Blook 'im, Dano

The winner of the 3rd annual Blooker Prize was won by Colby Buzzell for best "blook" of 2007 (a book inspired by his blog): My War: Killing Time in Iraq.

One of the judges says Buzzell's blook

". . . tells the reader what it's like to be a grunt fighting in the Sunni Triangle with more power and authority than the best embedded reporter in the world could manage. My War has been a cult hit in America . . . and it would never have been written if blogging had not been invented."

I can think of several things that would not have happened if it weren't for this blog, and it ain't done yet! (despite Peter the Grate's ingratiating push off the board! ;-)) My plan is to wait until after the City Council meeting, so we can have some closure about the bus stop plan. Then after that, I'll publish weekly updates of how my own blook is coming along, and maybe do some marketing, as Colby does.

But this is Carbondale, not Iraq, or Washington D.C. so my gems and good news may not reach as wide an audience as I would like to make the effort and cost of publishing worthwhile. I'm thinking about turning it into a Ph.D. dissertation, if I can find some qualified and civic-minded interdisciplinary faculty members. (Jon Bean? Terry Clark? Who else? The School of Journalism seems far out of touch with blogs. To my knowledge there are no blogs emanating from SIUC).

Truly, this town is blog-tarded as it is in certain other quality of life issues (not one first-class Italian Restaurant!?). Peter G puzzles over the fact that when he leaves town this summer, that I will be the only local blogger actively commenting on the local scene. Of course, other local bloggers have been going strong for years, like Tom and Shawn to name two. But without the relentless localness I've tried to give this blog.

Even so, I want my blook to have broad readership, outside the narrow confines of the city limits, especially since traditional publishers are scouring blogs for the first bestselling blook.