The Art of Blogging?

I've just returned from the movie theatres and I saw "Julie and Julia." Oh dear. While the story is warm and fuzzy (to an extent) it's probably a good spring board for discussion of what it means to blog. I think Julia Child was right to criticize Julie Powell for doing some half-rate blog about cooking every dish detailed in "Mastering the Art of French Cooking."

Julie Powell simply "blogged" her post-musings after cooking all the recipes in Child's most well-known cookbook, not all of them. Child spent years learning the art of French cooking and earned a culinary degree from a French culinary school. But before this, she spent time working for the U.S. government, traveling around the world with the OSS (Office of Strategic Services). Let's face it: this vivacious lady had LOADS of life experience (as well as an BA in English) and lots of ambition to make herself into a better person, wanting to experience life at its fullest and not wanting to have to compromise herself. By "compromise herself," I mean she didn't take short cuts for a quick fix at money and fame *coughjuliepowellcough*. And here's something else to think about: Julie Powell had an extramarital affair right after her Julie/Julia book was published. They've even delayed the publishing of her second book (which talks about the affair) until December of this year. I'm guessing so that when others go to see the movie, they won't think about what a sellout she is and tell others not to see the movie.

Now, I don't mean to judge... I lie. I do. This blog is an good example about how ANYONE can start an adventure and turn it into something. Hell. I'm a college student who's take ONE English class (it was an honors english class and I received an A, by the way) in college and I also study biology and psychology. That means science. That means, I don't aspire to publish a novel/book/memoir. This blog is only meant to be a quick means of chronicling my 100 days (give or take). I will actually be keeping several travel journals on a daily basis while living in Regensburg, Germany. That means physical, creative work.

So, my final word on blogs: I think that the whole business of blogging as a career source or quick fix at becoming "known" equals crap. I feel as if our generation is missing the point of hard work as a means to the end of a polished, finished project. Blogging is a quick way to play pretend and act like you're doing something insightful or what have you. In the end, you aren't going to be the next Charles Dickens (or Julia Child, Julie Powell.) In the science field, we don't "blog" about our research. We actually have it published after LOTS of repeating and editting and changing. Oh. And hard work. Yes, we use a computer to type out our findings but we use a blank slate (I use Microsoft Word 2007). I'm sorry for those of you who blog profusely and feel it is your only outlet to express yourself to the world, but if Emily Dickinson and Edgar Allan Poe could do it so can you.

As for this blog, it's for my friends, family, voyeurs, and I. It's just a quick record of my memories.

As for Julia Child: rest in peace, m'am. The world lost a good thing years ago but we're glad to have had you. I will forever remember my first time seeing you de-boning a fish and dropping it on the floor and letting me know that, "It's alright. No one else will ever know!" You gave me the confidence to cook and the ambition to become a better woman. You were always one of my heroes.

Cheers!