Saturday, May 29, 2004
"First time caller, long time listener."
As the Wicked Witch of the West said in The Wizard of Oz, "What a world, what a world." To think we've come to the time when any average Joe or Jill can express an opinion that might otherwise never be heard, thanks to either shyness, laziness, or "other"-ness. And have people listen! And respond! Amazing.
Anyway . . .
Believe it or not, I'm a professional writer, working for a major metropolitan (weekly) newspaper. I am a also freelance writer, spcializing in sports and literature. Fascinating so far, isn't it? But it (hopefully) gets better.
As I said, I specialize in sports. Recall that those who can, do; those who can't, teach; those who can't teach, teach gym; and those who can't teach gym, write. Most of my work has come in the form of book reviews, but, as you can see from my Web site, I've branched out. Most of it is still sports-related -- primarily baseball -- but lately I've done a lot of pop culture, which is pretty all-encompassing.
One of my current projects is a history of American culture as represented in the pages of Sports Illustrated, which celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in 2004. The same format could be applied to any long-published magazine (Entertainment Weekly, for example) to see how times, fashions, and mores have changed.
Our house underwent a thorough paint job last year. As with any major house project, it gives one the opportunity to go through a lot of junk, especially paper junk. Books have been devoted to eliminating clutter, physical, emotional, and intellectual. Despite the admonitions to "touch-it-once, then file or discard," I find such activity causes more disorganization. For example, I found a few pages from a diary I started when my daughter -- then age six -- began that rite of suburban passage, joining a soccer team. After spending several minutes reading and remembering, I felt compelled to re-write and add to those thoughts in the rosy light of nostalgia. This, of course, distracted me from other things I should have been doing. (In fact, this blogging is keeping me from several deadlines; I only came online to look up some references to Gulliver's Travels for a review. Can you say "Adult Attention Deficit Disorder?")
So now that I've caught myself, I'll say thanks for the beer and the ear and see you again soon. (I wonder how many of these blogs are one-shot deals. There's that pesky AADD again.)
Anyway . . .
Believe it or not, I'm a professional writer, working for a major metropolitan (weekly) newspaper. I am a also freelance writer, spcializing in sports and literature. Fascinating so far, isn't it? But it (hopefully) gets better.
As I said, I specialize in sports. Recall that those who can, do; those who can't, teach; those who can't teach, teach gym; and those who can't teach gym, write. Most of my work has come in the form of book reviews, but, as you can see from my Web site, I've branched out. Most of it is still sports-related -- primarily baseball -- but lately I've done a lot of pop culture, which is pretty all-encompassing.
One of my current projects is a history of American culture as represented in the pages of Sports Illustrated, which celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in 2004. The same format could be applied to any long-published magazine (Entertainment Weekly, for example) to see how times, fashions, and mores have changed.
Our house underwent a thorough paint job last year. As with any major house project, it gives one the opportunity to go through a lot of junk, especially paper junk. Books have been devoted to eliminating clutter, physical, emotional, and intellectual. Despite the admonitions to "touch-it-once, then file or discard," I find such activity causes more disorganization. For example, I found a few pages from a diary I started when my daughter -- then age six -- began that rite of suburban passage, joining a soccer team. After spending several minutes reading and remembering, I felt compelled to re-write and add to those thoughts in the rosy light of nostalgia. This, of course, distracted me from other things I should have been doing. (In fact, this blogging is keeping me from several deadlines; I only came online to look up some references to Gulliver's Travels for a review. Can you say "Adult Attention Deficit Disorder?")
So now that I've caught myself, I'll say thanks for the beer and the ear and see you again soon. (I wonder how many of these blogs are one-shot deals. There's that pesky AADD again.)
