Stunned is the word for the way I feel as a result of the continuing flood of links to the Teachout Cultural Concurrence Index. I’m not even trying to keep up with the responses anymore, but it seems that everybody and his cat is taking the TCCI and commenting on it. (For the final tally of scored responses by “Sites to See” artbloggers–the last one I’m going to post, anyway–go here.) It’s a mystery to me that a quiz I threw together to amuse and edify my readers ended up being the Shot Heard ‘Round The Blogosphere. “About Last Night” has never pulled so much traffic in a single week, and my hope is that at least a few of the strangers who came here to take the TCCI will become regular readers.
Conversely, the response to Friday’s late-afternoon announcement that President Bush will be nominating me to sit on the
National Council on the Arts, about which more here, is only just starting to trickle in. So far, it’s equally gratifying, albeit in a different way. Pre-confirmation etiquette forbids my responding other than in generalities, but I thank all those who’ve written and posted–well, nearly all–for their kind and supportive words. (As for the exception, you know who you are, but believe me, I’m still laughing.)
I’m ramping up to a couple of fairly intense weeks of writing and performance-going, meaning that blogging may get a bit thin at times. Fortunately, Our Girl is back in Chicago, and I’ve no doubt that she’ll take up the slack with her customary verve and charm.
For the moment, be sure to watch this space on Wednesday for a very special group of postings about which I’ll say nothing in advance other than that they mark a great occasion….
UPDATE: The National Endowment for the Arts has just issued a press release about my nomination. To read it, go here.