High school life is a time of struggle, regardless of which country you live in or where you study. It is a time for young individuals to form their own characters, often an amalgam of their parents and their peer group, or in the case of the lucky few, a result of their learning. It is also a time of struggle for precocious talent. Sports stars are pressed to do better, train harder, and attract more cash to their schools. Attractive members of the student populace fight to become more attractive and more popular.
And there is also the next generation of writers to consider. Finding a voice is incredibly tough; many fail, instead attempting to adopt the style and language of their favourite published authors. To those that succeed, I raise my hat to you.
Fatuity (With A Grain Of Salt) is the work of a sophomore named Karan (with an ‘a’, apparently), a writer with a voice.
The blog is new, fresh, and like all young blogs faces the threat of becoming stillborn with each day that passes unremarked. Fortunately, there are no gaps in the history of this work; though it stretches back only two months (this and last), Fatuity is packed with highly involved posts, many worthy of comment here. Early in the writer’s online career, Karan takes an insightful look at the phenomenon of real-life stereotypes – those people that make a snug home for themselves in the pigeonholes society has crafted for them.
The site is a little empty, though. The design is wonderfully minimalist and doesn’t distract the reader, which helps, but I’d like to see more content. The page has a random photograph at the top – all of the ones I’ve seen look majestic and wonderful, but I know nothing about them, such as who took them, and with what, and why? The “About” section is prosaic and leads to no useful additional information, which is a shame, considering I have no idea about the name “Karan” and feel like it may be closely related to the effeminate “Karen.”
I also want to know more about the author’s experience with Dengue Fever in the Pacific Rim. I have read tales about Dengue, and know that it is a nasty, nasty virus; an additional post or even a short travelogue separate from the main content would be most welcome.
Otherwise, this is a good site, and could one day become very good. Karan has heard from the site’s detractors, complainants saying the tone is too depressive. It isn’t, I don’t think, and it is worth visiting. With a bit more time invested, and the continued hard work of the writer, it could grow to be a titan in its field. Until that time, I’m forced to give no more than an upper-average grade.