deslea's eXegesis - Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can I use images I find here at my site?
A. Generally speaking, the answer is yes, but please consult the guidelines for more details about where and how. This applies to eXegesis ONLY, not the affiliated sites (the ones linked down the left hand side) like the Ratcave or the Harem. Those sites have different rules and you definitely need to ask me.

Q. Can I use news items I find here at my site?
A. Generally speaking, yes, but I expect to be credited and linked. However, if I indicate that I got the news item from someone else myself (ie, another XF fan site), feel free to credit that person directly.

Q. What the hell is exegesis?
A. A couple of people have asked me this recently. Exegesis is a term used mostly in the study of ancient religious texts. It's basically a structured exploration and analysis, and it involves a high level of focus on the finer details of a text like its literary forms, historical context, linguistic idiosyncracies, and so on. Biblical scholars are sometimes called exegetes. To me, it seemed to relate nicely to our focus on the supporting players and the context of the show - the finer details, the ones less immediately apparent to the eye. It also has a personal connection to me, as I have an academic background in theology.

Q. Why did you start this site?
A. I've always had a special fondness for the supporting characters, and for close to a year now I have been submitting supporting actor news to the other XF news sites. Sometimes they got used, and sometimes they didn't, because those sites were focused on the leads. That's okay, but I figured others probably shared my special interest in going beyond the basement, and finally I pulled it all together into a news site of my own. I have to say, I had no idea just how popular eXegesis would be - I figured maybe forty or fifty people would visit regularly. In our first month we clocked over 10,000 hits.

Q. So that's why Mulder and Scully don't get much attention here?
A. That's right. Mulder and Scully, and their performers, are well covered elsewhere. I don't ignore them altogether, but they aren't the main focus.

Q. Where do you get your content?
A. There aren't many shortcuts to news gathering for this site. I keep an eye on the other X Files news sites, like Road Runners and The Haven. I check most of the sites of that ilk daily, and the leading fan sites for individual actors weekly. I keep an eye on the fora and newsgroups for news items. A few times a month I run a series of searches at places like Variety, Hollywood Reporter, CHUD, and several Canadian industry sites. I also watch the image bureaus - these often give leads on news items not important enough to be reported but which provide photo opportunities, such as movie premieres and charity fundraisers. (You do get to know the quirks of the actors and can make educated guesses - for instance, if there's a children's or environmental fundraiser in California or New York, I know there's a good chance Mimi Rogers and Wendie Malick will be there. Same with certain industry events in California and Laurie Holden and Martin Landau). I am also in contact with the publicists of some of the performers. On top of that, I often get news leads by email from other Philes.

Q. So can I give you news items?
A. Hell, yes! Just drop me a line.

Q. Why do some actors get more attention than others?
A. I do try to keep a lot of balance here. If I notice that there has been a lot of attention to a few performers, I will research the doings of a few others to even the balance. However, some performers do get more attention than others. It all comes down to the availability of information - performers based in the US, like Mimi Rogers, get more reporting in more accessible avenues than Canadian-based performers like Megan Leitch (who I adore). Young, photogenic actors like Laurie Holden get more press attention than older character actors like William B Davis. Actors for whom I have publicist contacts, or for whom there are plugged-in official or fan sites like nicklea.com or robert-patrick.com, will be a source of much more information than actors serviced by commercially-produced, neglected Official Sites such as Steven Williams and Annabeth Gish. So while I strive for balance, there's only so far that goes. My personal preferences don't play a huge role in what gets reported here, although certainly I'm more plugged into the doings of the actors I most enjoy.

Q. Just how connected are you?
A. Probably not as much so as I seem. I do have some contacts within various production and public relations companies (yes, including 1013), but I'm not all that cloak-and-dagger with anyone, and I don't seek to be. I don't pump for spoilers or privileged information, and when it's been given in confidence I've kept it there. So I know what's in the pipeline, but I don't necessarily have an all-time inside track on the ultimate exclusive. The actors I've met, I've met at public appearances, same as everyone else. I'm still just another fan. For the most part, that suits me fine.

Q. Can you help me contact Susie Supporting Star?
A. Maybe. I often am able to track down working addresses where these have otherwise died out, but it's still through a process of logic and research. For instance, if you wanted to write to Mimi Rogers, I would probably suggest you try C/O her production company, Millbrook Farms. I don't have access to any swifter or more private avenues such as home addresses, and I don't give out agent or publicist addresses without their consent.

Q. Is it true that you've been targetted for your work?
A. Targetted is probably over-stating it, but yes, I have. I was threatened for publicly congratulating Mimi Rogers on the birth of her son last year, and I have been repeatedly flamed for legitimately promoting the activities of Laurie Holden in the general cast area of another forum. In the former case, the incident was reported to the perpetrator's service provider and appropriate steps were taken. In the latter case, I got fed up and left the forum.

Q. Can you get me autographs?
A. No. I have enough trouble getting my own.

Q. Can you get me autographs for a fundraiser?
A. Maybe, if you can prove what you're doing is for charity, and if I'm in contact with the actor's publicist.

Q. Why are your dates out of whack?
A. I live in Australia, which is over the international dateline. That's why sometimes you'll come to the site on Wednesday and find the news item dated Thursday.

Q. Do you answer email?
A. Yes, but I take a while. Sometimes a long while. The more personal a reply something warrants, the more likely I am to take time. There are some emails I just can't write in production line, but the down-side of that is that they can get shelved for a long time, especially if I'm swamped with another project, like Thank You Annabeth. Sorry about that. I've lost one friend that I know of over long reply lags and I hope not to lose anymore, but there are times in my life when I just can't do it. It doesn't mean my heart isn't there.

Q. Who are you?
A. Just another fan with her priorities screwed.

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