Andrew Sullivan

Before this assignment, I had never even heard of Andrew Sullivan, much less read anything he had written, but after reading his text “Why I Blog,” I have decided that his is a voice worth listening to. I have gathered that he is a credible writer with a well-established career and numerous achievements under his belt. What impresses me most though, is that Andrew Sullivan, this middle-aged man (I’m assuming), has surprisingly young ideas. While most people tend to cling to the customs of their own generations, he seems to have taken on today’s revolutionary ideas (at least those relating to writing) – despite how fast-paced and technological infused they are. He recognizes the importance of falling-in with time, of living in the here and now. And “words, of all sorts,” he writes “have never seemed so now.” This, I think, is the most obvious reason why Mr. Sullivan blogs. He simply will not allow himself to remain unchanged, will not deny himself new opportunities for knowledge, and will not avoid the truth.

More simplistically though, I think Andrew Sullivan enjoys the thrill of blogging. I think he likes sitting in front of the computer, typing out his thoughts for the moment, and noticing how those thoughts may completely change by the time he writes his next post. I think he likes the constant feedback from his readers. I think he likes taking the risks and experiencing the fearlessness that come with blogging. And I think he likes the urgency it commands. He writes that “blogging is to writing what extreme sports are to athletics: more free-form, more accident-prone, less formal, more alive.” I think that analogy just about sums it up.