Ishmael.org

DANIEL'S FIRST NOVEL -- IN PRINT AGAIN
Feb 4, 2013

Most visitors to this Web site know the story of Ishmael's creation -- the twelve years of labor, the eight successive versions (the eighth version being Ishmael itself).

What very few know is that, after the sixth version, Daniel needed a break. And after six years of failure he needed to prove to himself that he really was a writer. He'd always thought he could write a great horror novel, and in 1985 that's what he set out to do.

The novel was called Dreamer, and it's about Greg Donner, a Chicago freelance writer. . . . Things are looking great for Greg. He's got a terrific project, and he's met the woman of his dreams -- literally, his dreams (though they're rather odd ones). But then, one night, he falls asleep and awakes . . . to the beginning of a nightmare he just can't seem to wake up from. . . .

Although it was written in New Mexico (at a time when Daniel and Rennie were publishing The East Mountain News), it's set in Chicago and drew upon Daniel's experiences there as an editor and freelance writer.

The novel was published as a paperback original by TOR in 1988. Although named by Ellen Datlow as one of the year's best in her annual review of fantasy and horror, it was not a commercial success and was soon out of print. It nonetheless continued to enjoy an underground notoriety and in 1995 was included in a "Horror at the End of the Century" list that appeared in the New York Review of Science Fiction.

Even out of print, rare copies of the book went on being tracked down, read, and passed from hand to hand for the next twenty-odd years, and fans kept on urging us to put it back in print. Daniel finally relented, and we're delighted to have Dreamer back again in this new edition.

Click here to read the first few pages of Dreamer and some reader reviews.

(And if you really must have a copy of the 1988 edition, you can find a brand new one going on Amazon for $213.28.)
DQ and At Woomeroo to be in Austin June 28
May 17, 2013
Click on Events under the FIND OUT ABOUT heading in the directory at the left of this notice to get the facts about Daniel's upcoming appearance at The Institution Theater's new show, The Next Chapter: An Author's Words. Rewritten. It's an event not to be missed if you happen to be in Austin!
How did things come to be this way?
May 6, 2013
Here's a video sent to us by Mike Tabony that offers a tongue-in-cheek answer to that question. Mike says he uses the first ten minutes of the video as an aid when he tries to explain Daniel's work to others. He says the whole video is worth watching but that first part (and the last minute before the credits) "dovetail very well with Daniel's thoughts and at the same time fill a great empty spot in our understanding of why our culture developed and how it managed to become so dominant on the planet." We think he's right. Check out How Beer Saved the World.
A terrific radio interview with DQ still available via podcast
April 6, 2013
This week, for the Rob Kall Bottom-Up Radio Show on OpEd News.com, Daniel taped an interview that he calls "one of my all-time best." Both men were there to talk about a brand-new essay Daniel produced just for the occasion: "The Invisibility of Success."
In the Northeast, you may be able to catch the live broadcast Wednesday, April 10 at 9 p.m. Eastern time on 1360 AM, reaching the metro Philly & South NJ area. Outside the radio area, you can listen or download the interview at Bottom Up Radio. (You'll need to register with OpEd News.) Podcasts can also be downloaded from iTunes.
Click on the headline for a link to the background story of this interview.
Which way works better for kids?
March 14, 2013
In the Virginia Journal of Education, teacher Tom Shenk explores this question: Is today's lifestyle hampering children's brain development? He contrasts the way things work for children still brought up in aboriginal cultures with the way they work in what in Ishmael is called the Taker culture. (Mike Tabony sent us this link he said because the article reminded him so much of Daniel's writings.) Shenk's analysis does indeed correspond with what Daniel says–and goes beyond, with some specific examples that are astounding. Read the article here.
New Ishmael-related sites for interaction
February 28, 2013
As we well know, the Guestbook is not designed for threaded conversations. A reader supplied us with this site, intended for discussion of Daniel's works and ideas. There's not much there at the moment, but with a little publicity and sharing, that could change. Have a look at Reddit-Leavers. Also check out these two new Facebook pages started by readers. Live Like a Leaver and The b Following.
Please note that these sites are all the products of individual readers of Daniel's work and they alone are responsible for the content.

Pan Earth: a site dedicated to a scientific, holistic approach to world problems (and population in particular).
Read Ishmael: a site created by Quinn readers to reach out to other prospective readers.
Friends of Ishmael Society: find local groups (and more).
Cultural Survival: partnering with indigenous peoples to defend their lands, languages, and cultures.
Sacred Land Film Project: dedicated to protecting the Earth's sacred places through education and action.
Ishmael's Annex: your source for shirts, bumper stickers, and other Ishmael-related artifacts (featuring DQ designs). It provides much of the funding that keeps this website going.

"Every law has effects or it wouldn't be discoverable as a law. The effects of the law we're looking for are very simple. Species that live in compliance with the law live forever--environmental conditions permitting. This will, I hope, be taken as good news for mankind in general, because if mankind lives in compliance with this law, then it too will live forever--or for as long as conditions permit.

"But of course this isn't the law's only effect. Those species that do not live in compliance with the law become extinct. In the scale of biological time, they become extinct very rapidly. And this is going to be very bad news for the people of your cultureCthe worst they've ever heard."