I wrote this discussion for
Quasi Fictional and wanted to publish it on my own space as well. I encourage everyone to consider writing about why they blog as it is a way to hone self-understanding and develop as a blogger. If anyone posts on this subject be sure to let me know.
Princess Haiku is a blog comprised of poetry, prose, photography, classical music, dance and book reviews, written in the tradition of a poetic memoir
I interpret a blog as a textual, auditory, visual or mixed-media communication written by a person(s) and published on the internet, for the purpose of exchanging, ideas, feelings, visuals, information, advice, companionship or friendship with others. Princess Haiku is a literary collage, with original poetry, prose, book, music and dance reviews, written in the tradition of a poetic memoir.
About a year ago, a friend set up my first blog on, My Space. I had no idea at that time, what a blog was and my space was put together with a do it yourself template in less than three minutes. “What is the title of your blog?” my friend asked. The words “Princess Haiku" flashed into my mind, as I enjoy the aesthetic simplicity of poetic forms such as haiku and tanka. Of course I wasn't thinking all this consciously and was just selecting template color, lay-out etc. Before I knew it my first blog was waiting for me. All I had to do was enter it with mind, heart and spirit.
The idea that Princess Haiku was a ghost appealed, because of the unlimited freedom of a spirit to travel and explore culture, history, time, place etc. I aspired for Princess Haiku to reflect the collective unconscious, for I wanted her to belong to everyone. In a world rife with conflict, aggression, ideology, hatred and greed, I wanted her to be everything that was beauty, goodness and grace. Art and music are universal languages and they are a good starting point for world peace. It is the task of the people of the world to do what governments cannot; find common human experience that allows for a dialectic of peace.
As my concept of “Princess Haiku” deepened, it became a journey into the world of fine arts, expressing universal concepts of beauty. The book, dance and music reviews on my space are for the most part original, although I sometimes reference the works of others. Additionally, I post my own haiku and prose musings.
When YouTube took off I was delighted for it allowed me to give readers an enhanced artistic experience. Instead of just reading about young musical geniuses such as Yundi Li, Lang, Lang or Helene Grimaud; they could hear and see them also. When I posted a review of the astonishing Cloud Gate Dance Theater, I was also able to post a YouTube clip from a recent performance.
In the beginning I was excited if I received any responses for any post. Now I am thinking about upgrading my stat counter. I think this a big thing for a small, literary blog whose discourse is dreams, rare flowers, classical music, fine arts, twilight and poetic musings of a ghost.
I never would have guessed that I would be gifted with internet friends from all over the globe. They have introduced me to many excellent poets, writers, dancers, thinkers, established and emerging virtuosi and artists. I see a world culture evolving as a result of informal sharing via the internet. I think that there is a particular value in reading reviews of various fine art forms, written by people who do not benefit financially from a particular opinion. How did a small poetic blog like mine attract an international readership? -Why, networking of course.
Registering in blog catalogs is a great way to get exposure. I registered in: Blog Top Sites, World Blog Connection, Superblog Directory, Blogs by Women, Top Blogs and others. I recently registered with MyBlogLog and am looking forward to becoming involved with this social network. Social networking I am told is the newest thing and a great way to connect with other bloggers.
An important and often overlooked factor in a successful blog is having a good profile.
Daniel Thompson the Microtonal Composer, has a great article on writing profiles and can be found via World Blog Connection. I realized after I developed my profile that my blog was about “extreme beauty.” This wasn’t an accident; it evolved with a thorough evaluation of what my interests were and what my experience was. I won’t try to paraphrase Thompson; just read his article and take the time to read several profiles of successful blogs that you like.
Don’t overlook the human element for if you want to make blogger friends, you have to be one. I try to choose one blog a day and I carefully read several posts. Human relationships; even virtual ones are based on reciprocity. Once your own blog is doing well remember to “pay it backwards” and give backlinks and support to other neophytes. After all we are a world community.
"Having written all of these ponderous words, Princess Haiku realized that the moon was full and that it was time for her to collect fallen magnolia blossoms and to make a wreath for her new ghost whippet, Nimble of Thrace. And then she disappeared.”
