There There Kid gets promoted in an interview

Mayra Calvani, author of The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing, recently interviewed me as part of her Slippery Art of Book Reviewing series at Blogcritics.org.

The interview mainly focused on the ins and outs of what makes a good book review, but I did get a chance to plug There There Kid along the way:

You also keep a blog, There There Kid. Tell us about it.

There There Kid is a new experiment of mine that I've enjoyed putting together over the past few months. I call it a "weblog of mixed media plus cultural criticism with a literary bent" because I believe that book reviewing (and art in general) doesn't happen within a bubble - it is one way in which we try to connect the seemingly random and absurd aspects of human nature into some form of coherence. There There Kid's essays try to find connections between works of art, such as a book and a CD, that have similarities in theme. It's basically a blog that takes the cultural studies approach to literary criticism and doesn't try to partition art into different categories, which is how I've always approached my own book reviewing.

And, in reference to my work as an editor at Blogcritics:

For our Books section, we are interested in reviewers who write more than just bland plot summary or tip-of-the-iceberg analysis. The best reviews are the ones that dig deep and take on new approaches, and even though every review should give the reader a sense of what the book is like, it should also reveal new and profound insights into how the book influenced the reviewer. In my opinion, most people who read book reviews want to know more than just what happens in the book; they want to know how it all connects personally and culturally.

The same is true for what we expect at There There Kid. We are not out to promote anything in our reviews, but we do want to review the stuff that interests us.

If you're reading this blog for the first time, perhaps you'd like to join us. I've always said that this community cannot thrive without participation, and we are finally starting to see some semblance of participation here on the site.

If you want to write for There There Kid, read our submission guidelines. We're particularly interested in writers who want to write shorter reviews, as described in the submission guidelines section.

Blogging on my Asus Eee PC

So I know I don't usually blog about personal stuff here, but I am happily blogging away on my brand new Asus Eee PC 4g. I love this thing; it's tiny, and I'm still getting used to the keyboard setup (very small!) but it's what I expected it to be (excuse any typos while I get the hang of this thing).

I know this blog has been on hiatus recently. I plan to get back to blogging on important and interesting cultural issues soon, and I have some great ideas. But life and other responsibilities have gotten in the way, and that's meant that most of my readership is coming from google searches right now. Plus, we might be getting a couple new writers for the site. I'm still recruiting, so don't forget to check out our submission guidelines on the sidebar.

Before the end of the week, I'll have another Mix Bag up on the site. Next week, expect another feature article (or two) and possibly a new feature for the site, if all goes well. I'll also try to get some more reviews up here, but probably nothing original. If anything, this site needs original reviews instead of the ones I'm already contributing to other publications!

Well, that's about it. Check back soon for more information.

Old articles now up

I've added a few older articles up here to give you readers a perspective on what we're looking for on this site. It's a start, but still not fully what we'll be doing here.

In the next week, I'll have some original articles up here that will give more perspective.

For now, send me an e-mail if you'd like to make a suggestion or want more information.

Also, check out our submission guidelines.

Just getting started

Yesterday, I kicked off this blog with a brief introduction and statement explaining what I hope to do with this thing. Now comes the fun part: getting started.

I've posted a submissions guidelines page because we'd like to get more writers on board. I don't think this thing will work the way I want it to without some varying perspectives on the world.

Right now, I'm leaving this thing open to all types of media and art. However, you'll notice the sub-heading at the top says this site is "A weblog of mixed media + cultural criticism with a literary bent," well, that's just my own perspective because of my own experiences. I know literature, I don't know other forms of art nearly as well (except music, I guess). So that's another reason why I want other writers. The "literary bent" I'm looking for is that I think literature works best when it's allowed to connect with the society that created it, and I think the same applies for other works of media/art.

You'll see a lot of archived reviews, opinions, and essays on the state of the world show up on the site in the next few days. Once I have some of those older articles up, I'll start posting some original stuff that'll be exclusive to the site. Of course, if I get any new writers, I'll add their stuff as well.

For now, sit back and enjoy.

--Kevin

Promote your stuff at There There Kid

Are you promoting something that you think would benefit our readers? Do you have a book, CD, DVD, etc. you'd like promoted? If we like your stuff, we might be able to help.

Please send your official press release, pitch, or self-absorbed e-mail (NOW with more CARROTS!) to: reviews@theretherekid.com. If we like what we see, we'll be in touch.

--Kevin

Become a writer for There There Kid

Do you find yourself ranting and raving about the state of entertainment all alone in your small little corner of the internet, hoping and praying that someone out there might listen? If you, or someone you know, suffers from this ailment, There There Kid is the cure for you.

We are looking for intelligent writers of all types, from all backgrounds and beliefs, etc. The key to a successful writing career at There There Kid is that we expect all of our writers to dig under the surface level of understanding art and culture, and to make original and profound connections between literature, art, music, and the real world.

So here's what we offer:

Reviews: Write short (approx. 100 words per item reviewed) reviews of five or more recent things (of your choice) that compel you and that you think would interest our readers, OR write longer (approx. 500-1000 words) reviews on current media (CD's, concerts, books, art, DVD's, etc.). Review writers will be responsible for posting once a week, and the reviews can be on any topic. This is the requirement, but it's not set in stone; we are flexible if you miss a week or two.

To become a review writer: Submit a short e-mail that attempts to impress us about your abilities to dig deep and expose the topics that interest you, along with at least two previous samples of your past work (published or not), and one article that would be your first published piece on There There Kid, to reviews@theretherekid.com with the subject "Review submission for There There Kid." We will get back to you as soon as we make a decision. Also, specify if you'd like to write the shorter collection reviews or the longer, single reviews.

Essays: If you have a lot on your mind and are able to write about it compellingly, you can pitch your ideas to us and be included as a regular contributor or one time writer. This can be on any topic of interest that involves culture in some way, but we expect it to be original and worth reading (personal rants or journal entries generally do not apply). Most essays will be much longer, requiring more work (and possibly independent research), and will generally be between 800 and 2,000 words. Those who become regular contributors will write an essay once a week, although this is not a strict requirement and we'll be flexible if something comes up.

To become an essay writer: Submit a thoughtful, compelling e-mail describing the topic(s) you'd like to write about, your previous experience, and two samples of your writing (published or unpublished) to reviews@theretherekid.com with the subject "Essay submission for There There Kid". We will contact you as soon as we make a decision.

As always, search our site to see our articles and what might be expected of you, should you become a writer.

*NOTE: At this time we are unable to pay our writers. However, writing for There There Kid is the perfect opportunity for young and aspiring writers to gain experience for the rough and tumble of the publishing industry, and to gain recognition and respect from their peers along the way.

*If you are a member of the press or want something promoted on this site, see our press inquiry page.

Staff

There There Kid is always looking for like-minded individuals who want to help make our site better. We are always in need of people who can devote some time to help us keep everything working behind the scenes with design, programming and Web site maintenance.

If you'd like to get involved, e-mail us.

Staff

Kevin Eagan, Publisher/Lead Writer (e-mail): Kevin has over three years as a writer and editor in the publishing industry. He has written for many local and online publications & blogs, and he lives in the Greater St. Louis Area.

Eric Eagan, Layout & Design/Writer (e-mail): Eric maintains the popular site I Ate The Soap and has developed graphics and design experience over the years. You'll see his handiwork play a part in our site development, especially as we get started.

Matthew Ryan, Writer (e-mail): Matthew Ryan is a journalist embedded in the St. Louis Metro who also writes on pop culture topics at his blog The Horseshoe.

Soon, we'll have a Writer's page up and running.