I recently commented elsewhere that most of the blogs that I read are not really personal journals, nor are they political. I think we're trying out the term "cultural criticism." (Yeah, you know, we're little Adornos).
But anyway: I've been thinking that for me, and probably for a lot of people, even a post that's just a link to someone else is revealing. I agonized at the beginning about even those little, meek posts, because they meant that I was allowing people to draw conclusions about me, Wildfremde Menschen out there in the world who will never get to see what a swell gal I am in person. This quickly passed, of course. But I still think writing and posting anything, anything at all, is a sensitive process which can leave you vulnerable (for some; I realize other people couldn't give a hoot one way or the other when they're posting stuff).
This is why [nods towards certain person in the readership] blogging can help you with other kinds of writing. Because it deadens you. No, seriously. Putting yourself out there, even if you don't know whether anyone's going to see it, can make you a stronger writer. Not necessarily a *better* writer, but a more confident one. Because hey, if you can survive the threat of weirdoes leaving you creepy comments, you can survive a colleague's (probably more well-founded) critique. [clarification: I've never gotten any creepy comments, but I did/still do worry about it.]
I'm still just trying this out. But I think it takes one step further the pro-blogging argument of "Blogging is good for your dissertation or other long-term writing process because it makes writing something every day fun." I'm trying to argue that it also makes you more courageous, even in a little way.
Posted by Heather at March 17, 2005 05:02 PM
Comments
Well put! Thanks for your encouragement! So glad I entered the blogosphere--it really has made a difference.
Posted by: Michelle at March 20, 2005 01:28 AM
Right on! Think also of Benjamin and his goal of doing a book that consisted entirely of quotations (and, according to the Berlin street sign at Walter-Benjaminplatz, he was a "Zeitkritiker"). Posting links on a blog is a new form of montage.
Posted by: Ben at March 24, 2005 11:28 AM
Heather, your comments hit the right spot today. Having just spent way, way too long this week on a conference paper title and abstract, I recognize it as a lack of confidence more than lack of ideas... good point you make.
Hello to you and to Andrew too.
Hope you're both well-
Deanna
Posted by: Deanna at March 25, 2005 06:06 PM