“when blogs band together – a new hybrid form” – examining the phenomenon of multi-blog publications
TPM Café is a new site from Joshua Micah Marshall, author of the immensely popular Talking Points Memo. Building on the success of his personal site, Marshall has set up a veritable fleet of weblogs by an impressive roster of writers, thinkers and activists – both established and first-time bloggers – in what he hopes to become a focal point for liberal political energies.
On the main page, you’ll find the Coffee House, a 13-author blog covering “issues ranging from public policy to the arts, books, science and religion” – the lead stories, as it were. To the side is a list of the cafe’s other blogs. The recently launched TPM Café Book Club will devote a rotating discussion space to a popular book, giving the author the opportunity to expand upon their work and engage with readers (there’s currently an interesting little spar between famed liberal activist Todd Gitlin and “What’s the Matter With Kansas?” author Thomas Frank). America Abroad brings together foreign affairs heavyweights like G. John Ikenberry, Ivo Daalder and Anne-Marie Slaughter to engage the whirlwind of American foreign policy. House of Labor is about “the future of the American labor movement,” while Warren Reports examines the American Middle Class. And there are several other blogs, including an open venue for registered readers, as well as a variety of discussion forums.
TPM Café seems to be off to a good start. It will be interesting to watch how Marshall makes the transition from blogger to editor.