I was the first in my high school to listen to both The Smiths and Garth Brooks (this was in the late ‘80s, long before Morissey became cool again and before Garth became an annonying version of Meatloaf). I was the first to save my lawn-mowing money to buy a Sinclair ZX-81, long before most people had heard of a “personal computer.” I was the first person I know to use Google and read Arts and Letters Daily. I am, in other words, one of those obnoxious people who revel in telling everyone how I was “ahead of the curve.”
Sometimes, though, I don’t always get on the bandwagon before it rolls out of the gate. I didn’t catch on to blogging, for example, until last October, ahead of the crowds but light years after the initial gang of influential first movers. Since then I’ve tried desperately to recapture my uber-geek status by “discovering” the next must-read bloggers. I have a passion for semi-obscure bloggers the way some rock critics have for unlistenable alt-country bands. I love being able to say, “I knew them before…”
Now I don’t mean to brag, but I’m establishing a pretty good track record for being the first to read the Next Generation of great bloggers. But no one is going to believe me if I wait until after these bloggers become successful before I claim I was of their first readers. Already if I say that I knew Captain Ed before he became the new (more respectable) Drudge or La Shawn before she became the successor to Walter Williams, I get the same response the boys from Fraters get when they tell people they are the reason Hugh Hewitt knows about blogs (which, by the way, is true).
So in order to establish my bona fides as a prognosticator, I want to officially claim that I knew…
…about the Northern Alliance Radio Show before it was syndicated nationally…
…OMF Serge before he became the next Nancy Pearcey...
…John Coleman before he became the next Michael Lewis…
…Nick Troester became the next James Burnham...
…David Koyzis became the next Johannes Althusius ….
…Rusty Lopez became the next Philip Johnson…
…Jeff Clinton became the next Greg Koukl…
…David Wayne became the next John MacArthur…
…Jeremy Pierce became the next Nicholas Wolterstorff…
…Gideon Strauss became the next Herman Dooyeweerd…
…Bill Wallo before he became the next William Goldman…
…Donald Crankshaw before he became the next C.S. Pierce…
…Macht before he became the next Neil Postman…
…the boys from Lean Left before they were hired as writers for Mother Jones.
There are many more bloggers, like Stuart Buck, Mark Byron, or the guys at Southern Appeal, who I’d like to be able to take credit for finding first. But they have either been around longer than I have or were found by others first. I’m always on the lookout, though, for the “next big thing.” Which bloggers am I missing that I should be keeping my eye on?
1
. . .the boys from Lean Left before they were hired as writers for Mother Jones.
I'd kill for that gig! Can I name you as a reference? (I don't think I'm really labor-affiliated enough for them, though. I might fit in better at The Nation - besides which I'm hot for Katrina van den Heuvel.)
I'm impressed you had a Sinclair, though I was never much impressed with the Sinclair's performance (a friend of mine had one). I had a "portable" CP-M computer the size of a suitcase that I bought off a shady guy at a flea market.
As for blog-spotting, the Washington Post is running a "Readers' Choice Best Blogs - Politics and Elections" contest. Nominations to September 3, voting begins September 27, winners announced just before the election. (No prizes announced.)
Thanks for the plug. If I scale the heights of one of the lefty rant-mags, I'll be sure to credit it all to you.
posted on 08.22.2004 7:59 PM2
Whoa! Wow - what an honor to be in this list Joe. Thanks. Should I also thank you for setting the bar for me way up in the stratosphere! ;-)
posted on 08.22.2004 10:34 PM3
You missed The Rebel Alliance
http://www.southernnationalist.org/ra/rebelalliance.html
posted on 08.22.2004 10:42 PM4
…Rusty Lopez became the next Philip Johnson…
ROFL! Oh man that's too easy. I must resist.
5
From your lips to God's ears! Thanks for the link, Joe.
I might remember when you "discovered" me. I found you because you linked to my blog and complained that I had no RSS feed (Jan-Feb?). At the time I had no idea what you were talking about. When I got one (if I remember correctly), you were one of the first people I told via comment on your blog.
posted on 08.23.2004 5:40 AM6
Joe, as always, you're too kind. Thanks for the encouragement.
Bill
posted on 08.23.2004 8:28 AM7
Thanks for the link Joe!
I'm glad you didn't say, "Rusty Lopez evolved into the next Phillip Johnson."
posted on 08.23.2004 10:11 AM8
Thanks, Joe. I will take it both as a compliment and as career advice!
posted on 08.23.2004 2:58 PM9
Just for that, we'll make sure you're the first guest on our inaugural syndicated broadcast. Thanks Joe.
posted on 08.23.2004 3:39 PM10
Thanks so much Joe. What a humbling comliment. BTW, is there any particular reason why I'm the only one of the group in which your scenario requires a change of gender? My wife is asking questions...
posted on 08.23.2004 4:01 PM11
Serge,
BTW, is there any particular reason why I'm the only one of the group in which your scenario requires a change of gender?
Actually, La Shawn is a female and Walter Williams is male so there's already a precedent. And Pearcey is both a sound apologist and a rising star in the evangelical community so I thought she was most fitting.
posted on 08.23.2004 4:21 PM12
Heck, being placed in the same category as anyone on that list blows me away. I actually carry a copy of Colson's and Pearcy's "How Now Shall We Live" on my Palm and read it at idle moments. I'm completely honored and humbled.
posted on 08.23.2004 4:56 PM13
I'm your next great blogger!
Only joking, I have a long, long, long, way to go before I can reach you or anyone that you commented on.
Luckily, I get just as much enjoyment out of reading blogs as I do working on mine.
Thanks for being an inspiration!
14
What are the chances that my blog will ever gain notoriety? Not much, but if it happens you can say you knew about this one too.
It's good to see fellow Christians making an impact!
http://shortattnspan.blogspot.com/
posted on 08.23.2004 11:10 PM15
"…the boys from Lean Left before they were hired as writers for Mother Jones."
Is that compliment? :)
Seriosuly, thanks for the kind words
posted on 08.24.2004 10:52 AM16
Great idea, Joe. I'll forward folks over, and see if we can't generate some more good ideas (my 80-100 readers will surely overpower your commenting system!).
In all seriousness, though, I'd have to throw Avery Tooley's (of Stereo Describes My Scenario) name out there. He's insightful, thoughtful, a gifted writer, and unafraid to take on either the right or the left when it's called for.
posted on 08.24.2004 1:11 PM17
Have to throw in with Jared on the Avery Tooley pick (and I think I beat Jared on the 'discovery' ;-). Great writer and can be passionate while remaining even tempered.
posted on 08.24.2004 4:09 PM18
Ok, memer...I see how it's gonna be.
You're certainly the more prolific commenter there, though, so I guess I'll have to concede...;-)
posted on 08.24.2004 5:05 PM19
I give my own take on this list of future luminaries over on my blog. You have chosen well here Joe- especially with David.
posted on 08.25.2004 5:48 PM20
Have Evangelicals on the Right of the spectrum forgotten a little thing called humility? With the sort of self-congratulatory pandering exhibited here one is forced to wonder.
posted on 08.26.2004 12:37 PM21
Well, at least there is one female blogger on the list...if only I hadn't picked the start of the blogging revolution to get married and raise babies, I might have had a chance at being named the next C.S Lewis...I can dream, can't I? ;D
posted on 08.27.2004 12:44 AM22
Generous of you, Joe! Although my aspirations are less that of being the next Herman Dooyeweerd and more that of getting the ideas of the original Herman Dooyeweerd out to people in words they can understand. I do not dream of being an original thinker, but merely of being a popularizer.
posted on 09.02.2004 10:38 AM