Email: rachelkramerbussel at gmail.com



 

Lusty Lady

BLOG OF RACHEL KRAMER BUSSEL
Watch my first and favorite book trailer for Spanked: Red-Cheeked Erotica. Get Spanked in print and ebook

Friday, May 23, 2008

The week's obligatory blog post

I don't have much to say about Emily Gould's article, other than to say that by Sunday, it'll be so over, with this much attention already, and that while there are valid criticisms of the piece, the umpteen NYT commenters seem to think there is something inherently wrong with writing about oneself. Don't read memoirs much, do they? Granted, they are different types of writing, and a book gives you room even a 7,000+ word article doesn't, but still. As for why they published it, if that's not obvious (readers!), then those people don't really get publishing do they? Also, it should be noted that even though she wrote a very personal piece, Gould also wrote an obituary for personal blogs.

This was my favorite part:

Knowing that the worst of my online oversharing is still publicly accessible doesn’t thrill me, but it doesn’t scare me anymore either. I might hate my former self, but I don’t want to destroy her, and in a way, I want to respect her decision to show the world her vulnerability.

Okay, second favorite (as in, ones I most related to):

I had made my existence so public in such a strange way, and I wanted to take it all back, but in order to do that I’d have to destroy the entire Internet. If only I could! Google, YouTube, Gawker, Facebook, WordPress, all gone.

So far this post from Shoot the Blog has been the most interesting and original:

When I went to read the piece (which will run in the magazine this weekend) I was struck by how Elinor Carucci those images were! Of course, they turned out to be by Elinor Carucci. But really, here is a photographer who delivers editorial imagery that is barely distinguishable from her own work. She and Gould even look alike. This pairing is kind of amazing:

25exposed01_650.jpg
photograph by Elinor Carucci for The New York Times



bed.jpg
Elinor Carucci, from her series Closer, 2000

Labels:

2 Comments:

At May 25, 2008, Blogger dabroots said...

It's tedious that the New York Times should devote so many pages in its magazine to this topic. It's so undeserving.

 
At May 26, 2008, Anonymous Anonymous said...

This "piece", "rant" or whatever one deems to call it is completely different than writing a memoir. A memoir isn't an extended blog post. A memoir attempts to elevate the events in one's life to art. A memoir attempts to take one individual's experience and give context for others. A memoir writer, in respect for others, changes names and identifying characteristics. A memoir is written from the vantage point of PERSPECTIVE, distance, rather than a cheap NY media attempt to get even.

This is reality television in written form. EG is Paris Hilton for the "hipster" set - famous for doing nothing, contributing nothing, only for obsessing over, and promoting herself.

Yet, in the end, EG will get a 6-figure book deal while other, infinitely more talented writers, will pray for publication.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home