Chekhov's Mistress

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Café

by Bud Parr

Just six months old, we are fast approaching 300 members at MetaxuCafé. Interestingly, I recently found a member’s site had been closed. He stopped updating his blog because, he said, he was just going to post at MetaxuCafé. Of course I had mixed emotions about this. On one hand, I’m gratified that the Café has become such a place that someone would want to just post there and lose that seemingly sacred self-identity of the personal blog. My only misgiving was that I created the site for people with blogs and this person no longer has one. Despite my initial shock, I’m okay with that; after all, MetaxuCafé is about writing, not blogging really.

So, as with many things I’ve learned this year, I’m redefining what it means to “blog,” and that new definition may not necessarily mean having a blog of your own.


Another thing happened that struck me. When the New York Times cited Dave Munger’s post on their “Best American Fiction of the past 25 years” they listed him at Metaxu Cafe, but not his own site even though it was posted there as well. Did he give something up by being at MetaxuCafé, or did he gain?


I don’t know what any of this means or even if it’s important, but I did create the site with the idea that everyone writing in a central place would be better for readers in the long run and therefore better for the writers too. What I want though, is for everyone to get full credit for their writing, not to just be a poster at MetaxuCafé. So, as I go about planning the next redesign, I’m going to make sure that those that contribute get noticed.


Many years ago working in the bond department at Merrill Lynch – essentially the epicenter of the financial world – I was never excited about making a trade. My boss once told me, pointing out one of the office’s hot-shots, “every time he makes a trade, it’s like making a touchdown.” I never felt that way – the same way I never smiled as a waiter many years before that – but it still took me a few years to get out of the world of finance. We’ve had over 800 posts in the last 6 months, including litblog highlights, and I can happily say every time I see someone post at MetaxuCafé, it makes me smile. I think I’ve found that thing that makes me feel like I made a touchdown.

posted June 09, 2006

comments

What a interesting post Bud! I think we all feel sense of community you have provided with MetaxuCafe. I for one have found a wealth of blogs that I didn’t know about and endlessly updated topics that ensure I stop by many times a day. Thanks to your foresight and innovative drive we have a gathering place to let our voices be heard.

I’m honored to be a member!

    – Steve Clackson (06/09  at  02:38 PM)


Yes, it’s become absolutely essential to me as well, and I am extremely grateful for the time & imagination you’ve put into it.

    – Jenny D (06/09  at  09:18 PM)


You’ve been a ringleader in getting all of us animals together and performing to our best abilities.

Metaxu is a lot of work and we’re so happy and appreciative that you were willing to take on such a project. 

Thanks, Bud.

    – susan (06/12  at  05:22 PM)


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