The New Equation

Doesn't it seem like in the last few weeks the old guard, even some of the n(+1)ew, has decided to ban together and throw all their stale piss & vinegar in the direction of the blogs?  I tell you, for those of us who do this for little or nothing, for the few bucks we may make from ads or the book or two we may get in advance or the occasional email of thank you from an author or publicist, all of which adds up to mean that we're paying money out of our own pockets to do this, sometimes it's a little tough to be on the receiving end of this criticism, of being told in so many words that we may be partly to blame for what's going on with newspaper book sections, that because we don't have a list of credentials or a convenient fraternity with a somewhat storied history that we don't deserve to take part in the discourse, or at least that we should be branded as "lesser than" or insignificant or, perhaps, ignored and maybe we'll go away.  Actually, it makes one wonder why these folks waited so long to begin their campaigns to save the review sections, doesn't it?  Did they not see this coming when their newspapers became part of the mega-conglomerates?  Why weren't steps taken then to assure that what they were doing was significant enough to warrant preserving?  And now, instead of falling back on the mostly ineffective (though I do hope this one does work) act of petition signing (aka pissing in the wind), instead of gathering the old guard together for what amounts to eulogies for the dead, why not convene to figuring out what should be done, what direction to take, where to go from here?  The act isn't going away, the stage is just in need of some remodeling.  Lucky for all of you blue hairs, we kids have found some cheap, fairly easy, and rather effective tools and materials from which to build your new platforms.  Oh, and the audience is already there and waiting.

Meanwhile, I have books.  Stacks and stacks and stacks of books.  Books I've read that need to be mentioned on this here blog.  And I have a three-day weekend of my own making and a promise to myself, and now you, that I will give some time this weekend to telling you about some of these books. 

If I don't, then start a petition...

Comments

[Varg]

There are two ways of looking at it.

1.) These book editors have worked their whole careers in the newspapers learning every nuance of style, and put up with sales managers encroaching on their space and whacked -out letters to the editor to aspire to their positions only to have some noodle with a keyboard who couldn't write their way out of a paper bag come by and start calling him or herself the future of media and that newspapers are dead (present company excluded of course).

2.) These newspaper editors fail to be agile with the coming of the times and make themselves more relevant on the blogger's home territory by covering so many more books (and even other stuff) than could possibly be attained on their tiny sections of the Sunday paper. Like the dinosaurs, they fail to adapt and become extinct. Nature makes its choice.

[Jeff]

Both are valid, Varg, but the problem as I see it is that with number 1, there is not much that can be done about it. The dam has been opened, the valley is flooding. Time to run for new grounds. I know it sucks and I feel bad for the career folks but you can look around the great big blue marble and find many, many jobs that some form of technology or other has caused to disappear or change and I don't think the book reviewer or newspaper person is immune from that.

[Varg]

True in the case of book reviewers, since it's a lot to do with taste and opinion, there is less harm done than with news where some bloggers are playing fast and easy with the truth. that's another argument all together though.

You are certainly right in your post, but don't expect the codgers to go down without a fight. If the media companies got behind them and promoted the expansion into the digital realm, they may stand a fighting chance.

What's going to happen to the crossword puzzle in all this?

[Brian Hadd]

Petitions are voiced, you sight. We can be one Syntax of Things!

The Hood Company

[Sylvia]

You can't really put a hold on anyone's opinion and blogging just goes to prove that. There may be criticism but I guess it makes sense that bloggers try to provide their best and that the media gets used to the idea of instant publication.

BlueRectangle Books

[Richard]

Jeff, how can you say that petition signing won't work? I know my petition to Fox to bring back "The O.C." will get our favorite show on the air again! If only enough people sign! The big shots have to listen!

[Richard]

Also, don't forget how our online petition stopped Bush from invading Iraq in 2003. Once Kurt Vonnegut signed, he had to listen!