Nor much of a playwright, either.
Which is why Tboy was surprised to see the thoughtful playwright and critic George Hunka headline a post with the distinctly Pollyannish "Let's All Be Nice." Never fear, though: Turns out that by "nice" he mostly means "honest." And maybe "respectful in our disagreements."
His point, if Tboy understands it correctly, short form: Blogs and bloggers aren't going anywhere, but serious conversation about the arts in other media sure is. (Where's it going? Away.)
So blogs and online journals are among the few forums left for that serious conversation, and artists need to come to grips with that--at least with the bloggers who put some thought and some passion into what they're writing about. A knee-jerk, bruised-ego reaction to criticism, complaints, even snark--whether it's about the art made or the business of making it--doesn't engage, advance, or even acknowledge the conversation.
Long form, on the topic of "criticism, the blogosphere, and the nexus of the artist and the on-line critic, " is over here. It's worth a read.
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