The following is an E-panel with 9 litbloggers whose work I have been enjoying more and more of lately. They range from individual story critiquing, to discussions of books read, to looks at literary journals, to general pop culture with a slant towards books. All worth your time each day or two.
SD Byrd – Short Story Craft
www.fictioncraft.blogspot.com
Becky Bame – What Blows My Skirt Up
www.bamer.blogspot.com
Jeff Bryant – Syntax of Things
www.syntaxofthings.typepad.com
Steven J. McDermott – Storyglossia
www.storyglossia.com
Clifford Garstang – Perpetual Folly
www.perpetualfolly.blogspot.com
Katrina Denza – Illuminate; Ruminate; Create
www.katdenza.blogspot.com
Kristin – Books for Breakfast, Drinks for Dinner
www.books4breakfast.blogspot.com
Anne Fernald – Fernham
www.fernham.blogspot.com
Patrick Rapa – I Read a Short Story Today
http://ireadashortstorytoday.com/
EWN:
Thank you all for participating and passing along information about your blogging experiences. First of all, as I don't see much income generation on your sites, what do you all do for a living?
SD Byrd – Short Story Craft:
I'm a software designer and developer.
Becky Bame – What Blows My Skirt Up:
I'm a library clerk at a large urban library in California.
Jeff Bryant – Syntax of Things:
As of tomorrow (3/31), I'm unemployed and on my way to a new city and hopefully a new job. Until now, I've worked for a major publisher of scientific and technical journals. So if anyone in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area is in need of a willing and able employee with a huge amount of experience in publishing, let me know.
Steven J. McDermott – Storyglossia:
Currently I’m a Management Consultant, advising companies on technology strategy, IT implementation, and process redesign. Although I’m shifting into a small business venture that I’m hoping will allow more time to focus on my literary interests.
Clifford Garstang – Perpetual Folly:
I'm a full-time fiction writer, not that that generates a living. I practiced law for 20 years and still do occasional consulting for a former employer.
Katrina Denza – Illuminate; Ruminate; Create:
I’m fortunate to have a partner that supports me in doing what feeds my soul: stay at home with my children and write.
Kristin – Books for Breakfast, Drinks for Dinner:
I brighten and electrify the existences of university students. OK, I teach.
Anne Fernald – Fernham:
I'm an assistant professor of English and the "writing director" at Fordham's Lincoln Center campus, an exalted title that means that I hire and work with the part-time staff who teach first-year writing (not creative writing, but college essay-writing).
Patrick Rapa – I Read a Short Story Today:
I'm the music editor at Philadelphia City Paper, an alt-weekly. I also do a little freelance writing, mostly music criticism.
EWN:
If you don't mind, in an attempt to determine if this ability to blog has any restrictions, what ten year age range do you fall into? Twenties, thirties, etc.?
SD Byrd – Short Story Craft:
Forties, soon to be fifties.
Becky Bame – What Blows My Skirt Up:
I'm in my thirties.
Jeff Bryant – Syntax of Things:
I'm right in the middle of my thirties and feeling older every day.
Steven J. McDermott – Storyglossia:
I don’t think age is a restrictor when it comes to blogging. Passion for your subject is the key. The younger you are the more at ease you might be with the technology, but wisdom comes with experience. I certainly have more to say now, and more ways to say it, than when I was younger—not that that ever kept me from spouting off.
Clifford Garstang – Perpetual Folly:
Fifties.
Katrina Denza – Illuminate; Ruminate; Create:
I’m forty-one.
Kristin – Books for Breakfast, Drinks for Dinner:
Thirty-something... the Next Generation.
Anne Fernald – Fernham:
I’m 39.
Patrick Rapa – I Read a Short Story Today:
I'm 30, but very immature.
EWN:
When did you begin your blog?
SD Byrd – Short Story Craft:
My first post was on 10/21/2005.
Becky Bame – What Blows My Skirt Up:
I started it in November of 2003.
Jeff Bryant – Syntax of Things:
My first attempt at blogging came in March of 2003 and lasted a couple of months before a new position at the paying gig took over my free time. I missed blogging too much to give it up for good, so I revived Syntax of Things in November 2003, began posting pretty much every weekday at that point. I moved the site to Typepad in January 2004
and have been going steady at it since then.
Steven J. McDermott – Storyglossia:
April 2002. Quite a few tech-blogs and politico-blogs were around then, but very few discussing literature, and none that I could find discussing stories. I wondered if there was even an audience. I actually did some intranet (behind the corporate firewall) blogging prior to that, as part of a knowledge management implementation for a technology company. David Weinberger (http://www.hyperorg.com/blogger/index.html) is the guy who got me into blogging.
Clifford Garstang – Perpetual Folly:
January 1, 2005.
Katrina Denza – Illuminate; Ruminate; Create:
November 2004.
Kristin – Books for Breakfast, Drinks for Dinner:
I began the blog in January 2006 as part of my mission to read 150 books this year. Posting responses keeps me motivated.
Anne Fernald – Fernham:
A little over a year ago, in January of 2005.
Patrick Rapa – I Read a Short Story Today:
'Twas December, 2004. I'm guessing winter's the best time to start a reading project. Well, summer's good, too. Autumn's not too shabby, either. Spring can go to hell.
EWN:
How difficult was it for you to learn how to maneuver within your blog and get things looking the way you wanted them to?
SD Byrd – Short Story Craft:
I'm just using the standard blogger.com templates, so it's simple. If things go well I might upgrade to something fancier, include some Amazon links, internal links, author list, etc.
Becky Bame – What Blows My Skirt Up:
I didn't feel the need to get all fancy, so I just stuck to the basic Blogger template. After the first entry or two I was reasonably comfortable with the tags and with adding links to the sidebar. I've never done much past that.
Jeff Bryant – Syntax of Things:
I chose Typepad for its relative ease of use, wanting to spend zero time worrying about the design so that I could concentrate on content. I wish that I had more time and the skills to come up with a better design, but in many ways, I like the generic look. It's a reflection of my personality. People who know me in the "real world" know that I'm a jeans and T shirt kind of guy. I think my blog has a similar look and feel to it. Not so much everyman or blue collar, but definitely a simple, unadorned, what-you-see-what-you-get quality.
Steven J. McDermott – Storyglossia:
The early versions of Blogger had occasional challenges. I lost my archives several times, or posts would fail and not be saved so that I’d have to rewrite them. I was even tempted at times to just do it by hand, skip their software, and update my pages manually. But they fixed the problems pretty quickly and it’s been smooth ever since. I picked one of their templates and have stuck with it. I’ve tweaked and added to it, and really should redo it from scratch, but have put my energy into the content and other parts of the site instead. I deliberately kept the site low-tech to make it easy to maintain. I’ve taken some grief for that from techy friends who know I can do more--I’ve been coding html since 1993, and hypertext even longer (HyperCard, anyone?)--but just didn’t want to get into a technology arms race where I had to update (however tempting that might be) every time some new capability hit the web. I do plan to upgrade the code and technology on the site as this year progresses, but people come to the site for the content not the techy bells and whistles. More and more and people are just reading the content through their aggregators anyway.
Clifford Garstang – Perpetual Folly:
I decided to live within Blogger's limitations for now, and that, plus some basic html knowledge, is enough. So, not difficult. And there's a lot of help available from Blogger.
Katrina Denza – Illuminate; Ruminate; Create:
It was initially very difficult—I’m not much of a computer person other than to use it for my writing. Blogger made it easier by giving clear instructions and offering ready-made templates. I’m sure I bothered my friends with questions, too.
Kristin – Books for Breakfast, Drinks for Dinner:
Blogger makes it easier than sticking a fork in the toaster, and less painful. However, I want to revise the look of the blog and I'm woefully inexperienced.
Anne Fernald – Fernham:
I decided early on that design was a black hole that I wouldn't tumble into. I didn't want to spend time on design or coding & I didn't want to spend any money, either, so I picked a really simple Blogger template. I don't love it, but my focus is the writing and I'm working hard to keep blogging simple and fun, to not let it take over my life.
Patrick Rapa – I Read a Short Story Today:
I'm still using one of Blogger's cookie-cutter designs, so I pretty much nailed the look of my site in the first couple clicks. I think simple works for I Read A Short Story Today. As for the learning curve? Not bad, but it helps to know a kindly nerd. My pal Ryan
Godfrey over at Monoglot.com has lent a hand when needed — moving the site to its own non-Blogger URL for instance.
EWN:
What is the significance of your site's name?
SD Byrd – Short Story Craft:
Short Story Craft -- self-explanatory!
Becky Bame – What Blows My Skirt Up:
"What blows my skirt up" is just a saying I've used for years. Little did I know there are a lot of people out there Googling for pictures up women's skirts. They must be so disappointed when they finally land on my site.
Jeff Bryant – Syntax of Things:
From a fairly popular EE Cummings poem, "since feeling is first / who pays any attention / to the syntax of things / will never wholly kiss you..." I don't know why I chose the title, especially since I don't consider myself a big Cummings fan. I liked the sound of it, have for a while, and named my one and only (and badly done and poorly written) poetry chapbook that. When it came time to name this blog, it seemed a good fit.
Steven J. McDermott – Storyglossia:
Storyglossia is a word I coined. The about (http://www.storyglossia.com/about.html) and the etymology (http://www.storyglossia.com/eye.html) pages have extended discussions of the name and its relation to the site. The short version is that it’s a play on Mikhail Bakhtin’s concept of heteroglossia—multi-voiced discourse—which he applied to novels. My conception of the site was that the stories I blogged on, along with the stories published in the literary journal, would comprise a heteroglossia of stories. My discussion—my glosses—of the stories would add another layer of voices. Hence, Storyglossia.
Clifford Garstang – Perpetual Folly:
My blog is called "Perpetual Folly." I live in rural Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley, and tributary of the Shenandoah River runs through my property, called Folly Mills Creek. I wanted to incorporate the word 'folly' in the blog name, and it also struck me that fiction writers are a breed that can't stop beating their heads against a wall, so the word 'perpetual' seemed to fit. I even found a quote from the Bible in pseudo-support of the name, which anyone who knows me will understand is included with the deepest possible irony.
Katrina Denza – Illuminate; Ruminate; Create:
I had originally intended the site to be a place in which I could link work I liked, review novels and short story collections, discuss various gloomy political topics, and post occasional writing prompts. The gloomy political topics have faded—too hard on the spirit to go there on a regular basis, and the writing prompts for some reason didn’t continue. I think I simply forgot about them.
Kristin – Books for Breakfast, Drinks for Dinner:
Books for Breakfast, Drinks for Dinner is the merging of my great loves: literature and alcohol. Part of the fun is finding new books, as well as new cocktails, and each book is rated on a scale of 0-5 "insert drink name here." Doubles the entertainment value and it has become so expected that I've been prodded when I've forgotten to rate a book with a cocktail scale.
Anne Fernald – Fernham:
I'm a Woolf scholar. I wanted a simple, one-word title that had some Woolfian significance. In “A Room of One's Own,” the narrator gets lost in the village of Fernham because she's so deep in thought: I loved that as a metaphor for blogging, too, the name of the place you end up when you forget to pay attention to where you're going.
It's also a portmanteau word: a combination of my last name, Fernald, and where I teach, Fordham.
Patrick Rapa – I Read a Short Story Today:
I'm afraid the process by which I arrived at "I Read A Short Story Today" would be too complicated and long-winded to describe here.
EWN:
Are you able to track traffic? If so, what's the average amount of hits per day your site receives?
SD Byrd – Short Story Craft:
I use the free SiteMeter reports, which give me good enough data for right now. Hits have been steadily increasing since the first of the year, with a nice spike after the EWN reference. Recently site visits have been a little over 50 per day, page hits about twice that much.
Becky Bame – What Blows My Skirt Up:
Sitemeter tells me 14 people on average visit my site per day, half of whom I probably know personally.
Jeff Bryant – Syntax of Things:
Now Dan...isn't that like asking a lady her age? I do track traffic just to make sure that my mom isn't reading the site (I know your ISP, Mom!!!). I average about 450 page views/350 visits per day.
Steven J. McDermott – Storyglossia:
2,200+ hits per day and the trend has been rising since I returned to posting more regularly. I expect to see a million hits this year if the trend continues. Not all the traffic goes to the blog; the literary journal gets its fair share. And traffic to the Storyglossia back issues has really been increasing. About 10% of the blog hits are on the xml feed, which some people claim inflates the stats (due to polling), but it might actually be reducing the number of hits because subscribers can read multiple posts in the feed without actually browsing the site (that’s what I do the majority of the time with the sites I subscribe to).
Clifford Garstang – Perpetual Folly:
I recently started using SiteMeter to track traffic and my hits per day average is higher than I imagined it would be, but it is still ridiculously low.
Katrina Denza – Illuminate; Ruminate; Create:
I do keep track, though I get so few visitors it’s mostly me I’m tracking.
Kristin – Books for Breakfast, Drinks for Dinner:
I track traffic, but I reset it every week. I'm averaging 100-1,000 looks each week, some repeat watchers.
Anne Fernald – Fernham:
Sitemeter tells me I get between 50 & 60 hits a day. That doesn't include rss feeds, so I'm guessing it's a little more. I know that's puny to the big-time bloggers but I still find it incredible, intimidating, and cool to think that even that many people stop by.
Patrick Rapa – I Read a Short Story Today:
Oh man I just added a site meter last month and I love the little guy. It says I get about 90 hits a day. When I first saw how many people were checking the site I was floored. Then I looked up how they found me — by Googling "funny and poignant short story about loss" and "opening paragraphs to interesting stories" and "Dave Eggers" — and
now I just feel sort of sad. I can't be what these people were hoping to find. Still, it's neat to see all the dots on the little map, knowing somebody in Dubai came across my little site. Never mind that they were looking for "spooky stories about birds" or whatever.
EWN:
How much time do you spend on average per day on your site?
SD Byrd – Short Story Craft:
Not really very much. An average of an hour or less per day.
Becky Bame – What Blows My Skirt Up:
If I'm posting an entry, I'll spend up to an hour, depending on the book I just finished. But usually I only stop by a few times a day for a minute or two to see if anyone has left a comment for me.
Jeff Bryant – Syntax of Things:
About two hours per day, though less lately because of the move.
Steven J. McDermott – Storyglossia:
Usually less than an hour for posting and site maintenance on the blog. But that doesn’t count all the reading, note taking, and associated web surfing. If I’m doing a series of in-depth posts on a particular story it’s not uncommon for me to read the story 10 times. In those cases I’ll usually write quite a bit more than I end up posting. As with my fiction, I write first drafts the old-fashioned way, in longhand, and then edit as I type, typically in something that has a spell-checker (email, TextEdit, BBEdit), then I’ll go online, copy in the source material and links, post to Blogger, where I edit again before previewing and publishing to the site. Other times I’m in the flow and will just compose in Blogger and click publish. The literary journal takes a lot of time. Reading submissions, corresponding with the writers, formatting the pages, and updating the site. I still do all the html by hand in BBEdit. I have the process fairly streamlined, but it still takes a lot of time. Unlike most literary journals, Storyglossia is a one-person operation. Add it all up and it probably averages out to 3-4 hours a day.
Clifford Garstang – Perpetual Folly:
Actual time on the site is only a few minutes, maybe half an hour, per day, not counting time spent reading. Many of my posts are reviews, of literary magazines or books, and while writing the reviews doesn't take a lot of time, the reading obviously does.
Katrina Denza – Illuminate; Ruminate; Create:
Not enough as I’d like. I’m a bit of a workaholic, even in these fun, nonpaying types of jobs—maybe especially in these types of jobs. I’ve had to develop some balance and divide my work time between the different things I love: writing, reading, reviewing, and blogging.
Kristin – Books for Breakfast, Drinks for Dinner:
It goes in spurts, depending upon how much I'm reading (and, er, drinking, and that job thing and writing and family, etc.). I average about three hours a week on the actual webpage. I average about 20 hours a week on the reading. It has become my third/fourth/fifth job.
Anne Fernald – Fernham:
My goal is four posts a week, Monday through Thursday, and I probably spend between ninety minutes and two hours per day on those days.
I find, however, that I think in blog entries at other moments, shaping and crafting opinions and anecdotes as I go through my day. While sometimes I'm shocked at the time I spend blogging at my desk, this idle thinking about what I might want to write is pure pleasure and a big reason for continuing to blog.
Patrick Rapa – I Read a Short Story Today:
Ten minutes, just logging the day's reading. There's not much to do there. I should add an author/book title generator or something.
EWN:
Who is your intended audience, and who do you believe your actual audience has been so far?
SD Byrd – Short Story Craft:
Honestly, the purpose of the blog was to give me motivation to read more stories closely and think about them in greater depth. So my original audience was myself. That has evolved somewhat to include anyone who writes or aspires to write literary fiction, as well as anyone who just reads literary short stories, especially New Yorker fiction. It's popular in some circles to condemn TNY fiction, but most of the criticisms are outdated, and in my opinion TNY still sets the standard by which the rest of us are judged. My goal is to take at least a passing look at each short story published in the magazine. It motivates me to read them all carefully; the side effect being that I have come to enjoy and appreciate them more than I ever did before.
Becky Bame – What Blows My Skirt Up:
My intended audience was always just myself. I started my site as a way to keep track of what I was reading and to remind myself of authors I liked and books I enjoyed. Fairly quickly a few friends started stopping by and it also became a way for us to recommend books to each other or to discuss titles we had all read.
Jeff Bryant – Syntax of Things:
My mom, but I hope she isn't reading my site. Honestly, I don't really know. I think anyone with a decent sense of humor who enjoys reading about the books and writers I like, who doesn't mind some pop culture stuff thrown in and even some personal life posts from time to time. If you're a fan of Barry Hannah and Centro-matic, Jack Kerouac
and the Replacements, and if you never miss an episode of Myth Busters, you'll probably like Syntax of Things. And of course, if you hate Madonna, I'm your blogger.
Steven J. McDermott – Storyglossia:
My intended audience is fiction writers, and to narrow the niche even further, it’s those who write literary short stories. Based on the emails I’ve received, that is one of my audiences. But the Carver pages, if I’m interpreting the keyword searches correctly, seem to also attract students who must be writing papers. And I’ve even had a few send me their papers seeking feedback. I could probably draw more folks to the site if I broadened the focus, but for now I’m comfortable sticking with the niche that is my passion. Analysis of the keyword search results reveals that people landing on the site via search engines are coming for the content; the percentage of passthrough hits looking for sexual or other content is surprisingly low. And those looking for a “spanking” are undoubtedly disappointed when they wind up at my flash story “Discipline.” Or maybe not.
Clifford Garstang – Perpetual Folly:
My intended audience originally was anyone who might want to know where I've been published, because I include a list of my publications and links, where available, to my stories and journals. But my audience has grown to include other bloggers, an ever-expanding circle in which we are all participants in a conversation, mostly about literature but also about other things that matter to us. Many litbloggers can't help but comment from time to time on politics, or environment, or other issues that concern them. I have found that when I do let my liberal bias show on the blog, I get some very interesting comments from conservative websurfers who have stumbled across my blog and are spoiling for a fight. I've considered starting a separate blog just to express my political opinions, but that, I'm afraid, would absorb way too much of my time and energy.
Katrina Denza – Illuminate; Ruminate; Create:
Other writers and readers. Mostly friends who happen to be writers and readers.
Kristin – Books for Breakfast, Drinks for Dinner:
I'm always trying to hook crazy-ass literary folks. Just one e-mail from John Irving would make all of this worthwhile.
Actually, I started tracking my books a year ago. The 2006 goal of 150 books became a new monster and needed its own blog. I get comments and e-mail from readers, writers, pyramid scammers. It's all cake to me.
Anne Fernald – Fernham:
I just want to have a role in the conversation that's going on among readers. My parents read it, and that's a lot of fun for me; I think some of my students are beginning to find it; friends around the world stop in and I get emails from them from time to time which is a great pleasure; mostly, I think it's other litbloggers.
Patrick Rapa – I Read a Short Story Today:
As alluded to above, my readership is almost exclusively people who Google the very first thing that pops into their heads. My intended audience is all the hot ladies of Earth.
EWN:
What do you hope to accomplish with your efforts?
SD Byrd – Short Story Craft:
Self-education, primarily. If anybody else gets anything out of this, it's gravy.
Becky Bame – What Blows My Skirt Up:
Improve my memory of what I've read! Before I started my blog, often I would see a book on the library shelf and know I'd read it but not remember a thing about it. Now that I take the time to think about each book and figure out my reaction to it in order to write a post I tend to retain more about the books I read.
Jeff Bryant – Syntax of Things:
Well, speaking of Madonna, I started Syntax of Things as a way to keep happiness in my marriage. My wife happens to love Madge, so we would get in to these heated arguments about her, so much so that we had agreed to never mention the name to each other again. I couldn't just hold it in, so I thought blogging would be a way for me to vent my dislikes alongside my likes and in doing so I'd be able to avoid a second divorce. Well, it's worked and over time, Syntax of Things has evolved. I began focusing more on the likes and even more on books and writers. I still throw in the occasional Madonna item to keep things real.
Steven J. McDermott – Storyglossia:
When I first started the blog I thought of it as a catalytic mechanism (http://www.12manage.com/methods_collins_catalytic_mechanisms.html), an idea I adapted for my own purposes from Jim Collins’ 1999 Harvard Business Review Article (so, what did you expect from a management consultant?) “Turning Goals Into Results: The Power of Catalytic Mechanisms.” Meaning, I was adopting a discipline—writing a blog on short story craft—that I hoped would produce unexpected results, something I couldn’t otherwise have planned or even striven towards. (Okay, so I’m an idealist, too.) That’s still the overarching goal. More concretely, I want to become a better writer by studying and writing about great writing. And I hope to teach other writers how to read as a writer, how to break free from the prison of the workshop, how to make use of craft to elevate their game. I want to champion great writing, particularly great writing that is published online. And for the literary journal? Well, if you are writer of stories, I want it to be a journal that you are proud to be published in, a journal that you want to send your best work to, and yes, even a journal you feel you need to be published in. I’ve previously nominated stories for the Pushcart Prize, and starting this year, all issues are being sent to the Best American Short Stories editor. In Collins’ lingo, the BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) is to kick some of those New Yorker stories out of BASS.
Clifford Garstang – Perpetual Folly:
I hope to expand my circle of literary correspondents, and help promote the work of writers I know and enjoy, including my own.
Katrina Denza – Illuminate; Ruminate; Create:
To inspire someone to read something they wouldn’t ordinarily choose; to promote works I’ve enjoyed reading; to promote my own work; to share market information; and to connect with other readers and writers.
Kristin – Books for Breakfast, Drinks for Dinner:
First, I want to meet my goal of reading 150 books in 2006. Second, I want to learn a lot of new cocktail recipes.
That said, creating a blog that has allowed me to internet-meet writers with similar interests has made this endeavor worthwhile.
Anne Fernald – Fernham:
I don't have grand goals. It's thrilling for me to have a place to practice the little bits of writing that I've always loved doing in a way that also participates in a conversation. The idea of an instant audience is a great motivator.
As I finish my scholarly book, I am casting about for ideas of what I might want to write next. I've always been really interested in essays—my dissertation was on Woolf's essays and, as a composition teacher, I teach, read, and grade tons of essays, by students and
professionals. (Well, I don't “grade” the pros…) I guess, down the line, I imagine myself writing a more essayistic literary criticism and this is a place to do some finger exercises toward that.
Patrick Rapa – I Read a Short Story Today:
A huge, years-long, mostly one-sided conversation about literature. The site began as a catalog for my try-to-read-a-short-story-a-day project, but it's turned into a good excuse to interact with readers and writers — making and receiving recommendations. A chance to talk about the passion, as R.E.M. says. There's also the ulterior motive of doing something sincere. By day I am prone to sarcasm and profanity, so I reserve I Read A Short Story Today as a safe haven from crass and lowly showmanship. Irony is the shackles of youth. That's also something R.E.M. says, although I think they're quoting somebody.
EWN:
Why you?
SD Byrd – Short Story Craft:
If not me, who? If not now, when? Because I asked my wife to do it and she said No?
Becky Bame – What Blows My Skirt Up:
I have no idea. I suppose I make up for any lack of insight with the volume and variety of reading I do.
Jeff Bryant – Syntax of Things:
Because I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggonit, people like me!
Steven J. McDermott – Storyglossia:
The intangibles. There are other LitBloggers who also have academic training in literature, philosophy, and related disciplines; and some of them undoubtedly also have MFAs in creative writing, are published writers themselves; and some may even edit literary journals, too; it wouldn’t surprise me if some other LitBloggers have the same experience that I have and more—just trump me completely; and who knows, maybe they too haven’t spent their whole adult lives in academia, maybe they’ve even had all the shit jobs I’ve had or worse—maybe they just completely trump me again in that regard; but it doesn’t matter. Long as I stay true to my voice I have something no one else has. And so does every other LitBlogger. It’s that uniqueness, that voice, that personality, that me-ness, which keeps readers coming back to my blog, to all of our blogs. It’s a big world, there’s always someone better, smarter, more dedicated, whatever. All we have to offer is our voice. It will attract or repel who it will. And that is exactly as it should be.
Clifford Garstang – Perpetual Folly:
I've never been afraid to express my opinion--in writing.
Katrina Denza – Illuminate; Ruminate; Create:
I’m passionate about books. And I want to play a part, however small, in making the literary world a kinder place.
Kristin – Books for Breakfast, Drinks for Dinner:
Ask the guy who ushers me out at bar close as I'm spouting off the importance of reading Margaret Atwood. Some gifts are meant to be shared.
Anne Fernald – Fernham:
I started reading blogs in the spring of 2004 when I got the job at Fordham and was trying to get a taste of what New York City was like, day to day. From Gawker and Gothamist, I was led to the world of litblogs. At the same time, my old friend—from sixth grade!—Dave Munger, of WordMunger, got back in touch with me and he told me about his blog. By the time we moved to New York, I was hooked on blogs and eager to chime in—but very shy to do so. Then, my friend and colleague Mary Bly "outed" herself as romance novelist Eloisa James. I was so impressed and intrigued. It spurred me on: if she could lead a double life as a professor and romance novelist, surely I ought not to let a little blog scare me.
I have wanted to live in New York (well, technically, I live in Jersey City) all my life but when I finally got here, at 37, I had a full-time job, a marriage, and a young daughter. My beloved child in particular means that I don't get out to readings and other events as much as I might like.
Blogging makes me feel connected and connects me and, oddly, then, through blogging I learn more about the city and feel I inhabit it more fully even though I don't often get the chance to go out.
Patrick Rapa – I Read a Short Story Today:
Because it was written.
EWN:
What do you consider an Emerging Writer to be? (Yes, a pathetic attempt to drag my own site into this conversation).
SD Byrd – Short Story Craft:
I can't say that I've given this any thought. There are so many writers, at so many levels... In terms of short story writers, I might say that anyone who hasn't already appeared in BASS or O. Henry or TNY or a half-dozen other major markets is emerging. I mean, you can be a very successful short story writer, with pubs in the major university print journals and one or more collections and major contest awards, and still be utterly unknown to the man on the street, even a reasonably literate man on the street. I'd like to start a worldwide (or at least national) rating system, where all published authors are assigned a numerical ranking, which would, of course, become an immediate proxy for self-worth. Imagine the opportunities for bribery and scandal! It would liven this little world up, I'll tell you that.
Becky Bame – What Blows My Skirt Up:
I believe an Emerging Writer is someone who writes because she enjoys it and whether or not she plans to pursue writing as a career, still wants the support of a community of like-minded people.
Jeff Bryant – Syntax of Things:
I don't really have a solid definition, but I'll go with someone I'm unfamiliar with and whose name I keep seeing pop up, whether it be on a blog or in a missive from that great EWN, or even in some of the standard review forums.
Steven J. McDermott – Storyglossia:
Whomever Dan is recommending, of course! Seriously, though, I see a couple of ways to look at it. We live in a celebrity culture, where your public worth is frequently a reflection of your fame. So one take on the Emerging Writer is that there is a progression from unknown to emerging to famous. So if the goal (or the standard we judge writers by) is fame—in some canon, on some bestseller list, or gushes from Oprah, whatever—then an emerging writer is someone who’s about to pop like a shaken bottle of champagne. But then I think about a writer such as Lee K. Abbott, whom I consider to be one of the most original voices in American literature, and who is the recipient of many awards, etc.; yet go into any bookstore (with the exception of OSU where he teaches) and you’ll be lucky to find a copy of his books. Or take Darrell Spencer (full disclosure, he was the advisor on my MFA manuscript), who was the winner of the Drue Heinz Literature Prize in 2004 and the Flannery O’Connor award in 2000 (the only writer to have won both of those short fiction awards, by the way) and yet he couldn’t get an agent. From a publishing and award standpoint they emerged long ago, yet recognition by the broader culture has eluded them. So the other way to look at it is that fame isn’t what one emerges into. Instead, it’s recognition by the literary community, by us LitBloggers, or by the “real” book reviewers in the print media, that you are a writer who has chops, someone who should be read regardless of whether you are headed for fame or are about to submerge, shortly after the glowing reviews, into the remainder stacks. Either way, Dan, with EWN you are doing a great job of promoting writers deserving of attention. So maybe that’s it: An Emerging Writer is someone whose work we don’t want to see submerged.
Clifford Garstang – Perpetual Folly:
That's a great question. I often hear of "emerging writer" prizes awarded to writers who seem way past emerging to me, but the typical criterion is no more than one book published in the particular genre. But by that standard, most of the writers I know are pre-emerging, and they're the ones who need the support of the network that litbloggers provide.
Katrina Denza – Illuminate; Ruminate; Create:
Unofficially, I see all dedicated writers as emerging from the level achieved the day before, or the month before, or the year before. Officially, emerging writers are those that have risen, against all odds, from obscurity. Or those promoted as such on EWN, of course.
Kristin – Books for Breakfast, Drinks for Dinner:
An Emerging Writer sounds like a tarot card. If you are an emerging writer, you are on the cusp of something glorious, or something painful, pus-filled, and drawn out for a decade.
In actuality, we're all emerging writers, whether published or not. We write, therefore we think. We think, therefore we share. The website allows many to share, which, in turn, affects the writing process.
Anne Fernald – Fernham:
I'd agree with your sense of the term: a writer, whether just starting out or a couple books into a career, who writes with care for language and does not yet have the readership she or he deserves.
Growing up in Seattle, a town full of good independent book stores, I used to love those little handwritten cards with "staff picks" singled out. I would use them like a treasure map through the store when I was in high school and I found some great books that way. I don't feel the same about amazon reviews: it's too hard for me to get a sense of the author. But blogging does do that: when you get to know a blogger's voice and taste then that brief passionate recommendation comes to mean a lot, so I think that the growing link between bloggers and emerging writers is one of the most exciting things in writing and reading today.
Patrick Rapa – I Read a Short Story Today:
Every living writer is an emerging writer, with the possible exception of Michael Crichton, who has advanced to the next level. (This occurred, I would argue, during rewrites on the script for Twister.)
EWN:
Who is the one author that you enjoy to the point that you're probably lugging/suggesting him or her nearly once a week on your site?
SD Byrd – Short Story Craft:
I'm not talking about anyone every week, but I've done more on Tobias Wolff than any other author. And an amazing percentage of my hits come from people searching on one Wolff story: "Bullet in the Brain." Among more contemporary writers, I'd have to say Charles D'Ambrosio.
Becky Bame – What Blows My Skirt Up:
Sean Stewart! My friends are tired of me mentioning him all the time, but I think he's brilliant. When I read _Perfect Circle_ a couple of years ago I wanted to stop people on the street to tell them to read it.
Jeff Bryant – Syntax of Things:
Of late, it's been Jack Butler. I've been encouraging everyone I know to read Jujitsu for Christ. (Thanks to Rake for recommending the book to me). I'm also a big fan of George Singleton. His short stories never fail to make me laugh and I constantly read passages to my wife. He's very southern and he has that sick southern way of twisting things to the absurd bending point, and then the dead mule shows up and everyone goes home happy. And I can't not mention Tom Franklin. Poachers is one of my favorite story collections of the last ten years. And I'm not just saying that because Tom is a friend. He's a damn fine writer and a super nice guy.
Steven J. McDermott – Storyglossia:
Well, I haven’t written about him much lately, but Raymond Carver is one I’ve devoted a lot of space to on the site. Part of that was a reaction to a lot of mindless critics who latched onto the minimalism label and used it as an excuse to stop reading his work. For writers, though, there is so much that can be learned from Carver’s stories. And based on the keyword searches that bring people to Storyglossia, Carver is still popular. You won’t have any difficulties finding his books on bookstore shelves either. So regardless what the critics in academia say, he hasn’t, despite all their attempts, been submerged. So I like to keep pointing out what’s being ignored. Of contemporary writers, Steve Almond is a writer I return to over and over. He has excellent range, sometimes funny, sometimes dark, and craft is important to him, part of his art. Brock Clarke is another writer whose craft I admire and plan to write about more frequently. Generally, though, I try to spread it around. I also try to focus on fiction that is available online, so writers I might otherwise discuss, get skipped.
Clifford Garstang – Perpetual Folly:
We're not talking about emerging writers anymore, right? I probably drop Russell Banks's name more than any other on my site. It's partly (okay, maybe mostly) because I had the great pleasure of doing a workshop with him in Mexico a couple of years ago. But it is also because I think he's one of the most important, and yet under-appreciated, contemporary American writers. He's written more than a dozen books, but most people are hard-pressed to name them. Even his most recent book, The Darling, which in my opinion wasn't his best, should have gotten far more attention than it did.
Katrina Denza – Illuminate; Ruminate; Create:
I admire so many writers. It seems I fall in love with a new one every week—maybe even two or three! Every time I read something that excites me, I order as many other books by that person as possible, and I do tend to rave on about wonderful I think they are. A couple writers come to mind: Judy Budnitz, Mary Gaitskill, Roxana Robinson, Lisa Glatt, Bret Anthony Johnston; Michael Cunningham. There are too many really to list. But as far as mentioning one nearly every week? I’d say it would have to be Laila Lalami, as you know a talented writer and a professional litblogger, and Myfanwy Collins, a talented writer whose stuff I’d read whether it be a short story sold to the Kenyon Review or her hilarious and poignant essays offered on her blog.
Kristin – Books for Breakfast, Drinks for Dinner:
I had to self-edit and limit myself to only two T.C. Boyle books over the course of the year. Otherwise, I've been on a Rupert Thomson kick for a month. Dashing, fantastic work.
Anne Fernald – Fernham:
Strangely, perhaps, I'm not much of a proselytizer. I have been really impressed and enthused by some of the nominees I've been reading for the LitBlog Co-op, but then, I returned to “Mrs. Dalloway” and just felt totally in awe. Clearly my love for Woolf is not on the wane.
Patrick Rapa – I Read a Short Story Today:
I guess that would have to be George Saunders. I mean, he's no secret, what with the New Yorker riding his crank every couple months, but they're onto something with this guy. His latest collection is like Godzilla on the horizon. If you're not dealing with it, you're not dealing, kid. Besides him I have my favorites: Oates, Tinti, Alexie, Almond, Ochsner, Vonnegut, Munro. And Wells fuckin' Tower, man, I'm telling you.
EWN:
There's a bit of a cliquishness at times between the blogs - what with the links and comments and references back and forth on a daily basis. What idea can you admit to having copped from another site?
SD Byrd – Short Story Craft:
I've been trying to avoid that, and I haven't knowingly borrowed from other sites. That might change.
Becky Bame – What Blows My Skirt Up:
I stole my yearly roundup from a close friend's site. Every year she breaks down the titles she read during the year by genre and gives statistics on things like how many days she spent per book, what percentage of the titles were nonfiction or children's, etc. I enjoy
using it as a way to see how my tastes are evolving.
Jeff Bryant – Syntax of Things:
Everything. Before I started writing my blog, I was reading them and sites like Maud's and Ed's (Return of the Reluctant) and largehearted boy were huge inspirations. I try to put my own spin on the things I've borrowed, but I don't know if I can claim a single original idea. Well, maybe my Madonna Causes Cancer category, but I get angry emails
from time to time about that so I better not even claim that one.
Steven J. McDermott – Storyglossia:
Nothing specific yet, except links to other blogs. I’ve recently added the xml feed, search capabilities, links to other blogs, and lists of what I’m reading. Seems like everyone was doing that except me. I’ve kept things simple so far, staying close to what I started with in 2002. But when I redo the site I will definitely be looking at other sites for ideas. I’ve had requests to add comments, and certainly wanted them before they became available, but now I’m inclined to skip that one.
Clifford Garstang – Perpetual Folly:
I've copied several memes from other sites, always--I hope--with attribution. They generally have nothing to with literature--they're just fun.
Katrina Denza – Illuminate; Ruminate; Create:
Let’s see, the site meter, the comments program, the idea to change the color of my template manually, book reviews, lit news blurbs, links to various works…never mind. There’s not much that’s original about my blog, I’m afraid.
Kristin – Books for Breakfast, Drinks for Dinner:
There are always cliques. In past experience, I based a lot of self-worth on my comments. Was I funny enough? Did that post touch people? This time I feel more service-oriented, though all of the feedback has been appreciated... all the more because it was unexpected.
All cocktail recipes come from drinkstreet.com with a direct link. I'm really a complete original.
Anne Fernald – Fernham:
I spend a lot of time at Bud Parr's Chekhov's Mistress and at Jenny Davidson's Light Reading. There's no way I'll ever be as voracious a reader as Jenny, but both of those sites keep me inspired to just write about what I'm reading, old or new, to write mini-essays
about what I'm thinking about reading, and to leave the coverage of the book business to other sites that update more frequently.
Patrick Rapa – I Read a Short Story Today:
I didn't know much about the blogosphere — oh man that's an ugly word — so I don't feel like I swiped anything in particular. I mean, all I do is read short stories and write about them. I've been at it over a year and haven't even come across a links page I'd wanna steal. That said, I can't possibly be there first person who's set out to read a
short story everyday. I bet you John Updike does it — we just need to find his livejournal.
EWN:
What innovative idea have you employed, or do you plan on using, at your site? i.e. - author keys, guest bloggers, guest reviewers, dueling viewpoints, updates, etc.
SD Byrd – Short Story Craft:
None of that, although I think they're all good. If I've done anything innovative, it's the inclusion of bar graphs to illustrate story structure. A geekfest.
Becky Bame – What Blows My Skirt Up:
At this point I don't have any grand plans for my site. I enjoy keeping to the reading log format and using that as a jumping off point for a discussion on the books. I wouldn't be adverse to something like having dueling viewpoints on a particular book, but at the same time I feel that I've been able to enjoy myself and keep my blog going for so long precisely because I have stuck to my self-imposed restrictions.
Jeff Bryant – Syntax of Things:
I'd like to do something along the lines of largehearted boys "book notes" but instead of writers talking about the music that they listened to while writing, I would have the writers discuss baseball or sports in general. Or food. I do plan on having a few guest
bloggers come in and there is an interview or two in the future. I think the move to Raleigh will help me refocus my blog. I've been so scattered since Christmas that I haven't had much time to think about innovations.
Steven J. McDermott – Storyglossia:
My only innovation was focusing the content on the craft of short story writing. Others have since taken up the game, particularly in the last year, but I was out there all by myself for quite awhile. Recently I’ve been adding more intertext between the blog and the literary journal and that is something I plan to do more of. Depending on how much time my new business venture frees up, I would like to reach out to other LitBloggers for different viewpoints on the stories. Implement some alternative to comments, which reminds me too much of usenet news threads. The literary journal will definitely see features added; I want to involve the authors more.
Clifford Garstang – Perpetual Folly:
Other than my occasional bursts--or to use your word, 'waves'--of litmag reviews, I haven't been terribly innovative up to now.
Katrina Denza – Illuminate; Ruminate; Create:
I’ve been lax in the innovative department. In the future, I’d love to interview authors and editors.
Kristin – Books for Breakfast, Drinks for Dinner:
More and more timely cocktail recipes, especially with spring/summer coming. Lots of citrus, lots of vodka. Perhaps even a voting process for the next book read, since I list all of the ones waiting "in the fridge."
Anne Fernald – Fernham:
Shucks, Dan, you're making me feel inadequate…
Patrick Rapa – I Read a Short Story Today:
Behold! Sometimes, very rarely, I read more than one story in a day. I usually end up feeling jet-lagged.
EWN:
Have you had much feedback from the literary establishment? Authors, publishers, and the like?
SD Byrd – Short Story Craft:
Sporadic. It's always fun to get a note from a writer or reader, but people tend to be reticent.
Becky Bame – What Blows My Skirt Up:
I actually got sent one book a few months ago from a publisher but my roommate borrowed it to read first and I haven't seen it since.
Jeff Bryant – Syntax of Things:
Not much from publishers, but I have had some pretty nice feedback from a few authors. By the way, if a publisher wants to send me ARCs, shoot me an email ([email protected]) and I'll give you full contact info. I get some review copies, but wouldn't mind getting more, especially now that I have to come up with a pick for the Lit Blog Co-op in a few months. (Hint, hint.)
Steven J. McDermott – Storyglossia:
A number of the authors whom I’ve featured in the blog have contacted me, as have editors of the journals in which stories appeared. All positive feedback. Other editors have sought contact information for authors published in the literary journal. And Columbia College Chicago’s Film & Video department has produced a number of short films based on adaptations of stories published in Storyglossia.
Clifford Garstang – Perpetual Folly:
I've had a few authors contact me with appreciation about mentions on the site. The most interesting feedback, though, was from a journal editor. I used the site to complain about a particular rejection--both its size (a tiny photocopied slip) and tardiness, as I recall--and the managing editor saw the post and emailed me, asking me to resubmit directly to him. I did that--this was months ago--and haven't heard a word.
Katrina Denza – Illuminate; Ruminate; Create:
Excluding people I know? Not really.
Kristin – Books for Breakfast, Drinks for Dinner:
One publisher is sending me a galley and I hope more follow suit.
Anne Fernald – Fernham:
Not much. I'm only just starting—starting—to get a few free books, something that still seems a miracle to me. Nonetheless, I have gotten some really lovely and meaningful emails from writers and at least one agent thanking me for my attention to their books and that's been fun.
Patrick Rapa – I Read a Short Story Today:
A little. When authors write it's usually to recommend some reading material, theirs or somebody else's. Either way is okay with me. A couple publishers have sent me books, and that's nice too. (But mostly, when it comes to reading materials, I'm just buying stuff I like, usually literary magazines, or picking up otherwise-underused books at work.) Most feedback I get is from fellow readers, saying either "read this" or "I've got a laundry list of grievances long than my arm."
EWN:
Not that you are necessarily looking for it, but do you believe having a well-done, highly respected Lit. Blog will lead to job offers in the future within the literary industry?
SD Byrd – Short Story Craft:
I have no evidence that such a thing could happen, but I'm willing to fantasize about it.
Becky Bame – What Blows My Skirt Up:
I believe it could, yes. There are incredibly dedicated lit bloggers out there who do a fantastic job covering the literary world and I've been impressed by their passion for literature. My reading habits have definitely been influenced by some of them, so I don't see any reason why that couldn't translate to the industry as a whole. I hope it does.
Jeff Bryant – Syntax of Things:
Well, I am looking for work now, so if it helps then absolutely.
Steven J. McDermott – Storyglossia:
I suppose if a LitBlogger wanted to land a paying book reviewing job, the blog is a way to generate writing samples and to promote themselves. Likewise for other types of literary journalism. And if I were applying for a job teaching creative writing, I’d point to my blog. Certainly, if someone had their eye on a particular type of job it would be easy to focus a blog in a way that would serve as a reference. Cuts the other way, too. Potential employers are googling people looking for reasons why they shouldn’t hire them.
Clifford Garstang – Perpetual Folly:
I think it could for some, but I'm unlikely to devote the time it would take to create a truly professional site that would lead to an offer. I'm more interesting in exposing my work, and the work of others whom I respect and appreciate, to a wider audience.
Katrina Denza – Illuminate; Ruminate; Create:
No. As much as I enjoy blogging, my first love is fiction writing.
Kristin – Books for Breakfast, Drinks for Dinner:
Wow. I'm just doing my own thing here. If someone walks away saying, "I have *got* to read that book Kristin mentioned," or "Did you know how to make the Ultimate Chocolate Martini?" I'm a pleased puss.
Anne Fernald – Fernham:
I already have a more-than-fulltime job as a professor, so I'm not really looking to switch or for more work. Still, as I said, I do think about writing a different kind of criticism or essay, one that would reach people who are not professors and it seems to me that
blogging has already done that and will help me convince someone that I could do more of it in the future. So, I don't expect an offer, but I can imagine using my blog the way I might use "clips" of reviews in traditional publications.
Patrick Rapa – I Read a Short Story Today:
I’m pretty certain it will.
EWN:
There have been some recent articles about bloggers in the print world. What do you think the journalistic public is still getting wrong about LitBlogging?
Becky Bame – What Blows My Skirt Up:
I think they tend to miss the whole point - we do this because we love books. I really think it's that simple and is not something that I see mentioned very often.
Jeff Bryant – Syntax of Things:
That we're a bunch of nerd hacks with little or no influence. It amazes me that publishers and writers and a large part of the reading public acknowledge our place in the discussion, but many journos refuse. I think it has gotten better but the old guard may never come around.
Steven J. McDermott – Storyglossia:
I think they still miss the whole “long tail” thesis (http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.10/tail.html): how even the smallest niches result in huge audiences because of the internet’s connective power. Similarly, they have been slow to get that people crave unmediated voices. We’re sick of journalism that has been processed like American Cheese into nothingness. One of the great things about blogs is that personality comes through; that’s what makes them sticky. As a result, blogs such as EWN are becoming viral networks—the avian flu of book recommendations. Over time people will trust the recommendations of their favorite bloggers more than they will trust the famous reviewers in the NYTBR. It’s a class war that LitBloggers will win. LitBlogs will also undermine the print publishing industry. Just as the current business models of the film and music industries are under pressure from independent distribution, so to will the print publishing business model come under pressure. LitBloggers will make that happen. Writer’s who’ve been passed over by publishers because the market is “too small” will find that the combination of the long tail and the viral nature of blogs will give them the means to connect with and directly sell to that audience. It’s already happening with music and film. It may not happen with books sold in airports—that’s the head and body of the beast, after all—but it will happen with literary fiction, which is an immensely long tail. May in fact be the primary way literary fiction survives given the economics of the marketplace.
Clifford Garstang – Perpetual Folly:
LitBlogging is really a separate breed from the bloggers most people are becoming aware of. Like the occasional political outbursts some of us can't contain, it's the political bloggers that the public knows about. I see LitBlogging to be more like the salons of the past, or maybe as the current manifestation of the lost art of letter writing, only with a much larger potential audience.
Katrina Denza – Illuminate; Ruminate; Create:
It’s an excellent way for readers to have a voice in the literary world and bypass, if desired, critical opinion. It’s also a wonderful, maybe even necessary, marketing tool for writers.
Kristin – Books for Breakfast, Drinks for Dinner:
That anyone can have a meaningful blog. My version of meaningful is different from others. If you get some satisfaction out of what you're reading, whether it's poetry from some Sanrio executive or flash fiction from an aging debutante, does it matter?
Anne Fernald – Fernham:
I just haven't seen a journalist write about blogging who actually seems to have spent much time reading litblogs. There continues to be a level of ignorance and condescension in the coverage that is disappointing. There's such variety in what's out there among
blogs—even within one blog—that it's impossible to characterize the trend quickly or cheaply.
Patrick Rapa – I Read a Short Story Today:
Honestly, who can read articles about blogs anymore? The "face of media" isn't changing — it's changed. Blogs are not a phenomenon, they're an established form of publication. By no means am I saying the medium demands respect, mind you. Just leave it be. Blogs, most of the time, are that lonely goth juggler who wanders the quad pretending to be at peace with his station but really he's all look at me.
EWN:
Again, I thank you all greatly, both for your time here, and the hours of enjoyment I've received wandering across your websites - they are all well worth the time of anybody reading this. Feel free to add any final comment about blogs, your site, or any of the others participating here (or any of those bloggers who participated in the other panels)!
Becky Bame – What Blows My Skirt Up:
Thanks for the opportunity to share a bit about my blog and why I do what I do. Please stop by and recommend your favorite book!
Jeff Bryant – Syntax of Things:
Thanks for the opportunity, Dan. I would offer a free bucket of fried chicken to the first thirty visitors to SoT who mention the EWN, but I'm a little low on funds right now, so I'll just offer you some good karma and hopefully an entertaining and sometimes informative read.
Steven J. McDermott – Storyglossia:
Thank you, Dan, it’s an honor to participate in one of your panels!
Clifford Garstang – Perpetual Folly:
It's been a pleasure. Thanks for having me!
Katrina Denza – Illuminate; Ruminate; Create:
Thank you so much for inviting me, Dan. And thanks for all you do to promote writers and inspire readers.
Anne Fernald – Fernham:
You're welcome. Thanks for reading and for taking an interest in my site. And thanks for all the amazing work you do for all of us emerging writers!
Patrick Rapa – I Read a Short Story Today:
I prefer to use this space to chide the owners of unread books. How many Ents died so you could have that leather-bound edition of The Lord of the Rings, and you can't even make it through book two? Me neither, I'm just saying.
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