Considering a Break
The blogosphere has turned blood-thirsty of late, and I find myself more and more exhausted by it. Initially, I thought the discussion of the Rachel Corrie controversy interesting and worthwhile, but I more and more I find myself reminded of the scene with the rake-wielding villagers at the end of Frankenstein. Perhaps this is just my own intellectual fatigue. But yesterday, when I hit "Enter" on a snotty reply at George's blog (which he has gracefully removed at my request), I realized that I am out of gas. The past week, I have tried to post things on theatre in general (Maxwell Anderson, Derek Walcott), but I find the environment right now unconducive to these kinds of posts, which are more reflective than impassioned. I click from blog to blog where in the past I found sustenance, and instead I find brawls and howls of outrage repeated ad infinitum. I am out of step, and too tired to present an alternative. It may be time for a break.
Comments
It's always good to take breathers when you find the vitriol and bile rising to spill out of your fingers into the interweb. I've created a strict comments policy for myself that demands that I stay respectful at all times, no matter how vigorously I'm disagreeing with someone. This respect is not something I've always extended you here on your site, and i'm sorry about that.
I will say that I disagree with your characterization of our dialogue as "blood thirsty" or of us in the theater blogosphere as "rake wielding villagers". No one has called for boycotts, and no one has called for Jim Nicola to be fired. No one has asked people to write to board members or looked up their home phone numbers, as bloggers have been known to do over political issues in the past. There hasn't even been an organized letter writing campaign. (I will say that of all of this, only the last one would I support). And I only know of one blogger who has expressed a desire to punish NYTW, and they were drunk at the time, so I'm going to discount that one.
People want an explanation, and people want the play to happen. And they are voicing this vigorously. I'm really not trying to pick a fight here with you but I'm curious as to what *specifically* you see as reflective of a violent mob mentality?
The reason why I ask the question is not to ask you to back up your assertion with evidence (there's no reason for you to justify it, it's your opinion and you're entitled to it) but to try to see this through your eyes, and see what it is that's distasteful about it to you, specifically.
Thansk for your time!
Isaac
Isaac said what I wanted to say about the Rachel Corrie issue and also I don't believe anyone is blood thirsty in our little community.
Look at all the great stuff about the new playwright that's floating around ? It's exciting stuff.
And I think George still makes posts that are reflective ( Kate Valk ? ) and others as well.
I love having you as part of the conversation and what I have loved in this blogger community is the diversity of age , experience and opinions.
I understand being tired and needing a break. But please don't blame it on the community. I am pretty sure i can speak for all of us by saying we enjoy having you be a part of it.
Your involvement sure has taken much energy while teaching ! I can't find enough time and energy for everything either sometimes...
Do what you need and come back refreshed !
Ah, I'm just tired and depressed. I'll wake tomorrow after a night's sleep and find myself itching to post something again. But today, I feel like curling up with a good book and pondering...
Maybe it's because I have seen many many stoushes on poetry lists in the past decade which have been less than edifying, so I know how ugly cyber discussion can get, but one thing I really like about the theatre blogosphere is, in fact, its civility: almost without exception, the people I read here are curious, polite and articulate. Argumentative, sure, but I personally find that stimulating. I've seen hardly any ad hominem: the only one I remember was a post on, I think, Matt Freeman's blog attacking George. I certainly don't get the "waving pitchforks" picture.
Me, I think the difference the blogs are making is positive, but at the moment I am not happy with the status quos of various kinds that I see around me.
This year, it is also the demands of the university getting me down. I serve on far too many committees and task forces, and coordinating the box office for my department and overseeing scholarship interviews. All of this keeps me from reading and thinking and writing. By this time of the year, I start to feel used by the institution, and I become frustrated.
My emotions feel very raw right now, so the Rachel Corrie thing is taking a lot out of me. I keep looking for someone who has a positive vision about theatre, one that I can find energy in. But what I mostly find is anger and frustration, and a rejection of the things I hold most dear.
I'm not looking for sympathy, or saying that people should change what they are doing because I'm feeling glum -- I'm just trying to explain where I am right now.
I worry that if I stop writing, I won't come back. The time that I spend reading the blogs and writing will end up sucked up by the administrative and service responsibilities, and not go toward thought.
Like I say, a good night's sleep may restore my equilibrium. Right now, I find myself apprehensive as I visit the blogs, fearing that I will find another broadside that I'm not able to handle right now.
I probably sound pathetic -- certainly not my usual combative self. I've just run out of juice.
But I do see a lot of positive energy on the blogs. The current very interesting discussion on poetry in theatre is one example.
Btw, I just wanted to clarify that I didn't mean, in my post above, that Matt F himself attacked George: it was a poster in his comments section. As is, it's rather ambiguous.
Between, of course, each other's eyes.
He's a fine gentlemen. He said he was surprised I wasn't more mean. It's all well and good.
Blogs are an odd thing. We're all figuring it out.
And with that, I return to work.
Scott, you're a good man. One way to feel better is to have your say and then simply don't defend yourself if you don't feel like it. Since when does everyone have to agree?
And as loud as this has gotten, it has drawn attention to us so that we can now move ahead. As Alison mentioned, those new visitors to Superfluities and our other blogs are now finding, instead of all-Corrie-all-the-time coverage, a terrifically engaging dialogue about tragedy and lyricism. This is not as sensational as the NYTW story, and chances are we won't keep all these new readers, but we will keep some of them. And so the possibility exists for these concerns that they, too, will affect the way people think about theater and its potential in their lives.
Which is why I hope you stay in the mix.
But seriously, take the time you need to charge the batteries, it's important. But when you return to us know that we will receive you with open arms, open minds, and a strong desire to colloborate and communicate with you about this wonderful art form we've all chosen as theatre artists.