There have been a few times in the past when I have contemplated changing the name of my blog. Usually when I have been an especially enthusiastic book blogger, I consider giving my blog a makeover – setting more serious guidelines, coming up with a title that reflects my status as something a bit closer to a book review site. I always hesitate though, because I am prone to doing basically whatever I like with my blog (writing about knitting, or cooking, or photography, or travel as the mood strikes me) or not blogging at all for long stretches (like lately). It was this habit of not keeping up with my blogging that inspired the name of my blog – “What we have here is a failure to communicate“. This line from Cool Hand Luke has rarely failed, when spoken with the right accent and tone, to dissolve arguments between CP and I into laughter. I’m rather fond of my blog’s name and I am grateful that I have kept it.
Because while I no longer consider the lapses in my blogging to be a failure to communicate, I happily embrace my failure to tell anyone about Skippy Dies by Paul Murray (which broke my heart and made me laugh) or Little Black Book of Stories by A. S. Byatt (which was tolerably interesting). After all, I am not exactly a book blogger – not all the time anyway.
Today for instance, I am a photo-journalist. Grilling, crocus hunting, and cat spying as spring finally gets underway here in Maine:
I’ll pop back over here in a few days to write about The Dodecahedron or A Frame for Frames by Paul Glennon because it was exactly as much FUN as I had hoped and because no matter how delinquent my book blogging gets, I still love my Wolves!
what we have here is a failure to communicate 
I appreciate all the multi-faceted peices of you and your blog. Like you, I have a blog which doesn’t exactly give the immediate impression of being a book blogger…nor do I wish to be limited to ‘only’ books. We’ll continue on, you and I, with our blog titles and photographs, as well as the freedom to review what we choose. Or, not.
By: Bellezza on April 27, 2011
at 7:38 pm
Absolutely! Thanks for that affirmation Bellezza. I may not be an all-star commenter at your blog, but I read and enjoy it everyday. Keep on having fun with it! 🙂
By: tuulenhaiven on April 28, 2011
at 6:42 am
To be honest with you, I get tired of reading review after review anyway. The book blogs I frequent have a good mix of both reviews and personal stuff (kid stuff, work stuff, pet stuff, random stuff). I like the ecclectic mix of blogs like that.
That said, I think your blog does just that.
By: Ti on April 28, 2011
at 9:03 am
Thanks Ti! I need to keep in my mind that my blog is not so much aimless as expansive.
By: tuulenhaiven on April 28, 2011
at 10:47 am
SO FUN, RIGHT?? I’m on the penultimate story right now & can’t wait to identify all the vertices that will be revealed in this and the next one. I’m totally embracing my dorkdom on this book and making a diagram of the dodecahedron & everything.
I enjoy reading about your adventures whatever their nature, so keep on keepin’ on, Sarah!
By: Emily on April 28, 2011
at 10:14 am
Hurray, I will! And I’m SO GLAD you’re enjoying the Glennon. I hope you’ll post a picture of your diagram – pretty please?
By: tuulenhaiven on April 28, 2011
at 10:49 am
Oh, no fear – I would not put so much work into diagramming a book and NOT share! 😉
By: Emily on April 28, 2011
at 2:25 pm
I’m intrigued by this Dodecahedron. This said, I like your book reviews and the other ones too. I also want to read about Skippy Dies.
Spring has finally reached you, it seems. Cat spying? The cats are the spies, I think, no?
By: Caroline on April 28, 2011
at 10:56 am
Yup, those cats are always spying – on me in this case, while I was out photographing the crocuses. I believe we will not get any more snow at this point, and I am enjoying the warmer days – although I wouldn’t mind a bit more sun. I know that Maine springs are rainy though, so I don’t expect too much!
I would recommend Skippy Dies – the story is inventive and the scenarios are plotted well. I didn’t find the characters too gripping, and there were things that really annoyed me about the tale (too many 13 year old boys!) but it was an excellent book overall.
By: tuulenhaiven on April 28, 2011
at 11:08 am
I, too, like reading about whatever you choose to write about, Sarah. However, more pumpkin ale reviews, please! Didn’t care for The Dodecahedron myself, but win some, lose some I guess.
By: Richard on May 1, 2011
at 7:43 am
That’s how I felt about Conversations in the Cathedral, Richard – win some, lose some. It all balances out.
The season for pumpkin beers is still sadly far away, and spring and summer brews are nowhere near as intriguing. Why can’t someone make a nice watermelon beer? Now that would be fun! 🙂
By: tuulenhaiven on May 1, 2011
at 8:48 am
It’s funny that you hit on my dilemma of the summer. Do I brand my blog? Do I try to monetize my blog? Mostly I’m just having fun writing about books and movies and people and dishes and food. Lots of food. I hope you will stop by and visit.
By: Jennie on June 20, 2011
at 10:37 am
Sounds right up my alley – I will surely visit. I got into book blogging after I had been blogging about other things for awhile, but as the books started to dominate I felt like I almost wanted to officially change my purpose. Glad I didn’t – I still like to blog about other things as much or even more! Best of luck with your own blog – keep it fun!
By: tuulenhaiven on June 20, 2011
at 4:48 pm