Tuesday 29 June 2010

A question of audience

I haven't blogged for a long, long time. I should have written: This blog is finished, thank you for your attention.

My youngest son claims that I have stopped blogging because I have discovered Facebook. He is wrong. Facebook is great to stay in touch with friends and colleagues and get suggestions about events and books and things. But in terms of self-expression Facebook is somewhat limited. It is a punchline without the story.

I have stopped blogging because I feel that my blog has served its purpose. I started it because so many friends were curious about our new life. It is not new any more. It has become routine.

But suddenly I get an email from someone I don't even know asking: Why have you stopped blogging? This is a bit like getting a message from the other side of the grave: Hey, someone out there is actually reading!

Yuri Lotman, one of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century and my idol, if I have one, was said to give a whole year of lectures to one single student. I don't know whether it's true, but I heard it from the student. Apparently he thought one listener was worth while. So if I have one reader out there, perhaps it's worth while to resume. It will take some time to catch up because a lot has happened (there you are, it's not ALL routine).

But you, reader out there, if you leave a comment every now and then, I promise to write regularly.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Though I don't know you, I stumbled upon your blog and have found your insights very much worth reading. Do continue!

andrea said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ullah said...

Ja, fortsätt!

Cornelia said...

I have always enjoyed your blog entries and the insights you've offered on the smaller and bigger oddities of both academic and private life. Even if you feel that your "new life" is not that new anymore and has become a routine, that routine is definitely not boring, and you have the gift of making it interesting enough for your readers. Please continue blogging!

Clémentine Beauvais said...

yes, I'm here too :)

Anonymous said...

Yes, please, do continue - there is more than one reader! Agnes