Mark, thank you! I feels honored.

Reuven

While its always a pleasure to receive the recognition of my peers and editors for my writing, these two instances are especially nice, because a)neither escaped contreversy which always makes for, how shall we say, lively comments, and b)since the first was fiction and the second very heartfelt, I had more personal attachement than usual to both.

So thank you Scott and thank you Diana.

Ruvy, Does Honored have something to do with your email address?

Cheers Richard Marcus

Richard,

LOL - You have a sick mind...

hey, wow! thanks natalie, joan and lisa. its an honor.

Thanks Dave :) I thought for sure there'd be controversy....

WOOOO!!! I AM THE GREATEST!! I AM THE REVIEW MASTER!!!


(Nooo... be humble... gracious.)



I AM TEH KING OF THE INTERNETS!!!!


(Dang it John, how is that humble? This is an honor. You act like it.)



WOO THANKS NATALIE JOAN AND LISA FOR RECOGNIZING MY GREATNESS!!!111! SAN DIMAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL RULES!!!!!1

(...You are an idiot.)

Ok, ok. Serious this time. Kidding aside.

Editors, I really can't tell you how much I appreciate the attention and recognition you gave my Cheap Trick review. Still, I'll try. I'm a prolix little bastid.

Ten years ago one of my life's goals (I think modestly) was to be a record reviewer for some publication that people I know would actually pick up and read. At the time, such a publication was the Cleveland Scene, the local free weekly rag in the land of the burning river.

Now, ten years and many other goals down the line, I find myself writing record reviews for an outlet which lets me do exactly that, on a national level. Moreover, the Cheap Trick review in this week's Picks, as well as a number of my other pieces, have been syndicated to the Advance.net network, which includes the online presence of none other than... The Cleveland Scene.

Mission accomplished!!

Another thought on that same note. A little while ago I wrote an obituary of Ali Farka Toure, the African guitarist, which included some very personal thoughts about the man, his importance, and what it felt like to meet him in person and see him play live.

Later that week I met some friends for dinner, and one of them told me a funny story. You see, she found out that Ali had died through a headline feed on Google News. She clicked on the obituary, read it, was touched by it, and thought that it was something that other people ought to read. She was all ready to send the link to the obit she found my way, thinking it was the perfect piece to break the sad news to me, when she read the byline at the bottom.... my byline.

I can say with confidence that this means that I rock.

It really is an honor and a pleasure to have BC as an outlet for my periodic brain drippings.

Richard, it took me a second to remember that you are Gyspyman. I'm still getting used to your "new"
identity.

The Masked Movie Snobs appreciate the dual recognition on their path towards global domination.

Thanks gang! And such illustrious company too...!

Before I get to the serious business at hand, offering a choice for the next round of awards, a responce.

Ruvy: I'd hoped you'd see that, and thank you sir, I've worked long and hard to find my spot in the gutter.

Scott: Yeah, I'm having problems with it too, as gypsyman keeps popping in places all over the web, and I'm left wondering who I am.

Seiously now, I would like to pick John Spivey's latest piece "On Writing: The Truth of Why I Write" as my pick of the week for the week ending on Tues. March 21.

As usual John efortlessly talks about matters like grace without affectation and with humility. He seems to have an inate ability to go where most writers fear to tread and walks with assuarance through those topics. It is always a pleasure to read his thoughtful and heartfelt prose, and in this case poetry as well.

Richard Marcus (The writer formally known as Gypsyman aka beady eyed (registerd trademark Al Bargar 2006))

Ah well Jeez, Richard. Gypsyman. Whatever. Thanks for the kind words. 's funny... if I come across on the page as thoughtful or heartfelt or witty or whatever, it means that I have managed to completely obscure the raging infantile a-hole that I really am. If I can scrape together the money for Vega$ in August, you'll see proof that in real life I'm about as functional, witty and urbane as the first meeting of the Iraqi Parliament.

In other news, I thought Dan Baiocchi's review of Julie & Julia, a book I enjoyed almost as much as his review, was worthy of much more attention.

Thanks also for your kind recognition!

I hate to do a "me too" for my pick, but Dan Baiocchi's Julie & Julia review is indeed quite excellent and worth noting. I've been meaning to check that book out.

I completely love it that you guys are getting into the spirit of things and making picks! It would help me no end if you could please email them to me, so they don't get lost in the shuffle! My email is the clickable link at the end of the second intro paragraph. Thank you kindly!

"if I come across on the page as thoughtful or heartfelt or witty or whatever, it means that I have managed to completely obscure the raging infantile a-hole that I really am."

You haven't. Richard was talking about John Spivey.

In which case, if you meet me ever, you'll find that I can also be a bit... dense.

Whoa, I had no idea that Erin chose my First Love article. Thank you, Erin!

For what it's worth, this is still the linkyou go to when you click on editor's pick from the leaderboard page.

It made me have flashbacks

Not that flashbacks are bad, of course

Incidentally you list the I Write Romance item twice in a row.

That's because it was chosen by two different editors.

I knew that.

:)