Los Angeles
January 18th, 2007I’ve lived on Maui a long time. I’m used to it. The resident population here is perhaps 140,000. It’s a small town compared to the 900,000-plus resident population of Honolulu — which in turn is small compared to the great assemblage that is Los Angeles — almost 10 million people in Los Angeles County according to the US Census Bureau.
This meditation on relative scale was inspired by a recent trip to Palm Springs via the Los Angeles airport. We hit the freeways in the late afternoon on a Friday — need I say more? There must have been more people in their cars, trying to get elsewhere, than exist on the entire island of Maui. (Did I used to call that little slow-down on the way into town “bad traffic”?)
My day job involves work on a tourist-oriented website, so the first thing that occurred to me was what a tiny percentage of Los Angeles-alone we would have to attract to be a raging success.
My next thought was what a tiny percentage of Los Angeles-alone an author, or even a genre, would have to attract to be a raging success. Anyone trying to sell anything must entertain the same thought. It’s the million dollar marketing question.
Posted on: Thursday, January 18th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
Categories: Meanderings.
January 25th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
Dear Linda,
Thank you so much for writing.I love everything you have ever written and am always wanting more. Recently I read Goddesses only because I discovered it on your website, and I just wanted it to go on. I read your whole blog and enjoyed it also to see your struggle as an artist. I was upset that it had stopped a year ago, and am so excited to see it start again.
Well I know you don’t have time for 10000 words but I just wanted to say that my wife and I have an ocean front beach cottage in immaculate conditon just north of Seaside, Or. and I would be honored if you ever wanted to stay there, absolutely free as long as you like, except for June,July, and August, which is the busy season. You can see it at vrbo website listing #95104.
Also, I have friends in Hollywood that are the nicest most beautiful people in the world and could steer you in the right way if you haven’t already made great deals for the movie rights. Your books are made for the movies. The visuals would be fantastic.
Thanks for being you and doing what you do,
Phil Massebeau,
January 26th, 2007 at 4:12 pm
Thank you, Phil! I truly appreciate the kind words. If things go well, I will have more in print before too long.
Strangely enough, a friend was just telling me yesterday that Seaside is said to have some of the best surfing waves around — though it’s definitely cold water surfing.
Hollywood is a foreign land to me — there hasn’t been any discussion of movie rights, though I have toyed with writing a treatment for THE BOHR MAKER. That’s another unfinished task…
January 26th, 2007 at 7:01 pm
Dear Linda,
Thanks so much for your response. Did I mention the hot tub? Our cottage is just about the quietest place on earth and is totally empty now and most of the time. Please come some day to write or just store up some energy.
Seaside is about 2 miles away and the surfing is fantastic. Mostly too big for me in the winter but Febuary can really go off like a machine even for people who surf for fun, not the adrenillin. I’ve surfed my whole life, growing up in Florida.
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Thank you again, I feel so honored to have your words directed to me.
Phil Massebeau
January 27th, 2007 at 6:41 pm
Let’s be cautious about posting personal information here… this is the Internet, after all…
Thanks again.
January 27th, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Dear Linda,
Thanks for editing that for me. I thought about it after the fact, i guess I was a little anxious. You have my e-mail if you ever need me.
Your friend ,
Phil,