i picked a theme and made you a mix tape!
This whole idea of a weekly "mix tape" post happened quite organically over the course of the four years I've been blogging. I didn't start this site operating from some grand scope and sequence. But it has made me accountable to myself, my resistance to being a mindless consumer of cultural goods. To develop stronger critical thinking skills, to mature in my understanding, convictions and beliefs. And to not take myself too seriously. The blog kind of talks back to me, charts my growth, connects me to a community wanting to do the same.
Somewhere along the way the idea just kind of sprung up, writing a weekly post highlighting some of the best of what we were absorbing from books and articles, movies, television, music and art. Lately, I've gotten bored with it, though. It began to lose its purpose, to feel tedious. And then, on Saturday morning, as I was baking a quiche and listening to This American Life, a new thought was born.
It's This American Life. I'm Ira Glass. Each week on our program we choose a theme and bring you a variety of different kind of stories on that theme. Today's program...
It's my favorite sentence of the entire radio show. Like The William Tell Overture brought my grandparents around the radio, this sentence from Ira Glass always perks up my ears. A theme! My conceptual brain does a happy dance. Why not borrow the idea for this weekly post?
Also, I've been writing a lot lately and will try to let the theme inspire me. If all goes well, I'll include an excerpt or two on occasion. And, I'll invite you to share some of your best discoveries and writings on the theme. It'll be a weekly mixtape swapmeet!
So, that's the big news! I hope lots of you will enjoy this experiment with me.
Now, all I need is a great tagline like Ira Glass or The Lone Ranger. Any ideas?
