The new issue of RELEVANT came in the mail over the past few days. It's a fair amount larger than the first issue, and a little bit better as well. Cameron Strang's takedown of talk radio in the opening was right on target as well as something I can empathize with from my days of listening to it. Unfortunately, more and more radio and television networks are headed in that direction, because of the mass popularity the format has managed to achieve, and the relatively low expense of putting the shows on the air. I had someone try to explain to me once that talk radio is popular because it offers a balanced and reasoned response to those totalitarian liberals in the "mainstream press." That's pretty laughable; the talking head is just as much a gatekeeper as the news reporter, and has just as much control over what goes over the airwaves.
I'm sure there is decent talk radio to be found, but "decent" won't equate with "popular" because the good shows lack the Springer-esque sensationalism that drives the big boys.
Anyway, that wasn't even what I set out to post on here. :-)
I noticed while reading the mag today (and this isn't the first time I've had this epiphany) that, when I read periodicals, and especially articles written by younger authors, I often don't read them in terms of feeding myself by taking in what they have to say, but rather in terms of "that's my competition out there." As a writer, and an often grossly egotistical one, I'm constantly fretting over my stature among other writers, and not only does this take away from my enjoyment of the piece I'm reading, it doesn't do anything to make me a better writer, since my knee-jerk reaction is to sulk.
Just a confession. Nothing else to say for myself there.
2:46:07 AM 
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