I’m pleased to report that wood s lot turns six today. I’m astonished at Mark’s ability to keep up a steady stream of superb posts over so long a time; his is one of the very few sites I refuse to miss even when I’m having a busy day. He never, ever phones it in, and his coverage is both wide and deep. Hell, I’d go there for the photographs alone, and I’m not ordinarily a big fan of the photographic art. Congratulations, and keep it up!
Here’s a wonderful (and seasonally appropriate) poem he quotes today:
End of Summer
An agitation of the air,
A perturbation of the light
Admonished me the unloved year
Would turn on its hinge that night.
I stood in the disenchanted field
Amid the stubble and the stones,
Amazed, while a small worm lisped to me
The song of my marrow-bones.
Blue poured into summer blue,
A hawk broke from his cloudless tower,
the roof of the silo blazed, and I knew
that part of my life was over.
Already the iron door of the north
Clangs open: birds, leaves, snows
Order their population forth,
And a cruel wind blows.
– Stanley Kunitz
Props the the man. In the blog world, nobody panders less to pop culture than he does. It’s the depth, the brainwork, and the quality that I love.
Naturally, I have a typo. Hardly befitting.
Oh, Mark has his share of typos, so I think it’s fitting enough.
I would like to extend an invitation to you to join in on a collective blogging section of our upcoming winter issue of Reconstruction. The issue is the “Theories/Practices of Blogging.” In addition to the special section of posts on blogging there will be about a dozen essays on blogging.
The deadline is October 20th.
Our intent in this section of the issue will be to collect a wide range of bloggers and link up to their statements in regards to why they blog (something many of us are asked) and any statement they have on the theories/practices of blogging.
If you already have a post on this you can feel free to use it, or, if you are interested, you can submit a new one.
We will link to each statement from the issue at our site, with the intent of creating a hyperlinked list of statements on blogging that can serve as an introduction to blogging (or an expansion of knowledge for those already blogging).
If you are interested please contact me at mdbento @ gmail.com
I wonder if he’s an academic.
I don’t mean to be mean, but….I must be missing something. “the depth, the brainwork” … “his coverage is both wide and deep” … “he never phones it in”. It’s just other people’s thoughts, poetry and pictures, isn’t it? What’s so brilliant? Please enlighten me! (Not sarcastic.)
Nice to be reminded of a site I really should visit at least a few times a week if not every day.
I’m reading Donald Hall’s Their Ancient Glittering Eyes: remembering Poets and More Poets.
This seems to complement my reading in a way, so I don’t neglect the current achievers.
It’s just other people’s thoughts, poetry and pictures, isn’t it? What’s so brilliant?
Well, I’ll tell you what. Try it for a couple of weeks. No, first try the Arts & Letters Daily thing: just three interesting links a day. That should be child’s play, sort of a five-finger exercise. Then move on up to wood s lot: dozens of interesting, unusual links from a wide range of cultural and political fields. Every day. For, say, a month. Then imagine doing it for six years. Go on, I’ll wait here.
It’s hard enough just keeping a blog going every day; just about all the ones I considered my cohort when I started are on indefinite hiatus or gone for good. To keep a blog of that wide scope and consistent quality going for six years, while simultaneously making a living, is almost unimaginable to me. It’s all I can do to make one post a day.
Hat,
I think you were directing the last comment to Conrad more than anyone else, n’est-ce pas?
However, you made your last point very eloquently. I give both Woods a Lot and you “max props” for the accomplished blogging. Bravo!
“To keep a blog of that wide scope and consistent quality going for six years, while simultaneously making a living, is almost unimaginable to me. It’s all I can do to make one post a day.”
Fair enough, I wasn’t trying to flame. But yes, you’ve done it–and manage to produce some comment / insight of your own, which is something I (personally) find more of a challenge and worthwhile / impressive in others. A matter of taste I guess. Maybe in 5 years I’ll see things differently.
The tacit quality of Woods intelligence is one of its virtues.
I’m not suggesting any invidious contrast to noisy old Steve here. Just suggesting where to look.
All hail Mark Woods’ editorial consistency and integrity!
It’s hard enough just keeping a blog going every day; just about all the ones I considered my cohort when I started are on indefinite hiatus or gone for good.
I said that in 2006! Ubi sunt…
And of course I should mention here that Mark died almost three years ago.