I am honored to have been selected for the Versatile Blogger badge by this estimable wordsmith. Of course, one must earn her badge, just as in Girl Scouts (incidentally, I once threw my loathsome brown loafer into a bed of ivy in hopes of exempting myself from attending one of their insufferable meetings, which is in no way to compare being selected for this badge to that gruesome girlhood rite). Here, then, are the rules:
The first rule of the Versatile Blogger badge is do not talk about the Versatile Blogger badge (I guess I fouled this one up already, didn’t I?).
The second rule of the Versatile Blogger badge is to confess seven heretofore unknown odds and ends about oneself.
The third and final rule of the Versatile Blogger badge is to select fifteen blogs for the badge.
The fourth and truly final rule of the Versatile Blogger badge is to link to the blogger who originally selected you.
So, dear readership and comrades at arms, here goes:
Seven Admissions
This part admittedly poses a challenge, as the bulk of this blog’s readership comprises the few long-suffering folks who know me like the backs of their hands and have still managed to avoid backhanding me—or running screaming in the opposite direction. So, I’m trying to be inventive here.
1. When Brendan and I were little (and Brendan, if you aren’t annoyed with me the next time we talk, I’ll know you don’t read this blog), he used to speak a language that only I could understand. Our baffled parents would turn to me to translate such arcane terminology as “todo” (cereal) and “shai-dai” (toothbrush). I have no idea how I knew what he meant.
3. I wrote my first poem (“Leaf, Leaf, All Alone”) about a solitary leaf beholding a communal pile of leaves from afar when I was five. Thus began a lifelong preoccupation with, experience of, need for, aversion to, and writing practice devoted to the themes of loneliness and solitude.
4. There are contexts in which I answer to the name Angus.
5. My middle name is MacIntosh.
6. On my twenty-first birthday I made a point to hit the bars and order only nonalcoholic beverages. I thought this was a hoot.
7. My mother used to tell me that when she was carrying me, she would ask me, “Who are you?” This is one of my favorite things about her.
And the winners are…
Here are my selections (which fall far short of fifteen, alack) for the Versatile Blogger badge:
Forgotten Y.A.: This bloginatrix is like the snarky Young Adult librarian of your dreams. She will find the canker in the heart of each cream puff and make you laugh out loud at it.
Failing at Living: The only issue I take with Ms. Gonick’s oeuvre is that I did not write it.
Infinite Variety: The always informative and entertaining musings of Lela Ellison, who intersperses her comprehensive young adult and children’s book reviews with stories about her life. And she’s a snappy dresser, to boot!
Seitan Beats Your Meat: Besides having the best blog name EVER, this character’s always up to something interesting and inspiring. When I see how much she’s accomplished in her relatively few years, I feel like a big old loser-pants, but in a positive, productive way that makes me want to get off my duff and do something about it!
Jill Tracy: This blog is new and infrequently updated, but when it is, it’s worth a visit—because sometimes, like Persephone, you just need to be whisked away to the netherworld.
Blast the Human Flower: Just as sometimes you just need to be whisked up into the ether. This woman is another constant source of inspiration.
Tale of Tales: The Path: All right, so this blog hasn’t been updated since July, and it’s clearly going to be of limited interest to anyone not familiar with the game, but I’m including this because The Path is one of the most singularly affecting and gorgeous experiences I’ve had in any format. Ever. And yes, it’s a computer game. You should get acquainted, if you’re not. Warning: this game is amazing, but it’s not perfect. Several aspects of the gameplay are downright obnoxious. But stick with it—I have a hard time believing you won’t be rewarded if you do.
These are seven great revelations, most of which beg further questions.
ReplyDeletePoint No. 3 about the subject of your first poem reminds me of my first poem when I was 6ish. It was about a mouse living inside the kitchen door. This now strikes me as freakishly prescient given my current battles with rodents. I hope your Leaf, Leaf, All Alone, wasn't similarly so.
Angus is a good, solid name. Is also a great beef, but that's probably irrelevant.
Thanks for the links to these other blogs. They all sound deliciously tantalizing. Now to more reading ...
Thank you!
ReplyDeleteAs luck would have it, I have no current battles with leaves, so it looks like I have safely evaded the curse of the self-fulfilling prophecy. Although, come to think of it, I have current battles with just about everything else, so maybe I spoke too soon.
Angus also features prominently in the name of the steakhouse chain "Black Angus". And then, of course, there is Angus Young, and I can't think of anyone who does the name prouder.
These are indeed excellent blogs. Enjoy!