The Discarded Image brings changes in 2012
The New Year represents change for most people. When we first began The Discarded Image, it was with the hope of producing lengthy and substantive book reviews (fiction and non-fiction) and engaging the serious reader.
The difficulty we ran into was one of time management; The Discarded Image is not a full-time job—and definitely not a paying gig—and our actual full-time jobs demand some significant time. If we found the time to read, it was not as easy to find the time needed for writing. If content is king—and it is—this makes running a successful blog difficult.
With this in mind, The Discarded Image will be approaching 2012 with a few resolutions.
Resolution 1: Broaden the scope and purpose of The Discarded Image. The Discarded Image focuses on the hunt for belief changing ideas. An “image” is that idea, worldview, or perspective that any individual adheres to because it appears, for the moment, to make sense of the world. That image can be “discarded” for a new one, when new evidence presents a better perspective for understanding the world.
Going where the evidence leads is a journey beyond literature. While book reviews will remain central to this blog, we will also include more frequent, but shorter posts noting significant articles, videos, or podcasts that challenge our perspectives on issues of science, philosophy, or religion.
Resolution 2: Reviews will be shorter (600-950 words). The goal of a review at DI is not only to say what the book is about, but why it should be read. While the negatives of a book won’t be ignored, the purpose of the review will be to highlight those books that contribute to the theme of this blog without demanding more than the average time a reader is willing to dedicate to reading online. Shorter reviews will hopefully provide for quicker turn-around.
Resolution 3: Be more social. While The Discarded Image is on Twitter and Networked Blogs on Facebook, there is a need to make our content more assessable. With this in mind, we will be launching a Google Plus page, Facebook Page, and connecting this blog more thoroughly to this activity. Readers will find more ways to interact and share content.
With these three resolutions in mind, 2012 can be a far more active year at The Discarded Image and we hope you’ll join us in conversation.
About Author
Brandon G. Withrow
I’m an author, a blogger at The Huffington Post and Assistant Professor of the History of Christianity and Religious Studies. You can find me at BrandonWithrow.com, Twitter, and Google+. Full Bio
