On the other hand, I think I might want to try requests, if anyone is so inclined. I believe I found one Facebook comment I can interpret as a request for an album review. And maybe some other comment somewhere for a movie? I'll see how they go. If there is any song, album, movie, book, or general topic you want to see me write about, don't hesitate to say in the comments here or any other way you have of contacting me (I'm on Facebook, I'm on Twitter, I subscribe to many newsletters, etc.). Your wish is my command, subject to my approval. To be realistic—well, to be realistic, I don't expect to be overwhelmed by a tidal wave of requests here—but to set expectations, I can likely get to songs and albums more quickly than movies, and books could take a real long time. General topics are totally unpredictable—who requests those anyway? It's all totally unpredictable. It's an experiment!
All best to everyone in the coming year. Thanks for reading my blog. You know who you are and it is appreciated. Drop a line once in awhile.
Hope your significant project is a collection in book form. I'm going to make an effort this year to read some classic fiction--always impressed that you do, and don't do so because you're making an effort to read some classic fiction. One request: settle this Satantango feud between me and Rubio.
ReplyDeleteThanks Phil. Happy new year! Yep, I'm going to look into putting together a book this year -- we'll see how that goes. In the meanwhile, sure, I will cast a vote in the Satantango sweepstakes. Somebody has to settle this once and for all.
ReplyDeleteHey, Jeff, you don't have to apologize for cutting down to 150 or even 100 posts per year -- that's still very impressive to me, as your reviews are always so well-thought-out and -expressed. It's none of my business, but I've been wondering for some months whether you have a regular job too, as I don't know how you find the time to do as much reading, viewing, listening, thinking, and writing as you obviously do. I've been retired from my original FT job for years, and have a PT gig now, but I've never come anywhere close to your output. I hope you can keep it up, whatever number of posts results. -- Richard Riegel
ReplyDeletep.s.: Glad to see you evidently cohabit with a cat (or cats), as Teresa and I do here. Also see a new comment I've just added to your "An American Tragedy" post of 11/30/14.
Thanks Richard, and happy new year! As long as you're asking, yeah, I work a mix of part-time editing gigs to get by. In fact, one reason my output here drops sometimes is when that picks up. Sometimes I feel "semiretired," which with any luck will extend well into actual retirement years. I've joked with Phil in the past that the key to productivity is "no life" but there has to be more to it than that! And yep, I live with two fine cats, Charlie and Annabelle (pictured).
ReplyDeleteBlogging is cruel-- like so much else, eh! This is that Seinfeld episode where Kramer questions George ab what reasons he has to live. He likes to follow the news, he demurs. I do hate to see your year-by-by year movie countdown go, though; great project. As for review subject suggestions. Always curious ab your experience of Husker Du and the Mats in Minneapolis in the '80s? Did they have the same audience or was there some sort of Mods vs. Rockers split amongst local music people? Or how their records matched up. Or, really, any music where it coincides somehow w/ personal memories, relationships, family, work, cats, etc, interests me. I like those pieces of yours best, I think. And I'll look forward to your book reports, which I always read wistfully, envying the suggestion of bohemian leisure.
ReplyDeleteHa, yes, I like the Seinfeld variation on the old "the portions are too small" joke. A cruel world indeed! I am planning, dogged fashion, to soldier on with the Movie of the Year project: from 1964 to approximately 1918, here I come! And will see what I can remember for you of the halcyon days of Minneapolis gone by. Thanks Skip!
ReplyDeleteWell, my comment disappeared. I'd like to see your thoughts on the pilot to the proposed TV series of Man in the High Castle, which is currently available for free on Amazon streaming.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the commenting trouble -- I've heard from others they don't always "stick." I'll look into if there is anything I can do about it. Meanwhile, thanks for the request!
ReplyDelete