On Blogging

The more I blog the better I like it. In fact, I’m thinking of giving up book writing altogether. Blogging is so much easier — and much more fun.

Look at the advantages:

1. Blogs don’t take as long to write as a book—one to two hours max.

2. They’re published much faster. Within a week, as opposed to a year (or more). Presto! Instant gratification.

3. You can say what’s on your mind—social, political, personal, in a timely way, or just entertain — make people laugh. What’s wrong with that?

4. You can even gussy-up your work with photos and/or drawings.

5. Also, you’re making a fine contribution to the literary world. You’re helping to revive a lost art form, i.e. the familiar essay, because that’s what a blog really is. I loved those old essayists — Charles Lamb, Christopher Morly, S.J. Perelman, Erma Bombeck . . .

6. And as for posterity (if you care about things like that) you can always have your blogs bound and send them to the Library of Congress to be copyrighted.

So, the heck with spending all that time and energy on book writing, and waiting a year (or more) to see your words in print— just blog!

— Robin Hathaway

P.S. Of course there is the small matter of remuneration . . .