I just wanted to update on what is going on and why I haven't posted anything substantial for a couple of months. Disruptions caused by the protests have made both concentration and desire for writing to dissipate. I have started several posts but because circumstances have affected concentration I have been slow to finish them. Now that the situation has calmed down, I hope to get back into the rhythm of posting again!
At the same time, there is another reason for my lack of posting that is less dramatic than a popular uprising. I have started work on a novel that I hope to have finished by the end of the year, and much of my writing energy has been taken up by it. I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that it is a novel based on the experiences of the early Asian immigrants to the US. It is something of a historical narrative framed and told through fictional characters. So far, I have completed the first six chapters and I am hoping to self-publish the work before 2014. Inşallah!
Good luck on the book, hope it can find a good audience, sounds interesting. Hope things calm down over there eventually
ReplyDeleteAnonymous
DeleteThanks! yes things are much calmer now!
Hi Ben,
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to let you know that some of your blog entries are worth reading and discussing when it comes to dealing with Asians/Asian Americans/or Overseas Asians in general. It seems viewership in this blog and discussion is not par to what you'll bring to the blog by your writing and thought. I don't mean to increase the viewership and bring the heated trolling. But I do think some of the entry are really gems.
Part of the reason I would think is because the structure and format of the blog. It's 2013 and this is the template you just simply chose from blogspot.
Some of the issues I came across reading blogs is the choice of color, the template structure, the font size and such. For eg. After reading 1 or 2 minutes on blogs with dark background and white fonts, my eyes got blurred. The font, aesthetically appealing to letting out someone's ideas/thoughts/comments also makes a big deal in my honest opinion. I'm not sure I'm being picking bones here. And I do hope I'm not.
But hidden gems are hidden for some reasons, even sometimes without their willingness to hide from the crowd.
Hi Bint,
DeleteThanks for the kind words!
I've thought about changing templates, but it always seems that simple is better. I would hope that the content would be sufficient to draw people's attention, but I know that is never the case.
At the same time, if my blog changes the way that only a handful of Asian men think and act, then I would consider my endeavours to have been successful. Of course, I do feel as though there are few people on the same page as myself in the blogosphere, but that isn't a bad thing necessarily - it is the nature of the Asian male experience.
This blog deserves more views definitely. It's one of the few websites that I actually check everyday for new contents lol.
ReplyDeleteWolf
DeleteThanks man! I appreciate that.
one problem is you are too exclusive and need to wait for comments to be approved. its easier if you let them appear, then delete afterwards, its more work but more rewarding long term
ReplyDeleteAnonymous
DeleteThat is an interesting comment, thanks for the feedback! My intention is definitely not to be exclusive, but I will say that some of what I write about may not fit into the typical narrative that is told about Asians and what Asians tell about themselves.
To my mind, there seem to be strictures that Asians place upon themselves that restrict the tone and direction of our dialogue. Which means that some Asians may not be willing to engage in dialogue over it.
As for comments, I don't censor anything - and in 3 years I have deleted, maybe 2 posts which were so stupid that it was more compassionate to delete them that post them!
I moderate only keep up with incoming comments, but I have thought about lifting moderation.
at least try it for a few months and revert later if unhappy. itll bring the traffic in, and as asian activist blogosphere is limited to a few quality ones such as yourself. may as well make hay before everyone quits blogging and the term 'asian activism' dies out
DeleteYour articles may need to present a question that people can comment on. with a thought provoking 'end line'. that way you will elicit more response. You dont want to spend all that time and effort on an A-class article only for it to get forgotten because you didnt maximise engaging your audience.
DeleteJust a suggestion