"In my opinion..."
Dec. 31, 2002
My 15 Minutes of Fame
Sooner or later I knew my vanity press would garner the attention of the real publishing world. Of course, I was expecting the attention a little sooner, but none the less, I'm pleased to announce that my web publishing has finally paid off. I have been quoted in the Seattle Times and identified as a Seattle essay writer (reporter's choice of words, not mine). A University of Washington Atmospheric Scientist and I shared the sidebar of a full-page article on how people in the Northwest cope with our long winter nights. I don't know how the reporter came to quote the scientist, but I do know how I came to such prominent exposure: the Internet.
Apparently the Times reporter simply went to Google, did a search on "Seattle and sunshine" and found one of my essays from several years ago. She e-mailed me for permission to quote me and asked for a picture. Of course I said yes. I hastily had a student take a digital photo, e-mailed it back to the reporter, and nearly forgot about the whole incident since the reporter wasn't positive I'd make it past the design editor. My picture and quote leaped out at me in a full-page Sunday Times feature article.
The juxtaposition of my words with the atmospheric scientist's comments pleased and surprised me. I mean, who the hell am I, really, except a woman who enjoys writing for anyone in the world willing to read my thoughts? My pithy statement made it into the newspaper not because I am well known, but because the Internet is well-used. Whether you consider this evidence of creative research or lazy reporting, the bottom line is that what I write, what ANYONE writes on the Internet, receives attention and gains credibility as published work. So sayeth a Seattle Essay Writer.