Dead End Follies : 2018 Programming
Oh hi!
This year again, I've meant to write this post during the Holidays but I was too busy Holiday-ing for that. So, I hope you'll find the strength and compassion to pardon my lateness and hear me out. 2017 was a quite successful year for Dead End Follies. I was able to deliver most of what I initially promised and the new strategy paid off. 2018 will be a continuation of last year in many ways, but I will also explore new and exciting directions. Here's what I have in store for you.
- Even less book reviews. I know what you're going to tell me : Ben, I come here for the book reviews. No, you don't. The data shows me you don't. I'm still reviewing too many books. You know it, I know it, the internet knows it. I'm fixing the point of homeostatis for 2018 at 5 a month. Everything will be reviewed on Goodreads and Amazon as usual, but I really need to make the book reviews on this site more of an event.
- Even more movie reviews. That is something I've greatly enjoyed doing in 2017 and that you guys responded extremely well too. And why wouldn't you. Movies are more accessible than books and television series combined. They require less time and involvement and you can catch them on the day of my review if you have two hours to spare. Whoever said that cinema is a dying art hasn't taken into account the war different media are waging for our time.
- Conversations with critics. I've been very inspired by critics on the YouTubes over the last two years. They've helped me to push my game and get better, so now I want to bring them to you. It's a long shot because lots of them are insanely successful and conversation pieces are insanely long to do (in general), but in my effort to make criticism sexy again, I owe you guys to try and put up at least one.
- More long form pieces. Another thing that gave me a great deal of pleasure to write in 2017. Longer, nerdier essays about aspects of pop culture I find fascinating. Because I really enjoy talking about more than just books here. I'm passionate with storytelling, media and culture in general and I want to share more of that with you guys. Numbers indicate you guys enjoy that as well. I'm setting the bar to two a month.
- Retrospectives. The Death Grips Retrospective experiment last year was fun and successful. So you guys will be treated to at least two, in 2018. One for music and one for cinema. Maybe one for books if you're nice. First stop : Metallica, starting this month.
- The return of YOUR suggestions. It was one of my great sources of fun, last year until I picked a suggestion for a completely unreadable novel. Lesson? Don't randomly pick a suggestion. I will crowdsource you on Facebook for inspiration once every two months and work my way from there. This time, I will pick the suggestion that appeals most to me and not put myself through 500 pages of a local dialect I can't identify.
Happy belated new year, dear readers. Thanks for being interested in Dead End Follies and I'm looking forward to these exciting changes in 2018. Some of you might be disappointed, but keep in mind that my own enthusiasm is (and has always been) the motor of Dead End Follies, so I have to keep it eclectic and interesting for me to keep banging out the words five mornings a week. First book review is planned for tomorrow, though. Make sure to tune-in.
