Varsity Blogging

What great timing! Right on the heels of that article bemoaning all the negative aspects of blogging, comes the other side of the coin: a positive look at a few creative blo gs by some creative Canucks, yours truly included.

The article, written by Michael Bacal, can be found in print format in the latest issue of The Varsity, University of Toronto's student new spaper. If you won't be hanging around UofT's campus this week, then you might want to check out the article online. (Though I do believe in order to read it in full, you have to register online, at no cost mind you). For those who'd rather not do the register thingy, I've taken screen shots of sections of the article, including my brief segment.

I was initially interviewed for this article a few weeks ago, and with all journalistic works, got edited down quite a bit, so if you're interested, here's the interview in full:

In a few words, describe your blog.

The most apt description of my blog, BookLust, is probably it's subtitle: A bibliophile's musings on books, cartoons, art and stuff. My blog is mainly about my love of books, authors, writing and the culture of reading, but I do also discuss cartoons and illustra tion, since I am a freelance cartoonist and illustrator.

Everyone has a blog now, what do you think makes an especially good one? What is it about your blog that makes it stand out?

A good blog, in my opinion, is a blog that has a strong, unique voice, and a distinct outlook on whatever the blogger's subject matter. And it's not enough to just be link-happy, there should also be meaty content in your writing. I find the better blogs have shorter, pithy posts. I also really appreciate wri ting with a good sense of humour.

I suppose what makes my blog stand out is the fact it's an illustrated book-related blog. As well, I take a light-hearted, down-to-earth approach to books and literature. I want people to feel very welcome and omfortabl e while reading my blog. I also want them to laugh.

What motivated you to start the blog up in the first place?

I wanted to be a part of a bigger conversation. I had a lot of ideas churning inside of me, but not a lot of people to share them with. Now I can create a comic strip and post it on my blog, and get immediate feedback, from a much larger audience, all across the globe. It's very gratifying. And yes, I am a closet frustrated writer.

What sort of things can the reader expect from your blog?

Well, obviously I'll discuss books that I am reading and enjoying (or not), but I'll also discuss writers and issues about publishing and any interesting gossip that's going on in the publishing industry. One thing that I do on my blog which I enjoy very much is a comic series entitled 'Art Imitating Lit', where I satirize some element of the writing/publishing world. For example, I just recently did a strip satirizing the whole Oprah/Frey brou ha-ha. I really enjoy the dynamic element of blogging, so I created this series entitled 'BiblioQueria' in which I will ask a book-related question to my readers. Some past questions have been: Have you ever stolen a book? Should we concern ourselves with classifications like "male and female" readers? Have you ever read a book that made you cry? The answers are always fascinating.

Why do you think there are so many good music blogs that have been coming out of Canada? and Toronto especially?

Oh dear. I wasn't awar e of this fact. I must confess that I don't read music blogs. But I would say that Canada and Toronto have good music blogs because we have a lot of very good musicians, but also a lot of talented, passionate music lovers, just like we have passionate boo k lovers in this city.

What do you think is the appeal of blogging?

For me I would have to say that it's the dynamic community element of blogging that I love so much. Not only can I express myself at any given time, but I can also receive feedback from a wide variety of very interesting people, from all over the world. Without blogging I would feel much more isolated as a creative person. I've made so many new friends, and received positive feedback from people within the writing and publishing profession. And of course, it's certainly helped my career a bit, too, in terms of exposure and jobs. Just recently I was fortunate enough to be a guest on Rex Murphy's Cross Country Check-Up Books Program, all because of my blog. I also got a literary agent from blogging. It's been a very positive experience for me.

What's distinctive about literary blogs?

The people who write literary and book blogs are very passionate, intelligent and talented bloggers. They're very knowl edgable about books and writing and what's going on in the publishing industry, and they're very eager to share information and connect with other book-lovers and lit bloggers. Quite a few of these people are editors or published authors themselves. And there's a lot of great Canadian lit-bloggers out there.

Since you post pretty frequently, do you find it hard to find consistently interesting material and things to cover? Also, what do you like about blogging, that keeps you motivated to update/post on a continual basis?

So far I haven't had any trouble about being inspired when it comes to blogging. There's always something interesting going on in the book world, and thankfully I haven't run out of cartoon ideas yet! In fact, bloggin g has really helped me to be more productive. It forces me to be more creative, look at things from a different perspective, care more about books and writing and what's going on in the world.

It's the feedback from others that keeps me motivated, for s ure. I want to know what others think about a specific subject, or about a cartoon I have posted. It's really become a part of my life now, and I can't imagine not blogging. If I had to suddenly stop, I would feel rudderless.

So there you have it. And at no point in this interview did I start foaming at the mouth, ranting and raving about my incessant need to make a quick buck from this blogging experience.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with a quick buck...heh.

Comments

[eliane]

Oh yes, I get very motivated from feedback too!

[zhoule]

So how does one get plugged into the larger blogging community? Is it a matter of strictly offering good writing and a perspective that's entirely focused on a singular topic? Does updating on a daily basis even have anything remotely to to with it? And how long does one do it before finding an audience that keeps coming back for more?

I ask these questions because it seems that I was pushing closest to 100 posts per day when I actually had something remotely controversial on the site. So are people really *that* into gossip or what? :-) I'm trying to strike a balance between the perzine stuff and newsier commentary, but am trying to do it in such a way that I don't really knock people in such much as ideas. It's a hard balance because you don't want to necessarily knock people off their horse, but you don't want to come across as being a Cranky McCrankster either. But you also have to be honest to yourself and, thus, the people reading it. So, it's kinda tough. It makes me respect those who are doing this successfully without getting into snark baiting even more.

[elohimus maximus]

I just wrote an article on how books have been disbanded. So you might want to read it before you continue to read books.

[patricia]

Hey Z, all I can say is that it's always best to be yourself, I think, in blogging. Write about the stuff that you truly care about, and that will come out in your writing, and (I think) people will respond to that.

And uh, Elohimus Maximus....you might wanna go back on the meds.

[Isabella]

Congrats on the coverage! (I rather wish the article had said Torontonian instead of Canuck, or else presented a cross-country sampling, but...) I think this bit is key:

"Cultural and arts-based blogs, in particular, have become substantially popular in the blogosphere, as they provide a direct, interactive, and readily available alternative to the relatively lacking coverage of the arts in traditional media."

That's precisely the point the FT article missed (thanks for updating the link). The big bloggers are in fact not an "alternative media" — they're simply using an alternative medium, online versions of fairly traditional, mainstream stuff, and in that regard I agree with FT that they've pretty much peaked as far as income generation goes.

FT: "Blogging will no doubt always have a place as an underground medium in closed societies; but for those in the west trying to blog their way into viable businesses, the economics are daunting."

I don't know that "culture" blogs are "undergound," or that we're exactly a closed society, but at least it comes close to acknowledging that blogging can have value in the proliferation of ideas; it's not always about the money.

(Loved your illo, btw — you even got my pyjamas right, tho' my hair's a bit longer and there's just the one cat here.)

[zhoule]

Hmmm. Yes, be oneself. This is true. I guess I just worry if sometimes I come across as a bit of a cynic, or at least lately. Maybe I'm trying to tell myself something here, I don't know. :-)

[hadas]

You go, girl!

[hadas]

Oh, and did you read this article http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060225.LEAH25/TPStory/TPEntertainment/
in the Globe and Mail? Ohmygod! The honorable LEAH McLAREN, after searching technorati.com decides the blogsphere is rubbish and the only blogger she can recommend is, surprisingly enough, her writer friend whom she asks "(slightly incredulously) why on Earth he would bother to write down his opinions for free", I mean being an ignorant about an issue you write about is one thing but taking pride in it is another. I wish I would find the time to send the lady and the Globe and Mail readers a few links, but whoever reads you, m'dear, is welcome to it. Please include Global Voices: http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2006/02/26/this-week-in-israel-election-campaigns-a-kidnapping-in-france-and-more/
in your list – an amazing example of alternative citizen journalism for the lady who claims that “the underground media revolution is officially over” (I promised to send you that link). Hope I'm not being too passionate, it's just a matter very close to my heart ;)

[patricia]

Oh yes, Hadas, my dear, I have read that article. And yes, there is definitely something brewing inside me on this ongoing topic. More to come, in the future, I promise.

Never apologize for you passion, honey! That's one of the things that makes the blogsphere so wonderful! And thanks for the link; I will definitely check it out!

[Isabella]

Just read McLaren's piece (of s***). Aurgh.

[patricia]

Ha ha!! Don't hold back, Isabella!

[zhoule]

I waded into the whole Bigge-McLaren mess and wound up retracting my comments. I think it's almost kind of futile to throw rocks at McLaren: she obviously got the job because of her mommy, and the Globe knows that if she's hated that much, she's well read, and thus worth keeping around. But, Christ, the Ottawa Citizen wrote a puffy piece about her last weekend that noted how well the book was doing -- without quoting any actual figures. That just. pisses. me. off. Grr. How well can The Continuity Girl be doing when her publishing company dumped the work of a national columnist in JANUARY? That's like the Literary Dead Zone.

Anyhooo, that said ... Pat, I am *so* waiting for a cartoon about McLaren. I'm dead serious. Call me a hypocrite, but I'm sure you'd have something intelligent to say about her.