Now, I'm getting down to business. I posted in one of my comments to "banana" that I too have had many failed attempts at keeping a diary or journal. I remember receiving journals as presents from others or buying ones and saying "What a waste of money." Yet, what do I do. I go out and buy 9 journals for $9 and distribute it to the class. Gee, what a hypocrite. I currently have a journal by my bed that I've had for two weeks--two measely entries. I usually say that I'm going to write in it right before I go to bed, but then I'm too tired to record any intelligent thoughts. I know that Villanueva talked about feeling like he was an imposter in Bootstraps. At the moment, I feel like a personal essay scholar imposter even though I've written articles about the personal essay and written some for publication. Isn't a personal essayist supposed to keep a journal or diary and write in it practically every day? Why have I failed in this endeavor?
In the next moment, I question whether a personal essayist must keep a journal. When I think about it, I enjoy personal essay writing because I know someone will eventually read it. I'm a relator who enjoys hearing about others' lives and discovering ways I can connect with them. Maybe, blogging is a way for me to do that on a weekly/daily basis. I know that Montaigne was reported to dictate his essays to his secretary, so there was usually someone always listening to him and responding to his thoughts. Maybe, he was participating in an ancient form of blogging. I don't know. If I can claim that I blog, will this legitimate me in the eyes of the personal essay world? Will I continue blogging after this class or will I lose interest. Time will tell.
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3 comments:
I go out and buy 9 journals for $9 and distribute it to the class. Gee, what a hypocrite.
Actually, it's greatly appreciated on my end. 2 days ago, I scrawled a dialogue on the first 3 pages of the one you gave me.
If nothing else, these blogs could help us stay consistent with entries. Who says every day must be worth writing about? The importance of a journal shouldn't be dictated by how frequently you write in it, but on the quality of the entries put in and the feelings and therapy that lies beyond the ink on the page.
I decided that I was not going to keep the journal you gave me as and cherish it because it was so cute (like I do with many that I buy). I immediately started to write random thoughts and called it my first blog. That is not the blog I posted. It helped me brainstorm and that is great! Journals can be used for so many things. I think that people sometimes worry that if they don't fill an entire page with heartfelt emotions then it is not "journal worthy." I just don't think that is true. I feel really good about our blogs so far!
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