Thanks to that stellar blogger Adam S for the award nomination. May his beat go on.
Thanks to Adam S for nominating me as a recipient of the Blogger Idol Award. Such nods between bloggers are gestures of respect. I especially like the tagline on this award’s logo, “because writers are the new rock stars.” Whatever truth there may be in this, the Internet made it so. Much of what we post to blogs would have found no outlet in the traditional print world. In the same way that the rock revolution of the fifties and sixties changed the way we think about music, the Internet revolution has changed the way we regard the written word. Reversing a decades-long downward trend, more people read now than have ever read before.
The web brings people together in synergistic ways. Adam and I are decades apart in age and have traversed very different paths in life. Without the web, it is improbable that our paths would ever have crossed. Yet here we are, reading one another’s blogs and swapping compliments on WordPress. His thoughts influence me. I hope mine influence him.
Regular visitors to my blog know that I write in the classic literary style. My task is the age-old scholarly one of providing illumination. I am a lamp. Visitors to Adam’s blog will see right away that he is about as hip and cool as you can get. I enjoy the energy, humour, and sheer audacity of his writing. Yet Adam’s task is also to illuminate. He is a searchlight.
I would like to give a respectful nod to four great feminine bloggers:
Mari Biella – Mari is selective when it comes to awards so I don’t know if this one will please, but she is a fine writer who deserves a gesture of respect now and then. Writing novels combines with her bookworm ways to keep her from posting as often as her followers would like.
Lucinda Elliot – Lucinda continues to improve her gothic novel blog. She is a self-avowed matriarch and irrationalist – which sounds formidable – but I enjoy her sense of humour and her preoccupation with the likes of Elizabeth Gaskell, Emily Bronte, and Mary Shelley.
Catana – If you are a writer and enjoy maverick bloggers with a definite mind of their own, Catana is a blogger for you. I don’t think she is too keen on awards, but I would like to pay my respects so I’m putting her on my nomination list. Her blog deals with the writing process, writing software, her own books, writing for the online non-fiction market, and whatever else is on her mind.
Just Scribbling – Sally is busy with her day job in Indonesia and doesn’t post all that often, but her poems and articles are well worth waiting for. Her series of dragonfly poems is outstanding. Find them on her blog or pick up the link on my Facebook page.
There are no questions associated with this award. Just pass it on to four more worthy bloggers.
Thomas Cotterill 
Thanks for the nomination, Thomas! It’s not so much that I’m selective about receiving awards, more that I had a glut of nominations at more or less the same time, all of which required me to nominate other bloggers … I’m afraid that at this stage I just don’t know enough bloggers to know who to nominate!
Since this one seems pretty informal and refreshingly free of the need to nominate others, I shall be delighted to accept!
Wow Thomas. I’m being 100% truthful when I say this — this is the coolest nod anyone has ever given me. You rock man. I take your comment about being a searchlight as a huge huge compliment. Everything I write has an underlying message, and I appreciate it when people delve deeper and discover the real meaning within the writings.
Its pretty cool how this whole blogging thing brings so many different types of people together. I’m still amazed by the “reach”. You have indeed been a huge influence among many others. I think your writings are far above and beyond anything else I’ve come across on here. Have you published anything by the way? If so, drop me a link to where I can find your publications.
Thanks again!
Hi, Tom. Congratulations on your nomination. It’s well deserved. An excellent blogsite.
Thanks so much Thomas! That is indeed a compliment as you have very high standards from what I can see. You have me to a ‘t’ as a self proclaimed irrationalist and matriarch – but love a laugh – lol, take care in mentioning Gaskell, I might start asking if you’ve read any of ‘Svlvia’s Lovers’ yet, I’ll be fascinanted to hear a man’s take on it, most just won’t read it …
Thanks so much Thomas; don’t know what to say really! Very glad you liked my dragonfly poems and thanks so much for the vote of confidence (I’m still a beginner blogger really), it means a lot.
Mari, I know what you mean about those nominations. I’m sure you’ve already learned that some awards want as many as fifteen! I couldn’t possibly manage such quantities without dropping the award on people who have never heard of me. I think this chain-letter aspect of blogger awards puts many people off.
You ask about publications, Adam. I weep. I signed up on Smashwords in January with the intention of self-publishing a few things that were just about ready. I prudently (?) took a little time to explore the indie phenomenon and how one goes about putting together an ebook. Then I realized I would need to make my own ebook covers. So I learned how to do that. Then I discovered the whole self-promotion thing and took some time to study the what, why, and where. It all seemed crazy to me except for the idea of an author’s blog to support the published work. So in May I started this blog. A few more weeks and I’ve got it nailed, I said. Ha! I’m six months in and I’m just now getting back to reading regularly and looking over my long-neglected work.
I must say, though, that blogging is a writing form in its own right. I see myself as a self-publishing essayist. The short format, instant publication, and interesting feedback from commenters that I can interact with, all combine to make it a satisfying and engrossing way to express myself and present my ideas. Perhaps blogging is my natural habitat. Time will tell.
Thanks, Jim. Always great to have you drop by. I must have the best Hong Kong view numbers in the country!
I think I’ll probably stick with the blogging avenue for the same reasons. Keep doing what you’re doing. You do it well.
I’m about one-quarter done with Sylvia’s Lovers, Lucinda, and I’m enjoying it. I can see why you like Gaskell’s classic novel so much and look forward to discussing it with you. A note about page numbers: My Goodreads status panel is showing the Penguin paperback version, but I’m actually reading the Gutenberg EPUB edition, which isn’t on the site yet. Keep up the great Gothic blogging!
Glad to have the opportunity to send a little well-deserved praise your way, Sally.
Thanks for all the praise, Adam. It is much appreciated and encourages me to press on.
Hi Thomas – I really enjoy your blog! Learn something new with every visit. And I appreciate the thought you put into your very genuine awards.
I agree with your thoughts about connection and synergy through blogging: “The web brings people together in synergistic ways…Without the web, it is improbable that our paths would ever have crossed.” I started blogging to rediscover my love of writing and to re-awaken the joy of creating, thinking and appreciating other perspectives in a new way. Thanks for your part in the process!
Thanks for the kind thoughts, puravida. I suppose I take awards more seriously than some and try to give them due dignity and grace. As I mentioned in the post, I see them as gestures of respect. I also believe that a portion of an award’s value lies in what you make of it.