The latest episode of the People of Pickleball Podcast is one for the books! Host Mike Sleeves Sliwa sits down with the incredibly talented Stacey Cleary, the owner and founder of 4Joy Paddles. If you’re looking for a fresh perspective on pickleball and creativity on the court, you won’t want to miss this episode!

Stacey’s Journey to Pickleball and Beyond

Stacey’s story is one of resilience and inspiration. Like many of us, she found her love for the game during the pandemic. Originally starting to play in the summer of 2020, Stacey discovered that pickleball was more than just a sport; it was a way to connect with others when social distancing was the norm.

As a teacher navigating remote learning, Stacey found a cathartic escape in pickleball. Although wearing masks and “tapping paddles” instead of shaking hands felt strange, it allowed her to meet new people and relish the joy of movement. During this transformative time, she also dabbled in digital art, which ultimately laid the groundwork for the creation of her stunning paddles.

The Birth of 4Joy Paddles

What began as a passion project became 4Joy Paddles, a company with a mission to deliver high-quality, artistically eye-catching pickleball paddles. Based in Connecticut, 4Joy embraces the vibrant spirit of the pickleball community by combining uniqueness with philanthropy. As Stacey shares in the podcast, “We play for joy,” and that ethos drives the entire brand.

Stacey strives to ensure that every paddle is a conversation starter on the court. Listeners can hear how she meticulously crafts each design, pouring her artistic talents into paddles that not only work wonderfully but are also visually striking.

More Than Just Paddles: A Philanthropic Mission

But 4Joy is not just about creating beautiful paddles; there’s a deeper mission behind the brand. Stacey discusses her commitment to support various health organizations, donating a portion of their profits to causes like the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, the American Cancer Society, Susan G. Komen, and the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance. These choices stem from her personal experiences and the connections she shares with these causes.

As an individual who has faced significant health challenges herself, including a diagnosis of a benign brain tumor, Stacey reflects on how her experiences have shaped her values and mission.

Why You Should Listen

This podcast episode resonates on many levels—it’s about love for pickleball, creativity, and meaningful actions that contribute back to society. If you’re passionate about pickleball, design, or community-building, Stacey’s insights will inspire you to look at your paddle—and the game itself—in a whole new light.

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Join Mike and Stacey for an engaging conversation that dives deep into the vibrant world of pickleball, the art of designing paddles, and the importance of giving back to the community. Whether you’re a seasoned player or just curious about the game, this episode offers nuggets of wisdom that apply to everyone.

You can catch this enlightening conversation on YouTube or listen to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon, and other platforms. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear Stacey’s journey and discover the colorful world of 4Joy Paddles!

Are you ready to bring more joy into your pickleball game? Check out the podcast episode, and let Stacey be your guide to a more vibrant, joyful experience on the court!

Visit our podcast website for more episodes: https://sleeves-spr-people-of-pickleball.castos.com/

4Joy

https://4joypaddles.com

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Dennis Wilson Wise, University of Arizona

Think of your favorite fantasy or science fiction novel. You’ll know the author and title, of course. But can you think of its editor or publisher?

In publishing, the people who work behind the scenes rarely get their due. But on Oct. 1, 2024, at least, one industry pioneer got the limelight. On that day, PBS aired “Judy-Lynn del Rey: The Galaxy Gal,” the first episode of its new documentary series “Renegades,” which highlights little-known historical figures with disabilities.

A woman with dwarfism, Judy-Lynn del Rey was best known for founding Del Rey Books, a science fiction and fantasy imprint that turned fantasy in particular into a major publishing category.

As a scholar of fantasy literature, I had the good fortune to serve as research consultant for the PBS project. Due to time constraints, however, the episode could tell only half of del Rey’s story, passing over how she affected science fiction and fantasy themselves.

Judy-Lynn del Rey, you see, had very clear notions on what kind of stories people wanted to buy. For some critics, she also committed the unforgivable sin of being right.

The Mama of ‘Star Wars’

Over the course of her career, del Rey earned a reputation as a superstar editor among her authors. Arthur C. Clarke, who co-wrote the screenplay for “2001: A Space Odyssey,” called her the “most brilliant editor I ever encountered,” and Philip K. Dick said she was the “greatest editor since Maxwell Perkins,” the legendary editor of Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

She got her start, though, working as an editorial assistant – in truth, a “gofer” – for the most lauded science fiction magazine of the 1960s, Galaxy. There she learned the basics of publishing and rose rapidly through the editorial ranks until Ballantine Books lured her away in 1973.

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Soon thereafter, Ballantine was acquired by publishing giant Random House, which then named del Rey senior editor. Yet her first big move was a risky one – cutting ties with Ballantine author John Norman, whose highly popular “Gor” novels were widely panned for their misogyny.

Nonetheless, del Rey’s mission was to develop a strong backlist of science fiction novels that could hook new generations of younger readers, not to mention adults. One early success was her “Star Trek Log” series, a sequence of 10 novels based on episodes of “Star Trek: The Animated Series.”

But del Rey landed an even bigger success by snagging the novelization rights to a science fiction film that, at the time, few Hollywood executives believed would do well: “Star Wars.”

This savvy gamble led to years of lucrative tie-in products for Ballantine such as calendars, art books, sketchbooks, the Star Wars Intergalactic Passport and, of course, more novels set in the Star Wars universe – so many different tie-ins, in fact, that del Rey dubbed herself the “Mama of Star Wars.”

Afterward, she became someone who, as reporter Jennifer Crighton put it, radiated “with the shameless glee of one of the Rebel forces, an upstart who won.”

A big player in big fiction

Del Rey’s tendencies as an editor were sometimes criticized – often by competitors who could not match her line’s success – for focusing too much on Ballantine’s bottom line. But she also chose to work within the publishing landscape as it actually existed in the 1970s, rather than the one she only wished existed.

In his book “Big Fiction,” publishing industry scholar Dan Sinykin calls this period the “Conglomerate Era,” a time when publishing houses – usually small and family run – were being consolidated into larger corporations.

One benefit of this shift, however, was greater corporate investment in the industry, which boosted print runs, marketing budgets, author advances and salaries for personnel.

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Ballantine’s parent company, Random House, was also known as an industry leader in free speech, thanks to the efforts of legendary CEOs Bennett Cerf and Robert L. Bernstein.

Accordingly, Random House gave their publishing divisions, including Ballantine, immense creative autonomy.

And when del Rey was finally given her own imprint in 1977, she took her biggest risk of all: fantasy.

The Del Rey era

In prior decades, fantasy had a reputation for being unsellable – unless, of course, your name was J.R.R. Tolkien, or you wrote Conan-style barbarian fiction. Whereas the top science fiction magazines often had distinguished runs, fantasy magazines often folded due to lack of sales.

In 1975, though, del Rey hired her husband, Lester del Rey, to develop a fantasy line, and when Del Rey Books launched two years later, it landed major successes with bestsellers such as Terry Brooks’ “The Sword of Shannara” and Stephen R. Donaldson’s “The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever.” Yet even though Lester edited the fantasy authors, Judy-Lynn oversaw the imprint and the marketing.

One lesser-known example of her prowess is “The Princess Bride.”

Today, most people know the 1987 film, but the movie originated as a much earlier novel by William Goldman. The original 1973 edition, however, sold poorly. It might have faded into obscurity had del Rey not been determined to revive Ballantine’s backlist.

She reissued “The Princess Bride” in 1977 with a dazzling, gate-folded die-cut cover and a new promotional campaign, without which the novel – and the film – might never have found its later success.

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Accolades accumulate

Thanks to these efforts, Del Rey Books dominated genre publishing, producing more bestselling titles through 1990 than every other science fiction and fantasy publisher combined. Yet despite complaints that the imprint prioritized commercial success over literary merit, Del Rey authors earned their fair share of literary accolades.

The prestigious Locus Poll Award for best science fiction novel went to Del Rey authors Julian May and Isaac Asimov in 1982 and 1983. Other Locus awardees include Patricia A. McKillip, Robert A. Heinlein, Larry Niven, Marion Zimmer Bradley and Barbara Hambly.

Barry Hughart’s “Bridge of Birds” was one of two winners for the World Fantasy Award in 1985 and won the Mythopoeic Society Award in 1986. Even more impressively, Del Rey ran away with the Science Fiction Book Club Award during that prize’s first nine years of existence, winning seven of them. The imprint’s titles also won three consecutive August Derleth Fantasy Awards – now called the British Fantasy Award – from 1977 through 1979.

Yet despite these accolades, Del Rey’s reputation continued to suffer from its own commercial success. Notably, Judy-Lynn del Rey was never nominated for a Hugo Award for best professional editor while she was alive. When she died in 1986, del Rey was belatedly voted for a posthumous award, but her husband, Lester, refused to accept it, saying that it came too late.

Although the current narrative continues to be that Del Rey Books published mainly formulaic mass-market fiction in its science fiction and fantasy lines, the time may be ripe to celebrate the foresight and iconoclasm of a publisher who expanded speculative fiction beyond the borders of a small genre fandom.

Dennis Wilson Wise, Professor of Practice in English Literature, University of Arizona

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Quincy Jones: The Musical Legend

On November 3, 2024, the world lost an extraordinary talent and visionary, Quincy Delight Jones Jr., at the age of 91. Jones, an American record producer, songwriter, composer, and film and television producer, left an indelible mark on the music industry and beyond, shaping the soundscape of multiple genres over a career that spanned more than 70 years.

Born on March 14, 1933, Jones’s journey in music began in the 1950s as a jazz arranger and conductor. He quickly rose to prominence and became known for his versatility, seamlessly moving between jazz, pop, and film scoring. His remarkable ability to transcend genres led to iconic collaborations, including producing pop hits for Lesley Gore, arranging for legends like Frank Sinatra and Count Basie, and ultimately partnering with the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. The trio of albums they created—Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), and Bad (1987)—remains monumental in music history, with Thriller still holding the title of the best-selling album of all time.

Jones broke numerous barriers throughout his career. In 1968, he became the first African American nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “The Eyes of Love.” His groundbreaking achievements continued as he became the first African American musical director and conductor of the Academy Awards in 1971 and received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1995. With 28 Grammy Awards out of 80 nominations, Jones’s accolades are a testament to his exceptional talent and influence.

Beyond music, Jones was a multifaceted entrepreneur, establishing a media empire that included Qwest Records, QDE Entertainment, and the acclaimed Black music magazine, Vibe. His ability to foster talent extended to the realms of film and television, where he played a pivotal role in launching the careers of icons like Oprah Winfrey and Will Smith.

Jones’s legacy is characterized not only by his remarkable achievements but also by his unique approach to music production. Described by his longtime sound engineer Bruce Swedien as someone who often used food-related metaphors in the studio, Jones had a distinctive way of cultivating creativity. He believed in the power of “divine intervention” and was known for his willingness to experiment, an attitude that kept him at the forefront of musical innovation. His embrace of synthesizers and blending of funk with jazz were revolutionary, influencing countless artists across generations.

Throughout his life, Jones collected stories and experiences that would intrigue anyone. From his encounters with historical figures like Leni Riefenstahl to iconic musicians like Tupac Shakur, his narratives were as rich and diverse as his music.

Quincy Jones’s passing marks the end of an era, but his influence will continue to resonate through the countless artists he inspired and the music he crafted. As we remember this musical innovator, we celebrate a life dedicated to breaking barriers and creating a legacy that transcends time and genre. His contributions have forever altered the landscape of music, and his spirit will undoubtedly continue to inspire future generations of musicians and dreamers.

Rest in peace, Quincy Jones—a true maestro, a visionary, and an enduring symbol of artistic excellence.

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Related Link from the Associated Press:

https://apnews.com/video/quincy-jones-grammy-awards-music-los-angeles-dionne-warwick-f2a701337195411ebcd610557f96aea2?utm_source=copy&utm_medium=share

Looking for an entertainment experience that transcends the ordinary? Look no further than STM Daily News Blog’s vibrant Entertainment section. Immerse yourself in the captivating world of indie films, streaming and podcasts, movie reviews, music, expos, venues, and theme and amusement parks. Discover hidden cinematic gems, binge-worthy series and addictive podcasts, gain insights into the latest releases with our movie reviews, explore the latest trends in music, dive into the vibrant atmosphere of expos, and embark on thrilling adventures in breathtaking venues and theme parks. Join us at STM Entertainment and let your entertainment journey begin! https://stmdailynews.com/category/entertainment/

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