FBA/ABF
NEWS/SWEN
By Cynthia Kirk
Cynthia Kirk is a columnist for eTechNotes. Download
the PDF file for this article.
Now that Yawn2K is over and we can no longer blame disasters—natural
and otherwise—on the Millennium, it’s back to the business
of computing, teaching, writing and publishing.
The kid-centered among you may have noticed the prancing presence
of Olive the Reindeer in Nordstrom’s windows, in
a Fox-TV special and, of course, in an eponymous, best-selling
children’s book. If the nouveau-retro cartoon style looked
familiar, especially beside your current Franklin, Beedle
& Associates catalog, it’s because J.otto Siebold
is the illustrious artist in all cases. This is the second FBA
catalog designed by J.otto (the first was in 1994), thanks to
an insider connection. The now hot, in-demand artist is a high-school
chum of Tom Sumner, FBA’s Director of Production
and Editorial. Rumor has it that they were in a rock’n’roll
band together and that they’ve jammed with Elvis Costello.
Or someone closely associated with him. If all that isn’t
enough of a thrill, check out www.jotto.com
and www.fbeedle.com, respectively,
for ahead-of-the-curve flashes on the j.otto and FBA/ABF news
fronts.
Thanks to being one of the few publishers targeted as a beta-tester
for Microsoft, FBA will issue Carolyn’s Gillay’s
text for WINDOWS MILLENNIUM in near tandem with the release
of the operating system upgrade. Although Carolyn and her Saddleback
College colleague and frequent writing partner Pat Sullivan
are both on sabbatical this spring, there is no rest for the
weary. They’ll be hard at work writing FBA’s first
Linux title, INTRODUCTION TO LINUX, expected in Fall,
2000, and pushing ahead with WINDOWS 2000 (Spring, 2001).
Webmaster Ernie Ackermann (co-author of INTERNET
TODAY and several other internet-related FBA titles) plans
to spend his Fall, 2000 sabbatical from Mary Washington College
working with the Fredericksburg Freelance-Star on automating
and enhancing the newspaper’s web edition. One of the goals
is to make the web version a strong community resource, with
online forums on local issues and comprehensive listings of community
events. And if Contra Dancing appears to have an unusually strong
presence, it can only be because Professor Ernie, along with
his wife Lynn, are recent converts, and he makes sure the schedule
posts early and often.
Look for FBA/ABF representatives at the following meetings
this spring: TCCTA and ACM, both in Austin; CIA in Fayetteville,
North Carolina, and NBEA in Anaheim. And remember, your queries,
comments and suggestions—including book proposals—are
always welcomed by FBA/ABF President Jim Leisy. Write
him at jimleisy@fbeedle.com.
And so it goes as FBA/ABF seeks to find readers—and writers—of
its books in every appropriate market, North, East, West, South/South,
West, East, North. |
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