Can the health of a free society be measured by its number of eccentrics? A few years ago, I tried to answer that question in an Op-Ed titled The Virtues of Eccentricity, which was published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
It remains one of my favorite pieces of writing. I still chuckle that only weeks after leaving my old law firm as an associate, I managed to poke fun at the partners in the pages of their favorite newspaper. (The reason I left the firm remains the subject of an ironclad confidentiality agreement, even now that the consideration I got for signing it has run out; I am allowed to say, however, that I'm still fond of the place, especially now that my arch nemesis has moved on.)
As for Op-Eds, publishing them was a favorite pastime of mine in the 1990s. But now that I've discovered blogs again since giving them up a few years ago over frustrations with blogger.com, I'm not sure about Op-Eds anymore. At least temporarily, I've lost my desire to write them. They're still great publishing credits. But doesn't the reach of even "minor" blogs extend further than a one-day publication in the Chicago Tribune or the Houston Chronicle? For example, if I wasn't able to make my articles available on my law firm's website, the Op-Ed referenced in the first paragraph of this post would be available online only in paid databases; that's the fate of most newspaper Op-Eds, and it surely limits their influence.*
The issues that remain: What is the best way for a lowbrow writer to make an impact in this Internet-enabled age? And what will the publishing world look like in five years? In ten? I'm still trying to decide . . .
*I don't get paid for the many Op-Eds I've written that now reside in online databases, even though I sold only one-time rights to the newspapers. But that's a sad topic for another day.
This is Elvis Costello. Similarly named is "Running out of Days" by 3 Doors Down.
Posted by: Justin | March 10, 2004 at 08:11 AM
Justin: You are correct. Also keep in mind the similarly-titled songs "A Fool in the Rain" by Led Zeppelin and "Odd Fellow Local 151" by REM.
Posted by: Evan | March 10, 2004 at 10:20 AM
I see the similarity of "A Fool in the Rain" but "Odd Fellow Local 151??????"
Posted by: Justin | March 10, 2004 at 10:24 AM
The correct title is "Odd Fellows Local 151." It was considered as a title for this post, which begins with a discussion of eccentricity.
Eccentricity = "fool" = "odd fellow"
I don't fault you for not understanding my insanity.
Posted by: Evan | March 10, 2004 at 10:25 AM
The mysterious recent decrease in the supply of Fools, to which your post title alludes, is all part of my master plan to increase the demand for my weblog. I learned this technique from observing the petroleum industry here in Sunny Southern California, land of $2.27 regular unleaded.
Posted by: George Wallace, aka A Fool | March 10, 2004 at 02:45 PM
George: Yes, fools are in short supply. I'm trying to do my part by behaving foolishly. Of course, as you point out, this increase in supply may have the effect of decreasing demand for your blog, Fool in the Forest. But if we act in concert, maybe we can corner the market in fools. Then we can act as monopolists and increase the demand for both our blogs. Or something like that.
Posted by: Evan | March 10, 2004 at 07:56 PM