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a poet’s notebook

Opacity & Transparency

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There is no terror like that of being known
Angry Little Girls comic posted with permission [Lots more here; go see!]
Via Grab and Stash, which I found at BlueBlog

When Watermark was only a few months old, in May 2004, I requested a review from The Weblog Review.

Wendy began by saying:

As the weblog begins, Watermark tests out the blogging waters – how
much should be revealed? Will readers get what’s being posted? I’m sure
those questions come to the minds of many bloggers at they jump into
the realm of online diaries and such. The author and creator
responsible for this weblog manages to quickly accomplish the feat of
finding her comfort level of sharing.

And so I thought I had.

Over the years, as my blogging skills and preferences have evolved, I’ve received other reviews from these folks (if you’re interested, you can see them here, and here.) Some of the observations I liked; some I didn’t. Some suggestions I took on board; some I dismissed. Some I initially dismissed, chewed on for a long time, and then implemented.

But it was the recent review by amusings that unnerved me.

This is a thoughtful and thorough review. She clearly spent a lot of time and care doing it, and offers generous and useful observations.

Also painfully perceptive ones:

Sharon struggles with isolation, confesses and discusses repeatedly
what it is like to be in pain, unable to go OUT and socialize, and how
the internet is her way to stay connected with the world. Not just with
the world of peers and poets, but just with all human contact. It is an
amazing thing to realize while reading her journal what a life without
socialization might be like.

She says she looked at my other sites, including Abide. Perhaps she saw it there?

I thought I was hiding this.

I thought you didn’t know.

It terrifies me that this is what you see.

,

9 responses to “Opacity & Transparency”

  1. Damien Riley Avatar
    Damien Riley

    I am new to Watermark, but here goes: I like the poetry aspect. That is brave, different, unique.
    I agree that cat-blogging is not my thing. Also, I am glad to hear someone else has an aversion to those inane quizzes that seem to be infesting a lot of good blogs.
    Other than that, I like the poetry emphasis and the fact that the blog has been around since ’04. The “My readers should know” link turned me off right away because I don’t like anyone telling me what I “should” anything. Plus I am not an object so I don’t respond to when called by a possessive pronoun.
    Other than that, the Google score and your nice comments on my blog made me link you on my blogroll. Keep the poetry risks going!

    Reply
  2. SB Avatar
    SB

    Damien!
    “I like the poetry aspect. That is brave, different, unique.”
    Actually, there are tons of poetry blogs — they even have their own name: Poblogs. Since you like my poems, you might want to explore POETRY LINKS on the sidebar.
    “The “My readers should know” link turned me off right away because I don’t like anyone telling me what I “should” anything. Plus I am not an object so I don’t respond to when called by a possessive pronoun.”
    A completely unanticipated reaction — but also an easy fix. I wonder how many other people felt that way, and never mentioned it?
    & do you always check the Google rank of the pages you read? It would never occur to me…
    Some folks don’t like the cats; some don’t like the quizzes; some don’t like the poetry. Some don’t like the squirrels! But I like them all, so some folks just have to skip some posts.
    Ah, well.
    Thanks for responding — and, clearly, for going to read the reviews.

    Reply
  3. Cathy Avatar
    Cathy

    I read the review, I disagree with catblogging,the memes and the quizes veiws. What’s wrong with a little fun now and then. It’s not like you do it all the times like some teenage on LiveJournal
    As cat blogging, if she read your blog, she realize those crazy animals mean a lot to you. Plus you belong to a group that every Friday share the links.
    By the way, using your blog to stay connect with outside world is nothing to me. Are’t we all doing that? I know that’s one the reason why I blog, I don’t really have friends except my blogging ones.

    Reply
  4. SB Avatar
    SB

    testing comments — at least one is lost

    Reply
  5. christine Avatar
    christine

    I like how you took a great deal of time and pondered what Wendy said in the past and what I’d written here. I think part of blogging is not really being aware of how much you let shine through.
    Part of the disadvantage of being a reviewer for the Weblog Review is I get to sit and read someone’s ENTIRE blog in the course of maybe a couple of days. In doing so, I found that the catblogging and memes were a little too much. I think if I were reading over the course of a very long time, that the feeling of it being “too much” wouldn’t really have hit me that hard.
    But I do find you most attractive as a read when you are up close and personal, and poetic. I don’t read blogs to find out “What Harry Potter Character Are You” or “What Tarot Card Are You?” but what are you thinking, feeling, consuming, experiencing today… inside and outside of your body.
    I’m glad that you let your personality “leak” through onto these pages. I am glad to have met you in this way.

    Reply
  6. dailywebthing linkport Avatar
    dailywebthing linkport

    on ‘being known’

    Opacity Transparency

    Reply
  7. christine again... Avatar
    christine again…

    oh — and yes. I forgot to mention that I did visit “abide” but didn’t really read it too carefully because it wasn’t part of the scope of the review. we were assigned ‘watermark’ so while I “peeked” around, I don’t think that I really read it deeply.
    How I figured out some of my rather perceptive observations was right around the time you were getting your new computer… a lot of what I recall you going through indicated deep loneliness, isolation. without the laptop working, without that thread of connectivity out to the world, you wrote a lot about really feeling it at that time…
    as i recall. but i could be wrong. regardless… it’s always refreshing when i read something honest about how someone is feeling. and that’s what i enjoyed about my visits here.

    Reply
  8. Mary Scriver Avatar
    Mary Scriver

    Oh, piffle. I don’t think people understanding that you’re pretty much stuck in the house and compensating fairly capably by being a blog networker is that hard to figure out or that compromising either. I like the cats and dogs and parakeets — oh, more than LIKE. I love the poetry. I worry every time there’s a silence for a few days. We have many of the same issues and I really like your style! So there!
    Prairie Mary

    Reply
  9. SB Avatar
    SB

    “Oh, piffle.” !
    My grandmother used to say that! The ultimate ‘get a little perspective’ exclamation.
    And you are, of course, quite right. It’s been a long journey for me, though, from not even having my name anywhere on my sites; to quarantining whines & complaints to a separate weblog; to claiming my identity as a poet and a person — with all these flaws and weaknesses.
    But I’m getting there.

    Reply

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