Want to bring it down to start my own fundraiser show ladies and gentlemen we are in the middle of a fundraiser here at k.b.s. Nov 5th 211-2018 Wednesday afternoon. That. Poetry and technology for years have been hosting a radio show down here. Of years months weeks days of effort no payment yet whatsoever. When will that paycheck I keep check in the mail. But know for these last 18 years I have not yet made a dime from my work on behalf of k.b. . Where's my accountant I will fire him to fire you up with enthusiasm for this campus and community radio station as well. Because. It's my fundraiser show twice a year we. And host of Dr and his poetry and technology get together and implore you. The listening community to help out we've got a goal of $500.00 for this hour we're ambitious can it be done you. John McDonnell and myself will help to determine if it can be done if you want to give us a call and I'm sure you do call to action give us a call 877-399-5387 or you can visit us fundraiser dot k.t.s. Dot org. We really need your support we have a show goal of $500.00 a station goal of $35000.00 I was good at math I would know instantly what percentage that is that is $170.00 s has that for fractions on the spot $170.00 if of all the money we raise has been placed on my shoulders are almost $7000.00 for the station total we need to bump that up to 7500 this hour or something that we can do with your help so I'm now going to ask Dizzy Gillespie to start the show as he does every week on Katie b.s. . You should be picking up the phone 877-399-5387 or visit K.B.'s . Dot org fundraiser dot K.B.'s dot org And. In so doing you will make sure to help us out because we need your help where a campus and community resource that continues to do great work because of you you and the ghost. Of Dizzy Gillespie upon whom I will call now get out your checkbooks grab your credit cards give K.B.'s a call this afternoon it's the fall fundraiser edition of Dr Andy's poetry and technology our dizzy. Thank you does it to last being this is Dr Andy's poetry and technology hour and let me give you a sense of who's going to be here today Nate Williams will be here he's the author of a new book that I've got in my hands called piercing God technocratic fiction faith and empire and Mark Twain's America. The thing you're Williams is the author he's one of my lecturer colleagues in the university writing program at u.c. Davis he also serves on the advice we board for the gun Center for the study of science fiction is published articles in American literature utopian studies 1900 contexts and elsewhere he provides lots of context for science fiction in this more than 200 page book in which he explores empire and faith and tech not Chrissy. Is that a thing and fiction. His new book. Out he's going to be joining us here to talk about that book I'm looking forward to that. And we maybe get a visit from air unless he's the producer of this radio show for the last couple of years someone upon whom. The entire Dr and his poetry and technology our community depend for the excellent guests that you've come to expect when you tune in on a Wednesday afternoon to this particular program on this noncommercial listener supported community radio station what do I mean by non commercial. That means that in a few moments I won't need to cut over to a commercial let's say. Obnoxious circus Barker demanding that you purchase a car from his car lot that's something you're not going to hear on K.B.'s right because. Is a station that is free form community centric student and community member run we. The public Sara waves doing the business of the public which largely means education what do I mean by education lot of it's music education. And what does that mean great music fascinating jazz what kind of jazz Oh you know this sort of jazz for example. Are you intrigued I'm intrigued. To play jazz bumper music on this radio show for a number of reasons one jazz is a great American art form a cult cultural expression of the great diversity and talent of American primarily American musicians founded here in America. I'm never more patriotic than when I'm talking about jazz Secondly. Jazz is a Shondra of music where you don't need to check 1st for swear words you could just walk right into the stacks here of K.B.'s as I've been doing for 18 years you can grab a jazz see be completed on you can press play and here's what you won't hear. People swearing as a result it's safe it's safe harbor music it's jazz it's something people should know more about so that's part of the educational goals of this of the station of this particular program but wait that's not all we also have. Poetry in technology it's an unusual pairing people come on this radio and they say Dr India I love Katie b.s. And I will make sure to phone 877-399-5387 this fall when you have a fundraiser on the 7th of November I'll make sure to participate because I know you've got a goal of $500.00 and I want to give a donation Dr Ian Lee I might just go to Debbie Debbie. Every dot fundraiser dot K.B.'s dot org and make mine donation we've already had some donations come in in a minute tell you who they are from in just a minute you're going to head this ballons and I'll tell you who the donations are coming from 2 women have donated already they're eager to hear their names read on the air it's one of the many gratifying results of offering a big or small donation to K.B.'s during its fall fundraising stock trains poetry and technology always got a $500.00 goal. Were rarely more than 20 percent the way there details momentarily. Jazz is music that inflames mind saw. As does poetry this radio show combines poetry and technology unexpected unusual unique groundbreaking uncalled for all of these adjectives describe this radio show and its central premise that like a metaphysical poem. Too unlikely paired items. Can be yanked together quite aggressively to make something new to make something. Fascinating novel innovative breathtaking we call it Dr Indies poetry and technology our would like to call you friend help us with that by giving your friends a k t b s a call and making a donation the phone number is 877-399-5387 the radio show is Dr in his poetry and technology hour in about a minute 30 seconds I'm going to come back from this quick musical break and I'm going to read some of the names of people who have donated I'd like to read yours among them. Therefore you should give us a call at 187-739-9538 extension 7 I believe you can call K.B.'s. Some 54 k. T.V.'s as well visit the Web site by googling k b s fundraiser or just point it the browser that is at fundraiser dot k.b.p.s. Dot org Some people don't use Google that's fine whatever search engine you employ to find the fundraiser K.B.'s we support you for you will support us this is Dr Randy of doctor and his poetry and technology Our be right back after this. As about a minute and a half Thanks everyone for your gifts so far I'd like to thank 2 of my donors. Both active and accomplished members of the local poetry community. Another of them Barbara West is also a member of the Deva shambolic community of which I call myself a member. I meditated for about 550 minutes sitting 2 seats away from Barbara West just this morning and now she's made a donation. To k. D.E.V.'s 90.3 f.m. In David thank you so much Barbara West thanked on air circle yes or no Barbara West says yeah I want to be thanked on air you know it my name is Barbara West and I am a. Active poet. Of k d v. I was been an important part of that part of the Davis community for years in addition to being an author. She is a poet and a performer she's also someone who's been on this radio show a number of times. When she does a poetry reading it's more like a cross between stand up comedy and up meditation she was sitting while meditating today. She's been a member of. His m for 16 years for me about 16 weeks. Ok up one of these days. She's also a nurse with experience in hospice and home health care she's also widely published she's got a book of poetry I want to find out about her you can visit Barbara hyphen West. That's Barbara West thank you so much for your gift Barbara West K.B.'s. You've been publicly thanked if you'd like to be like Barbara Weston who wouldn't give us a call at 530754 K.B.'s or 877-399-5387 we are your local campus and community radio station you know when I 1st started this work 18 years ago. I'd like to drop that into conversation. Between being a doctor being a poet laureate a meritorious lots of gray in the beard now and hosting a radio show for 18 years and I guess a radio poetry series for a dozen I keep just like dropping these things into conversation you know with some people I talk about my. Past conversations with Oprah Winfrey Stevie Wonder. And Mary Brock. These are all folks I've had conversations with. For others it's just the p.h.d. The poet laureate emeritus and the 18 years at k.b.s. Still haven't made a dime from all of my years of volunteer work maybe you'd like to support me I can use some support if so support my station 8773995387877399 k d v s. If you go to K.B.'s dot org you'll see the yellow for fundraiser banner just click on that or just google K.B.'s fundraiser to offer your gift Co also made a donation I'll be getting to them trying to pace myself dislike you all or piecing yourselves perhaps a little bit too well why because my goal is $500.00 and I'm sitting here at $130.00 I'm more than 25 percent the way they are but I seem to have like I've stalled of stalled at $130.00 and need your support give us a call here at 877-399-5387. 530754 k d v s when I started this. Radio show 18 years ago there were a great number. A freeform radio stations that dotted the national landscape especially here in Northern California guess what ladies and gentlemen we are a dying breed K.B.'s now is the only free from radio station in Northern California how can that be true. Don't let us go extinct. Give us a call we've got a station goal of $35000.00 and a phone number 877-399-5387 we need your support all the gifts are tax deductible. And they're all really necessary so I hope that your Give us a call at 530754 k.t.s. So unlike commercial stations as you probably know. We don't ask our disc jockeys on air personalities to play only certain types of music may be preprogramed in some sort of corporate office 12 states away no hear K.B.'s the deejays music aficionados all of them demonstrate their musical expertise every time they do a radio show they play music program their own shows they provide music genres that you're not going to hear elsewhere on the radio. I mean sure K.G.B.'s plays all genres of rock speaking of American music. And within that we hear alternative and heavy metal but also soul and rhythm and blues and hip hop and electronica but K.B.'s also plays jazz which we've already covered in some detail earlier in this radio show blues and folk is that all know also why music reggae and international music for all of I think it was 2016 I played nothing on this radio show but North African music right because we have hundreds of North African music C.D.'s I was thinking to myself you know I've been playing jazz for the last 14 years straight why don't I mix it up a little bit how about a little north African music and then the K.G.B.'s librarian music librarian curator extraordinary said Yes Walk This Way Dr Randy I did and. A cornucopia of top Great North African music are you going to find that it. Case zap Eagle No you're not you're going to find that only at k.b.s. $90.00 f.m. In Davis hey if you care about this sort of musical variety if you care about not only endangered freeform radio stations but endangered Joan Rivers of music give us a call show some support 877-399-5387 it's the Katy vs fall fundraiser for November 5th to the 11th 530754 k d v s commits a call right now all right before I move on to my 1st guest who's here in the studio. See if Carol made a big donation to Katie b.s. Let's just take a look at the paperwork Let's see. Here's here's Carol. Thank you very much Carol for making a triple digit donation to k.b.s. During Dr and his poetry and technology our that's the radio show you're listening to right now we've got a station goal of 35000 dollars or $500.00 which means that I'm responsible for $170.00 s. Of all of the money that we raise help me reach that goal of $500.00 by giving me and the crack staff here at k.b.s. a Call 877-399-5387. Erin less is here in the studio. Past on air personality himself Erin lists is an English major at the University of California Davis. He graduates in your mind you see at the end of this quarter. The end of this upcoming winter quarter Excellent I'm glad to hear that the coming winter quarter list will be graduating he's got backgrounds in music and writing and journalism you've probably seen his work in the California. End he is a long time booster of k.b.s. Pretty much for the entire time that he has been a student here at the University of California Davis and he's also the producer of doctor and his poetry and technology our list Welcome back to K.B.'s and to this radio show it's the fundraiser for k.b.s. And for. Path Yes I'm very excited to be here I have rocked into quite an exciting hour I think Oh I think so too. The gifts keep coming and we've heard from Barbara West we have her. Favorite That's right. And I'm I'm just betting I'm just betting that this is. The poet who holds the record for the most syllables in her name any of the poets who are featured at the poetry night reading series. 12 year history she West and a yet to be named donor together have helped us reach $155.00 which means that we are more than 30 percent the way there once. The way they're just about. $500.00 How about better and less stick I hope to see the calls keep coming in even as we have a guest another guest rolling into the studio in the 2nd half hour Nathanial Well Williams Yeah absolutely I'm going to call Nate him in here in a minute but as I do I want all of you to write down this phone number and then to dial it repeatedly a most obnoxious Lee with your credit card out. During the next 35 minutes 53754 k.b. B.s. Or 877-399-5387 Why do you think people should support this campus and community radio station unless I would have to say one of my favorite things about the station is its its free form platform and how we have no commercials it's completely community funded and that's why when this fundraiser I remember when I had my radio show with Roman Spinelli last year it was amazing he would get Carson all the time it was a very fun experience and I think it's something that adds to the experience of Davis and Sacramento listeners. Of commercials so if you want to keep that up and. Engage us and encourage us to keep providing fantastic concentrate you please call 877399. 55538 Well let me start over please call 877-399-5387 that's right 399 K.B.'s You can also just Google the fundraiser K.B.'s it's the 4th fundraiser we've got a station goal of $35000.00 this particular show has a goal of $500.00 we're sitting at $155.00 and we need your help so give us a call thanks to those who have donated so far. Williams says in the studio. We're going to call him in soon but meanwhile give us a call or visit fundraiser dot K.G.B.'s dot org I'm going to play a pre grad advising public service announcement and then a few more words from Erin less and then Nate Williams It's the fundraiser show for Dr Reddy's poetry and technology our visit us right now with a big pledge. Are you interested in pursuing a graduate degree located on the web and cell phone on the u.c. Davis campus graduate professional school of financing offers preparation for prospective graduate students who want to get on track and plan their academic peril towards health profession graduate school law school teaching credential is a Master of Business Administration who can make an appointment with an advisor or stop by for drop an uprising by calling 530-752-3474 visiting one American cell phone Mondays through Fridays from 9 am to 12 pm and from 1 pm to for p m. Welcome back everyone to Dr a poetry and technology hour on key d.v.d. Asked 90.3 f.m. In Davis may Williams is here in the studio as I mentioned before he's one of my colleagues in the university Iranian program here at u.c. Davis he also serves on the advisory board for the gun Center for the study of science fiction he has published widely in employment. Academic journals the sort that any aspiring scholar would love to see his or her. I work published including American literature which is right there at the top of the pile I see why you list that one 1st utopian. Studies. Century contacts and. Williams welcome for the 1st time the Dr and his poetry and technology Thank you Dr handy I'm glad to be here good to have you here you were the author of a brand new book called gears technocratic fiction faith and empire and Mark Twain's America. And sure is you might remember that this show is called Dr and his poetry and technology or you're doing something similar yoking together topics that at least the modern reader would not expect to be yoked Yeah that's that's a good way to say it I think technology. Through fiction right fiction we understand it people who study science fiction of course they've got that down they really do that people in science technology studies. They get cultural narrative. And the folks at home can't seem to make this big. But it's a very it's a very important circle that I just made. But for the kind of thing I'm doing to look at specific works and how they're showing technology and think about what was the readership for these things and how did they conceive of technology how to shape the way they expected the future to be absolutely you've already spoken the most substantive words spoken during this particular hour so let's take a break from that for just a moment and I'm going to ask you because this is a fundraiser show. I'm sure you're a long time listener of public radio of one sort or another this is a campus and community radio radio station a freeform radio station the last of its kind in Northern California I'm wondering if you have any thoughts as to why people should call in 773995387 support this radio station during its fall fundraiser. I do I was a college radio rat. At the university or I was term State University. It was also free and very very much driven by the hosts and what they wanted to play. By the listeners. Is the listener can call up and actually make a request and no matter how off the wall it is they can find a way to fit it in and this is the way. To have a voice to write that's that's the whole point to especially college radio stations participatory cultural democracy with the musical flair happening at k.b.s. And at such stations around the country what sort of showed or shows did you have when you were there I had the time honored tradition of the freshman student with good night to shift on Sunday night yeah and then had to get up but for a class called health and wellness which I was neither healthy nor well for. Because of lack of sleep getting enough sleep is one of those important elements of . Being healthy I've read. Yeah. I remember this time of the quarter a lot of my students seemed to be reading that same article. But you mean because you've got a morning class Yes and they're sleeping through and actually this is what they want to write about the reading program classes you know what I'm really fascinated by is sleep and sleep deprivation I understand why Yeah I'm Salut Lee. Yeah but. If you've got to be up at 1 30 in the morning on Sunday night spend records is a good way to do it right that's. Experience to both of the people listening for sure well we've got. Dozens of listeners today maybe hundreds and some of them are calling in fact we've had 2 more gifts. And we're up over $165.00 for this the fundraiser the fall fundraiser edition of Dr and his poetry and technology our if you'd like to participate if you want to. Further exercise your democratic impulse perhaps you weren't satisfied but the blue wave but you wanted more white froth and maybe some. Flooding for that wave then you can participate and what's going on right here at k.b.s. By offering a donation and then getting our things as well as the things of this entire community. For instance Gabby from. I made a determination I prevent Gabby I haven't seen him. Perform yet but I'm I'm certainly impressed with this and Gabby and now immediately I wish that she were my aunt right. Because. Gabby has donated $350.00 to this radio station. And therefore our show show total is $505.00 original goal was $500.00 thanks now we can relax a little bit and have a nice conversation about cures and God with Ben you're Williams Because we've reached our showgirl ever live how about that oh I almost can't believe it but I think I can from hearing this hearing this amazing hour I'm glad this is happened while. Dr any challenges. Challenge. Yeah for charge radio jock you're like I were in the energy K.B.'s if I would challenge anybody who. Has done college radio and maybe gone away from it hasn't been on the air in a long time this is the 1st time I've been on air talking to one of these microphones when he's nice quality microphone so my dad. In a long time so I would challenge anybody out there to do that and I will I will match any pledge up to $25.00 all right just so just do it rhyme that you know 510 $152025.00 bill that you've got there and give us a call because we've got a matching grant up to $25.00 from Nate Williams author of the new book gears and God technocratic fiction faith and empire and Mark Twain's America. And this is from University of Alabama press in these studies in American literary realism. Series and this is a substantive book as I was saying earlier over 200 pages and and it's an important topics some of which I remember from the reading I've done in gears and God so far let me see what I can do so 1st of all you've got a context that many learned people recognize because of their their love of science fiction their love of steampunk and maybe the love of Mark Twain tweens most famous book in the genre that you explore would probably be a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's court that's right and so this is a book that many people have read and to Why did in in part because of what Twain did not only with time travel but this thought of to what extent is a 19th century engineer equivalent to a magician in King Arthur's court what can he create what can he make what you know with his with his knowledge. Of explosives and machinery and also astronomy how can he affect the world of King Arthur and people just delighted in that a lot of people think oh well that's probably the apex of the genre not much more needs to be said about it but Williams would say oh no there is a lot more just like there's a lot more going on here it came to b.s. Which is made possible by your phone calls 277-399-5387 not only that thank you very much but but there's even more going on with this particular book. And some of it involves. Technology as a means of like travel and and visiting faraway places but also this fascinating idea that never occurred to me when I was either studying or teaching clinical yanking King Arthur's court and that is the extent to which technology could be a means by which many 19th century texts would kind of reify and codified and further explain the importance of the biblical background to history and understanding of the world totally surprising and interesting no that's that's true and I think you know people if they haven't read it in a while I would encourage them to pick it up and just notice how many times he mentions the church and how much more going that main character right who's that who's there. From Hartford times factor right he's a mission's expert Right right so you've got this munitions expert who just assumes from the moment he gets back there the biggest concern is going to have is the church the church is going to try to stop him because all the kind of liberal democratic reforms that he's doing that mimic Twain's own culture right then mimic tweens America that he listens that he's going to have to fight the Church tooth and nail and he's right yeah. He actually does that so. But really Twain's writing that in conversation with a lot of other stories about young inventors in America who travel to different places and make new discoveries and a lot of cases try to take over or still get there which isn't exactly what Hank Morgan doesn't Connecticut Yankee he wants to be the boss not the king he wants to be the boss the person who actually runs things and you know that's a very American desire Yeah absolutely and it comes up right in the beginning of your introduction as well with a discussion that will be unfamiliar to many lovers of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer about the extent to which we should go back to the promised land the Holy Lands and kick people out who live there and and kind of really proclaim their their Christian importance because of what happened there millennia earlier yeah it was interesting to read that. The book is Tom Sawyer Abroad right from 884 right but to read it during the Gulf Wars. Oh this is amazing you know 20 was thinking about how Americans process this kind of thing and and that they can maybe. Justify aggression if they see the person they're having a conflict with as religiously different right that's the really fundamental thing and of course Twain. I don't know if you know Tom Sawyer such a beloved character but I think by 84 he kind of was sick of Tom Sawyer and he was Tom to say these tremendously you know jingoistic patriotic. Unsympathetic things and then Huck Finn will come along and say wait a minute do we really want to go over there and kick out people who've lived there it's not right to just take something away from somebody just because of their religion right Tom right and so the. There's that kind of cornpone you know homespun common sense and if I remember correctly the analogy of someone just taken your farm because they think they should you know they think they have rights to it and yeah that was fascinating the way that these sort of religious discussions were being spoken through the mouths of characters that many readers would know from more famous earlier books earlier introductions of these seminal Mark Twain characters right and a lot of people forget you know Twain's life but you take before he was broke Yeah right he needed to write bestsellers and he needed to go on these lecture tours where he could get a lot of laughs and make money and so he was traveling the world and he was actually in Germany when he wrote Tom Sawyer Abroad but it's $20.00 in trying to reform Jules Verne who's one of the most popular writers on the planet and he had actually rejected. A chance to write a blue novel a novel about someone traveling because he felt like Jules Verne got there 1st right and he said in his journals you know I had to give up that idea because of 5 weeks in a balloon but by 84 I think he was just desperate for material and and wrote this novel because after that discussion about having a crusade I did on this amazing airship that takes them through. Africa and Egypt and into the holy land so they get to see the pyramids and that whole area so they get to explore but not as crusading warriors but more as explorers I guess you'd say right and that starts to fall apart once they actually get there Tom Tom. Is being slowly kind of picked apart as he does that although you know the famous a lot of people think Twain really wrote the book to get to because he said in an in a letter that he wrote that. But just for one scene and the debate among 20 scholars like which one was. Jim from Huckleberry Finn the freed slave left on top of the Sphinx and they're there for flying back and forth in the airship getting him to do it they can see him and the Egyptians start to shoot at him because he's defied. Martial heritage and Tom says Why don't you read the American flag and tell him to get we can demand indemnity we're going to force these little countries he says the little ones the little countries have to pay America if they do anything that offends an American while they're abroad. That's the way Tom saw it that's interesting and I'd say that there are other Americans who have expressed similar feelings in the current era Yes I think it's. In some ways a testament to how far we haven't come right and also a testament to how prescient Mark Twain was and especially about human nature which may not change as much as you'd expect even with technological change and human nature were so much a part of what Twain believed in and he brings that phrase up so many times a Connecticut Yankee write how people themselves versus how they're born and that was his obsession. I'm obsessed with that as well I'm also obsessed with k.t.s. Who this is Dr Randy of doctor and his poetry and technology are checking in now to let you know that the fall fundraiser is continuing we have 30 $5000.00 at k.b.s. And I had a show of $500.00 but let me tell you because a barber West and. And. Has just phoned in. To release from Camino is this one of your people Aaron do you know Teresa from Camino I'm not sure the thank you serious yeah. So Theresa's helped us out with another triple digit gift as a result for at $703.00 now for this particular radio show we've. Radically surpassed the show goal of $500.00 and we've done all of this because of the support of listeners like you and know that you'd like to participate there are a couple ways to do so one is to give us a call at 877-391-5387 Another is to visit fundraiser dot K.B.'s dot org The fund raiser last until November 11th and I'm especially grateful to my friends from El Dorado Hills for the generous gifts if you happened to donate more than $300.00 to K.B.'s during this hour I'll remind you to let your tax accountant know because. There may be a pleasant surprises waiting for you depending on how and to what extent our entire tax system has been around within the last couple years. You know speaking of such marking. I read recently that there was a state legislator in the South who said you know all of this conflict that we have in the Middle East. It's regrettable but until the Jews and the Palestinians. Convert to Christianity and recognize Jesus as their Savior then I say we don't help them at all that the law be themselves in the dark as it were and it seemed to me that. That particular attitude might resonate with some of the readers especially the. The inexpensive periodical fiction works that you've been reviewing including There's a big mark twain archive over at u.c. Berkeley as in there oh yes so you've spent some time over there point through these journals to again see how technology and the kind of self-important jingoistic. Fundamentalist view of the world that these might be yoked not necessarily science and and a kind of evangelical Christianity but technology and Christianity say some more about those sort of distinctions yet it's interesting if you go back and read these novels it really starts about 868 with this novel called The Man of the prairie's where this. Builds a giant sort of not quite a robot but it's a giant steam automaton that helps him go out West and the inventors this is like an ongoing theme of this whole genre right so by the time Mark Twain wrote Tom Sawyer brought there were already 50 of these novels just in one series the PRNG. Created in that adventures but in the Frank Reid adventures a lot of times when they go exploring in their ships or submarines or whatever. They find lost civilizations right the loss of a station trip is big in these and often they would say oh this is a lost tribe of Israel this is a lost Hebrew tribe and they're in at least one of the stories they're described as living in a perfect Christian community right so it's that same idea that your Southern. Partition or pastor mentioned which is this idea that sort of. A lot of Americans wanted to see the USA as an exclusively Christian nation right and the. Jews as God's chosen people therefore sort of defacto Christians. They just don't know it yet which is a really. Good look at things I think I think to look at anybody's faith. As sort of they really believe what I believe they just don't know it yet and so I think that's the challenge that sort of post secular studies. Particularly in literary studies is taking on now is kind of looking at fiction and how it helped facilitate or break apart that viewpoint at different periods of American history absolutely a lot of us are thinking about red blue divisions in the country because of yesterday being Election Day for midterm elections and it's interesting as I look at your book years in God technocratic fiction faith and empire and Mark Twain's America that often we think of another important event in Mark Twain's lifetime and that is the civil war as continuing to cast a long shadow over 20th and 21st century political and geographic America but you're pointing out as well that there were a great number of stories that were widely and popularly read that also help to instill certain values for good or for ill and those values we continue to wrestle with and try to understand the extent to which they are indeed American values here in the 21st century that's absolutely true and. By By the time of these novels really prefer it in the eighty's ninety's. You know the story had been around for about 20 years and we had an entire generation of young men who'd grown up writing these stories about young American men who. Could create machines that gave them authority and power and military might right. So America finally does attempt to become a and does succeed at becoming a period power at 898 with the Spanish-American War These are all people who grew up with these kind of novels and. There are even some of these technocratic explore novels that say things like Well I think Cuba will be annexed part of the us someday. Because I as a Southerner think that I can fight with my northern brothers for this cause right was that idea that. If the us became an empire it would somehow heal those wounds from the Civil War I see so that. That one could overcome those former divisions of the former war because we can band together and take on smaller nations in part because of our logical as well as military might Yeah exactly and I think it's really actually you think the guy who wrote over 200 of these dime novels about various was a Cuban American guy named new scenarios he wrote under a pseudonym called no name but he was. And in a lot of ways he like to write these stories about individual growing and having adventures all over the world but. When Cuba had its revolution against Spain he adamantly didn't want the u.s. To come over and try to just replace Spain as Cuba's conqueror and controller he wanted to use American technology but really play up the fact that Cuba was a self. Determination right and this was going to be a moment for them to do that so it's really it's you hear these stories where on one hand they do totally want to be technocratic Great want to play up technology and military might on the other hand a minute have the exact same about manifest destiny or American empire that we might expect fascinating topics that you can find out about 2 in the new book gears in God technocratic fiction faith and empire in Mark Twain's America by Nathaniel Williams Nate Williams is one of my colleagues in the university writing program at u.c. Davis My name is Dr Randy and you're listening to Dr and his poetry and technology our this is our fundraiser show we've received some very generous guests from people and Davis people in Eldorado hills people in Camino as a result we've reached our show goal Ridgeley a $500.00 now we're at $703.00 we would love it though if you'd like to participate in this fundraiser give us a call at 530754 K.B.'s or 877-399-5387 you can also visit fundraiser dot k.t.s. Dot org If you're driving down I 80 keep both hands on the wheel just remember to Google K.B.'s fundraiser when you get home the website will come up immediately and it will be clear how you can donate I appreciate people especially from the. Greater Sacramento Valley poetry community who have come through with large gifts to help us surpass our goal for this station and and now we're beyond way beyond 170th of all the money raised for the station. And for it $700.00 I think that's 150th I'm just doing the math in my head I think that's 150th of the amount of money that we needed to raise for this particular radio show I'd also like to. Thank. Former producer of this radio show Evan Wright came through with $30.00. And I wondered if that $40.00 donation Nate Williams know obligates you to give $25.00 said because I know that Evan is a college radio guy oh absolutely and as a former conduit guy myself I absolutely will match that well that's that's great I so much appreciate it we're up over $828.00 now because of all of the gifts. $40.00 jumped us from $703.00 to a $28.00 I'm not quite sure but I'm an English major I don't have to understand that I mean why does he want to be thanked on air and he left a message here and that is that he loves Dr and his poetry and technology our excellent Well I hope f and white will join me for the Celebrate Torrie drink that we've reached. Right $828.00. For a show goal of $500.00 which is just wonderful Hey speaking of wonderful if you want to find out more about gears and God This book we've been talking about with its author Nate Williams he's got an event at the avid reader on the 17th of November so that's a Saturday night right that's right Saturday at 73730 at the avid reader 617 2nd Street right here in. The city of Davis across the street from the Varsity theater . I don't know how many of these avid reader events you've attended but some of the authors who draw the biggest crowds show up with beverages have you know. I was not made aware of that but I am aware of beverages and can and probably procure some between now and November 17th Yeah absolutely so when you have fun that you're giving a book talk and a signing of your book gears and God from the University of Alabama press what what happens at such a talk now I think you might have just added some libations but what else could one expect the interesting thing for me and writing about these things there are all these dime novels had such wonderful sometimes really lurid sometimes really funny covers and images that I found if I talk about it in public I have to bring the Power Point slides and kind of show these so that they can see Ok it really was a giant robot on the cover Ok this airship when they imagined it it was this I mean some of these airships have propellers that you can count I mean he was over the top. And it's 25 years of artists imagining heavier than air flight for the Wright brothers so there are some really interesting stuff so I would bring that material so that people can kind of see and visualize what the coverage of these were like and maybe why kids were so excited to read those stories yeah that is a lot of fun and a great reason to attend your book talk one by Nate Williams on the 17th of November. And in this book I think we'll also find Is it true that growl and polo. Was the 1st person to imagine and create. In fiction. Cyborg That's right yesterday called the man that was used up and he has a character. Veteran of the seminal wars right he so he was an in The Fighter. In Jackson right and these these characters and he's been. Brutalized in these that very little of his body is left he's completely a construction of prosthetics and. At the time it was just kind of a. Satirical over the top commentary on how much Americans enjoyed hearing war stories right. But now we look at and say women that's a that's a cyborg right that really is used technology to rebuild the body of the fallen soldier. That is totally cool and so really you know we've often turn to such science fiction writers to invent the fiction or invent the future before we get there and we have some more examples of that where I hope that folks will pick up a copy of gears and God technocratic fiction faith and empire and Mark Twain's America yeah there is a thing you Williams from University of Alabama press I meant to ask you before do you have a website where people can find out more about you when your work I do my website it's nothing Williams dot com So it's. And a t. H. a N. L. W. S. That's. Dot com excellent and I bet people get it in god and then you Williams they could find out all about your book I hope so yes I've tried it it worked excellent review and the next show needs to start I want to thank right and Gabby to release a proper West airing list for producing and Nate Williams for coming by as well as my. Can a donation we have raised well over $800.00 during this hour or. So thanks to all of you who donated Thanks to all the k b s d J's who are putting in extra hours this week hope you'll continue to support them stick around for great music and I'll see you next week for another edition of the air in less produced radio show Dr A.N.D.'s poetry and technology our Keep it right here on Kitty b.s. And keep those pledges coming See you next week. a station $35000.00 this week it is my understanding and I believe we have until. 7700. A modest 200. Said $200.00 to our ISP hope we may. Lose power if you like to make up the number 5375 or 537 you