velvet, Pozor, Optimism, Black Rider, Gristle Floss, Pessimism, Think, Threshold Praha and now Prague Pill. Did I miss any?
The fact most expats do not learn Czech assures demand for future English language publications and, as sure as the urge to defecate, something is coming up on the horizon. To make the next effort less messy, a few requests:
1) More information, less opinionizing and injecting your tastes in the text (it increases professionalism and decreases laziness and egotism);
2) Build a roster of mature writers so that content is varied, instead of reflecting the personalities of only one or two writers;
3) Get your shit together and quit blaming others if your paper is lame (consider the real possiblity that, regardless of aspirations, maybe you were not supposed to be a writer or editor);
4) Be professional--this means not slapping content together just to make the next issue ready;
4) Keep your ego under control at the first sign of success. Rest assured, your paper is not going to the one to "save" Prague's English language expat community. Remember: it's only popular because you don't have competition.
And let's avoid using these typical responses for defending your mediocrity or inexperience:
a. It's free, isn't it?
b. No one forces you to read it, do they?
c. Let's see YOU do a better job!
Take a good long look at the above graveyard and realize you are not the first expat, nor the last, to trot out these tired excuses. No one held a gun to anyone's head in Prague and said, "Make an English language paper, dammit!" But if it happened, it would undoubtedly be much better that the above deceased predecessors. |
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Tribe
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[anon]
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Thu Aug 7th 18:39 2003 / #3 |
I think building a larger roster of mature writers is crucial. Good point.
I'm definately interested in contributing. I've started publications from the ground up before (one of them was in Prague). I know the editorial as well as the business side of things. I think for the next few months, it's important for writers and media folks to just regroup and exchange ideas.
Anyone interested in collaborating, just email me... |
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Tribe
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[anon]
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Thu Aug 7th 18:41 2003 / #4 |
My email: milstere@yahoo.com
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Truck
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[anon]
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Thu Aug 7th 19:46 2003 / #5 |
Anonymous, i would rather read a million pills, 10 million Thinks, 200 million Think Again's than YOUR rant on how to do it better. Boring and bitter. Who cares?
Here's what i would say:
a. It's free, isn't it?
b. No one forces you to read it, do they?
c. Let's see YOU do a better job!
Also: I respect people who DO things. I respect the Pill guys very much for their successes and their attempt. Your recipe for a better paper says nothing new [most of its obvious as hell] and comes off as incredibly collegiate. You are forgetting the ENTIRE business side of the operation. Who the hell WOULDN'T want a "roster of mature writers " or more time so they are "not slapping content together just to make the next issue ready" ? I think you are forgetting the ENORMOUS task of creating good content AND a financially sustainable organization ON A DEADLINE. Money money money. It's a business as well. Choices are being made all the time. Arg.
--
OK i have cooled down a bit. Just annoying to listen to bar stool publishers.
I like the Pill crew and respect their attempt.
It's easy to remain [anonymous] and sit back and criticize. The people i respect try things. Are willing to take a risk ... |
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Tribe
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[anon]
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Thu Aug 7th 20:25 2003 / #6 |
Truck, I don't think Anonymous was suggesting we get a bunch of seasoned Prague stringers to work for a paper for free. Obviously, you have to pay a professional journalist for covering real news (ie. doing real journalism). But the Prague Pill didn't need to have hardcore journalism only. One good hard news story per issue was ok with me (their Polish farmer story and Spolana expose were good examples).
The Pill needed more essays, anecdotes, an occasional poem or two. In other words, it needed expat stuff! You know, all those bizarre expat experiences that make us Prague people who we are. Instead, they imported Savage Love and reviewed US movies....
I don't know personally, but it doesn't seem to me that the Pill reached out enough to other writers in Prague.
Like most Prague projects, they kept the Pill pretty close knit almost as instinctual expat behavior: "Keep out the expat competition, this is my gig." I salute them still, but it's a shame that the Prague scene is as fragmented as it is... |
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[ anonymous ]
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[anon]
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Fri Aug 8th 15:31 2003 / #7 |
I am pleased at Truck's reaction because he proves my point rather well (and don't blow a vein there, buddy). He couldn't stand the "boring and bitter" ranting of a bar stool publisher. Now he knows how I feel about publications put out by expats. While I wasn't particularly singling the Prague Pill out, much of the PP was the "boring and bitter" ranting of bar stool writers and editors. And if my advice is obvious, why weren't they doing it? Answer: B-A-R S-T-O-O-L.
I used to respect people who do things. Numerous dead publications later, I couldn't give a shit anymore. All I care about is whether the final product is good or not. If someone is investing in your attempt, do you think he or she wants to hear excuses about why the investment is lame?
And Jeezus, Truck, listen to you rant on (like some publishing expert) about the difficulties of running a paper. If it's SO FUCKING difficult, MAYBE that's BECAUSE the people involved don't have a fucking CLUE how to do it?
And look at the juvenile manner in which you felt the need to "defend" the Pill. You are part of the lame problem. Little tribal cliques emerge because people feel that loyalty is more important than honesty. Well, let me give it to you straight: if people don't want to be criticised, then DON'T write or publish. No one is holding a gun to your head. If you or your PP buddies are unable to deal with criticism, you should not be writing or publishing at all. And rest assured, I'll sit back, sip a cold beer, smoke away, and say whatever I want about the next upcoming publication or previous ones.
Got a problem with that?
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Truck
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Fri Aug 8th 16:44 2003 / #8 |
Jesus, man. You are an angry fella.
Useful/interesting discussion tends to end when someone says:
"Got a problem with that?"
Get some sun, have a nice meal, find some love...
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Scott
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Fri Aug 8th 16:42 2003 / #9 |
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Yeah, you can say what you want, and i said many things as well, but i was always glad to see a new issue on the counter, and just about always read it cover to cover. Nice work guys. Hope you move on easily to other creative endeavours. |
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[ anonymous ]
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[anon]
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Fri Aug 8th 16:42 2003 / #10 |
I should also add:
The Prague Pill did a decent job, it just could have been better. |
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[ anonymous ]
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[anon]
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Fri Aug 8th 17:27 2003 / #11 |
Truck,
Oh, so now it's the be-cool-and-groovy cliche, is it? This reminds me of the boringly predictable responses that THINK would would trot out. Usually they would respond with some smart ass comment or one the above listed three responses. My favorite is whenever some discerning reader made a critique that hit home, the editors would invariably accuse them of being uptight, bitter, angry, not getting laid, etc, etc. Truth is, the editors were the uptight, angry and defensive folks!
I have yet to see once in this town where an editor of some expat publication (especially those cultural events endeavors) actually acknowledged a critique or point without getting defensive. That's called honesty, baby. And if you're unable to be honest, WHAT THE FUCK are you doing publishing a paper? How is anything ever going to improve if people running the paper keep reacting in the same knee-jerk manner?
Now that I've ruffled everyone's feathers, I should qualify my statements:
As much as I disliked THINK's content, credit must be given to Jeffree and Keith for importing the concept of free publications to Prague. Now Czech publications such as Houser and Metropolis, among others, have followed their shining example.
As I stated earlier, the Prague Pill did a decent job and provided some entertainment, so thanks Micah, Alex, Jeff, Josh, Travis and, especially, John Caulkins for his generosity and belief, without which this thread would have been considerably shorter. Did I miss anyone?
Lastly, my comments are motivated not by a desire to stop anyone from expressing themselves, but to learn from the past and do a better (not same) endeavor in the future. |
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Tribe
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[anon]
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Fri Aug 8th 20:08 2003 / #12 |
I can remember one time that Think acknowledged the truth in a critique from a letter to the editor.
Some pud wrote a letter to Think. He was about to return to the US and complained that Prague was full of pretend writers and actors that would "never make it in Berlin, Paris or some bigger European city." Think responded by saying, "We think you're a pud, but you're a pud with some points. With people like you returning to the US, the democracy is in safe hands. "
They shot back at him (and he deserved it), but they also agreed with him to some degree. They didn't show bitterness. They knew there were a lot of would-be writers and artists in Prague clamouring for attention and recognition. It was ok, because some of them eventually matured to become talented individuals. The rest.... eventually did what the "pud" did. |
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Tribe
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[anon]
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Sat Aug 23rd 01:04 2003 / #13 |
I heard that the Pill was "bought out" and the writers were basically given one month's salary and no severence pay (actually not too bad for Prague expat jobs).
Anyone know about this?
Who bought them out? Prague Post?? PBJ? PIYP? Scott Rogers?? Or, that guy who owns Joshua Tree???
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jeff
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Mon Aug 25th 12:07 2003 / #14 |
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Still up for sale. Interested? 450k. |
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[ anonymous ]
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[anon]
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Mon Aug 25th 14:33 2003 / #15 |
What's included in that price tag? PP brand name, office, computers, etc.??
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Tribe
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[anon]
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Mon Aug 25th 17:12 2003 / #16 |
If I had the capital I would have bought Globopolis.
It was too ahead of its time, but once PDAs, Mobile Internet, and notebooks become even more widespread it would have raked in the dough.
Brand names mean less in Prague than elsewhere. Look what happened with the Think brand name, did it help their paper much?
No doubt, there will be a future expat incarnation for Prague soon...
If it makes the Pill staff feel any better, I know the PBJ's been up for sale for over a year. They haven't earned money in a loooong time.
And I suspect the Prague Post is a break even machine at best, kept alive by that capitalist good EagleTexas or whoever he is...
Journalism and Publishing is a labour of love and one year is actually long time to be in business for Prague, given the market. Salut. |
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Tribe
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[anon]
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Mon Aug 25th 17:14 2003 / #17 |
spelling correction: Prague Post is kept alive by that capitalist "goon" EagleTexas, not capitalist "good." :)
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peter
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[profile]
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Mon Aug 25th 17:40 2003 / #18 |
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Hey Tribe, if you register you can edit posts. :) |
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ColinShea
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[anon]
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Mon Aug 25th 19:59 2003 / #19 |
Couple of points:
1. The Pill - according to the "for sale" advertisement - made 100.000 CZK/ month. Think used to make over 3 times that in the larger format. Something's wrong with that. 50.000 CZK/ issue, with at least 5 pages of advertising per issue? That's only 10.000 CZK/ page. Can't pay too much salary on that.
2. Disposable income from anglophones in this town must be quite high. There are 6 million registered multi-day guests in CR every year. I guess at least 200.000 Anglophone tourists spend at least one night in Prague/ month. If they spend an average of 5.000 CZK each, that's 12 billion CZK/ year. dd 20.000 residents with an average disponsable income of 25.000 CZK/ month, and you get another 6 billion CZK/ year, or 18 billion CZK altogether. At least a percent of that should be spent on advertising, or 180 million CZK.
3. Print and outdoor is the only effective way to reach these people. If print is half, that means there should be 90 million CZK in the English-speaking ad market.
4. No fucking way is there 90 million CZK in the ad market!
5. The point is that there theoretically should be a market but practically speaking it doesn't exist. I don't think it has much to do with content - the Post kind of sucks, but it's also a reasonable city paper for all that. They don't make ends meet either, that's a fact.
6. No one will ever make it in this market unless someone convinces the advertisers to get their heads out of their collective asses. Narcissistic and self-absorbed as the Pill might have been, better and more diverse writing/ reporting would not have saved them.
7. Like others, I give them a lot of credit for trying. And Alex is a brilliant writer - if this experience gave him a springboard to the kind of career in journalism his level of talent deserves, then it will have been a worthwhile experiment.
BTW, whoever was listing the English-language publishing graveyard forgot that noxious little weed, the Prague Insider. Who was that jerkoff who published it? I remember he wrote something snide in the Pill to Alex about "dropping all that nonsense and coming to write for him" - they folded a week later into deserved ignominy.
- CS |
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Tribe
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[profile]
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Mon Aug 25th 20:52 2003 / #20 |
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That (the Prague Insider) was published by the Prague Business Journal. I can't remember who wrote that letter though, some Irish guy I think... |
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[ anonymous ]
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[anon]
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Mon Aug 25th 22:39 2003 / #21 |
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The Prague Insider was run by Scott Macmillan who eventually submitted a few restaurant reviews to the Pill after that exchange with Alex. Guess the joke was on Scott, not Alex, aye? |
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bar stool publisher
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[anon]
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Mon Aug 25th 22:51 2003 / #22 |
Colin,
From what I heard (strictly hearsay, mind you), the Prague advertising industry is dominated by 4 - 5 media buyers which constitute a sort of advertising mafia. Big companies don't bother to make sure their marketing money is well spent on certain publications. Instead they outsource the approved marketing budget to media buyers who place ads on behalf of the client based upon certain criteria and marketing effect they want to create. To qualify a publication with a media buyer, the publication has to be around for at least a year, have an audit of its books, and some other stuff which I can't remember right now. So, it's a bit of a catch-22. You need advertising money to survive, but you won't get it unless you first fit certain criteria.
If you do a little research, the next publication can be planned a little smarter.
BSP |
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Tribe
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[profile]
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Mon Aug 25th 23:07 2003 / #23 |
You left out one part about the media buyers.
Just "hearsay" from me too... if you want a major media buyer to select you, you have to line their pockets.
Media buyers here often double-collect from the corporation as well as the publication itself! The result: the publication is forced to raise the price of their advert (ie, include the bribe in the price), in the hopes that the extra revenue from the corporation will cancel out the extortion amount from the media buyer. The entire market suffers as a result.
Also less corrupt -just a pain- is that media buyers usually collect a percentage of the advertisement package the corporation chooses to purchase. Therefore, they'd rather recommend a major television or radio campaign worth millions of kc so they get a larger cut rather than waste time recommending a small print zine where they'll earn just a few thousand kc.
Personal relationships can help overcome this. Some people in media buying agencies will listen if you present a convincing case.
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ColinShea
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[anon]
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Tue Aug 26th 12:26 2003 / #24 |
I used to do some advertising here. That's mostly how it works. If you want to do print, they give you a list of titles and proposed sizes, with the corresponding budget. They usually bring in all the proposed titles for you to look at and accept/ reject.
Tribe's point is very valid - you really have to push to get a big agency to do something tight and focused. All they want to do is blow 20 million on TV campaigns, as he says. Which is a lot more fun, a lot more money, and a lot less work for them.
Also you have to consider the production costs. If your agency has to prepare an english version of the ad, it will probably cost more than the actual media space itself if you're talking English language (You might spend 50.000 CZK to make the ad and then buy space for 10.000). Whereas with Czech media the production vs. media buy ratio will be more like 15%.
Jeff used to make ads for people occasionally, which was probably a pretty key advantage in convincing them to bite at Think. They didn't spend 50.000 buying space and then get reamed by an agency for another 100.
Media buying market is a real racket here. But it's the same everywhere. It's never very transparent for the clients ... and the bigger you are, the more space there is to get screwed of course.
I think the only way to really do this would be to hook up with a local Czech media player (Houser, or even Blesk...) selling combined advertising space, offering to translate the ads to English for them. |
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Arno
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Tue Aug 26th 17:39 2003 / #25 |
Correction: Scott Macmillan is not Irish. Nor does he own any so-called Irish bars.
Overheard: Think he's Finnish. Maybe runs a bakery in Liberec now. |
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koho
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[anon]
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Tue Aug 26th 18:50 2003 / #26 |
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Let's not forget Umelec magazine, which has been a local/international publication in English for 3.5 years now and is never ackowledged in such Prague English publication lists because the publisher is Czech and the subject matter not ex-pat oriented. (Alex once apologized for this oversight.) |
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vole
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[anon]
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Tue Aug 26th 20:05 2003 / #27 |
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And what of the web world? PTV and Expats.cz and that other allpraha thing - all these guys must make some money to keep going- all the same market too. |
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Tribe
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[profile]
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Tue Aug 26th 20:51 2003 / #28 |
Yes, Ty Vole is right. (I just wanted to say "Ty Vole"!)
Does Umelec have a web archive anywhere? |
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Bar stooled publishing
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[anon]
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Wed Aug 27th 01:37 2003 / #29 |
What really gets my goat is that in order to get ads you have to deal with these slick Czech dudes who work for media buyers, just want to party, snort coke and couldn't give a shit about politics or some independent, alternative English language paper. These yahoos command about CZK 80,000 salary and basically own the media because they have a little personal black book with all their advertising clients listed in it. Also, many ads are swap deals which means the publication doesn't actually get cash.
Scotty! Can I have another slivovice???
BSP
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flavor saver
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[anon]
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Wed Aug 27th 02:13 2003 / #30 |
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Think Again was good for two issues and then they sucked miserably. In June they were in debt with the printer 70,000 crowns (which is almost the same amount of debt left by Jeff and Keith when they quit the mag in August, 2002) and now I don't even know. The editor, Miguel Tauson, is a pouty, dick smoking asshole and in my opinion ruined Think Again with his crap design and retarded ideas. Ann Lysek, on the other hand, is a fabulous person and I commend her for trying to get the zine going. She's just the style of person (maybe not exactly her) that should try getting the Pill running...or start a new newspaper or something. |
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Matt Welch
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[anon]
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Wed Aug 27th 08:50 2003 / #31 |
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Ah, memories! ... I can't believe no one's mentioned the Bohemia Daily Standard, or the Central European Business Review (I *think* that's what it was called ... it was pink and had a funny obnoxious travel writer) ... |
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koho
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[anon]
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Wed Aug 27th 11:14 2003 / #32 |
Umelec web archive:
www.divus.cz
But mostly in Czech. Ha. (We're still working on it.) You have to stop by the office to get the whole shebang in hard copy.
Jejune was also left out. |
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bar stooled pubwishing
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[anon]
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Wed Aug 27th 13:39 2003 / #33 |
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Heeeeyyyyyyyy, did anyone recognize that ghost which just passed through???? That was the founder of Prognosis. Or some little paper like that. Memories, indeed. |
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Scott MacMillan
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[anon]
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Wed Aug 27th 15:51 2003 / #34 |
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Um, I was gonna remain quiet, but I can't resist. Colin Shea, who the hell are you and why are you calling me a "jerkoff" on a public message board? I don't know you and as far I as know, you've never met me. Oddly enough, one of my "sources" tells me you always seemed like a "pleasant fellah." For whatever it's worth, I did indeed write to the Pill once when I was the editor (not publisher...) of the short-lived Prague Insider. It was in response to this article and I was trying to correct Alex Zaitchek's misrepresentation of my thoughts and views. Sorry to hear you found it "snide."
And while I'm at it.... Since nobody's going to step up and defend the "pouty, dick smoking asshole" Miguel Tauson (Sorry, come again? You're saying he sucks cock? Uh, that's just wonderful...) I'd just like to say while I don't know Miguel that well, I think he's a nice guy. Yes, I happen to think his magazine was/is crap but that doesn't change my opinion of him as a person.
Civility, people... |
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[ anonymous ]
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[anon]
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Wed Aug 27th 16:41 2003 / #35 |
Perhaps someone should actually purchase the Pill/paper rather than just waffle on about how much better they could do it?
http://prague.tv/bboard/viewpost.php?id=2966 |
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Tribe
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[profile]
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Wed Aug 27th 16:58 2003 / #36 |
Agreed. Lets leave the personal attacks somewhere else. This conversation is too interesting as it stands and doesn't need to be contaminated with insults. I know Miguel too. Yes, he's a nice guy. Yes, I had some difficulty appreciating ThinkAgain articles. But I think much of his design was very good. At least they published 'Humanifesto.'
I was the creator of a Czech-language student magazine called Campus, btw. It was great fun. There are so many talented Czech writers and photographers here in addition to expat writers. They're just looking for a chance to be the media.
I'd also like to add that TOL (Transitions Online) is maturing into a very nice English language web magazine. Well done. |
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ColinShea
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[anon]
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Wed Aug 27th 17:05 2003 / #37 |
Actually ... Scottie ... you have met me. Twice. I am not surprised you don't remember.
Not that this was relevant to my 'jerkoff' evaluation, which was based solely on your being publicly contemptuous of someone who was doing the same thing you were, but very obviously with a lot more talent and a lot more business acumen. I found the irony more than a bit galling.
If you don't like being publicly called a jerkoff by people you don't know, you probably shouldn't write things in public that make them think you're a jerkoff. Pretty simple.
Don't worry, I get it all the time, some lesbian poet from Chicago wrote to me today that I'm a "talentless misogynist" and that she hopes my "dick rots off". I definitely would have preferred "jerkoff". |
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BSP
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[anon]
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Wed Aug 27th 19:10 2003 / #38 |
Scottie Macmillan,
It WAS very snide of you to ask Alex "when are you going to come write for a real paper?" when the Pill had been around far longer than the Prague Insider, had far more energy was put into it and was clearly more talented. Maybe you were being sarcastic with Alex about all those exchanges about what a "real paper" was or wasn't. But given that 1) the merits of the Insider over the Pill were not apparent--at least not to me--especially since your magazine seemed to be catering to the tourist/backpacking crowd rather than expats--and 2) you ended up submitting articles to the Pill, not Alex, which is to say the Pill stood the test of time longer than your paper, I think it's fair to say your attitude back then was a bit out-of-touch and Colin wasn't so off the mark when he thought you were being a jerk-off. I am sure you are a nicer person now (we've all been humbled by our experiences). So, yes, let's be civil but don't forget to give credit where credit is due (mainly for all the hard work Zaitchek put into the Pill to make it what it was and prove your wrong) and admit that, yes, by God, I was a jerk-off back then and feel remorse for my brash youthfulness.
What irks me is that any wannabe writer, editor, publisher, what-have-you gets up on a soapbox or little paper they run, start irresponsiby mouthing off and then a few years later deny any memory of their words. If you don't mean what you say, then it wasn't worth saying in the first place. So if you're going to say something, SAY it. If you turn out to be wrong later, just ADMIT it. You may find your critics are a lot more warm and forgiving than first appearance. Then again, may be not.
BSP |
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BSP
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[anon]
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Wed Aug 27th 19:19 2003 / #39 |
A few more comments: There's been rumors the Post may go under and the PBJ has been for sale for some time. This goes to show that no English language paper, no matter how much it caters to the business community, is necessarily more "real" than an independent, alternative cultural paper.
I suspect Macmillan's snide attitude, exemplified by that comment overheard on the Vltava boat ride (see Scott's article link), stemmed from this perception.
Restaurant reviews - the last resort of the defeated.
BSP |
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Scott MacMillan
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[anon]
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Wed Aug 27th 19:26 2003 / #40 |
OK, I'm just going to forget about Mr. O'Shea just like I apparently did the first two times I met him.
Going back to Tribe's first post, I think the point about the "business side" never taking off is really crucial. Yes, editorial quality matters, but unfortunately not as much as ad sales, which is really what makes or breaks a publication. Selling ads is just a matter of finding somebody who actually likes to do it and follows through by getting the contracts signed. Finding such a person is the tricky part: They exist, but they're few and far between. A single good ad sales rep can float an entire publication.
In fact, that's what surprised me the most about the Pill's folding. With a good sales rep, finding advertisers to support it shouldn't have been be THAT hard given its track record. I'm speaking from experience, because for a time, after PBJ yanked all the funding for Prague Insider, I actually tried selling ads for it myself (previously it had been the job of the PBJ sales team, who saw it mainly as a competing publication). Not fun. I did have some success, though, probably only due to the fact that I believed in the product. But I gave up before getting enough money to publish another issue of the magazine.
(Lest anybody get the wrong impression, luckily I was never anything other than a paid employee of PBJ during the Insider misadventure.... In other words I never really invested any of my own money, which could account for why I gave up so easily.)
In the end I gave up for three main reasons: 1. I hated trying to sell ads. 2. The floods last year gave small businesses a good excuse not to advertise, and therefore gave me a good face-saving opportunity to throw in the towel. 3. The Pill had suddenty turned from a shit sandwich into a pretty decent newspaper, and I saw no reason to detract from what they were trying to do. They frankly deserved the ad revenue a hell of a lot more than PBJ. (On that note, it was gratifying when Alex Zaitchek offered me the job of Pill food critic even though I'd apparently been so "publically contemptuous" [?] of him. If you can't beat 'em...)
I had huge gripes with the Pill's writing, but let's face it: the paper exceeded most people's expectations both in terms of editorial quality and the effectiveness of advertising. I know of one person who was sad to see the Pill go simply because advertising in it was incredibly effective for his business. That says a lot right there.
If that's the Pill for sale in the Announcements category, my gut tells me CZK 450,000 is not such an outrageous asking price -- if you wanted to get into that line of business, which is not something I'd wish on anybody. |
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Scott MacMillan
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[anon]
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Wed Aug 27th 19:44 2003 / #41 |
To BSP, and then I'll drop it.
I never wrote, "When are you going to come work for a real paper?" I believe I wrote, "When are you going to stop this nonsense and come work for Prague Insider?" Big diff! The "nonsense" I was referring to was not the Pill itself, but the fact that Alex was making up quotes instead of picking up the phone and calling me, which I thought (and still think) deserved a little gentle chastisement. So I can't honestly say I feel remorse for that letter. But perhaps it was poorly phrased and came across as "snide."
As for who survived the competition, that's pretty obvious, and I'm more than willing to give credit where it's due -- with Alex, Micah and Jeff, as I've admitted to them in person. |
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Tribe
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[profile]
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Wed Aug 27th 22:06 2003 / #42 |
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Not to dis anyone at the Pill, but their ad sales manager was an inexperienced woman named Efka. Nice person, but not exactly an advertising sales guru, which is what they really needed. Actually, they started out with SamFleishmann, but that's another story that doesn't need to be repeated here! |
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BSP
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[anon]
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Wed Aug 27th 23:26 2003 / #43 |
Okay, Scott, I am satisfied with your explanation. Let's chalk it up to one big misunderstanding. We're all civilized people somewhere deep inside.
About ad sales reps, I am not convinced that an expat who works in this position has a chance of breaking into the marketing budgets of companies here. The pool of available advertising money in Prague is limited and highly competed over by the reps of media buyers. It's a Czechs-only situation. That is, they don't appreciate some expat ad sales person trying to horn in on a client's marketing budget which they've been hired to spend. That's my impression.
If anyone knows otherwise, I'd be interested to hear their story.
BSP |
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John Orbisson Swackhammer
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[anon]
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Thu Aug 28th 00:02 2003 / #44 |
heh...it looks like somebody else is exploring a different (maybe more appropriate) audience...
http://www.freewebs.com/thepill/Main_Page.html |
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John Orbisson Swackhammer
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[anon]
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Thu Aug 28th 00:17 2003 / #45 |
OH, and check out the discourse I had with them over an
unsolicited email...not sure how they got my email
address...
Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2003 19:34:37 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Mykel - The Blue Collard Jesus"
Subject: Re: question
We never really gave a shit that Prague had the PILL ... of course
after checking it out , it looks very familiar... kinda of fucking
scary.
[other non related stuff was here]
Mykel
The Blue Collard Jesus
-- John O. Swackhammer wrote: --
I don't think it's a big deal. Hey, it's in PRAGUE!! but just so
you
can see what I'm talking about:
http://www.prague.tv/pill/
[bla bla bla]
> -- Mykel - The Blue Collard Jesus wrote: --
> Chris, Sorry this is not the same
> mag. Now your making us re - think
> the whole name... i hope were not
> stepping on any toes... we've been
> sued once...
>
> -- John O. Swackhammer wrote: --
> is this the same Pill that is in
> Prague, in the Czech Republic? I
> used to live there.
>
> JOS
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Tribe
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[profile]
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Thu Aug 28th 00:39 2003 / #46 |
BSP, I differ from you about ad sales people.
Remember, the kinds of businesses that advertise in expat and tourist mags are restaurants, hotels, expat businesses, etc. Most of the best restaurants and accommodations are owned by foreigners here.
From my experience, the best salespeople in Prague are often Arab, American, Yugoslav…. If you are a foreigner but have Attitude, you can close. Knowing Czech is a real advantage but not absolutely necessary for success if you know English fluently. Attidude is key.
It’s easier to hit the small and medium sized businesses, but with the right strategy, even the big companies can be persuaded… |
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ColinShea
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[anon]
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Thu Aug 28th 13:25 2003 / #47 |
Jeff and Keith managed to hustle ad sales. I don't think they ever really had a lot of luck when they hired Czechs to do it.
However many stellar qualities those two have, Czech language ability is not one of them. Tribe's on the money - attitude is key. Even poor Scottie is making sense. You can win Pullitzers but if no one is pulling in the ads, you're sunk. |
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[ anonymous ]
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[anon]
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Thu Aug 28th 13:58 2003 / #48 |
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Colin- does this mean you're admitting you were wrong about Scott? |
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[ anonymous ]
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[anon]
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Thu Aug 28th 14:17 2003 / #49 |
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Of course, there's not much danger of you winning a Pulitzer, Mr.Shea. |
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BSP
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[anon]
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Thu Aug 28th 15:25 2003 / #50 |
For anyone's who's interested, Frank Kuznik wrote a story in this week's Prague Post about the rise and fall of the Pill. On the whole, the article is fine but what annoyed me is that last sentence Kuznik had--indeed, was compelled--to throw in at the end. When talking about the possibility of a new publication replacing the Pill, he writes: "And anything is possible in fantasyland."
Comments like that are typical of expats who seem to think they work for a "real" paper in this town. Does anyone know the story of Lisa Frankenberg, how she pulled her little maneouver on Monroe Luther to persuade him to fund the Prague Post? Idealism vs. realism, eh? And what would the Prague Post be if weren't for this free funding? WHO is living in La-La Land? It's throw-away money for Luther and gives him the priviledge of saying he owns a paper in the Czech Republic but, let's face it, this is not reality. It's an exception.
I suspect it's the very fact that the Post is not financially independent that explains the consistently mediocre, watered-down quality of its articles, letters to editors (& letters that didn't make it to print), and generally non-hardhitting, non-newsbreaking quality over the past 8 years. Go with the flow because if you piss anyone off, we might lose our free lunch!
BSP
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drunk
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[anon]
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Thu Aug 28th 15:49 2003 / #51 |
If reality is a question of a paper surviving, then I suppose the PBJ or Prague Post are real papers. Mediocre perhaps, boring definitely, but sadly all too very, very real. Don't write an article about the suspicious business practises of a company if they are paying big advertising money. Do not criticize any of the chambers of commerce (not that any of them deserve to be criticized--merely illustrating a point). And, my God, do NOT investigate the mafia, corruption or anything controversial or, at least, if you do, do it in such a way that no one is offended. Here we see how money and fear can reduce all the elements that make a paper interesting down to the lowest, most common denominator: sheer survival.
drunk |
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BSP
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[anon]
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Thu Aug 28th 15:56 2003 / #52 |
In business practise, the higher the risk involved in providing tax or legal advice the greater the return on your money. In the same way, readers want to read a publication that resonates with the world they around them, that hits home. To write in such a manner risks alienating one's advertising revenue, but my point is simple: no risk, no impact.
One day one of these publications is going to get it right.
BSP |
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BSP
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[anon]
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Thu Aug 28th 16:18 2003 / #53 |
Clarification: the firm which is providing the risky advice is able to demand a higher price because, if it is wrong, it can incur liability.
In the same way, a good paper should use the above as a model and build a reputation for putting out reliable, uncompromised information and being willing to risk alienating advertisers for the sake of truth and, eventually, someday in the far, far future--which, rest assured, we will never live to see but our great grandchildren may--good will triumph over these evil, pathetic, mediocre, pretentious, weak, sad, needy, cynical, cowardly, hypocritical English language publications that slowly but surely suck the life force out of the unsuspecting minds of Prague readers.
Another sssslivovice, please.
BSP |
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Tribe
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[profile]
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Thu Aug 28th 17:14 2003 / #54 |
Agreed. Who does Kuznik think he is? I criticized the Pill more than anybody, but without the Prague's little oil baron Monroe Luther, EagleTexas or whoever he is, the Prague Pest would have been a splat on the wall years ago.
Think was around for 3 years and self funded. This is by no means a failed publication. The Post should be so lucky.
It really is a shame the Post didn't get their ad sales going.
If the Pill or a similiar incarnation ever returns, I'd love to contribute in the production and marketing end. |
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caen
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[anon]
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Thu Aug 28th 22:08 2003 / #55 |
Just some corrections and/or smart things to know
- surely neither prognosis or prague pill were the first free expat paper in prague ... remember zpravy which was distributed by the invading russian army in august 68 ...
- don't be parochial and equal expat mags which english written mags ... pick up a copy once of russian, french, german mags aimed at expats
- don't forget that the business case of many US free mags such as village voice, new york press, sf weekly, ... is stronglz supported by a healthly advertising base related to various sexual services ... prague pill give this a try also but proabblz found out that the sex industry in prague is too small to support free mags unlike in NYC, SF, ...
just some thoughts |
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Matt Welch
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[anon]
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Fri Aug 29th 02:02 2003 / #56 |
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Prognosis wasn't free; it was usually around 20 crowns. We *wanted* to be free, but the advertisers screamed bloody murder, and we had a hard enough time as it was trying to convince people to sell the thing, let alone have them give it away. (If anyone still happens to know a local thug named Jan Srb, please give him a stiff kick in the nuts for me, will ya?) I'd also like to give a friendly shout-out to the Pill folks, for sending me a few issues, and even a xerox of some terrible Velvet column I once wrote.... |
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JednaRukaNenanova
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[anon]
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Fri Aug 29th 20:15 2003 / #57 |
Fantasyland: The Pill existed purely because it was funded by the richest foreigner in Prague who doesn´t say "privyet" when he answers the phone. JC dropped 200,000 USD for the thing, according to the Post article, and BSP, that might be the "fantasyland" that Kuznick refered to. After all the wannabe hipster acidspewing the Pill churned out I can´t believe getting your dander up over what was a basically much too kind review of the closing of the huge vanity press that was the Pill. Anonymous was right about the little cliques, and the Pill kept their clique to their own ruin.
Remember, if the Post didn´t exist, you´d have to complain about something else. Hell, at least it´s proofread, and rich "oilman" funder or not, it breaks even. Tribe, what erroneous rumor mongering: Caulkins in the Post story sure doesn´t say anything about being bought out. Of course, with terminology like "capitalist goon", we know where you´re coming from. Why don´t you start the Prague Pravda?
Can someone cite those so called good issues of the Pill? I can´t remember too many. I remember obvious boys playing with toys. 200,000 USD for that? Sickening.
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Tribe
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[profile]
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Fri Aug 29th 21:04 2003 / #58 |
Sickening it may be, Jedna, but not worthy of your tasteless ranting. You must be one of those Czech research slaves at the Prague Post who basically do all the interviews for the reporters who need to talk to a source that only speaks Czech.
$200,000 was better spent I'd say compared to the millions of Texas dollars from Eagle Texas Luther-man. Capitalist goon he is because the Post won't truly report in fear of losing ad revenue. It's an 8 year hollow platform for pedestrian copy.
We are all responsible for the Pill's demise. During that 1.5 years, John Caulkins foot the bill for an independent media outlet in Prague. How many of us stopped by their offices to contribute? I'm sure cliquish as I knew they were, their doors were still very open to us if we were persistent enough.
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Tribe
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[profile]
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Fri Aug 29th 21:09 2003 / #59 |
By the way, the reason I wrote I thought the Pill had been bought out is because Patrick Seguin said so on his webzine RASH(http://www.expats.cz/rash/)
He said, "Thanks, Pillstaff, for the year and then some that you gave this city. It's a damn shame that such a gift got axed the way it did. I've been told that the paper's been bought out, and its best writers - IMO among the best in this city - got let go in an incredibly disrespectful manner: given one month's salary with no severance. Whoever was behind this - and I have a notion of who it was, but I ain't gonna name names until I know for sure - is an inconsiderate fuck."
Not true, but at the time I posted I didn't know.
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Tribe
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[profile]
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Fri Aug 29th 21:18 2003 / #60 |
Pill definately had its moments...
Remember the story they did on the Patriot Act:
http://prague.tv/pill/article.php?name=allseeing
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BSP
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[anon]
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Fri Aug 29th 21:53 2003 / #61 |
Well, according to the Post article John Caulkins is considering a second try which suggests that the money he did spend on the Pill was not altogether a waste. Chalk it up to experience, let's say. The distant goal is independence, financially and content-wise, and the fact that Caulkins might be considering a second attempts suggests the goal is feasible. The fact that Caulkins was an expat living in Prague who chose to fund the Pill is a statement of faith in the local community (pathetic bunch that we are). The fact that Monroe Luther decided to fund the Post from Texas is a statement of wealth and the vanity of owning a newspaper in Prague. Who knows? There's a large Czech community in Texas so maybe owning the Post boosts Luther's prestige with his business connections. The point is the quality of the Post's content is influenced by a benefactor who has no real relationship with Prague or the Czech Republic.
Of course, we have to be realistic about funding a paper so one cannot ignore advertising revenue. But is it possible to be financially sound (my guess, a paper needs a least 2 years upfront funding) without compromising integrity?
Just a thought.
BSP |
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BSP
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[anon]
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Fri Aug 29th 22:05 2003 / #62 |
Another thought: let's say someone tries to start a new English language paper, has plenty of funding, and decides to hire a hotshot from, say, NYC to start it up right. My guess is that hotshot's experience and know-how won't necessarily translate to Prague, which has its own local characteristics. The point? Simply that no matter how inexperienced one is/was in running a paper in Prague that hands-on experience is far more valuable, business-wise, than anything a newcomer can bring. Every past experience of failure carries valuable information and knowledge that can potentially be turned into one's future benefit.
I would be happy to hear anyone disagree with the above. But please reference it in relation to the last 8 years of English language publications in Prague.
BSP |
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JednaRukaNeonanova
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[anon]
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Fri Aug 29th 23:08 2003 / #63 |
Well not a single of my points so much as got damp. BSP, the mindreader, somehow knows the private motivation of Monroe Luther is "vanity" and charges that the quality of the Post is influenced by him, and yet both of these things were a hundred times more obviously true for the Pill. And arguing that having no experience and doing a bad job has some intrinsic value hardly deserves comment. A newspaper isn't exactly rocket science and shouldn't, Pill-like, be an attempt to reinvent the wheel and ending up with a circle jerk.
Tribe, you laughably slam the PP researchers and then reveal your own clever research technique that led to your own error, i.e. repeating baseless charges on webzines. No wonder you were a fan of Pill journalism. I am sure Mr. Seguin is thankful for you pointing out how whacked he was. And so we certainly know how to take your educated guess at Luther's spending of "millions" when in fact the Post roughly breaks even. That certainly measures up better than 200K for your one good article link.
But the best part -- it is OUR fault the Pill is gone. We are guilty. We failed you, father forgive us.
Incredible. Get a job. The expublisher should be barred from going anywhere near another paper and pointed in the direction of a more worthy charity. Ever tried ordering food at Duende?
You are calling me tasteless -- was not, proudly, the Pill?
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Tribe
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[profile]
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Fri Aug 29th 23:30 2003 / #64 |
My earlier post said "I heard," not "I know." Nuff said.
Prague Post is "vanity" because it claims to represent an open Western-style independent newspaper but doesn't live up to this. It is just advertorials about beergartens and translated gossip.
Last year's attempted murder of a journalist Sabina Slonkova by former Foreign Ministry Secretary Karel Srba shows this country isn't fully ready for a functional and protected independant media. The Pill's occasional investigative story and book review showed its great potential as an independant resource. Surely, they'll be a future expat paper, Pill or otherwise, in Prague. Jedna smells like a Troll. |
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BSP
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[anon]
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Sat Aug 30th 00:58 2003 / #65 |
Jednawhatever,
First, I don't dispute the Pill was influenced by Caulkins. The point is, if someone is going to fund and thereby influence the content of a Prague paper, I would rather have it be Caulkins who lives here, understands local issues, and presumably has similar interests as myself. The few articles he wrote for the Pill were great - less attitude, more information. So I have no qualms about some millionaire funding a local English language paper - as long as the paper is a good informative read. Actually, I don't really how the paper comes into being--wave a magic wand, whatever--as long as I can read it in a cafe or bar and get a sense of satisfaction afterwards.
Second, about the value of hands-on experience. I am not sure where I stand on this which is why I posed it as a question. Certainly, the few bits of information floating on this thread about media-buyers would suggest we are speaking about something particular to the local situation. And the fact that one is trying to do an English language publication in a Czech speaking environment should certainly add a few twists. Further, I am not speaking about lack of experience but the experiences of failure which, I suggest, contain valuable information that can be translated into publishing know-how. No comment? I would actually like to be disproved on this point, so all comments welcome. Other local issues might be that there are simply not enough newsworthy articles to write about on local issues. When I see some of the ridiculous non-articles put out by the Post, you can tell they are just filler. Or maybe the people who write for these English language publications don't speak Czech so they live in a cultural vacuum, like the readers. WHO KNOWS? Would an experienced publisher/editor from abroad be able to effectively address these problems? My guess is no.
Third, about that father forgive us comment. You are forgiven. Go and sin no more.
BSP |
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Tribe
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[profile]
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Sat Aug 30th 01:10 2003 / #66 |
"Would an experienced publisher/editor from abroad be able to effectively address these problems?"
A publisher/editor is also a manager so if they lack in the local experience, they may make up for it in other areas.
If he/she can build a team of talented and bi-lingual journalists and organize their coverage, then they may succeed while gaining local experience themself.. Since they're an outsider, they would be at a real disadvantage, since pure experience in Prague is the best way to get a sense of what's news here.
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BSP
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[anon]
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Sat Aug 30th 02:18 2003 / #67 |
Well, I didn't really want to name names but I remember when the Post hired Christopher P. Winner to take the helm and remake the Post. Myyyyyyyy Gawd, what a mistake. This guy supposedly has tons of journalism experience but put out this ridiculous column called E-male. His oddball commentaries were basically the reminiscences of an aging male who obviously had novelistic aspirations but took the job with the Post probably as some kind of retirement in Prague. Do not go gently into the night, indeed.
Off for drinks,
BSP |
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JednaRukaNeonanova
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[anon]
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Sat Aug 30th 14:04 2003 / #68 |
What is a troll? Somebody who is working as a researcher at the Prague Post? Tribe I don't know how you knew this. Do I know you? You might be one of those guys who is always talking and never listening.
BSP, I think you are right about the cultural vacuum. But why don't we all debate about Umelec magazine instead? I say get off this sad topic of the Pill, we are choking on it. So provincial of us.
Well maybe I should apologize about what I said about JC, a little. I read the interview again, and at least the publisher quit after his conscience finally bothered him enough. Why it took a year and a half of misogyny and fratboy play to finally dawn on him, that is the real question.
However, in Umelec, I cannot believe that they slammed the first Czech Biennales. They owed it to the Prague Art to be more positive. |
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arrogant & distant
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[anon]
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Sat Aug 30th 16:10 2003 / #69 |
someone on this list mentioned that liberal free papers in the US are able to function because of the porn adverts in the back. Local papers aren't able to support themselves on this, 'cause the sex industry is too small. That may be the case.
But remember also that in the US, the sex industry is aligned ideologically with US ideas of freedom of expression. The sex industry exists in the US thanks to such legal iniatives that are described -for example- in that film by Milos Forman.
Since such issues of freedom of speech are not really part of the debate in Prague, it is unlikely that pornographers are going to find interest in supporting alternative press in Prague...
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BSP
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[anon]
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Sat Aug 30th 16:58 2003 / #70 |
JednaRN,
The only provincial idiot here is you. Go start your own little thread on Umelec--go on, no one's stopping you--and see how many people are interested into listening to a bumpkin like yourself. Who are you anyways - Jeff Buehler?
BSP |
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Jeff Buehler
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[anon]
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Sun Aug 31st 14:34 2003 / #71 |
No, but I am reading and having a laugh. Nice try Jedna. Thanks for reading.
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JednaRukaBumbkinova
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[anon]
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Sun Aug 31st 15:56 2003 / #72 |
BMP, I guess I hit on a nerve with the provincial reference. Don't be angry or ashamed! Every place is a province of some other place.
AD, that is interesting about the sex industry in the US. The sex industrial businesses in Prague doesn't care at all about freedom, unfortunately. Quite the opposite, it is a foreign mafia running a slave trade. (The Pill did an article, a whorehouses review, like a How To guide. Sickening. Then they tried to apologize by doing an article about the miserable lives of prostitutes.)
Umelec once did a great spreadsheet with a man in a mirror suit on a motorcycle with prostitutes on the German border. |
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[profile]
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Mon Sep 1st 00:35 2003 / #73 |
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i am not going to read all this shit just answer my question. where are the former staff members now meeting/disgusing/posting? |
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RD
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[anon]
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Mon Sep 1st 04:07 2003 / #74 |
Jedna,
Well ain't you a clever dick. We here at PP all know that she ain't breaking even. Don't really think we have a foot to stand on in terms of 'fantasy land'. Not that I actually liked the Pill, but credit where credit is due. At least Caulkins gave a few entrepreneurial writers a shot.
RD |
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anonymouser
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[anon]
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Mon Sep 1st 13:04 2003 / #75 |
Give credit where credit is due, RD: Caulkins also gave himself a shot. He published his own work. That's pretty close to the definition of a "vanity publication."
Do you guys really want to discuss the relative merits of two millionaire publishers? Ask yourselves: does it really make a difference?
BSP, you say that Luther's ownership of the Post is due to "vanity." You must know this Luther guy pretty well. Would you care to tell the rest of the class about his work with Czech charities?
And when Caulkins goes skiing in Switzerland, is that also a "statement of faith in the local community?"
Jedna's complaints are about the content of the Pill. They're just complaints, and she has the right to express her opinion, too.
Oh no, it's easier just to call someone names. |
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BSP
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[anon]
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Mon Sep 1st 13:32 2003 / #76 |
Why do I get the feeling that Caulkins must have dumped JednaRN in the past?
Doesn't take much brains to see that Luther's funding of the Post is both "vanity" and charity work - supporting expats who would have to teach English otherwise. Forget the Roma - let's feed the starving little expats, abject waste products of America the Great. It's vanity because Luther gets to feel like the master--reliving the glory days of slavery--and his subordinates have to mentally grovel before him every time they write something. The proof? The day the Post writes one critical article about Bush. . .
However, in all credit to the Post, they skewered Craig Stapleton, which took guts and was a promising start.
BSP |
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ColinShea
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[anon]
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Mon Sep 1st 13:49 2003 / #77 |
Interestingly enough, the only thing I've seen in years in the Post that I enjoyed reading was their extremely snooty obituary for the Pill. Something there obviously hit a little close to home for those guys. Particularly telling was the last bit ... Zaitchik and Koyen "got written up in a New York Times piece like Hemingway and Fitzgerald returning from exile". You can taste the incandescent rage of generations of cub reporters who've put in years at the Post, fantasizing in dark rooms about the day that same NYT piece about them - but Coyen and Zaitchik got there first!
Maybe this did succeed in giving the Post a good kick in the ass, and we'll see a better paper from now on. |
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anonymuss
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[anon]
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Mon Sep 1st 14:01 2003 / #78 |
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Colin, actually, the point of citing that NYT piece was that Caulkins and Jayne were the one that felt hugely snubbed, like grunts left behind. Question is, why did that NYT stringer blow Z and K so hard? |
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Alan Levy is my personal he...
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[anon]
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Mon Sep 1st 14:05 2003 / #79 |
Mr. Levy on the Post, speaking at Ball StateU:
[ click here ]
Really, really great stuff in here, including:
"We function well as a newspaper partly because we aren't in it for
the money," he (Mr.Levy) added.
as well as:
In the first issue of the Post, Levy coined four phrases. He called
Prague the "Left Bank of the 90s," and "the Second-Chance City." He
promised that the Post would cover "The World We Live In, The World
Around Us" (the paper's motto). Lastly, he said about Prauge that, "I
think I've found the kinder, gentler place that George Bush promised
Americans in 1988."
and let's not forget:
"I wanted the English language to be a romance between me and my
typewriter," Levy said.
\nothing to add... |
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ColinShea
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[anon]
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Mon Sep 1st 14:11 2003 / #80 |
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Interesting question - the NYT piece. Most people you meet in media/ publishing are not terribly impressed by the Prague thing. Maybe it was just some duff having a romance with his typewriter... |
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Jeff
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Mon Sep 1st 14:56 2003 / #81 |
To the anonymouser:
Although taking this conversation back to the personal is not a direction i see fitting to forums, I feel compelled to reply to your incredibly offbase comment re: JC. The Pill was not an effort of vanity on John's part. Have you ever met him? John Caulkins is not a vain man. I doubt if you knew him you would say so. |
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JednaRukaTalkToItova
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[anon]
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Mon Sep 1st 14:44 2003 / #82 |
Anonymouser, my Knight in shiny armor.
BSP, it is pretty obvious who here is venting a lot of frustration. Who took candy away from you, baby? We also can see how much you know about what you are talking about by your saying the PPost has NEVER published one article critical of Mr. Bush. From a quick search:
"On May 6, George W. Bush undid one of Bill Clinton's most admirable, if belated, diplomatic moves by unsigning the agreement on the first permanent international war crimes court. The reasoning is as simple as it is disgusting."
http://www.gvnews.net/html/Opinion/abs453.html
And on this tour, they're bringing another message. "This is an important time in the world. It seems that George W. Bush will create war at any cost," says Jeneda. "We need our voices to be heard together, loudly to let people know we need peace, not war."
www.praguepost.com/P03/2003/Art/0122/featu2.php
Back at the press conference, there was some giggling as Bush stumbled over the word historic, which he tried to say, unsuccessfully, three times. Even his staff, including National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, smiled in amusement.
Bush did manage to coherently express his wrath about Iraq, a message that some journalists seemed weary of.
A Radio Free Europe reporter was unimpressed. "He always repeats himself. It's always the same," he said after the briefing. Bush-bashing and Bush-watching were among the top activities at the summit.
www.praguepost.com/P03/2002/Art/1127/news4.php |
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anonymouser
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[anon]
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Mon Sep 1st 16:22 2003 / #83 |
Colin, it wasn't some duff, it was "comrade" Peter S. Green, the NY Time's man in Prague. Jeezus, you have to explain everything around here...
Jeff, Caulkins may not be vain. He seemed like a nice guy, and I respected his willingness to get behind something new. But publishing your own work is STILL the definition of a vanity project. Jeezus #2.
BSP, Jedna answered you already. But let me add: Jeezus #3. |
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[ anonymous ]
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[anon]
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Mon Sep 1st 18:13 2003 / #84 |
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Ah, comrade Peter. I stand (rather, sit) corrected. Woe unto those who would call Peter a "duff". |
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BSP
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[anon]
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Mon Sep 1st 18:56 2003 / #85 |
Does anyone have the link to the NYT piece on Koyen and Zaitchek?
Talktoitova,
Candy? You wish. I just grab any pretext to make PPosties feel defensive--a matter of principle, darling. The only interesting person there is Alan Levy who writes a weekly surrealist manifesto disguised as sections from his upcoming memoir. He is one of those "unconscious" surrealists, like the Manchurian Candidate, who has been activated without his own knowledge...
BSP |
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anonymouser
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[anon]
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Mon Sep 1st 19:08 2003 / #86 |
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NOW I'm laughing. |
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BSP
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[anon]
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Mon Sep 1st 19:20 2003 / #87 |
And now that you've worked me up in drunken frenzy - what is UP with that Prage Post music reviewer Matej Novak? That guy's ability to string together a series of self-cancelling descriptions that tell you nothing in the end is, well, amazing. His cynical reviews are probably based on what he glean off the Internet in 5 minutes and the CD cover.
These non-reviews reminds me of those "gushy" restaurant reviews the PPost used to print 5 years ago. If you're an expat who knows nothing about food but are too cheap to pay for your own meals...become a Post reviewer! Remember: don't piss of the restaurant, so just write "absolutely fabulous," "simply gorgeous," "marvelous," etc, etc. for that mysterious dish you have no clue about how it should look or taste. Make friendly sounds and everyone's happy - let's hope the reader doesn't notice.
BSP |
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JednaRukaNeonanova
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[anon]
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Mon Sep 1st 20:45 2003 / #88 |
A drunken frenzy by 6:30 pm on a Monday. I think we are learning a little bit too much about BSP.
I propose we make a list of the things that would make the PPost better. Here is my entry:
1. No more major Hollywood Blockbuster film promotional material on the cover of Night and Day! Mr. Swarznegger's face gets enough exposing all over town without that. And it is so lame to have any Hollywood on the cover of N&D. More artists (like in Umelec) and bands.
ps Matel Novak rocks
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[ anonymous ]
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[anon]
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Mon Sep 1st 20:59 2003 / #89 |
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2. No more Jedna |
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BSP
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[anon]
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Mon Sep 1st 22:19 2003 / #90 |
If the Post got rid of Jedna, they'd have to hire a new business editor!
See, your defense of Mr. Novak simply mirrors my earlier critique of the Pill (way up there under anonymous) where loyalty seems to count more than honesty. You, Ms. Jednawhatever, got pissed off at the Pill boys for their inbred clique-ishness, yet you inform us that Matej "rocks"??? Puh-leeeze.
Incest leads to stupidity,
BSP |
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BSP
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[anon]
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Mon Sep 1st 23:48 2003 / #91 |
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3. Fire Raymond Johnston - I am soooooo tired of his sour grapes mentality. The guy has seen way too many films and obviously hates writing film reviews. It's torture for him and torture to read his reviews - please put an end to this collective suffering. |
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Yola Yesterday
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[anon]
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Tue Sep 2nd 00:33 2003 / #92 |
Did anyone follow the Jayson Blair scandal at the New York Times? This reporter's false reporting resulted in NYT management shake-up and a very public Stalinist trial for Blair. This just goes to show how seriously the NYT takes--or at least the appearance of--journalistic integrity.
When are we going to see the same standards apply for Prague publications?
YY |
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austrian voice
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[anon]
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Tue Sep 2nd 01:05 2003 / #93 |
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For anyone's who interested, apparently all the newspapers in Austria are state-funded which would lead to a serious cramping in independent journalism. Maybe we're discussing a phenomenon that is peculiar to the CEE? |
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anonymuss
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[anon]
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Tue Sep 2nd 15:04 2003 / #94 |
Yola, unfortunately, the same test is not being applied to Judith Miller, who authored NYT Iraqi/Saddam danger-to-the-world hysteria articles in the prelude to the war based on info from Pentagon-supplied supposed Iraqi defectors that she never even laid eyes on, all while pushing her book on--surprise--the dangers of germ warfare attacks. Many of her stories and sources have since fallen through.
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Tribe
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[profile]
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Tue Sep 2nd 17:18 2003 / #95 |
A future Prague 'Pill' type paper could survive if it started out monthly and virtually all-volunteer. The only inescapable costs are printing costs, and even these could be reduced if the printing company was willing to do a partial barter to promote itself. I'm sure many of us in Prague have Quark...
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Joe Strummer
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[anon]
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Tue Sep 2nd 17:56 2003 / #96 |
The Pill staff listened to too much anguished 90's post-pop and not enough punk. When they meant to be angry, they came off snide, and when they thought they were right, they came off as merely self-righteous. They wanted to snarl and they just sneered. They had a serious navel-gazing problem with only the occasional glance outward (toward Spolana, etc.) They were a pretty fair reflection of the expat crowd of course but that was both asset and liability.
Maybe printing fees and Quark would fly, but I'd add some power chords and have the frontman bark. |
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BSP
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[anon]
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Tue Sep 2nd 18:25 2003 / #97 |
Tribe,
I am not sure about that all-volunteer idea. I've seen too many good intentions in Prague degenerate into backbiting and fighting when it comes to paying rent months down the road. A good idea should be a sound business idea as well. The trick is to be financially solid without compromising integrity - a hard balancing act. And to have a clear idea about the paper's identity--who its aiming for, what it's about--and stick to it. You'll quickly find out if you've dug a hole or created a niche.
The biggest way to lose is by trying to become "all things unto all people" - kind of like those restaurants where the menu lists a little Italian, a little Czech, a little Tex Mex and a little Chinese. It's better if people love or hate what you're doing. Apathy is the worst reaction.
BSP |
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ColinShea
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[anon]
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Tue Sep 2nd 19:33 2003 / #98 |
Tribe-
I think any printing house within a hundred km radius of Prague is going to demand upfront cash and a pair of your girlfriend's underwear as security after the recent behavior of certain ex-pat publications. Word around the campfire is at least half a dozen got burnt over the last year...
BSP - good point about a focused business model. Maybe we should try pushing the envelope past the point where the Pill stopped and do an English-language porn mag and escort guide. We can throw in the occasional snide political rant or piece of smutty micro-fiction without hurting the bottom line too much. I bet that would work. Think how many of these poor study-aborad kids from Brandeis are here slogging their way through "Leo" and "Ceske Pecko" while massaging their hearty corn-fed weiners... not to mention the moustached Deutschers and Ostreichers and Liverpool football hooligans in for the weekend!
- CS |
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Tribe
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[profile]
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Tue Sep 2nd 20:22 2003 / #99 |
Really? I hadn't considered this as the work I did in publishing was with Czech-language publications. However, there are many more than a half-dozen print houses in the Central region of the CR. Many of them are small and should be willing to print for a new expat paper with better terms than what you suggested. Btw, don't bring underwear into this :)
I'm all for a solid biz model. I think cost cutting is crucial for a solid business model. I don't know for certain how the Pill ran, but I think there should be very few paid positions for a new newspaper until it is near or at the b/e point. There should be a publisher, production coordinator, editor, and sales manager. That's it. No office, just some guy's flat with a computer with Quark. Editor should continually liase with writers [who would have to write for free at first (perhaps budget an amount for one key investigative article per issue )]. Production coordinator would locate and get permission for distribution points, coorinate printing, assist editor and design, and ensure all is done on time. Sales manager.. you get the idea. These four should do the job of distribution for the first few issues (anyone got a car?) until a part-time in-house distribution person could be found. Wouldn't be easy but could work... |
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beamer
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[profile]
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Tue Sep 2nd 23:34 2003 / #100 |
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Barter damn it! That's the way it should start by Barter, you pay your freelancers in burgers, tacos and fried cheese platters at late night stands. I'm with Tribe on this. Start cheap with minimal expenses, let the readers see what you got, do the barter ad trick with local businesses to pay your part time bartender/writers. Of course, do new relocatees still work in bars or do they all work at PWC? |
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BSP
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[anon]
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Wed Sep 3rd 00:00 2003 / #101 |
Forget the barter model. Too many publications have gone for the bare bones model, scraping together each issue, bartering, wheeling and dealing - trying to make ends meet, heroically using all its resources and it didn't last. Definitely go for the porn - why have English language magazines in Prague steered clear? Living abroad, but still uptight. Puritanism: the fear that somebody out there might be having a good time. . .
To make it work, you'll need to put together a business plan, with time frames and goals to meet, and pitch it to an investor. Get a least TWO YEARS financing up front (capital to set up an s.r.o. plus extra costs). Besides that time cushion, you'll need:
1) 3 slick Czech ad sales reps who used to work for Prague media buyers - you're basically hiring them for their previous client contacts
2) a roster of about 20 writers, both Czech and English speaking, who are paid by the article on various topics of their interest
3) 3 computers, telephone and fax machine
4) a room with a couch for crashing on
5) coffee machine
The above is a conservative model, based on what I've seen work and not work in this town. Note that I've padded the content and financing side. The rest is just managing and putting it together. Be very good to your ad sales reps--even if they're wankers--because they will be the lifeblood of your project. You don't want to rely heavily on the upfront financing.
Well, this thread has reached 100 comments so I've reached my goal. It's been fun talking to everyone, no hard feelings, and good luck with the next publication. I'm outta here.
Regards,
BSP |
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Tribe
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[profile]
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Wed Sep 3rd 00:34 2003 / #102 |
Uh, I never implied full barters. I think my post was exaggerated a bit...
After the Pill's demise, there ain't no way any investor in Prague would ever give two years funding to a *business plan*. As someone who has written business plans before, I'm surprised investors here would give any funds to a business plan without a proven track record. Better to get a bare bones growing publication out there for at least a year or so, and THEN you have a case to ask for more serious funding. The investor wants to be sure they're getting a return remember. Caulkins was an "angel investor." As the name implies these are rare indeed.
I'm sure the average salary of a Czech Media Buyer rep is well over 45,000kc so don't break the bank too fast by hiring three of these guys. Plus they're a bunch of number crunchers. An expat paper needs an aggresive and enthusiastic sales machine! You need a roster of over 50 potential writers, and paying for every last story is just not feasible from the begining in my opinion.
I do agree on the couch and coffee (I prefer the endless Instantni Nescafe to the venerable Prague Post coffee machine!) |
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Miguel Tuason
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[anon]
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Wed Sep 3rd 13:21 2003 / #103 |
A closed mouth gathers no feet.
Feel free to yawn, however...repeatedly. |
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[ anonymous ]
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[anon]
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Wed Sep 3rd 13:39 2003 / #104 |
No one wants to live in a one-horse town, right? A new, Pill-style publication is in the works. We'll start chopping trees in late Sept. Anyone who is interested in being a part of the clique, send an email to: buben_mafia@centrum.cz
BSP, Tribe and Colin: especially you folks!
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[ anonymous ]
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[anon]
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Wed Sep 3rd 14:29 2003 / #105 |
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Actually, I have an angel investor on the line to take over where we left off. All you folks contact me at nupublikation@bigmail.cz |
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beamer
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[profile]
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Thu Sep 4th 01:25 2003 / #106 |
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Well mr. anonymus, what's your point? What do you wanna write? |
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anonymous
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[anon]
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Fri Sep 5th 02:19 2003 / #107 |
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What comes after the Pill? The Injection? The Surgery? The High? The Recovery? What happened to all those big ideas? Get in touch, people. nupublikation@bigmail.cz |
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ds
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[anon]
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Fri Sep 5th 04:36 2003 / #108 |
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a friend sent nupublikations a query but no one replied. . . which makes one suspect its a joke. |
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[ anonymous ]
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[anon]
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Fri Sep 5th 12:49 2003 / #109 |
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Ditto for buben_mafia@centrum.cz |
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beamer
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[profile]
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Sat Sep 6th 10:38 2003 / #110 |
I say you give it a name. Something witty. It's about music, arts, entertainment, local news and politics, and travel. Get 2 years funding to run the thing with 0 advertisements. Get a name, get respect, and then when the funding is about to run out, lets say 18months into the venture, you approach advertisers, Partners for each section. Give them tons of exposure, but only them so they are the visible ones. If you have a good product, they will come to you. No call girl places, no Ukranian sex traders, just good local businesses.
That's my thought. |
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oj
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[anon]
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Sat Sep 6th 17:55 2003 / #111 |
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If you have a paper without ads for two years and then suddenly start running them, you'll piss off the reader who doesn't give a shit about the financial reasoning behind it. It's better to give the reader a fairly consistent version throughout the paper's existence. |
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illit
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[anon]
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Sat Sep 6th 19:00 2003 / #112 |
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but if it's still good quality readers are still going to want to read it, no? anyway I reckon you'd spend a good part of those two years organising these partnerships and advertisers - at least, if you want them to stay with you more than 2 months before dropping out. |
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beamer
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[profile]
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Sun Sep 7th 13:26 2003 / #113 |
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Exactly, most papers begin by giving free ads to entice the advertisers and get the readers accustomed to it, I say no to that. Produce your paper, run it for 18 months and then if it's a worthy paper the advertiser will come with the right approach. |
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buben mafia
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[anon]
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Sun Sep 7th 15:28 2003 / #114 |
I don't know who nupublikation is, but I've responded to the two letters I've gotten already and am waiting to hear from more of you. I have a job, so I'm a bit slow to respond to emails at the moment - sorry! Seriously, if you want to be involved, send a note. There have been tons of good ideas dropped here, and I'd really like to involve all of your positive input in the process of creating a new publication.
Also, I know all of the Pill people, and none of them are planning to "continue" from where they left off...
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oj
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[anon]
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Sun Sep 7th 20:14 2003 / #115 |
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Buben, maybe you should talk to Nupublikations and pool resources rather than competing? |
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random thought
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[anon]
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Tue Sep 9th 15:44 2003 / #116 |
Anything good and readable here is as self-supporting as possible. Reading all that is here, above, it seems that there has been a fondness for institutions like the Pill or Prognosis such that has never existed for the Prague Post. Could it be that the problem with the Post is the very fact that it exists with the external financial support of a guy named Munroe from Texas?
If that didn't money didn't exist, then the writers would be more likely to write for an audience, and not feel obliged to try desparately to rise above it all...
The Pill and Prognosis, for all their faults, were essentially papers by people living in Prague for people living in the city, or visiting it. They had to be.
The Post, by contrast, seems to serve a single audience: the writer's clipping file to make something of an expensive J-school education. Should the post loose its Lutheran supporter, perhaps it would be a blessing in disguise?
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Buben Mafia
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[anon]
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Tue Sep 9th 15:52 2003 / #117 |
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I tried to contact NUpublikation also, and no results... Weird, maybe he/she has two jobs... OK, so open call again. ANyone interested in being a part of a new publication? Writing, selling, advising, picking, gnawing at, anything? |
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[ anonymous ]
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[anon]
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Tue Sep 9th 19:19 2003 / #118 |
Does anyone know if this posting still valid? Is it the Pill?
http://prague.tv/bboard/viewpost.php?id=2966 |
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Cowgirl
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[anon]
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Thu Sep 11th 18:49 2003 / #119 |
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Prague definitely needs a good English paper / magazine. However, Prague needs no more of 'experienced' expat smarmies, Ann Lyseks, Alan Levys, etc. Enough idiots live in this country and at least half of them speak good enough English. As they say, there's enough of meat but not enough of good people! |
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Jeff
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Sat Sep 13th 18:10 2003 / #120 |
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Regarding post #118: Yes, it is the Pill. And yes, there are still deals to be made. Happy shopping. |
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Random Thought
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[anon]
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Mon Sep 15th 14:12 2003 / #121 |
Dear Cowgirl,
Frankly, it is the 'experienced' part of the Prague Post that tends to delight. Alan Levy, the most regular writer in town, has kept me informed infinitely. Less so, someone like Mr. Winner, a retread flown in for his credentials. Lately, there've been more locals writing about what's around them than the latest J-school careerist.
RT |
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longshadow
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[anon]
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Wed Oct 15th 20:16 2003 / #122 |
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We need more bitter men acting like little boys, that is what we really need. |
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Iceman
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[profile]
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Thu Oct 16th 00:05 2003 / #123 |
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No, no, what we need is to create a paper that doesn't bitch that doesn't dwell on the fact that the writers are from somewhere else. Why can't there be a paper that deals with the issues of "assimilated expats or shall I say those who have chosen to live elsewhere", who want to learn and participate in this society. Let's call it, Hear. |
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BSP
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[anon]
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Fri Oct 17th 20:16 2003 / #124 |
http://www.exile.ru/
Check out the above link to the eXile, the expat magazine from Moscow, to see where the Pill copied their smart-ass attitude from. Read the letters section - it sounds like Zaitchik, Koyen and Jayne responding. The Denis Salnikov column is a particularly ironic spoof on Russian poshlost. |
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Rutger
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Tue Oct 28th 10:33 2003 / #125 |
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Where can i buy some Pills? Is there anu wholesale discount? We are coming for a big party weekend and it'd be good to sort everything out beforehand. |
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Ellers
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[anon]
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Mon Jan 26th 11:32 2004 / #126 |
Aha - another new mag out - this Compass...
Hmmmmm.... |
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Tribe
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[profile]
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Mon Jan 26th 20:31 2004 / #127 |
Compass, what's that?
I'm too far away from Prague to be in the know. |
Micah
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[profile]
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Tue Jan 27th 01:39 2004 / #128 |
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It's fuj. Looky here: http://www.praguenet.com/compass |
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jeffree
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[anon]
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Thu Feb 26th 07:12 2004 / #129 |
Wow, what a thread, looks like all the old crack smoking readers of Think found a new outlet! But I jsut want to clarify a few points there.. As for the Graveyard remark, well Think has put out two issue on the website www.think.cz, and is still alive and well and even accepting submissions. You can read Colin Shea's workes there as well.
As for the reumours of our death, far from it, we'e just moved to warmer MORE PROFITABLE climes, and will be launching a Singaporean edition in April. Ah, what a difference a funtioning economy makes...
As for the ad agencies, Think never lined ONE of thier pockets. Instead, we were PROFESSIONAL in our dealings with them, explaining our product to them, get their CLIENTS involved, and oh yeah, publishing a serious number of titles. We hade ad agency ads from issue #2 (Martini).
As for being only in English, we actually were bi-lingual, with articles for expats in in english, and articles of interest for locals in Czech, not like the Threshold and Prague Tribue, which just runs the same shit side-by-side.
And we were not around for just 3 years, but printed from October 1996 until the last one we did in June 2002. (#54). I have to be honest, there was a bill left behind to one of the vendors of our TV show, but that was not related to the print department. And also, we were unsuccessful in our attempts to publish an all Czech publication, because of the Publisher's cartel of Stratosphera undercutting us at the client level, and the lameness of the Czech distribution industry, which makes it's majority of profits from selling shelf space, and not from selling magazines. But just know, that everything we did, we started with nothing more than a good idea and a mock up of the first issue...
Keep rocking in the snows dude, I'm off to the Full Moon party on Koh Phan Ngan! |
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jeffree
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[anon]
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Thu Feb 26th 07:23 2004 / #130 |
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Vy the way... the typos are in the above text just to piss you all off! |
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jeffree
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[anon]
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Thu Feb 26th 07:23 2004 / #131 |
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By the way... the typos are in the above text just to piss you all off! |
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[ anonymous ]
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[anon]
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Thu Feb 26th 09:45 2004 / #132 |
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Jeffree, you rock-- bring back the real Think, please!!! |
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OZ
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[anon]
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Thu Feb 26th 13:08 2004 / #133 |
Who let anonymous out from Bohnice?
Jeffree,
It's called sarcasm so please don't take it seriously. Ok? Enjoy you little Full Moon party.
OZ |
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[ anonymous ]
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[anon]
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Mon Oct 11th 04:45 2004 / #134 |
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[this comment moved to the dump; posted from 81.91.36.90] |
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[ anonymous ]
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[anon]
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Tue Oct 12th 12:47 2004 / #135 |
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when that dumped message is decoded it is in russian and provides US phone numberS. I don't understand the rest, but in maybe you should completely purge it given the current state of the world |
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Jeff Free
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[anon]
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Wed Oct 13th 20:40 2004 / #136 |
I'm planning to start a new free publication in Prague called The Prague CUNT. I want to hire all of you, you know, because you're such excellent writers. Payment will be in kind, kind of. But you will have to smarten up a bit and write in heroic couplets, rhymed of course, but with a hardedge critical business journalistic watchamacallit, to keep the ad hucksters happy and the anonymous cowpat investor from Idaho shelling out.
Oh, does anyone have Al Levy's new phone number? |
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dennisonbertram
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[anon]
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Thu Oct 14th 00:30 2004 / #137 |
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You know, you shouldn't forget the relatively new webmagazine- http://www.provokator.org/ it's a perfect example of a crew of hardworking people, who are going against the grain to really do something interesting. The staff works hard and spreads itself out. At the moment they are planning an anti-film festival backed by fotoskoda and KinoSvetezor. They also bring in shows and show the work of young fashion designers and photographers. If anyone is looking to 'start' something, you should give these people a call. |
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dennisonbertram
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[anon]
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Thu Oct 14th 00:51 2004 / #138 |
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also though- in my personal opinion, i just don't really know if an english language publication can fly here. Sure Czechs speak english to a large degree, but not that large. The expat population here has very few stable long terms members, so it's hard to build a long term fan base. I just don't know if you can survive as a genuine expat paper and not dissolve into just red-light ad's in the back or tourist maps. But hey, prove me wrong! Of course, we could just all learn czech and read czech papers to get serious local news with relevant articles on life in Prague and the czech republic with music reviews and critical political....oh who am I kidding? |
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Anonymopus
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[anon]
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Thu Oct 14th 11:27 2004 / #139 |
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Going against the grain, like so many before. |
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[ anonymous ]
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[anon]
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Fri Oct 15th 20:40 2004 / #140 |
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dennisonbertram don't you do photos for one of those english language publications? Is it gone now? |
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nimh
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[anon]
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Fri Jun 17th 13:05 2005 / #141 |
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Wow, I dont remember what Google search took me here, but I got halfway through this thread and it sure gives a clear impression of the goings-on in a perhaps all too small expat community! Such incestuous resentments all!
Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading about all these old magazines. I was wondering where a few of them went. I bought a Prognosis once when I was in Prague for the 3rd time, in 1991 I suppose? I did like it better than the Prague Post, which I was left buying on later visits when I wanted some local news in English.
The Prague Post, true, is rather bland and all too business oriented (both on content and bias), but still, you should check out the equivalents elsewhere in Central Europe. The Budapest Sun is much worse, the Budapest Week was mostly good for its movie reviews and the Budapest Times now isnt much better either. Warsaw Voice, Slovak Spectator, Baltic Times, St Petersburg Press, Moscow Times - are/were they necessarily much better? Standards vary - I like the Spectator myself, they have some critical stories, while the Petersburg Press just sucked big time - but the limits of the medium are clear.
The Baltic Independent, though, now that one I really liked - even took out a subscription on it for a while at the only Dutch bookstore that imported it. Quality reporting, always focused on the news (not incrowd stuff), a clear editorial stance.
There were other real goodies though. From anonymous' first listing, I also remember Trafika, and I thought it was really, really (and I'll add a third one here), *really*, good. Wonderful literature. Beautiful design. Bought every issue I got my hands on. Had been looking for it on returns, but I guess it long folded, then. Pity. Shame.
I also remember Pozor, was sent an issue by a friend in Prague. Liked it, very hip, cool stuff, nicely designed. I think I once bought Optimism too, but honestly I cant remember anything about it. There was also something called The Prague Review, thats not been listed yet I think? Compared very unfavourably to Trafika - it seemed mostly a way for a group of expat friends, not necessarily exceptionally talented, to publish their stuff.
Online, like someone said, Transitions Online is a good news resource, though I still regret the demise of the Central European Review.
What else has there been? Do any of you remember the East European Reporter? Was published for a while right after '89, I still keep a handful of issues: basically translations from notable news analysis / articles from the quality press around Eastern Europe. Very helpful. And again in Hungary, you have probably the most long-standing, in-depth English-language publication of them all, the Hungarian Quarterly. First-rate short stories by famous Hungarian authors, political analyses by economists and intellectuals, memoirs, beautiful art reviews and the whole thing is exquisitely designed. I had a subscription for years, since you couldnt buy it anywhere in Holland.
Then there are the German-language publications, in Budapest alone you have three I think: the Pester Lloyd, the Budapester Zeitung and the Neue Zeitung. Guess you have equivalents in Prague too. |
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nimh
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[anon]
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Fri Jun 17th 13:07 2005 / #142 |
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hmmm, the html did work, but now it looks a bit loud, with all that bold font going on. oh well! ;-) |
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nimh
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[anon]
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Fri Jun 17th 13:21 2005 / #143 |
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Oh this may be of interest for you as well - A special issue on literature in the Czech Republic of the Transcript Review.
I'll link in the article on "Literary Events in the Czech Republic": http://www.transcript-review.org/section.cfm?id=98&lan=en
Among other things, it bestows high praise on the Prague Revue. So I guess that can mean three things: it's a different publication from the 'Prague Review' I slammed so unkindly from memory above; it's the same one, I just remembered the name incorrectly, and was simply unlucky with the issue I bought; or it's the same publication but has developed very favourably over time! You tell me, I suppose. One I bought was back in, I dunno, '96 or '97? |
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nimh
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[anon]
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Fri Jun 17th 13:28 2005 / #144 |
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oh shite, i missed up with the html this time round tho ;-) |
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[ anonymous ]
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[anon]
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Fri Jun 17th 17:54 2005 / #145 |
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nimhe, you were spot on about the P. Review |
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christiane poirier
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[anon]
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Fri Oct 7th 21:15 2005 / #146 |
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i did try to make sense of all of your comments. could not. the only thing that caught my eye was a comment about patrick seguin and his publication, rash. could anyone tell me how i could reach patrick seguin and if he still has rash. i tried to get on that site but it comes back as home page. did patrick seguin leave prague? is he back in canada? it would be very important that i reach him. thank you. thanks to all of you. please, this is very important for me and urgent to. |
treyka
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[profile]
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Sun Oct 9th 08:29 2005 / #147 |
Christiane -
You may find Patrick Seguin's blog interesting. He's still in Prague. The url is: http://www.prague-spot.com/blog/
Others -
I find it interesting that this thread continues to draw traffic years after the Prague Pill's demise. You may be interested to follow Alex Zaitchik at:
http://www.freezerbox.com/
Regards,
--Trey |
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Tribe
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[profile]
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Sun Jun 14th 15:45 2009 / #148 |
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Having returned to Prague from 2006 to the end of 2007, I didn't see any real new expat journalism in the tradition of the Pill. Although I noticed Think Again was still moving along somehow. I haven't been back for 1.5 years to Prague, but I guess in this era of user-generated content and Web 2.0, blogs, PTV and Expats.cz have filled the void for english-language content for the non-Czech speaking masses in Prague. The old days were fun though... |
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aliota29
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[profile]
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Sat Dec 12th 15:57 2009 / #149 |
I ran a "writers" magazine here from '95 to '00 called Optimism Monthly.
Online version still around:
http://www.lapislunawines.com/optimism/
Back issues sporadically at The Globe. Free PDF Download of penultimate issue #38 issue with graphics
The expat literary scene here died round 98-99 when prices went up, but the mystique lives on.
See local indie film "Rex-Patriots" by Nancy Bishop for complete debunking procedure and local jokes galore.
The true lifestyle & lore was captured in zines like "Prognosis", "Think", "Riding Black" and "Unpronouncable Symbol"
Cynical, smart satire for jaded immigrants.
Umpteenth "Prague Revue" just a tax break for The Jama gang.
Sleepy, banal, vanity project but good for lining my hamster cage.
The local Alchemy open mic at the New Globe is all that's left for wayward trust fund undergrad's.
The Beat lives on! |
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