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A daily record of what I'm thinking about what I'm reading

To read about movies and TV shows I'm watching, visit my other blog: Elliot's Watching

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Blogging is not writing, and the post that launched a thousand term papers: elliotsreading turns 4

Four years ago today I began this blog, elliotsreading, (I was reading War and Peace at the time) and I believe I've managed to enter a post every day over that span - though there may have been a day or two during which the actual posting was delayed because of travel and Internet access. My goal was, and is, to keep a daily record of what I'm reading and what I'm thinking about what I'm reading. My hope was, and is, that this blog would make me a better and more attentive reader - so much of what we, or at any rate I, read slips through the mind like sand through a sifter. By writing about my reading every day, I make myself think more sharply, critically, and analytically - and it has improved my attention and retention, though I'm still amazed, looking back over past entries, at how much I've lost to time. The blog is also, however, a record that I can consult, which helps me recall what I've read and thought- though I rarely look back. I also hope that this blog helps other readers select their reading and reflect on what they've read - and perhaps challenge me about what I've read, though I'm disappointed that there are so few comments and so few followers. Oh, well. It's for myself and my friends that my stories are sung. Finally, the blog is a sort of experiment; I'm not sure how many others, if any, are keeping a daily record of their reading - but doing so pushes me to a new form of communication. Blogging is not writing - unlike writing, in blogging I just push forward and rarely make corrections or emendations, though I do occasionally look up a name or title and I will correct an obvious mistake (of fact, not of judgment and impression) when I re-read occasionally. The blog is not literary criticism or a series of reviews - too many spoilers - but a live record of my evolving thoughts and reactions as I go through the books and stories - almost exclusively fiction - that I'm reading. You're reading with me, so to speak, over my shoulder. For those curious about the most visited blog posts over the past four years, here they are, in order:

Eurora Welty's story, A Memory. Thanks to about.com link. I'm afraid my analysis of this very short story has been the post that launched a thousand term papers.

What is the name of Sancho Panza's donkey? Many want to find the answer to this puzzling question, it seems.

A rapidly rising post: George Saunders's story The Semplica Girls. Not sure why so many are reading, and maybe writing, about this story. My google rank is very high on this, though.

The Art of Fielding. I was one of the few nay-sayers, and have drawn some flak. (Added 12/20/13: Maybe they think I'm posting about Joseph Andrews?)

The end of Portrait of a Lady: How could you? Many have been curious about my outrage at James's conclusion to this really long novel.

If you want to e-mail me, faithful reader, try me at elliot.krieger@gmail.com


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