Thanks, Citizen K.

When I was a lad, my teachers always told me my handwriting looked like scribbling. But I never got kudos for it, just poor marks in “penmanship”—is that still a category in grade school anymore? Probably not. Anyhoo, many grateful thanks to Citizen K. for awarding yours truly, along with four other very deserving blogs, the “Superior Scribbler" award, which he recently received himself (& very deservedly so). I’ve been most grateful to the folks who’ve been coming to Robert Frost’s Banjo, both the ones I know about in my “real life,” & the ones I’ve come to know in this “virtual one.” It’s gratifying & humbling in a way to be a part of such a rich community.

Here are the rules:

1. Name five other Superior Scribblers to receive this award.
2. Link to the author and name of the blog that gave you the award.
3. Display the award on your blog with this LINK which explains the award.
4. Click on the award at the bottom of the link and add your name to the bottom of the list.
5. Post the rules.

As part of the award, I need to pick five worthy blogs: as I said when I needed to pick five for the Premio Dardos, the tough part is keeping it to five; there are definitely blogs beyond the five I decided on that I’d like to name, & if I’m fortunate enough to be in this position again, I’ll certainly do so. I did exclude the five I picked for the Premio Dardos earlier. The five I picked, in alphabetical order by blog are:

Jacqueline T Lynch: Another Old Movie Blog: This is a real favorite (among favorites) of mine, as is Jacqueline’s New England Travels blog. Ms Lynch is a gifted writer with great insights; she’s also a writer who seems very grounded in her topic, whether it’s just presenting interesting facts or framing a film or a landmark in an engaging way. Her post today on John Ford’s My Darling Clementine was just excellent.

Cheryl Cato at Lizzy Frizzfrock: Citizen K. wrote about bloggers who are able to convey a sense of place, & I’d put Cheryl Cato in this category. She takes us for a tour of Austin, TX & its environs, & makes us understand what she loves about this area. There are a lot of excellent photos on this blog, & I was especially taken by some Cheryl took on a birding trip with her husband. I also was taken by the Edna St. Vincent Millay verse Cheryl presented on today’s Silent Poetry Reading.

Raquelle at Out of the Past: A Classic Film Blog: This is a really entertaining classic film blog—despite the title, it doesn’t focus on film noir, but presents reviews & fun information about a wide variety of classic flicks. There are some fun features: for example, Quel Interprétation, which showcased Raquelle & friends costuming themselves as appropriate to a given film; but in what seemed to me a really inspired idea, Raquelle recently expanded this to include recipes for a delicious dinner based on meals served in the movie The Fortune Cookie. Like Jacqueline T Lynch’s Another Old Movie Blog, Raquelle’s Out of the Past is a must-read for classic film fans.

David King at Pics & Poems: Mr King’s blog, originating from the UK, is a wonderful compendium of aesthetics—poetry, visual arts, & various oddments like speculating on what type of wine some famous poets would have produced had they been vinters, not versifiers—for instance: “W.B Yeats: A somewhat grandiloquent wine, at times having more the characteristics of a slightly sticky liqueur. Ideal for the grand occasion, though be warned that this fine, slightly hallucinatory drink, has suggestions both of majesty and rebellion in its heady bouquet.” Mr King’s post “Like what you’re looking at, then?” is a must read for anyone interested in viewer (or by extension, reader) response to artwork.

T. at Premium T.: Another bloggy poet who consistently produces sharp observation & crisp writing. T. had a post when I first stopped by her blog last fall that described the day a new piano arrived; I still think this is one of the most memorable personal blog entries I’ve read. Her poetry also shows her clear thinking & wit; & you never know exactly what you’re going to get when you go to Premium T.; it could be a poem, it could be a meditation on the bleakness of winter, it could be a story from her past, or a photo of her workspace, or a recipe. A blog I strongly recommend, & one that really deserves the “Superior Scribbler.”