Walkabout and other Rites of Passage
by Fran Parker

Wikipedia says that Walkabout refers “ to a rite of passage where male Australian Aborigines would undergo a journey during adolescence and live in the wilderness for a period as long as six months. In this practice they would trace the paths, or ‘ songlines ‘, that their people’s ceremonial ancestors took, and imitate, in a fashion, their heroic deeds. ”

According to another web page Aboriginal Australia – Come Walkabout “ A country is not just a collection of hills, cliffs, creeks, rock outcrops and waterholes. It is a magical network of land and living things, elements and seasons, Dreamtime stories, spirits and songs. ” They have lived this way for 50,000 years

From another website , “ According to Aboriginal belief, all life as it is today is part of one vast unchanging network of relationships which can be traced to the Great Ancestors of the Dreamtime. The space between nature and man, life and death, and the past, present, and future is seamless. All time is related. Everything exists for a reason. There are no misfits or accidents — only misunderstandings and mysteries not yet revealed to mortal man. … ”

Yes, there were other parts of this rite of passage that seem barbaric to modern sensibilities, but when every other population was struggling with unwed mothers, the Aborigine actually had in place a crude form of birth control; one that was reversible when the man got married so they could have children. That is amazing in itself since it was accomplished with no modern anesthetics or modern medical knowledge.

But that is not the part of this rite of passage that I want to talk about in particular. I want to talk about the move from boyhood to manhood, from carefree child to man of responsibility and a deeply spiritual awakening and self awareness that happens with solitude, aloneness, exercising survival and instincts, personal growth and other aspects that are fundamental to Walkabout and other rites of passage in various tribes around the globe.

But before we go into that, I thought it would be fitting to see where the Aborigine are today. Things are changing even in Australia Aboriginal communities according to Tyson Yunkaporta in the article, “ Native Rites of Passage Today Aboriginal Manhood Roles when Traditional Initiation Is Gone — “ The odds are stacked against our young Aboriginal men, with higher suicide and substance abuse rates, and lower standards of health and education than other demographic groups in Australia. ”

And why is that? As it turns out, Walkabout and other aspects of the initiations into manhood are increasingly not practiced among most of the Australian Aboriginal communities. The young men are struggling to come to terms with the changing tide of social structure, religion, and who they are as a people and individually. Who they are and their connection individually, spiritually and in nature. Is there a connection between the loss of the Aboriginal rite of passage and this disillusionment and dispair among so many Aborigine young men today?

So what is Walkabout really? It would seem it is not just some simple celebration, but a deeply spiritual time of life, a time of reflection, a time of gaining confidence in one’s own person and abilities, having a sense of their own spirituality, and realizing and experiencing their connection to the land and nature. It is a part of them as a person, a people — it connects them to the land, a higher purpose, and somehow to a higher plane of existence in some ways, and individually it is part of their identity as a man.

Around the globe, many peoples have different rites of passage marking major life changes such as moving from a boy to a man. They are generally connected personally with important life stages. Most consider birth, the beginning of puberty, marriage, even life altering things like death, or life threatening illness and injury as markers for these rites of passages. In modern society you can add graduation, divorce and retirement as rites of passage. Although in modern society people are pretty much left to their own devices during these traumatic experiences of life, with no clear path to move through them. To their credit, many religions do have some demarkation and at the very least ceremony staging these transitions such as Jewish Bar Mitzvah, Catholic Catechism, Christian Baptism and others. But today these are not the all encompassing rites of passage that have been associated with some cultures.

Is Aboriginal Walkabout and associated rituals so different from any other rite of passage in other tribes of people around the globe?

Being from the United States, it is more close to home to talk about another deeply personal and spiritual rite of passage from the foundations here in America. The ones that were practiced among the members of First Nation, formerly referred to as Native Americans, mainly before they were banded together on Reservations by an insensitive government system. When they roamed the land, one with the land and nature in a very real and spiritual way.

Native American young people’s identities could also be considered to be wrapped up in a deeply spiritual, physical and emotional rite of passage. In many Native American tribes there were rites of passage for both boys and girls. Again like some aspects of Aboriginal rites of passage, some may have been considered to be barbaric to modern sensibilities, however, those were just some aspects of these rites of passage which ran deep in the heritage of each Native American nation. There may also be ones for girls as well among the Aboriginal communities, but we are manly focusing on the rites of passage for young men today.

ShaunaSay WhiteFeather Tate (Eastern band Cherokee from the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina) wrote a very illuminating article entitled “ Native Coming of Age or Rites of Passage Ceremony In that article WhiteFeather refers to it as ” giving honor to their youth as they pass from childhood into young adults. “

Native Americans make use of Smudge in their sweat lodge ceremonies as, “a blending of physical and spiritual together, to create a “bonded prayer” that is sent to the Creator of all from our spirits to His spirit” to help put them into a “focused prayerful frame of mind” and removing any and all evil or negativity around them and inside them. They also use Sage, Cedar, Tobacco and Sweet Grass in many ways including healing and in their ritual ceremonies like rites of passage.

In reference to the coming of age rite of passage, if you were to compare it with other cultures, the Native Americans have similar beliefs and ways of conducting these. The Cherokee believe there are ‘four cycles’ of Life in every human being: infant, youth, adult and elder.

Like with the Aborigine in Australia, the young Native American boy (12-13 yrs of age) is taken aside with the elder men; father, grandfathers, uncles and Elder men and if possible, the main Medicine Man/Holy Man of the Nation or Tribe. He will learn his new responsibilities and what is expected of him as a young man. He will be instructed in how to be a provider and protector of his immediate family and all of his people. The Elders will teach him in the “Ways” of his Ancestors and Fathers that have walked before him. He will then go through his first sweat lodge ceremony and be presented to the people and given his “New Name” — the name for which all will know him and call him from that day forward.

But it doesn’t stop there, the Holy Man/Medicine man continues to work with the young adult man throughout his entire life; instructing him and providing “Spiritual” guidance on how to stay on the Red-Road for his sake, for his family, and his people.

On the main page of the website (Voices of the Red Winds Column), we learn that ShaunaSay WhiteFeather Tate is a woman who is a “Legend Keeper (Story Teller)” of her people and a cultural teacher. She talks of her “responsibility to remember and carry on to the next generations that what was taught to me at an early age. ” She also notes that she “ came to the realization, the absolute need to share each others wisdom and knowledge of each Nation and tribe to preserve what is left of that known knowledge of our ancestors of the past. ”

To show how important learning from the Elders is among the Native American peoples, she writes,

“The Native Americans have a special way of honoring our elders still to this day. We listen to their council and wisdom in our gatherings and communities, and by allowing our children to be taught by them on a daily basis, especially when we as young parents then and now, were busy making provisions for the family as a whole.

We took the young boys to the elder men to learn of the responsibilities of manhood and the social ways of the tribe, as well as the young girls to the elder women to learn what they needed to know as a young woman and what her responsibilities would be in life as a woman to her husband and people.

The reason we did this is because of their wisdom and “Elder-Standing” with the people or Nation. For even a more simpler reason, they as elders have walked on this earth longer than we, and have experienced so many things of this world we have yet to experience. As some may say, like my sweet Grandmother; hope and pray there are a lot of things we will never have to experience.”

Is it little wonder in modern society, that our own young people often struggle with these same things? Often children are — in many ways — left to their own devices instead of being nurtured by parents and grandparents the way they used to be. Often being old is simply being feeble, not a wise elder to be respected for their knowledge and treasured. Children may well spend time with them, but what are the children really learning from their Elders in our modern society?

Like the Native Americans, I hope that the Aborigines in Australia will figure out the importance and try to recapture their heritage — to give hope, confidence, oneness with the natural and spiritual worlds, and identity back to their youth.

Rites of passage can take many forms – One doesn’t necessarily need to spend 6 months in the Australian Outback to achieve it — in the Bible, Jesus spent 40 days off by himself to achieve spiritual oneness with his Heavenly Father. But I think in this world of fear, uncertainty and doubt, and closeness of living conditions in cities or even suburbs, a child of 12-13 yrs of age often doesn’t get the instruction needed that would give him the confidence and knowledge needed to allow for stretching his wings as maybe he ought to be able to do in order to gain the personal confidence, sense of identity, or natural world/spiritual world growth. It is something that must be not only learned but experienced.

It was much easier for those on the frontier in the early days of this country, or even today for those on farms or at least in very rural areas to do this, and yes, it does happen for some, but not nearly enough.

I think we need to work on this as a people in this modern world, and as families to overcome the limitations of our living environments to help nurture our children in new ways to facilitate these qualities — and to realize just how important our heritage and our sense of oneness with the land and our own spirituality is to our very identity as individuals, and most importantly to the identity of our sons … and daughters.

There was a very nice comment from Rosanna that had been posted on the article previously that I thought was sweet and am posting it here with the article:

You have an amazing wriing [sic] style and lots of relevant information.
You’ve made it on to my reference list!
Thanks a lot for the help,
from little old Australia

Comment by Rosanna — March 15, 2010 @ 10:38 am

Here are some books about Rites of Passage from Amazon:

Cory has really come into his own now. These last three books, I believe are his crowning achievements….to date.

I will get back to Makers and Little Brother in a bit, (Little Brother was Cory’s first YA – Young Adult – book) because they were really good, but for now, I want to focus on Cory’s new YA book that he just released yesterday, For the Win. Which for the sake of honesty, I have to say, I have not completed as yet but will soon – you bet on that! But I didn’t want to let another of Cory’s book release weeks go by before I posted about it.

For the Win by Cory Doctorow

For the Win
By Cory Doctorow
Released: May 10, 2010
Hardcover: 480 pages

US edition: Tor Books
ISBN: 978-0765322166

UK edition: HarperVoyager
UK ISBN: 978-0007352012

The juxtaposition of physical and game-based violence makes Doctorow’s novel a page-turner. Doctorow juggles dialects and gamer slang to make the story more convincing. Even for readers who aren’t avidly connected to the gaming world, the economic implications of buying and selling futures in virtual goods is fascinating

Lara Killian, PopMatters

Purchase from various locations from Cory’s site here. Amazon has the hardcover book available for a discounted $12.23 (reg: $17.99), and it’s eligible for free shipping. Now that’s a good deal for a hardcover book. Or do what I do, download the free ebook and then decide.

I didn’t want to wait to get the hardcover book or audio book to begin reading, so I downloaded the free ebook version (epub) from Cory’s site here, and am already hooked on reading this book — and I have only gotten a few chapters into it. I also listened to the wonderful free sample from Random House Audio audiobook version linked on Cory’s page here (available DRM-Free! from Cory’s site for $29.00). The For the Win audiobook runs 16.5 hours and is formatted for burning onto 13 CDs. Sample here.

Cory has done a remarkable job in writing this amazing young adult science fiction novel. He has, in a fast paced, knowledgeable, believable, and totally engaging manner addressed such difficult concepts as global online marketplaces, virtual sweatshops, online gaming, trade unions and their politics, diverse economics and culture, and individual people. But that doesn’t begin to tell how interesting this book is to read or how Cory sucks you in so easily. I didn’t want to put the book down. I am thoroughly enjoying this book. It had me so quickly engrossed in the story. And I know, that’s the way it is supposed to be — after all this is a Young Adult book, but I am, eh, hum, no longer a Young Adult.

I can’t wait to get either the hardcover book or the audio book version. After hearing the sample of the audio book, it’s making that original decision to get the hardcover, a really hard decision. I know I would prefer the audiobook version, especially after hearing the reader/narrator. Hey, what am I talking about, I can’t even wait to finish the free ebook.

Makers by Cory Doctorow

Makers
By Cory Doctorow
Released: October 29, 2009 (UK)
Hardcover: 416 pages

US edition: Tor Books
ISBN: 9780765312792

UK edition: HarperVoyager
UK ISBN: 9780007325221

In the end, Makers feels like a personal, cultural, and literary milestone: an employment of the full literary toolbox of SF, in the service of a portrait of how the world actually works. If only every genre author set out with the same high ambitions, there would be no talk of SF’s failures, only triumphs.

Paul Di Filippo, Barnes and Noble

Purchase from various locations from Cory’s site here. Amazon has the hardcover book available for a discounted $16.49 (reg: $24.99). Or the audiobook from Cory’s site here. The DRM-Free Makers Random House Audio audiobook runs 18.5 hours and is formatted for burning onto 15 CDs and costs, $27.50. Sample here. Or again, you can do what I do, download the free ebook and then decide.

Makers is amazing. The intricacies, the diversity of characters involved and so many locations! This is one big book. It was an amazing book. It must be amazing inside Cory’s mind. I have heard Cory speak so many times and he is so excited about life and his passions — he just downloads all he can into a small space of time. In this book, he kinda does the same thing, although he gives great attention to detail, he’s not rushed, and he manages to hit on so many aspects of his main and secondary characters’ lives in this failed economic system where people still need to eat, to live, to work and play. He gives such genuine feelings to their triumphs, losses and all kinds of real life events in truly horrific physical and economic conditions. Cory shows so well how the best and worst of people come out, and ultimately how these very types of situations can actually foster deep innovation and commitment on so many levels. Although there were some very hard parts of the book (meaning hard to deal with because you get to know the characters), the book still left you feeling good about life.

EDIT 6-23-2010: Locus Online News reports Cory Doctorow’s Makers is one of the 2010 John W. Campbell Memorial Award Finalists! Congratulations Cory!

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

Little Brother
By Cory Doctorow
Released: April 29, 2008
Hardcover: 384 pages

US edition: Tor Books
ISBN: 0765319853

UK edition: HarperVoyager
ISBN: 0007288425

Purchase from various locations from Cory’s site here. Amazon has the hardcover book available for a discounted $12.21 (reg: $17.95). You can also buy the audiobook version at Amazon here for $36.48 (reg: $48.00). Or as I mentioned previously, you can do what I did and download the free ebook first and then decide.

I’d recommend Little Brother over pretty much any book I’ve read this year, and I’d want to get it into the hands of as many smart 13 year olds, male and female, as I can.

Because I think it’ll change lives. Because some kids, maybe just a few, won’t be the same after they’ve read it. Maybe they’ll change politically, maybe technologically. Maybe it’ll just be the first book they loved or that spoke to their inner geek. Maybe they’ll want to argue about it and disagree with it. Maybe they’ll want to open their computer and see what’s in there. I don’t know. It made me want to be 13 again right now and reading it for the first time, and then go out and make the world better or stranger or odder. It’s a wonderful, important book, in a way that renders its flaws pretty much meaningless.
Neil Gaiman, author of Sandman and Anansi Boys

I thoroughly loved this book and have already purchased the hardcover book for the library here at home. And would love to also get the audiobook version. No matter what age you are, you will feel for Marcus, aka w1n5t0n, and his circle of friends and what they all go through, and what their families go through in this book. George Orwell would be proud of this book — done in an updated style, and as technically detailed as his own 1984 in many respects. I too would recommend this book to anyone in the Young Adult range, but I would go further and say that anyone, any age who is even the least bit geeky will love it. I remember thinking that this is Cory’s best work yet. And one so needed in today’s world.

The marvelous detail and picturesque way in which Carhart brings the known historical details of life during this time frame, together with his detailed and beautifully portrayed thoughts of what could so easily have been the details of Baptiste’s life at that time in history is remarkable.

Across The Endless River gives insight into Jean-Baptiste’s thoughts about so many things, including viewing those in Europe who were not privy to the rank, wealth, extravagances and royalty of the elite lifestyle of the aristocracy — the life that the majority of people dealt with in the ever crowding Europe at that time.

Carhart also showed great care and at times intricate details of frontier life and Native American life in the wilds of North America, the New World — the freedom in living as well as the dangers and hardships.

Jean-Baptiste Charbonneau is the son of Sacagawea of the Shoshon tribe and the Mandan tribe on the Missouri, and Toussaint Charbonneau, a French fur trader and guide originally from Montreal. Traced is Jean-Baptiste’s journey through his youth and young adulthood, told in such a way that I could hardly put the book down until I finished it.

Jean-Baptiste’s parents traveled with Lewis and Clark on their historic discovery expedition to the Pacific and back — Baptiste was born on that journey.

As a side note, Captain William Clark gave him the nickname Pomp or Pompy and named Pompys Pillar National Monument after Baptiste. I found out recently that Baptiste as a baby is the only child ever depicted on a United States coin to date – the Sacagawea dollar depicts his mother Sacagawea with Baptiste in his cradle board.

Baptiste was sent to St. Louis to be with Captain Clark to get his ‘white man’ education. Later in his teen years, he acted as guide to natural scientist Duke Paul Wilhelm of Württemberg. Paul was very impressed with Jean-Baptiste’s knowledge and understanding of the natural world in North America, the ways of the Native American tribes, and his quick wit and knowledge of various subjects and languages. Paul asks Baptiste to join him on his trip back to Europe and help him with the cataloging of all the New World treasures he had collected during his journey in America for his new book and exhibition of his treasures back in Europe. As a scientist, Paul also considered Baptiste’s trip to Europe as a bit of an experiment to see how he would fare.

Jean-Baptiste spends five years traveling with Paul in Europe learning about the various cultures, languages, music, life at court, and so much more while he is in Europe. Because he is a guest of Duke Paul Wilhelm of Württemberg, he is admitted to noble homes, palaces, and more. He is able to attend royal banquets, balls and dinners, attend performances, and meet many interesting people, including some very unique and charming women in Europe.

You almost feel as though this is a full and actual historical account of Jean-Baptiste’s life, and much of it may well have happened as Carhart paints it for us, but there is little that is actually detailed in writing, or known about, Jean-Baptiste Charbonneau’s life.

As someone who loves history, and particularly the details of life in other times and places, I thoroughly loved Across The Endless River. Although, I really don’t think you need to be a history buff to enjoy this novel as Carhart’s love of, and romance with, the time, the people and the history are so vital — it is so visually and beautifully written.

This review article about this wonderful book was first published on Blogcritics.org here and can also be found under my writers page here.

I love historical fiction, especially historical fiction that is based on real characters, and particularly when it is carried out so lovingly and beautifully. Carhart took the ‘wireframe’ of history known about Baptiste, and wove a wonderful story. I found myself wondering about Jean-Baptiste Charbonneau for the first time because of this book. Of course, due to the lack of much real historical detail one could never truly see through his eyes – so to speak – but Thad Carhart brings him and his life during that period in history to life in a very unique and extraordinary way.

I can’t wait to read the book:

Z was directed by Costa-Gavras and loosely based on the 1967 novel Z by Vassilis Vassilikos — a novel which he stated was based in fact — a reconstruction of a political crime. Costa-Gavras’ film Z was the winner of the 1970 Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. Costa-Gavras started the film with the following disclaimer: “Any similarity to actual events or persons living or dead is not coincidental. It is intentional.”

Z (the novel on Amazon)

* The DVD was provided by the publisher as review material for my review on Blogcritics.org

I recently read, listened to The Shack written by William P. Young and published by  Windblown Media, and was planning on writing a review of the book because I really enjoyed it, but today I read Tom Matlack‘s review and thought to myself, I really don’t think I could say it any better. So instead, I am posting a link to Tom’s review:

Tom Matlack: Meet Me at The Shack (HuffingtonPost.com)

Tom starts off with one of the conversations in the book between Mack and God:

“Why is there such an emphasis on you being a Father? I mean, its seems to be the way you most reveal yourself.” Asks Mack, a man who has suffered brutal abuse from his own father and lost his young daughter to a serial killer who leaves a bloody red dress in a remote shack only to be invited back that same shack four years later…

Tom goes on to give a very well done review of the book. Must read.

As I noted, I listened to The Shack in audio book format. I purchased it through the iTunes Store (through their connection with Audible.com). The recording also had a piece after the book ended from the author, William P. Young and a radio show after that where they talked about book — all in the audio book file. I very much enjoyed it all.

The Apple iTunes Store had a great deal on The Shack last month for $5.95 — not sure about the exact cents, but it was less than $6 for an audio book — not too bad at all. Sheesh, you couldn’t even buy the paperback at Walmart or Target for that. So, I figured it was the best time to buy it. It really was an awesome book. Well worth reading as you will see from Tom’s review.It’s also available from Amazon in book format, Audio CD format, as well as ebook format for the Kindle.

The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity (Audio CD from Amazon)

The Shack (Paperback book from Amazon)

The Good Men Project

I recently had the pleasure of talking with Tom Matlack via email after posting a comment on his blog article here.

I really thought Good Men was a great topic for a book and would likely be read by not only men, but by women as well.  In my comment on the blog posting, I noted that “All the heroes have gone on walkabout, it’s great to see a book about the unsung heroes of the family. Fathers are very important in the life of a child; and father figures of all kinds are needed in a society where families tend to break up frequently.”

I was really surprised that publishers wouldn’t touch the book and didn’t think men would read it!

Well, Tom Matlack and others decided to go it alone and make it happen. The Good Men book, the (documentary) film, the website — the Good Men Project is well under way. The book Good Men is available for purchase now, and I have a feeling that it will do very well. They use the project to promote and help fund several non-profit groups that help kids.

You can check out information on all of the aspects of the Good Men Project at their website GoodMenProject.org. The excerpts from the book are great!

After I posted my comment on his article, Tom Matlack wrote me in email, and asked if I would be willing to write an article about Walkabout. I told him I would and it took awhile but I finally got it done. The article I wrote is entitled Walkabout and Other Rites of Passage and it was posted on the Good Men Project blog today – Thanks Tom! I focused on Aboriginal Australia and Native American/First Nation rites of passage as I have a passion for both of these peoples and their ways of life.

You can read a little of the the Good Men Project book through the Amazon “Look In” feature here: The Good Men Project: Real Stories from the Front Lines of Modern Manhood

Citizen Jane by James Dalessandro with contribution by David Mehnert is a true crime drama written from the victim’s perspective in this Onyx True Crime story about Jane Alexander.

Tom O’Donnell is a con man extraordinaire who would do anything to get what he wants (money) including murdering Jane Alexander’s 88 year old aunt! A true black widower? Who could ask for more even in a fiction, but this was a true story.

Jane Alexander is also the co-founder of Citizens Against Homicide.

In addition to the book mentioned above, The Hallmark Channel is releasing their their very own premier movie based on Jane Alexander’s story, Citizen Jane. I wrote a review of the movie at Blogcritics about the movie:

Citizen Jane is a Hallmark Channel original movie based on a true story of brutal murder, unbelievably bold theft, and one courageous little lady’s search for justice at all odds. Ally Sheedy (of Brat Pack films, as well as War Games and Short Circuit, two of my all-time favorite ’80s movies) beautifully plays Jane Alexander.

Jane has it all. She has a wonderful family, she’s been successful in her personal and financial life. As if that weren’t enough, she also appears to have landed a wonderfully deep and lasting romance with her boyfriend, Tom O’Donnell played by Sean Patrick Flanery (The Dead Zone TV show, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, The Boondock Saints).

But this is not all fun and games. Tom O’Donnell plays for keeps and Jane and her aunt are current subject of his ‘affections!’

Jane Alexander when she realizes that Tom is responsible for her beloved aunt’s death is relentless. Throw in an equally determined Detective Jack Morris played by Meat Loaf Aday and you have quite a mix. Read more here: Movie Review: Citizen Jane on the Hallmark Channel

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I did a more indepth review of Frank Muller, the wonderful audio book narrator, which was published by Blogcritics today!

For years, it has always been my particular joy to find an audio book that had been narrated by Frank Muller. I love the work of many narrators of books, but even after all this time, I still think, Frank Muller is my all-time favorite narrator.

Much more in the full article.

Amazon caved to publishers of Kindle ebooks who changed their minds about selling ebooks on the Kindle. So Amazon silently removed the books from the Kindle and credited the Kindle and ebook ‘owners’ for the books people thought they had bought and paid for.

The total irony here — and not in a good way– is that the ebooks were by George Orwell of all people! The books? 1984 and Animal Farm!

Oh, yeah, I kid you not…

Apparently, George Orwell (or more specifically … since George Orwell is in his grave spinning over this … George Orwell’s heirs or whoever is in charge of the estate, or his publisher instigated this .. they obviously learned ABSOLUTELY NOTHING at all about George Orwell or they would never have done this).

The books …. 1984 and Animal Farm

Unbelievable! I am so glad I don’t own a Kindle and haven’t wasted my money buying ebooks that can disappear in the middle of the night …

IMPORTANT: I am removing all Kindle ebooks and Kindles from my “My Passion Is Books” Amazon Associate Store and references to the Kindle on the My Passion Is Books” website.

… I am SOOOOOO glad I bought my copy of 1984 in a second hand shop….a real book.

Unbelievable!

….also unbelievable that Amazon would do this without any prior warning … it was nice they repaid the money, but it doesn’t help the inescapable feeling of betrayal, invasion, almost a feeling of someone noiselessly coming into your home, maybe even your own bedroom to take back something in the middle of the night that you had already bought/paid for … but they had second thoughts on after the deal was done…

CoryDoctorow - photo provided under Creative Commons License by Joi on Flickr.com

And he has definitely proven that locking down copyrighted works does not keep them safe, nor does it insure profitability.

Cory continues to give back to the community on many levels, while also selling his books and doing very well despite giving his books away and using the Creative Commons License and encouraging copying, remixing, etc!

Like all his books, Cory’s Overclocked page has a link to download them for free right on his website:

http://craphound.com/overclocked/

http://craphound.com/overclocked/download/

He has all of the stories available as free downloads as well as being sold, and here’s what he says about it all:

These files are under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 license. Mix ‘em up. Send them to your friends. Get creative. Tell me about it. Make cool junk. Some weirdos actually get pissed off when their readers like their stuff enough to share it and improve it. Me, I’m over the moon when that happens.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/legalcode

Like Tim O’Reilly says, “Obscurity is a far greater threat to authors and creative artists than piracy.

http://www.openp2p.com/pub/a/p2p/2002/12/11/piracy.html

Or, more to the point, as Woody Guthrie said:

This song is Copyrighted in U.S., under Seal of Copyright #154085, for a period of 28 years, and anybody caught singin it without our permission, will be mighty good friends of ourn, cause we don’t give a dern. Publish it. Write it. Sing it. Swing to it. Yodel it. We wrote it, that’s all we wanted to do.

What a wonderful and refreshing thing to see in this day and age!

Cory’s BIO:

Cory Doctorow (craphound.com) is a science fiction novelist, blogger and technology activist. He is the co-editor of the popular weblog Boing Boing (boingboing.net), and a contributor to Wired, Popular Science, Make, the New York Times, and many other newspapers, magazines and websites. He was formerly Director of European Affairs for the Electronic Frontier Foundation (eff.org), a non-profit civil liberties group that defends freedom in technology law, policy, standards and treaties. In 2007, he served as the Fulbright Chair at the Annenberg Center for Public Diplomacy at the University of Southern California.

His novels are published by Tor Books and simultaneously released on the Internet under Creative Commons licenses that encourage their re-use and sharing, a move that increases his sales by enlisting his readers to help promote his work. He has won the Locus and Sunburst Awards, and been nominated for the Hugo, Nebula and British Science Fiction Awards. His latest novel, New York Times Bestseller LITTLE BROTHER, was published in May 2008, and his latest short story collection is OVERCLOCKED: STORIES OF THE FUTURE PRESENT. In 2008, Tachyon Books published a collection of his essays, called CONTENT: SELECTED ESSAYS ON TECHNOLOGY, CREATIVITY, COPYRIGHT AND THE FUTURE OF THE FUTURE (with an introduction by John Perry Barlow) and IDW published a collection of comic books inspired by his short fiction called CORY DOCTOROW’S FUTURISTIC TALES OF THE HERE AND NOW. His next novel is MAKERS, due from Tor Books in October, 2009.

LITTLE BROTHER was nominated for the 2008 Hugo, Nebula and Locus Awards. It won the Ontario Library White Pine Award, as well as the Indienet Award for bestselling young adult novel in America’s top 1000 independent bookstores in 2008.

He co-founded the open source peer-to-peer software company OpenCola, sold to OpenText, Inc in 2003, and presently serves on the boards and advisory boards of the Participatory Culture Foundation, the MetaBrainz Foundation, Technorati, Inc, the Organization for Transformative Works, Areae, the Annenberg Center for the Study of Online Communities, and Onion Networks, Inc.

In 2007, Entertainment Weekly called him, “The William Gibson of his generation.” He was also named one of Forbes Magazine’s 2007/8 Web Celebrities, and one of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders for 2007.

He is presently working on a new young adult novel, FOR THE WIN (about union organizing in video games).

On February 3, 2008, he became a father. The little girl is called Poesy Emmeline Fibonacci Nautilus Taylor Doctorow, and is a marvel that puts all the works of technology and artifice to shame.

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

Links to some of his books on Amazon:

Little Brother

Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom

Content: Selected Essays on Technology, Creativity, Copyright, and the Future of the Future

Overclocked: Stories of the Future Present

Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town

Eastern Standard Tribe

And his new book coming out November 10, 2009:

Makers

Thanks Cory for all your books, articles and helping us keep things in perspective.