Hunter S. T. cashed in his chips. This got me to thinking about his work and enjoying his blasts of certitude and vision over the repugnant, vaseline quips of cultural hacks. Fact and fiction, at any rate, know no distinctions in the fantasia culture we have inherited from our forepersons. I won't beat around the Bush, folks, we're in a state of serious decay. But this isn't how I wanted to sign on to Blog world after a winter-long hiatus.
Awarded below are 2004's Blog Academy Awards. Don't take it personally if your site's omitted from the list below. There's a baby under my desk right now pulling at the wires of my monitor and so I'm working fast. In the spirit of the day I've asked the Blog Academy to cast their votes, and here they are.
SOME BLOG OSCARS:
Best Cabinet of Wonders: Woods Lot
Best Blog for Signs of Texas Intelligence and Grace: Texfiles
Best Letters from a Citizen: Kristen Prevallet
Best Political Vitriol: Unrealitycheck
Best Reality Check (tough, committed, always a surprise): Heathens in Heat
Best Literary Round-up with a title derived from an unreadable modernist novel: Herecomeseverybody
Best Look into the post-cheap oil future: Clusterfuck Nation (jameshowardkunstler.typepad.com)
Best Blog to Love to Hate (call it Duncancide or Lit Market Junk Bonds): Ron Silliman
Best Po Lists and Commentary: Hotelpoint
Best Blog Pool Boy: Jonathan Mayhew
Best New Pope Nominees: Lisablog (Jarnot)
Best Blog for Who's Counting: Steve Evans
Best Blog (is it a blog?) for anonymous whiners to complain and avoid book production according to their own terms: foetry
Best Blog for failing to make regular updates: Skanky Possum
Best Blog for Best American Poetry: Unquiet Grave
Best Blog for Being a Kick Ass Publisher and Book Designer and Friend: Snapper's Junk
Best Blog for Sluts: Bookslut.com
Best Blog Prozac: Nick Piombino
Best Genius Digital Agent Provocateur in need of a Blog: Kent Johnson