Jane Genova: Speechwriter - Ghostwriter

"Harper's Island" - Sins of the Father

Jane Genova — 2009-07-11T23:15:02-04:00

The mini-series "Harper's Island" is a 21st-century morality tale about the sins of the father.

John Wakefield, a psychopath, seduces a young woman. She becomes pregnant, recognizes she can't provide for the child and surrenders Henry to adoption. She begins a whole new life with a law officer on "Harper's Island" and gives birth to a daughter Abby. For this, she will die, along with many others on the Island as well as in Seattle.

Wakefield could accept none of it. He kills her and others on the Island in the first of his rampages. Then he finds the son, fills him with hate, and the second rampage will begin years later on the same Island. The son sees his life as "not fair." Perhaps part of his killer instinct is genetic. But there is an element of deep resentment. He plays that out by winning the heart of a rich girl. He offs her in her wedding dress. Earlier he offed her wealthy father who made it clear he saw the union as misaligned.

Who survives? The daughter of the woman who rejected Wakefield. She is, of course, the son's half sister. Also surviving is her Everyman boyfriend who did not cop a resentment. He had remained on the Island and made a life for himself, even though it was "not fair." Also surviving are the dead bride's sister and niece. They will go on to tell the tale of the sins of the father and how those took everyone they loved from them.

Through this experience the daughter has become unfrozen. When her father made her leave the Island after the first rampage, she put herself in emotional deep freeze. She remained a child-woman, at the emotional age when her mother was murdered. After the second rampage, she allowed herself to love the boy Jimmy who could manage that, no, life is "not fair."

There were highs and lows in the quality of this mini-series. The mystery was well-put together. It wasn't until the next-to-last episode that anyone suspected that Boy Scout Henry was Wakefield's accomplice. Some visuals were compelling such as the bride running through the woods in her designer wedding dress. The flaws included no in-depth characters. But that lack of personality could have been deliberate. Such a tactic was standard in medieval morality plays.

The developers of "Harper's Island" will likely be able to sell it to some syndication and to pitch another mini-series. I found it an authentic diversion this summer of The Great Depression of '09.

"Harper's Island" - It Was Henry, John Wakefield's Son

Jane Genova — 2009-07-11T22:52:15-04:00

The power of a resentment. Henry, along with his dad who he eventually killed, took life because "it wasn't fair."

Nation of Narcissists - Who Cares?

Jane Genova — 2009-07-11T11:59:44-04:00

It happened fairly quickly. As recently as 2002, Sandy Hotchkiss had published a book "Why is it always about you?" It was intended for readers to identify the narcissists in our lives and manage them. Now, of course, we are a nation of narcissists, all the way to Alaska, where Sarah Palin can see Russia.

Does anyone care that Palin has been saddled with the label of narcissist? Of course not. Those traits of self-absorption are embedded in the national consciousness and unconsciousness. They have to be if we will continue to be leader in capitalism and creativity. In both those pursuits narcissists finish first.

It was psychologist John D. Gartner who first outed how Americans took the road less traveled in personality disorders. In his book "The Hypomanic Edge," Gartner points out how aberrant the settlers and later immigrants were and probably continue to be. That led to a gangbuster economy and unique innovation.

I'm proud to be officially classified a narcissist by myriad therapists, enemies and concerned friends.

Fritz Henderson - The Totally Conversational Chief Executive Officer

Jane Genova — 2009-07-11T11:07:09-04:00

Yesterday, the Chief Executive Officer [CEO] of GM Fritz Henderson wowed us. He's perhaps the first business leader in an old-line industry who knows how to have a conversation with an audience. No surprise, he made it possible for us to continue that conversation on his web site.

Years ago, before the Internet existed as a commercial tool, Lee Iacocca set a fresh standard in corporate rhetoric. He talked with the people, and in everyday speech like "ought," "shoulda," and "kinda." Security analysts at a dinner I attended [I was a Chrysler speechwriter/ghostwriter] asked Iacocca why the company hadn't merged with a stronger one. He quipped, "The girls don't dance with you when you're bankrupt."

You can bet experts in the language of business and CEO presentations will be tracking Henderson's every word, phrase, and gesture.

Could that be ECONOMIC GROWTH!!!!!

Jane Genova — 2009-07-10T22:52:25-04:00

The Commerce Department reports that in May U.S. exports were up 1.6% and exports down 0.6%. That sure sounds like GDP growth. It also could signal that global trade has gotten unstuck.

For business owners like myself, this is no newsflash. Prospects are thinking about doing projects again. Next week, I have four sales calls to make - in three days. A current client didn't grouse about the usual 30-days-after-receipt-of-invoice payment terms. Contract writers I use aren't so nervous.

Likely, though, it will be a jobless recovery. Those in Gens Y and X I have been interviewing tell me they've accepted that the way to make a decent living is to put several things together, hopefully creating one's own space or "blue ocean" [See "Blue Ocean Strategy" by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne.]. Think the fresh marketplace category created by Cirque du Soleil and Google's open-source operating system.

The jobs which will exist probably will provide barely a middle-class wage. Dual-incomes will be necessary. The birth rate could go down. Forget the American Dream of owning a home. Parents living in lousy school districts might tag-team at home-schooling.

Ad Revenue Down 21.2% in Magazines

Jane Genova — 2009-07-10T22:16:44-04:00

Things haven't been too hot for the magazine world during the first half of this year. The Publishers Information Bureau reports ad revenue down 21.2% and actual ad pages down 27.9%. No newsflash, the biggest hits were in the retail, auto and finance categories.

But there were bright spots. Ad revenues were up in the snack, hair, household cleaners, and telecom categories. Also the 2Q wasn't as bad as the first. Are things looking up overall? Could be. Maybe Graydon and Anna won't have to become greeters at Wal-Mart.

Aging, Out of Work, Hope? Congrats, you hit a bottom

Jane Genova — 2009-07-10T19:06:54-04:00

It takes a bottom for us aging workers and entrepreneurs to change how we approach making a decent buck. Here's a free the-next-step which has had more than a million downloads Download Geezerguts.

Old Men Hanging On, e.g. Warren Buffett

Jane Genova — 2009-07-10T11:03:03-04:00

There is a line in a career between being able to create value and just taking up a slot. Sometimes that line is clear. More often it's blurry. But usually those attempting to hold on don't notice that they probably have crossed that line.

In China, Korea, and here in the U.S. we certainly have a growing number of old men, yes it's primarily men, clinging to what was. One of them seems to be Warren Buffett. At one time his leadership and his insight into markets did generate value and wealth. Now he seems to be just another geezer mouthing platitudes, but flamboyantly.

The space he used to occupy seems to have been largely filled by Black-Swan expert Nassim Taleb.

THE NEW YORK TIMES - Who Will Actually Pay for Web Access?

Jane Genova — 2009-07-10T10:30:58-04:00

Two years ago, THE NEW YORK TIMES tried earning revenues and perhaps enhancing its brandname through the paid site TimesSelect. There weren't enough takers. Now, it's going in this direction again. The last piece to be decided is how to bill eyeballs for access to its online content.

The issue, of course, is that in 2009, is that publication enough of a must-read to pay for access? With so much content available for free, we tend to put together our own versions of the news and analysis by clicking on a number of online sites. THE NEW YORK TIMES is not as vital to our functioning, whatever our profession, as it had been.

Charging could be the arrow in the heart of THE NEW YORK TIMES. A better approach for survival might be radically reduce costs. This could be accomplished by relying less on pampered, often smug brandname writers and contracting out work to hungry, wildly talented non-brandnames.

Jackie, Bobby & a Senate Seat

Jane Genova — 2009-07-09T21:15:48-04:00

The Kennedy saga is about power, money and sex. There isn't as much power and money as there used to be so it's only sex that could save the dynasty. And salvation is what it needs if it's to hold onto patriarch Ted's senate seat.

So, the new book by C. David Heyman about a four-year sex interlude between Jackie and brother-in-law could get the job done. The idea of Ice Queen and Rabbit getting it on, and St. Ethel looking the other way, can renew interest in that Irish tribe.

Comments coming in to Michael Wolff's article on Newser about the love affair indicate that readers see the scenario as possible and probable. Wolff also throws out speculation that Rupert Murdoch might have enjoyed Jackie's favors at one time. Ironic that the Frostie is being portrayed as such a hottie.