The Meaning of Blog?

A colleague and reader of this blog (a blogger, herself: http://findyourdreamjob.wordpress.com) had a pop at me this week about my Bath Literature Festival post (below). It was, she said, too critical, too much of a whinge. Well, she may have had a point (though I will steadfastly continue to report the negative side of things, if negatives there be). But the conversation did make me think about the point of blogs.

Why do they exist?
Vanity publishing? Therapy? A chance to make the personal public? To offer new perspectives? To entertain, to inform? To irritate?

Probably all or a selection of the above in most cases. Certainly the blog-as-complaint can make for tiresome reading, though in my defence I was very upbeat about 'Jilted'! As a one-time reviewer of theatre/film/visual arts, I believe in the positive power of criticism. There's enough back-slapping and "darling, you were marvellous" going on in the arts, without me adding to it here.  No-one's work will ever improve without some constructive comment - positive and negative.

On a more general note, I believe the best blog writing takes the micro and makes it macro - espousing a personal view that has the power to resonate with those of us beyond the writer's immediate world. I also think that the outsider's opinion can be of interest. Not being immersed 100% in Frome life, I hope to provide a fresh view of the town, its people and (especially) its cultural offering. It's easy to take somewhere for granted when you live in it 24/7. And while I'm not arrogant enough to suggest that life-long Fromians should take any notice of the ramblings of an upstart weekender, I do at least hope that a different take on the place might be diverting, if nothing more.

PS This morning I received a part refund for the Nick Coleman ticket - thank you, Bath Festivals!