You’ve probably noticed that things have been relatively quiet around here lately. I haven’t been on vacation or anything like that. Rather I’ve been figuring out the future, not of the book, but of me. After much personal consideration, and discussion with the group here, I’ve decided that now’s the time for me to move on from the Institute after three and a half fantastic years. I’ll still be a part of the general Institute community, and will continue posting here periodically, but as of now my leadership, management and production roles will be phased out. I’m not yet sure where I’m headed next.
It’s surreal looking back on the beginning of this place, and of this blog. I came to this work as sort of a blank slate, a liberal arts refugee (to borrow a term of Dan’s), a theater major a couple of years out of college with practically no knowledge or experience in the field of new media and the Web, but deeply interested in the questions we were asking, and I suppose blessed with a naiveté that enabled me to jump headlong into new territory without knowing what the hell I was doing. There’s an old rabbinical adage from somewhere: “do first, understand later.” Not that I fully understand now, but I’ve definitely learned a thing or two.
This blog has been a deeply rewarding, at times agonizing place of discovery for me, a way of educating myself publicly. I thank everyone who has taken the time to read my thoughts, ramblings and observations here, and especially those who have weighed in in the comment stream, which is where so much of the thinking gets refined, corrected and improved. Finally, I thank my colleagues past and present who have been so smart, so challenging and, above all, so different from me, which is what has always made this such an interesting place.
I plan to continue in this field (whatever you call it – ?publishing, new media, web stuff…), and also to pursue other interests that have reawakened during my time here (namely that most unmediated of art forms, live theater). It may be a little while before I settle on my next big project. I welcome any ideas and advice.
Lest I get too elegaic, I’ll stop there. More regular posting should resume before too long.