More than most blogs, Brevity is very much an evolving entity, shaped by what I find most relevant (or hilarious) at the time. Dedicated readers may have noticed the subtle changes, primarily in the content and the blogroll.
Right now, for example, I review books weekly, as well as movies I see in advanced screenings. The sidebar links are high on literary types, low on sports types. Watch that change come November, when the college basketball season starts.
Can a Brevity reader count on me for anything? That's hard to answer, and I wish I hadn't asked that. At best I can guarantee new content regularly, to the tune of 3-5 entries a week, and a 55-word story every Friday, because that well can never dry up.
Looking back at the archives, I notice that this blog used to be a lot different. Where are the Urban Myths? I started, and stopped, on number 143. And why haven't I kept up on my Unreal Estate? Maybe I should read more Dickens. I'm not consciously giving up the kind of things I used to talk about. If anything, I'd like to bring them back. Here are three things I want to start doing again:
1. Write about the law regularly. I am a lawyer, after all, or so says my pair of State Bar of Nevada boxer briefs ($26.95 for a 3-pack, plus court filing fees). The law still interests me -- at least parts of it -- but I haven't really forced myself to take it off the blogging backburner. Well, no more. Look for more posts touching upon obscure areas of the law, like the intellectual property issues presented by tribute bands. And I'm thinking of discontinuing the wildly unpopular Fictional Speaker Series after one full year. (No one else appreciates it, but trust me, it's genius. In a few years it will render Dr. Phil irrelevant.) Maybe I'll move on to Fictional Lawyers, and compose their resumes or something. Haven't figured it out; I'm open to suggestions.
2. Post my own pictures. Last done in February, I think. Truly pathetic. What's the point of having a digital camera, then? Sightseeing? Precious family memories? I don't think so. I see no reason why I can't include my own pictures to go with the copyrighted material of others that I so shamelessly steal. The camera will be on vacation most of this month, but I vow to use it more once it returns.
3. Where the hell are the recipes? There's been exactly one installment of The Legal Gourmet. Just because I spend almost no time in a kitchen doesn't mean I can't contribute. Somewhere in England, Nigella Lawson has been reading Brevity, looking for a great reason to leave her dorky rich husband. Poor girl. She's been cooking the same cornbread waffles, hoping I'll slip her more ideas. So look for a few beverages in the near future -- maybe some lawsuit-proof coffee, or a chocolate milk with some kick -- and more culinary discussion.
Huh. Maybe I should have warned you that an address on the State of Brevity might be long.
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11 comments:
No, don't ditch the universally reviled Fictional Speakers Series. It's your weaknesses that make you human.
Book reviews, original fiction, sports, humor, photos, the law, and . . . um . . . recipes too. Neel, you are quite the renaissance man.
p.s. I like the Fictional Speaker Series too. Will you keep it if we promise to comment on those posts?
Still waiting for your review on Superman Returns...
Wow, even the President doesn't get this much feedback. And by "feedback," I mean microphone noise.
APL: Once I get the DVDs and refresh my memory, I'll work in more NewsRadio content. Didn't Norm MacDonald play a fictional lawyer?
Rob: I'm a droid. You may have noticed the photo. Still, "universally reviled"? Wouldn't people have to comment negatively for that to happen?
Tonya: Thanks. I do what I can until I get my own Tonya Show. Though I might change the name...
K-lyn: I haven't seen Superman Returns yet. I was in Oakland when it opened, and my sister saw it while I was gone. I'll try to make arrangements this weekend.
Also, unless the film inspires me to discuss some general topic, I'm unlikely to review it. (I saw X-Men: The Last Stand after its release, but never wrote about it.)
Incidentally, I'm still waiting for you or Quinn to comment on this, the end of which practically begged your attention.
Yes. I read it.
Yes. I caught the reference.
Yes. I snickered at it.
Nope, didn't have any words that needed to be typed.
I still haven't seen X-men (Brett Ratner? no thanks). But Superman Returns is way bigger than any Xmen could be. My god...it's SUPERMAN! I've seen it twice. Discussed it with friends until Starbucks closed, rewrote the last 25 minutes (into about 5) and am about ready to see it again. Unfortunately, I have a wedding this weekend so I'll be lucky to squeeze in Pirates and A Scanner Darkly.
1) I'm sure there's an adorable Kenny Baker in there somewhere.
2) I really like FSS - I just found it amusing that you called it 'wildly unpopular'.
K-lyn: Sigh. You're supposed to say, "I wrote that" or "I also said that aioli is the pesto of the 00s."
At least you're not as bad as Quinn, who's disappeared from blogdom, no doubt to do something smart and productive.
Rob: Isn't there a little Kenny Baker in all of us? Mine keeps chewing on my foot.
The FSS, as you call it, is a surprising amount of work, and consistently has very little payoff. (Though I am now the blog of choice when people search for specific Tyler Durden quotes.)
Quinn is busy. I'm helping her unpack tomorrow.
And I would argue that balsamic is the new pesto. But what do I know.
And I would argue that balsamic is the new pesto. But what do I know.
Balsamic, then. And you know a lot. You're the reason I became a writer, but that's not important.
I love Fictional Speaker Series, too! Please don't scrap it.
If I get back to blogging, will you promise to shut it about my being productive and useful?
Very well. I'm back, bitches.
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