TRUJ THAT

I'm sorry, I just need to pop back in and point to Mr. Excitement's list of announcements, which includes the very good news that Dan Trujillo is back with a new play! Mark will direct a reading at the Dramatists Guild on September 24. According to Mark, the piece is partially inspired by recent theatrosphere flamewars. Trujillo was the guy who, all the way back in January of this year, told me there was no percentage in getting involved in blogfights. I ignored him, and look at me now! I'm definitely checking this out.

--SlowLearner

Comments

[Joshua James]

Hey Mac,

That's interesting about the blogfights (tho' if Dan wrote about them, there certainly must be a percentage in reading blogfights, heh) . . . I've been personally wrestling with that very thing, as you might recall . . . I've been thinking about writing something about it on the blog, but I don't exactly know where I'm going with it, but I'm definitely conflicted now about enaging folks in debate on blogs . . .

Which is too bad, because I've learned a lot from dialoguing on blogs . . . that's the advantage blogs have over books and newspapers, they're interactive . . .

I remember back in the late nineties when I finally got on the email thing . . . my grad school had a theatre alumni email listserve that was VERY active, lots of debate over many issues such as religion, politics, the constitution and a whole lot more . . . and there are some near geniuses on that list and the debates, oh the debates were so heated and fast and smart it was truly a sight to see, it really was . . .

Now most of that happens on the blogs, everyone has their own thing, but I learned so much about myself from that, especially when it came to expressing myself clearly with written words . . .

Shit, I'm hijacking your blog with a monster comment - it's just what I'm mulling . . . I think a strong vigorous debate can be good, and it's hard to know at times, in the heat of it, if it's a fight for nothing or a challenge of ideas and emotions worth embracing.

[Mac]

Hi Josh!

I never mind long comments.

You know what's funny? I've written a post about this "100 Saints" thing, but I'm scared to put it up. Partly I'm scared of Leonard Jacobs, and partly I'm scared of getting sucked in again. I don't mind a vigorous discussion with lots of disagreement, but sometimes things get personal and awful. The way he misinterpreted your comment over at Isaac's and then viciously condescended to you as a result? I mean, that was just horrible behavior. I actually have complicated feelings about the substantive issue, and even some sympathy with aspects of his position, but I'm scared shitless to go near it.

[Joshua James]

Scared? Mac Rogers? Spawn of Satan?

I'm kidding, of course . . . I know what you're saying . . . I'm not so much scared of anyone on a personal level, of course, as I am of my own temper . . . to be brutally honest, a couple years ago I almost flew to California for the express purpose of punching a nasty blogger and troll (I'm not kidding, this guy was a piece of work, makes Leonard look like Mother Teresa) . . . who really insulted me on a consistent basis, that's how angry that bullying fuckhole made me . . .

But then I realized how ridiculous and stupid I was and must appear to those I love, and I snapped out of it . . .

As you know, my passions can run high for what I believe is right, but the thing I'm more scared of is being the guy I described above . . . someone less than admirable . . . especially now that I'm on the verge of being a father and allegedly an responsible person . . .

I mean, there is something to be said for standing up to bullies and speaking truth to power . . . I truly believe that, and I truly believe that it's part and parcel of our responsibilities as artists, to do that very thing . . .

But it's such a fine line to be arguing over important issues or arguing whether or not someone called you a name that was uncalled for . . . I wrestle with it . . .

[dan]

Thanks for the shout-out. There will be free wine and food at the reading, so yuou should come.

Can I also publicly apologize for missing HAIL SATAN? And for not publicly anouncing my love of UNIVERSAL ROBOTS?

So much to be ashamed of...