Future of sci-fi in China

LJWorld.com weblogs Lawrence in the News

Posted by Terry Rombeck September 12, 2006 at 8:17 a.m.

¢ James Gunn, director of the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at Kansas University, is quoted in this [Seed Magazine][1] story about science fiction in China.But this tendency to propose new ways of living-what James Gunn, director of the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas, calls an "inherent critique of society" - means that the genre's position could still be somewhat tenuous in China. Certain subject matter is off-limits; one of Gunn's novels was translated into Chinese but couldn't be published because it dealt with student protests.¢ Facebook, an online networking site currently devoted to college students, is about to become available to everyone. At least one KU student thinks that's a bad idea, according to this story in [USA Today][2].While the networks are far from private, students especially have grown to see Facebook as their private homes online. And this move could make them feel like they've lost that, says Andrew Ledbetter, a graduate student at the University of Kansas. "Many Facebook users like the site because of its traditional image of exclusivity," he says.¢ Kirk Cerny, a former vice president of the Kansas University Alumni Association who perhaps was best known for leading pep rallies at basketball tournaments and bowl games, has been named executive director of the Purdue Alumni Assn., according to the [Inside Indiana Business][3]._ Kirk Cerny's appointment takes effect October 30. He takes over from interim executive director Ben Paolillo, who has been serving in the position since J. Todd Coleman resigned in April after it was learned that he had taken $68,000 from the Council of Alumni Association Executives. ¢ Tom Keegan, Journal-World sports editor and biographer of pro baseball player Elden Auker, is quoted in this [Boston Globe][4] story about another baseball star, Jimmie Foxx."Elden said Jimmie Foxx was the nicest man he ever knew in baseball," said Auker's biographer, Tom Keegan, author of "Sleeper Cars and Flannel Uniforms.""There was one night Elden talked about," said Keegan, a longtime baseball writer who is now sports editor of the Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World, "that Jimmie had a bloody nose. They just couldn't get it to stop all night. The trainers, a doctor, came and finally got it to stop, but when Elden went to the ballpark the next day, he said Jimmie wouldn't be coming."Well, Foxx showed up just before the game, didn't take batting practice, and hit one of the longest home runs Elden ever saw hit."_ [1]: http://www.seedmagazine.com/news/2006/09/scifi_ascendant.php [2]: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-09-11-facebook-everyone_x.htm?POE=TECISVA [3]: http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=19588 [4]: http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2006/09/12/foxx_news_channeling/