Writer-Mommy: WMWW: Dead Writers, Blogging!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

WMWW: Dead Writers, Blogging!

There are many living popular authors with blogs. I'm making a sweeping assumption when I type this as I have no links to said blogs to prove their existence. But it seems logical, doesn't it? In this age of info-saturation and blogbuzz, I imagine popular authors must be pressured into blogging to satisfy their fan base.

I know nothing of this - having a fan base, that is. Or being a popular author. Or even using the words author and I am an in the same sentence.

But I digress from the point at hand: dead authors. Which ones would have embraced blogging or despised it? Or would have blogged under a pseudonym? Or left manifesto-type anonymous comments? (I just got my first one of those...totally freaky, mommyfolk; let's all say it together- DELETE!)

It's intriguing, isn't it?

Here's my thoughts on two dead writers:

Emily Dickinson

Talk about a life that needed a little ventilation. There's much debate around her use of dashes (intended, or simply handwriting misread by her editor and publisher).

I think Emily Dickinson would have blogged voraciously and with great abandon, but anonymously.

Mark Twain

This writer would have rocked the blogosphere, don't you think? American satire gone viral. And I think he would have relished the nasty comments to his posts, using them for material and twisting and turning them until the commenter looked like a fool for all to see.

I think Mark Twain (or Samuel Clemens for those literati out there) would have also spoofed some of our finer modern politicians while grinding the idea of political correctness into dust as he did it.

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No Mr. Linky today for WMWW; comment if you wish with your thoughts on dead writers, blogging or share some links to some of your favorite living author's blogs.

And, in the spirit of living authors blogging, would you/will you still blog in the future in the same way you do now should you become a popular author? Or would you feel the need for greater boundaries to protect your privacy?

My aspirations aside, one of you ~~three~~ many readers may one day actually be able to use the words author and I am an in a sentence; what would you do with your blog when that happens?

I'm curious; comment and share!

WM

2 comments:

Monica - Paper BridgesMay 21, 2008 05:29 AM
I'd blog the same way.

As for taking the name author, I do and you should to. Or at least writer. You are the author of this blog for one, that counts.

gotta go. 3 yr old on lap trying to type as I do. see ya later AUTHOR Marianne :)
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Jane @ What About Mom?May 21, 2008 09:09 PM
Marianne -- dude! Where do you live? I am thinking we should meet IRL sometime. Great ideas. In the same theme as American writers, I would add Walt Whitman; one of my favorite lines of his from Leaves of Grass is "whoever you are holding me now in hand." When I read his poetry I feel he's talking right to me.

I've always loved Emily Dickinson; studied her life and poems quite a bit in college, and I think you are totally right on her blogging potential.

Back when I was frustrated with wordpress (my husband is a wordpress snob, so our blogs are WP), and checking out blogger, I registered the domain "thisismylettertotheworld.blogspost.com"
Emily's correspondence was so important to her and her poems were rather unappreciated. I think she'd have been a fantastic blogger.

I haven't stumbled upon any blogs by authors I enjoy. There are a few group blogs by romance writers that I'm aware of. I think if you were really successful at writing fiction or whatever, you might not have the time or desire or energy to maintain a blog in the same way.

I have made a blogging friend here in SLC who makes her living from her blogs with her husband. I'm gonna do a post about her tomorrow or so. She says that her writing on her fiction blog revives/refuels her for the writing on her bread-and-butter blogs. (whereas I would think the b-and-b blogs would be just fatiguing). Anyway.
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