My initial impressions of My Drivel are as one would expect in terms of a Blogspot site. The design isn’t particularly spectacular, however, I was charmed by the teddy bear at the top of the page. It added a certain feel of innocence to the tranquil colors of the site. I also found the About Me portion of the right-hand column to be particularly witty and clever, and it heightened my expectations for the rest of the blog.
From the first entry I read, it became apparent that this blog is by no means ordinary. The author rarely mentions the every day. Indeed, he seems to forgo the normal diary format of blogs in favor of a memoir approach. This approach, with it’s myriad possibilities, should pique the interests of most readers who’ve grown tired of the usual “So today I went to work…” It also works on the level of familiarity. The blog could easily be an actual memoir one would find tucked away at a library.
What’s more, the author is eager to air his laundry, dirty or otherwise. He talks about childhood run-ins with pot, being shot on the same night as Bobby Kennedy, and other anecdotes of his family history. When I eventually got around to reading the biographical page, (I was engrossed in the blog) I learned that this was what the author intended it to be: a collection of memories to pass on to the next generation. This in and of itself makes the author likable, and his tales more entertaining.
We feel genuine empathy for him. It isn’t that his stories are extraordinary, in fact, it is the direct opposite. His stories have wide-ranging appeal, and he seems to have the Rumplestiltskin-like ability to spin gold out of everyday life. Come for the teddy bear, stay for the wealth beneath it.
In addition to the blog, which spans all of 2003 into 2004, we’re given an extra rare to the blogging world: actual family photos. This makes perfect sense, given the Mr. Hernandez’s admitted motivation in writing, however, they had volumes to the site’s appeal.
The design leaves some to be desired, as is to be expected of most Blogspot blogs, but this isn’t a flashy design sight. It’s great value is solely in it’s prose. My advice to Mr. Hernandez would be to switch the archives from weekly to monthly, so as to make the right-hand column more user-friendly. I also recommend adding a search feature, if possible, so an inclined reader could find each and every entry about Steve.
Overall, My Drivel is a great read. It sparkles with originality and comfort. The concept of memoirs-via-blog is an ambitious one, but here we see it executed with near flawlessness. With gentle, empathetic charm, it makes an excellent and unique daily read.My Drivel