WGBH Radio; The Callie Crossley Show

I'm Cally Crossley and this is the Cali Crossley Show where hitting the fast forward button with a look at next week's primaries with election season moving at warp speed. We'll analyze the tactics candidates are trying out in their final push on the campaign trail. And at the voting booth will be anti-incumbent sentiment and the Scott Brown effect. Make their mark next Tuesday. Will we see the frustration and anger that's motivated so many first time candidates also motivate voters to take their solos to the POWs. Or is this year's low voter registration a sign of more apathy to come with political strategist Dorie Clark is our guide. We'll peer into the bay state ballot box. From there it's on to the Concord Free Press and their revolutionary business model printing books and giving them away for free. We talk it off with Ask Dog Lady Monica Collins with the latest in pub culture. Up next Are politics publishing and Pujas. First the news. From NPR News in Washington I'm Lakshmi saying.

Iran says it this Saturday it plans to release one of the three American hikers held in Tehran for more than a year on espionage charges. NPR's Mike Schuster says the announcement came down today. Reporters in Tehran learned of the news of the intended release via text message from the official in Iran's Culture Ministry responsible for overseeing the foreign press in Iran. It appears that Iran intends to release one of the three Americans to mark the end of Ramadan the Islamic holy month a time when clemency toward prisoners has become a tradition. Reporters were told to come to the a stag Lao hotel in Tehran on Saturday morning. The same hotel where the mothers of the hikers were permitted to see their loved ones last May. The three detained Americans are Sarah sured Shane Bauer and Josh football. Iran has not said which of the three will be released. The Americans were seized at the border of Iraqi Kurdistan and Iran in July of last year. They said they were on vacation hiking and may have strayed across the border. Iranian officials say they were engaged in spying.

Mike Schuster NPR News. President Obama is urging the pastor of a tiny church in Florida to drop his plans to burn copies of the Koran this weekend. As NPR's Scott Horsley reports Mr. Obama called such a book burning completely contrary to our values as Americans. In a taped interview with ABC President Obama said Pastor Terry Jones planned to mark the September 11th anniversary by burning copies of Islam's holy book is at odds with America's tradition of religious tolerance. Mr. Obama also echoed the commander of U.S. troops in Afghanistan warning the book burning could spark a dangerous backlash in the Muslim world. I just want him to understand that this stunt that he is talking about pulling could greatly endanger our young men and women in uniform who are in Iraq who are in Afghanistan. The Gainesville pastor's plans have been widely criticized. The mayor of Gainesville called the church a tiny fringe group and an embarrassment for that community. Scott Horsley NPR News the White House.

A federal appeals court has lifted the injunction temporarily blocking federally funded research on embryonic stem cell lines a decision on the underlying lawsuit is still pending. Colorado authorities are reporting nearly 170 homes destroyed by the wildfire burning outside Boulder. Kirk Siegler of member station KUNC reports some of the thousands of people evacuated may be able to find out today what's become of their home since the fire broke out Monday. Many residents have been out of their homes for more than three days and patience is wearing thin. Michelle Wallace says she knows through satellite imagery sent from her daughter in Los Angeles that her home and horse stables are destroyed but she says local authorities have given her no information with satellite imaging in Google Earth and all these things are available out there. I just don't know why they don't know it. Fire managers say they're doing the best they can given that communication and cell phone coverage is limited in the canyons where the blaze is burning. This is NPR. Police have searched the main offices of French President Nicolas Sarkozy's U.N. people party. Anita Elash in Paris reports they were looking for documents relating to a

scandal that involves a party's relationship to France's richest woman. The scandal involving Sarkozy's party Labor Minister Eric Woerth and L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt swirled around the French president all summer. Several police investigations are underway but this is the first time the police have openly investigated Sarkozy's party. They're looking into allegations that Wirth accepted illegal donations from Betancourt for Sarkozy's presidential campaign. They're also investigating claims that worth curried Betancourt's favor while he was finance minister and the treasurer of Sarkozy's party a party spokesman said nothing was removed from the offices during the police search yesterday. For NPR News I'm uneasy last in Paris. The U.S. trade deficit shrank more than expected in July government reports. The gap narrowed 14 percent to under 43 billion dollars analysts say that suggests the pace of economic growth would pick up in the third quarter for the

second straight month we're seeing fewer people filing new unemployment claims a sign that companies are going easy on layoffs. The Labor Department says that last week the number of first time applications fell by much larger than expected twenty seven thousand four hundred fifty one thousand. Last month the private sector added jobs but not nearly enough to put a dent in the 9.6 unemployment rate. Still we're seeing U.S. stocks rise today Dow's up 34 points at last check at ten thousand four twenty one. I'm Lakshmi Singh NPR News. Support for NPR comes from CSX whose trains move a ton of freight nearly 500 miles on one gallon of fuel to help reduce fuel consumption. CSX how tomorrow moves. Good afternoon I'm Kalee Crossley and this is the Kelly Crossley Show. Today we're taking a look at next week's primaries with Dorie Clark as our guide. She's president of Clark Strategic Communications.

Dorri Welcome back. Cali Thank you. So we've seen a little bit of the post Labor Day for We've had one governors debate in here at WGBH yesterday. We have the 10th District candidates and everybody's out and about. Are there any strategies that the candidates are using right now that you think are especially good and you can even point to the ones that you think. Bad wondering what you're looking at and saying well I'm not sure this is a particularly good one for democracy but with a week left. What we're really seeing is that the gloves are coming off. The candidates are going crazy starting to attack each other and we saw in the in the gubernatorial debate there was a lot of back and forth about the question of whether Charlie Baker when he was running Harvard Pilgrim actually did or didn't take state aid that was an interesting controversy. And even in the down ballot races in particular which people are not spending that much time focusing on part of the way that they're getting attention is trying to focus you know on each other's ethical lapses to get a little bit

of ink in the in the newspaper pages. Is that resonating with people ethical lapses at this point as people seem to be frustrated but I don't know if they're frustrated about that. Well you know one of the truisms in politics is that when candidates go negative against each other it actually dampens turnout. And ironically And so it's a strategy that oftentimes people want to use if they're worried that their opponent has an edge and because it turns voters off the voters get confused. They don't necessarily know how to or want to take the time to investigate all of the claims and so they just say oh they're both crooks and then they stay home. And so it is a frustrating practice but. Yes I mean in general this year there is a lot of dissatisfaction we've seen it with the Tea Party and the rise of people who are very frustrated with government. There's a lot of speculation in the house in the federal races that the Republicans are going to win big. Not necessarily because the Republicans have such an amazing compelling message.

But because we're in a throw the bums out year. Well one of the things that let me pick up on something you said about people staying home. In fact Secretary of State William Galvin announced this week that registration voter registration was down slightly so I don't know if that some right away evidence that people are a little bit turned off at the same time here in Massachusetts. We've got the 10th district particularly which is gotten a lot of attention because of the name of Scott Brown. And I just keep thinking that in that district but maybe it's just all the hype before as you said people are really ramped up to vote because you know this is Scott Brown has weighed in and he's supporting Jeff Perry there's a lot of candidates who are very distinctly different and they are trying to make themselves distinctly different. Yeah I think that's right I mean overall statewide I would imagine that voter turnout will probably be down a bit from where it's been to that both 2006 and 2008 where these amazing banner years of of hope and promise you know people in 2006 thought that Deval Patrick was the second coming into the house in a oh

Obama's the second coming this year guess what no one's a hero. Everyone is suffering under the yoke of this horrible recession. And you know no matter what the governor the president anybody is doing. You know I'm sorry we're in really tough times and that means for voters that nobody looks really that good. But you're right to point to the tenth because there's a lot of excitement I think that in terms of the congressional races in Massachusetts that's really the only one where the Republicans actually have a realistic chance of gaining some traction. The cape is a pretty conservative district and yes as you mentioned Scott Brown has weighed in and he's endorsed Jeff Perry one of the Republican candidates. And it is drawing media attention as well because you could in a lot of ways view this as a referendum on Scott Brown. Are people going to be listening to him and taking his pick seriously. And so it will be a bit of a blow to his credibility if Perry does not prevail. Now let me go back to something you just said earlier about the negativity overall that you're witnessing. There are so many first time candidates running. How do you make yourself stand

out if you don't try to point to the other guys either ethical lapses as you said or something negative to say at least I'm the pure candidate here as pure as you're going to get if you're if you're frustrated with everybody. Yeah well if you're a first time candidate the real bottom line because unfortunately with declining media budgets and you know declining space in newspapers there's less media coverage and media scrutiny than there has been in the past. So what that means is two things Number one is a smart candidate focuses on the field. So meaning if you are allocating money you are better served. Spending that money on voter contact you know getting people to knock doors make phone calls send direct mail. Then you are buying ads on TV or ads in newspapers or things like that. So the real people you know the really smart candidates are going to be talking to voters and not necessarily trying to to get coverage is a more one on one kind of phenomenon. The other thing is that they are creating their own media so to speak. And you know that's where something like Facebook or blogs or Twitter comes in if you can identify

you know the theory that they talk about in the tech world if you can get a thousand true fans that's actually really all you need because a thousand true fans is worth infinitely more than 100000 people that are like. And she's OK. Do you think the Web has become very very important during these races leading up to the primary. I do I mean in smaller races if you're dealing with you know one tiny community then you may not have the level of penetration yet where it can matter in a big way. But you know ultimately what has always been a big deal in politics is having the personal testimonial there's you know something standard that they do in campaigns which is dear friend cards and so if a volunteer comes into the office the first thing you do is you Shanghai him and say guess what you're going to sit down right here and you're going to write out postcards to 20 of your friends and say I'm voting for Joe Smith and here's why. And then the campaign literally mails them out for you. And so the web is a way to do that same thing and to get your personal blessing on a candidate. But it goes infinitely faster and it's free.

So that is powerful. And in the field of a crowded field with a lot of first time candidates that's really powerful. You know that strategy because at least somebody I know somebody I know has told me this this person is good because I'm not recognizing any of these other people. Oh absolutely I mean I know personally you know there's a there's a million letters I get in the mail or blast e-mails or things like that but the only people that I actually will contribute to are the ones where people have actually taken the time to say Dorry this really matters to me will you do me a favor. And you know I'm I'm a voter and I'm going to vote no matter what. But there's a lot of people out there that wouldn't actually go to the polls unless someone framed it as do me this favor. And that's the swing right there. Let's talk about something that you just mentioned too which is the impact that or the necessity that the person who wins really has to have the in the field work. And the two names that come to mind of course are President Obama's fieldwork and Scott Brown. A lot of people don't know Scott Brown Believe it or not even as we're talking about him all the time

now and it was he was on the ground with a very serious field campaign that brought his name to a lot of different people. So now we have some polling that suggest that some of the people that supported both of those candidates albeit different ends of the ideological spectrum where young people with regard to both Obama and Scott Brown and certainly African-Americans with regard to President Obama and this population has been identified as one of those populations that are not going to turn out to vote because they don't feel inspired to as they did in 2008. Are you saying that and what does that what kind of impact and then make here in Massachusetts. Well I think you know this is something that is sort of standard over time I mean you know from World War 2 and if not before then people are always sort of bemoaning the you know the young generation and where they are but yeah. This is I'll chime in here. This is where young people are incredibly lame because the idea of like oh you need to inspire me in order to make me vote. Come on people this is

democracy. You know you should not be inspired to vote. You should vote because this is your responsibility and your right as an American citizen. And so you know I don't buy it. And I think unfortunately I mean things would be a lot better for young voters things would be a lot better with student loans and you know any kind of thing that concerns people in their 20s if there actually was a consistent movement and embracing of that responsibility. But yeah unfortunately because the bloom is off the rose right now I think that's right. Yeah. Yeah. People are dissatisfied and disaffected and I think that means they probably will not turn out much to their detriment. Now is the bloom is off the rose by the way because as the poll indicates some of the young people and after them is that well not enough is change for me. It's the same old thing. How do you how do you talk to people about. Governments a huge thing takes a while to make any changes. I mean you know one of one of the big trends that we're seeing I mean Obama of course had sky high approval

ratings when he was first elected took office you know now they're in the cellar 25 percent most people hate his guts. You know it's terrible. But looking at it I actually feel like if given the circumstances he's doing pretty well. He passed health care reform. This is the thing that was the albatross around Bill Clinton's neck for his entire presidency. I mean it failed how horrible is it when you're an incumbent president putting your wife and your entire political capital behind you fail. And Obama was able to get it done in the midst of two wars and the worst recession since the Great Depression. It's frankly a miracle. And the poor man has had to expend a ton of his political capital. But the good news is he's got two more years until he's up for re-election. And I think he's actually in a pretty decent place now. Does that mean that the Democrats won't bleed in November. No. They're going to bleed. But it's an inevitable byproduct of the kind of change that he's making. You're saying bleed some people are saying they'll be good at it.

Where were you. Are you falling down. Well you know a lot of a lot of the pundits in Washington are saying that the Republicans are probably going to take upwards of 40 seats. I mean this is this is pretty dramatic that the Democrats may well lose control of the house. And you know that will make life more difficult for Obama in terms of his ability to pass his agenda. I think that the swing states that went for Obama in 2008 are probably going to be swinging back. Right. They a lot of the polls one of the standard questions they ask you know taking out particular individuals or names as they say in general would you support a Republican or a Democrat for Congress. And right now by 10 15 point margin across the country people are saying oh yes a Republican. And you know people have said and that's in the ABC poll people are not so happy with the Republicans either. You know I like them better now but they're not thrilled either. You can see the Republicans are not putting forward a substantive proactive agenda. They're mostly just saying you know Obamacare and you know shaking their hands and making ghoulish faces and that's enough

right now. But it's not enough to carry you forward in the next two years. What should we be looking at next Tuesday that will indicate a significant turn. Going into November. Well I think that you know some of the some of the situations that are going on there you want to be looking at the tenor of the Republican candidates that are being elected I mean one of the big trends for 2010 is who is being chosen in the primaries. Is it the Tea Party style insurgent Republicans or is it the traditional establishment Republicans. And you know that's that's kind of gone back and forth earlier in the year there was a little tea party wave you know down in Kentucky. Rand Paul who is Ron Paul's son he was a Tea Party favorite he triumphed. But you know in Utah Robert Bennett who was a long time Republican senator bumped off in the primary. But there have been other instances where more mainstream Republicans have prevailed. And so that can provide an early pulse about the level of anti-incumbent fervor.

And is there anything we should be looking at that we're not paying attention to any of these races. Well you know some of my favorite races actually. I like the auditor's race in Massachusetts. This is wicked geeky here. It is what I heard. Yeah. But but this is actually pretty big we have two big you know constitutional offices that are open now that are not traditionally open one is treasurer of course because Tim Cahill who has the position is now running for governor. And then there's the auditor's position which for 24 years has been occupied by Joe. And so you know no one is listening to this or paying attention but. This is actually one of the races that you get you know the cuffs or are coming out it's you know it's crazy stuff there's a guy glow this vs. Suzy and bump in the Democratic primary also a guy named Mike Lake he stayed a little bit out of the fray but the globe has had it a crazy controversy that's been unmasked in the globe. Some hedge fund manager who was later found to be embezzling gave him a donation gave him a loan and

then Globus use the money for a state auditor I would imagine it's a little questionable. Yeah and then so he's going after Suzy and bomp about an ethical infraction 20 years ago. So it's interesting but I mean the real question is this person is going to be a watchdog for the Commonwealth they're going to be the one making sure that the money and the ethics are on target and so it's a really important race even if no one is actually paying attention. OK well we're paying attention and you're always paying attention so that makes that very important for us we are talking with Dorie Clark who is president of Clark Strategic Communications. Now national issues that may have an impact here. Immigration seems to come back a lot here. We've seen that the person driving the national debate for a while was Jan Brewer in Arizona and she's had to re retract some of the most volatile statements she made including that there were beheadings all over Arizona and so therefore we've got to stop these violent undocumented workers coming in but still it's a very it's a tense issue

for a lot of folks and people do not want to touch it going into this election. Yeah it's something that is a pretty risky issue I mean certainly if you go after immigrants in Massachusetts the liberals will go on fire. And so you would be alienating liberal voters but the real challenge for people for political candidates who are appealing to moderates is you know if you are a swing voter you may be concerned about illegal immigration you may be worried about your job you know it may not be fair that you perceive that other people may be you know queuing up for benefits they don't deserve or things like that you may question the safeguards. But if you are a moderate swing voter you also don't want to elect someone who's really mean you don't want someone who seems like a real nasty teacher. And so the question for some of the more right leaning candidates is you know how do you fan the flames a little bit without fanning them so much that it blows right back and incinerates you. And that's that's one of the challenges. Earlier this year of course in the legislature there was

surprising traction. Want to bill that came out which I mean it was completely politically motivated completely superfluous and it would have said you know we are going to deny un documented residents the ability to obtain you know such and such state benefits you know housing or health care or things like this. And of course they already can't get those things. So it was just sort of a you know a line in the sand. But a lot of people went on with it and you know went on record supporting it. And so I think that shows some of the play that that issue is getting in some of the passions that it can stoke. Well the thing is dory when you say swing voters the word is independent Massachusetts now most people are not enrolled as Republicans or as Democrats. Their role is independent so really in large part everybody is a swing voter I guess would you not say in some ways that's true I mean one of the one of the things I was in the paper today that was fascinating is when how to out I mean this is almost embarrassing. Only 11 percent of Massachusetts voters are registered Republicans I mean jeez it's a miracle they can find anyone

to run as a Republican because there are so few of them. But you know that also isn't a great thing for Democrats because the number of Democrats has been slipping it's 36 percent in the state but everybody else is registered you know independent voter. So that being said they are not specifically aligned with the party but usually people vote one way or another. I mean I think that that being independent is you know a little a little bit out loud. Democrats crossed over for Scott Brown. And that's that's a good point I mean Scott Brown was he was a singular candidate in a singular historic moment. Just when people were the most afraid that their grannies would be executed by Obama. But you know I think that a lot of it is ad attitudinal. I mean you may 95 percent of the time vote Democratic but you like to think of yourself as independent. That's that's emotionally powerful. OK. All right well we're going to see who is emotionally powerful at the ballot box next Tuesday. And I really do think that this election more than others that we've seen in a while because of all of the new

faces and the potential for some a real upset here in Massachusetts is going to be fascinating to watch. Oh it's juicy. It's very juicy. We have been talking politics with Dorie Clark president of Clark strategic communications Dorrie will be back next week to sort through the election results those U.S. election results. Tory thank you so much for joining us. Thank you. Dory Clark is the president of Clark Strategic Communications. Up next it's the founder of the Concord Free Press and one of their alters Greg McGuire. We'll be back after this break. With at the support for WGBH comes from you and from Yamaha music school you can learn more about Yamaha's programs and enrollment for Fall classes at their open house in Lexington Saturday September 11th from 10 to 4. Online registration at y m s Boston dot com and from Merrimack Repertory Theatre presenting Reduced

Shakespeare Company in the complete world of sports abridged September 9th to October 3rd. Tickets on sale now info at Merrimack rep dot org. Hi I'm Manny cops food editor at Yankee Magazine join me for the WGBH taste of Europe getaway and will board the marina the newest luxury liner in the Oceana fleet and explore Paris London and Barcelona will try new dishes learn new techniques and take some time to savor the good life. For dates and booking information visit WGBH dot org. It's not just learning to Jonathan Franzen's new novel Freedom landed him on the cover of Time magazine last month in the Sunday New York Times Book Review. Sam Tanenhaus wrote Franzen's

new novel like his previous one the corrections is a masterpiece of American fiction and the next Jonathan Franzen reads from and talks about freedom. Join us for the next FRESH AIR. Turn your unwanted vehicle into a tax deductible contribution to public radio. It's easy to do through the WGBH vehicle donation program to learn more call. Eight six six four hundred nine fourteen four that's eight six six four hundred WGBH. Good afternoon I'm Kelly Crossley and this is the Calla Crossley Show in the publishing industry. Profitability is often the guiding force in determining what does and doesn't make the cut. But one publishing house the Concord Free Press I'm emphasizing the free works against the grain publishing books and giving them away for free. Joining me to talk about this gem of a Press is the founder St. afit.

His fourth novel give and take was published by Concord Free Press and most recently by St. Martin's Press. We're also joined by Gregory Maguire author of wicked which was adapted for the stage in the Tony Award winning musical. His novel The next queen of heaven was published by the Concord Free Press and by Harper Collins. Gentlemen welcome. Great to be here Kelly. Very nice to meet you. Of course man we have to answer the obvious question. Giving away a book of free books don't have fish. Why. Well we asked readers to do one central thing when they get a free book. We asked them to give money to something they care about or someone in need so they get this book for free. But in return we asked them to do what something good in their community. And so far they've responded readers are very generous people by nature. We think and they've proven it our books tend to raise between forty and fifty thousand dollars port per title all around the world.

This is what it says on each of the Concord Free Press books on the back. This novel is free by taking a copy. You agree to give away money to a local charity someone who needs it or a stranger on the street where the money goes and how much you give. That's your call when you're done pass this novel on to someone else for free of course so they can give it adds up. So I thought that was really nice to see. Gregory Maguire why would this interest you. Well I was thinking about it at one of the times when I was about 14 and I was standing behind a little kid at the Public Library. She had a stack of picture books you know eight nine as many as the librarian allowed her to take out and she plunked them down a little the desk and handed her the library card and said to the librarian charge it please. The librarian had to explain that books were free and the library ideas were free. And when Stone of Fitch approached me many many years later I might add I certainly liked the idea that the marketplace of ideas should be and

should be a marketplace to which everybody is invited and in which ideas can float regardless of their commercial value. I don't know if it's worth asking why you came to this model I mean you've been published before by people who charge money. Well exactly. So you came up with your own free press because my fourth novel give and take was in process that a major New York publishing house my editor left as editors often do and it was in limbo. The book and rather than go through the usual channels of resubmit elsewhere and the sort of glacial progress that writers are used to the book inspired the free press the book is give and take is about a jazz pianist who travels the country stealing diamonds and BMW and giving the money away. So it's a book that explores the outer boundaries of generosity. And after about a couple months of thinking about what to do with give and take. We really just decided let's let's create a press called the Concord Free Press.

Give the book away. I ask people to give money away and see if it works. And it was an experiment we really from the start Calley weren't sure whether people would respond. After we published the first fifteen hundred copies we started getting e-mails from all over the world people that were giving money away on the streets of Edinburgh and people who were giving money away in Tunisia you know everywhere. So it started a now growing and very dynamic community of readers. It's worth quoting your wife who said when you suggest the older you are going to do this you found a new way for writers to not make money. I love that you know what I mean is there are so many ways to not make money. And ultimately our books even though they start out free and they're part of an old tradition of the gift economy which is explored you know in a tradition of giving things away and asking in exchange not money but something else it's explored really heavily in Louis Hydes book The Gift which is a wonderful book about the

topic. They don't necessarily stay free they can go on to a commercial Second Life as give and take did with St. Martin's and with the next queen of heaven is coming out with Harper Collins in early October. So for writers it's a chance to get a book out there have it do something good in the world but then still go on to a second commercial life that actually helps pay the bills. And Gregory Maguire isn't it also true that it's an opportunity that if you are today writing the next queen of heaven and Tamar you want to write a kid's book. Nobody says to you at the big publishing house. Oh no no no. We need another next. You know so you can't do that. Well there is there is actually a way in which one can be penned in by one success as well as being penned in by one's failures we all. We all know a little bit of from from childhood on. But the Concord Free Press for me offered me a chance to try my hand at a novel that Harper Collins might initially have said wait a minute this isn't in

the trajectory of ideas that you have previously made money for us. So we're a little bit skittish we're a little bit skeptical. I can now say to them Well it's published it's out do you want it or not. And they happily jumped on board. I will say one thing. There are so many ways for writers to suffer the abuses of ego. It's not easy to be a writer. You're alone you work in your studio you love your work then you can't get it published. Nobody likes it. So you feel horrible or you get it published. It's a great success but nobody has really understood what it's about and your friends say oh you sold out you made too much money. The Concord Free Press situation sort of absolves the brighter of any of those ego connections you just write the work and give it away. And however it falls on the ground like you like the kernels of seed in the Gospels is where it falls in your sort of divorced from the commercial economy of it which is massively liberating.

In case listeners are thinking that these two guys must look a little like a 60s hippies No they do not and nor are on your advisory board is the name Warren Buffett So we're going to get to how you pay for this on your advisory board however our novelist Russell Banks Joyce Carol Oates. Francine Prose Jess Walter others these are not unknown folks and people known to be addled for trying on a new thing so why and how can you do this if it is a great idea even if people are responding. It's expensive to publish books sure. I mean I think it's important to point out as you have that we are a group of writers. We're not publishers in name only. We are a group of writers and thinkers that's interested in exploring the role of the book in current culture and to make it relevant and to make sure that it continues to be relevant. Attracting people to be part of it was very easy because there are multiple writers want to reach their readers. And publishing is always a an intermediary that's either good or bad depending on the experience. So we let

writers reach a select group of readers we are publishing extends to about 3000 copies so we let them reach them in a very new and inspiring way. You interact with your reader in a different way when you're giving them the book for free. And a lot of writers have are very fascinated by that and our board includes writers that have been. Compelled to be part of it. We didn't have to look very hard to find them and we're glad to have them. Your question about how it's funded the great sort of secret about the Concord Free Press is because the work is donated by the writer. The design work our books are beautifully produced by a group called alphabetical design. And let me posit you know the list is there gorgeously produced that covers are lovely the design is wonderful for each of the three books I have before me. Thank you. And then we sweat the small details we make the books look beautiful have a good sense to them and a great sort of compelling visual appeal. So that's all three of the only real expenses we have given the way we produce books are our

printing bill and our stamps when you get down to it much we try. The post office won't give us a break on stamps and so we have a few hard costs and as you said right from the start we are removed the burden of profitability is lifted from our shoulders. That said we do have to raise money. We do that like any other nonprofit. We are an IRS approved nonprofit. We ask a lot of people for a little bit of money and a few people for a little bit more and we get donations every day from listeners and readers throughout the world. And that's enough. You know and we keep telling where at this point our fifth book is coming up and it's not an experiment anymore. OK but here's the cool thing. When I was doing a book launch for the next queen of heaven which came out last fall. We were in a bookstore and Stoner came along it was fun there were lots of people there there was a choir singing we got a choir and because the book has some church singing in it and stone pulled my my shirt collar at one point and said Gregory put that pen away. You're

not supposed to autograph these books and I said well why not. I mean I've been autographing for a couple of decades and I kind of rather like it. And he said no if you autograph it it becomes an object a totem that people who collect your books will want to keep. If you don't autograph it it stays floating and stays floating through the world because one of the requirements one of the one of the suggestions at any rate is that after you finish reading the book you give it away. You're not supposed to keep it. You're supposed to give it away so somebody else can read it can make a donation to charity and pass it along as well. There's hardly anything that gets really gifted like that except for you know fruitcake in December. You know that's about it. Well I have a branding suggestion for you guys get people to get to one that they can get autographs. And the other thing. GIVE AWAY. We are talking about the Concord Free Press with Donna Fitz and Gregory Maguire you were just hearing from Gregory Maguire whose latest novel is the next queen of heaven is published by the Concord Free Press and by Harper Collins. And we're also speaking with St. offish who's a novelist and the founder of the Concord

Free Press. Now this whole model of nonprofit publishing It's unique to say the least. And in a world where the publishing industry is upside down how do you see yourselves fitting in and staying as a sustainable model. We don't see it as a model that's for everyone. We're not at all presuming that generosity based publishing will cure what ails commercial publishing. It just is meant to remind the industry and readers that there are a lot of ways to think about books. There are a lot of ways to reach readers there are a lot of ways to engage readers and by thinking in an innovative and new way about how to to reach readers and provide quality books and beautiful books that inspire people to go on and be generous there reminds the industry that you know there's ways to think about books that go well beyond the traditional model. That said we don't. They all act like we have the

answers we think that the challenges of the challenges of publishing at this point are major and significant to people who are much more embedded in the industry than we are. I face those issues every day and we have great sympathy for them. There are a lot of writers that. But write to us and want to be part of the project because it's so positive and so forward thinking versus almost all the other news and publishing lately which is generally negative and not necessarily to the advantage of the writer. Gregory Maguire the polls have come back particularly after the last few months about e-books going through the roof and that they're now about the same as the purchase of hard cover books as we know them I mean their physical books. So how do you feel that your contribution to Concord Free Press can go forward without sort of addressing this e-book phenomenon. Well for one thing I am of that old fashioned school that actually likes the physical book so since I do feel the tectonic plates of publishing

shifting in this dicey economic maelstrom in which we all find ourselves actually was very happy to have stone to say well OK you're on the board what do you think you have something do you want to do something. Once a book is published it kind of exists forever. Everybody may not have access to it but it's there you can find them. You know you can find books on e-bay you can find them in the library or you can find the next iteration of it. I'm sure the next queen of heaven will probably be an e-book eventually from Harper maybe Stoner has some plans for e-books for a Concord Free Press we haven't quite gotten into that yet but I think back to your earlier question Kalli about the marketing model the publishing model. And while I never went to Harvard Business School as you can probably tell I think of the marketing model or the business model as being a little bit like the lemonade stand that my kids put up after the Gulf oil crisis when they were you know starting to be worried about what they were hearing on the news about people losing their livelihoods and all

the money that's going to be needed to clean the shore and to keep the wild fowl you know safe and more or less healthy so they put out a lemonade stand at the end of our driveway. Well they never actually asked the question How much does this lemonade cost and the cup and the cost of making it. Yeah and who's funding that. They collect the money. They give it away. They feel hugely charged up. They have done something good. The neighbors in the neighborhood have bought you know the sorry tasting lemonade have done something very good and there are one or two docks in the Gulf who will fly again but the model is somebody is buying the lemonade. Yeah in the back. It may not cost very much. Still has to be paid for itself. Also is that is that a good. And I'll tell you it's analogy except for the really poor lemonade part I'd like to think our lemonade is good. Oh yeah. Yes thank you thank you. Some people still don't think that there is value to anything unless you charge for it. How have you been able to combat that. Well it's just a different way of thinking. And when people we will mail a book anywhere

in the world for free. And when that book arrives in a beautiful with the free press logo and it's delivered to you know a house in Tunisia. It's just make someone's head spin that this would happen you know that there's not money involved. And when you pull money completely off the table it's you're not you know getting charged for the book. You're not getting charged for the mailing or the shipping. There's no. Money request at any point except for to you know inspire generosity. It makes people. It frees people up in a way that's very unusual. They are confused by it sometimes they wonder what the catch is. And the catch is there isn't a catch. And once they get beyond that there's sort of a huge outpouring of enthusiasm because we are bombarded by consumer messages right and left to buy this and buy that and and I think being in a different orientation of all we're asking is that people do something good for someone else just really hits home with a lot of readers particularly.

Well yeah and it kind of excuse me can we it's kind of kickstarts that that whole question that used to you know throw around you know in your high school debating team how do you assess the value of something if you take money out of the equation. Is this a good book to read or not. And that's the question that kindergartners in the library are asking without the money being involved. And it's a question we have to ask at dinner parties too it's not is the latest you know novel that you buy in the bestseller list. Worth the twenty nine ninety five. It's. Is it worth your time. Does it have value for you that we're trying to push the notion that there are other ways to value good work than the amount that it cost you in money. Well I love the fact that your latest. Published book is called I owe you a new writing on money. And just to tease our listeners one of the essays is a set or series of essays is called When bankers steal. I feel that's particularly appropriate when you have a piece from Robert Pinsky who's well-known around here called Inman Square incantation which I love. And. And there's another one in here called free meals and

it goes on and on it's a beautiful book as well. I think that this idea is really wonderful and I think there is a way that you can appeal to both e-book lovers and people who like physical books and folks like myself that like libraries as well. They can all come together. We've been talking about the Concord Free Press with stone of fiction Gregory Maguire stone a fish is a novelist and founder of the Concord Free Press. His fourth novel give and take was published by Congress free press and most recently by St. Martin's Press. Gregory Maguire's novel the next queen of heaven was published by Concord Free Press and by Harper Collins. He's also the author of wicked which was adapted for the stage and the Tony Award winning musical. And we're going out on the hit song from wicked defying gravity. Thank you both so much for joining us. Thank you Kathy thank you Kelly. Up next acts Dog Lady Monica Collins if you have a question about you don't call 8 7 7 3 0 1 89 70. Don't go away. We'll be right back. Thank.

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I'm Kelly Crossley and this is the Calla Crossley Show. It's time for pop culture with Monica Collins. She writes Ask dog lady the syndicated pet lifestyle advice column. She also hosts ask dog lady the radio show airing Wednesdays on WCA am in the Merrimack Valley. If you have questions for Monica about your dog give us a call at 8 7 7 3 0 1 89 70. That's 8 7 7 3 0 0 1 89 70. Michael welcome back. Thank you Kelly. We're diving into your mailbag which is always bursting with let's say this I'm not a dog owner but I know a lot of these grab my attention because they get human behavior get to human behavior issues in an interesting way. So I have a couple of your letters here that I want to go over but I want to just alert our listeners. You'll take any question doesn't have to be about these particular letters. Absolutely 8 7

7 3 0 1 89 70. That's 8 7 7 3 0 1 89 70 OK. Here's the first letter. Dear Dog Lady I adopted a young puppy dog seven months chili dog from animal welfare and for some reason he doesn't like to be held or pet it. I've been able to teach him a lot of tricks. He's really smart but just not affectionate. He likes to be close to us but not touched. Is there reason he doesn't like to be touched or is it his personality or breed. We think he's a Jack Russell ducks and mix. Charlie what do you think. Now that must be a very cute dog. Can you imagine that. Yes very small but ok. Is this about the human need for touch or about the dogs. Ah now the dog chili dog has been in a shelter. So obviously a dog coming out of a shelter is a little skittish a little scared. Doesn't quite know what's going on. And there are some dogs that when the great big human comes lunging at them they and this is a small dog. Said

they shy away from it. I find with my own dog and I'm all dog a much beloved terrier named Shorty. He gives me affection at his own time at his own speed at his own pace. OK. If I go toward him he pulls away. Now Kelli when you say that's the way it is in life. Yeah yeah. Let's not go there. Let's let But. Wait. Bud from Medford go ahead. Kelly Monica how are you. Very good thanks. Great I have a shelter dog that is sheltie chow mix I've had him since he was a puppy as he's gotten older. He starts to bark at everything in the sun every person who walks by them every day. You know every anything that happens he barks. Yeah. Biggest thing is anybody in the neighborhood anything moves in the neighborhood he barks. Yeah. I wonder if you have a suggestion for how to kind of settle him down.

Yes you can keep him away from the window. OK. OK. Really make sure that you don't let your dog sit in the window all day because this could happen. I mean they want to sit in the window they want to see life go on. But if they're barking at everything that moves perhaps you should establish a bad zone away from the window. Also make sure your dog is has enough things to occupy its time in your house. Make sure that you've given your dog a wonderful walk. Now Chad I have to say I don't want to do stereotyping here but Charles are known for being a little high strung. So. I can understand why this might be happening because as the dog gets older a dog gets more skittish. Really that happens. So it's like loud noises and stuff. Yeah loud noises and things set them off. Also how old is Bob how old is your dog.

About six or seven. Yeah. You know for a dog that size it's getting up there. It's not terribly decrepit at all but you know it's getting up there. Also make sure that you really really get your dog out for a great walk every day so that your dog is seeing people seeing things going around the neighborhood and just totally acculturated for that day. Bob are you already doing that. I get about as much as I can. Yeah try to get about once a day for a walk. Well it's just that when your dog gets right out there with everything that he's barking at he may not be scared of it you know and it's a good idea to socialize them and get them out walking every day. It sounds like you're suggesting more one on one time in the house as well. More one on one time in the House and more outside time. OK Bob thank you very much for the call very much. OK. Well please please please don't use an electric collar. Oh ok I will stop barking already.

Here we go Michelle from Wayland Go ahead please. I Cali Hi how are you. Hi Michelle. I'm good. Listen I just wanted to get your take because we actually just had a trainer come over yesterday. Yeah. On the whole debate about whether he can sleep on your bed or not and want to be here as far as I'm going. Yeah I'm a bad one to ask. When I first got my dog Michele 12 years ago I proudly went around to everyone I know saying this dog will never sleep on the bed with me ever. And then I had a woman I know who finally looked at me and said Well then what's the point of having a dog. Thank you thank you. I had the same reaction. And. Thank you thank you. I do. You know the trainer who I think is really excellent and did a lot with us in just an hour and a half just really feels like you cannot establish you were in charge. If the dog

sleeps on the bed and is that your lab Oh OK Michel. Here let me just interrupt you right here and I don't mean to interrupt you but I want to say this I think it's OK if the dog sleeps on your bed if you invite the dog up. You're the one in charge. You're the one. You know don't let the dog jump on the bed first. You know get in the bed and then you invite the dog up. It's all about what you want who are generalists Michel. OK and you decide all of this. OK. Cast it in a different light. Thank you. Very much thanks very much for the call. Okay other callers out there who want to ask a question of ask Dog Lady Monica Collins. Our number is 8 7 7 3 0 1 89 70. That's 8 7 7 3 0 1 89 70. Kelly can I just say something yes please.

It's very important as it is as it follows with human relationships where you don't pursue someone you like. You don't pursue your dog to be to get affection. You don't pursue a person to get affection if that person is avoiding you. But in this case you have to always make it clear to the dog. This is mine this is mine this is mine. This is my dad. If I invite you up you're lucky. OK but don't get up there unless I've invited you right. Exactly. OK very good. All right well here's another letter that was in your mail. Yes. And I will read that for our listeners. Dear Dog Lady I have a situation and it's driving me crazy. My husband gave me a Yorkshire terrier for my birthday in May because it's been the dog of my dreams the other day I took my dog to a big pet store and a lady came up to me and asked if my dog was a Yorkie poo. In that moment I started asking myself the same question. I am so confused. I just want to know what kind of dog I have. Joanna why does it I have to say as a non dog owner you go why does

that matter. That's what dog Lenny with the staggering is that matter. OK. Presumably she has had the dog now for a while. And even if she has a year key from Planet need or it doesn't matter her it doesn't matter what also was wonderful was that her husband gave this to her and so she has a Yorkie poo instead of a Yorkie. It's really close to the same. All right Beth from North Ridge North Bridge Go ahead please. I did. Have a question and we have a shelter dog almost two years old Australian Shepherd collie. We believe and we also have a nine year old cat and who do not get along at all I mean the poor cat now lives in the basement or lives up there where the where the dog is not. Yeah and the dog constantly is trying to chase the cat down. We're just trying to see if there's any suggestions or should we just

leave it as it is. Well did you talk and think about this before you got the dog. We did and when we got the puppy she was you know 12 week old that we did speak to the vet. Yeah and the vet pretty much said you know if the cat's been the queen of the House and the dog you know is introduced and you know hopefully they'll get along. Unfortunately I mean it's gotten to the point where the cat is so stressed. That she's actually chewing the fur off her belly. Oh yeah we feel awful about it and we've tried everything with the dog. Just trying to have you know you truly get along. Dog lady what do you say. I would say that they've got to get along I mean and you've got to. More and more keep introducing them together in the same room. If you want to keep both animals. I have no you know I know a lot I'm wise about the ways of dogs I think and people

but how to get cats and dogs to get along. I tell you this is outside your bailiwick. This is a millennial question OK OK. But I would call writing together as much as possible and see how it goes I mean over years they've got to get along. Well you would think you would think so I don't know if it's because of her. Australian Shepherd type anything that runs she makes sure I always always make sure that your dog gets a ton of exercise and is very sleepy and tired when when your dogs in the house. All right all right well that's the last word today from a dog lady Michael Collins thank you so much for joining us. Monica Collins writes Ask dog lady the syndicated pet lifestyle advice column. She also hosts ask dog lady the radio show airing Wednesdays on w c.a.p am in the Merrimack Valley next week Monica will moderate a discussion. Extreme dog. What right do our pets have to be saved at the ford hall forum at Suffolk University on September 16th. For more information visit

Ford hall forum dot org. Today's show was engineered by Jane pic and produced by Chelsea murders and white knuckle buddy and Abby Ruzicka. This is the Calla Crossley Show a production of WGBH radio Boston's NPR station or news.