Can You Hear My Voice?

Hello Hello Hello! It's been a while.  Today I am going to take some time in my blog to think about: blogging voice.  What exactly is a bloggers voice? It is how we/they/bloggers talk, how they express their topics of interest, it can even get down to the nitty-gritty of punctuation. I guess this has gotten me thinking a bit about my blog: what is my voice, my style, and my topic? And if that isn't enough to think about. . . how exactly can I develop my own voice to reach the audience I want to reach but still be me?  I think I am having a bit of a blogging identity crisis. . . is there anyone else like me who blogs? What about other ethics of archaeology bloggers?  How do they talk? Are they like me? Or  are they so professional that no one but other scientists find them accessible? Let's take this blog here by a Mr. Paul Barford. I did some poking around through some of his older posts and came across some excellent examples of what I'd personally like to aim for with my blog.  Mr. Paul Barford has an excellent way of combining both expertise in the area of archaeology with the right amount of sarcasm and quick wit.

What is super cool about the way Paul Barford writes his blog is that he doesn't lose his voice.  Now how can you tell this chap is Brittesh, eh?  Well for starters he likes to use a lot of extra 'e's in his words like "atefact" (what I and other US archaeologists refer to as an artifact) and "programme."

He quips about the issues of comparing hunting for artifacts to actual archaeology:

Who is telling them that artefact hunting is amateur archaeology? Is big game shooting (or pheasant shooting) amateur ecology? Is collecting costume 'Barbie' dolls amateur ethnology? More to the point when (if at all) should we consider artefact hunting and collecting amateur archaeology, and when can it not be?

and his quick wit keeps the readers on their toes. Intellectually I find it easy to respect him (maybe it is just the fact that I'm not so used to British English and it sounds super fancy). But he does a good job with hyperboles and sarcasm. Even his sarcasm seems to be founded on a respectable amount of field knowledge.  He comes off as more of an expert with a sense of humor and attitude, passionate about what he works on.  He even goes as far to call Maxwell a pig and then goes on about how pigs don't "talk, drive, or use cell phones."

It's fun to hear things that you'd really only hear someone who is British use to describe the gross exaggeration of "metal detectorists" (also what the heck is a detectorists? not a term I've ever heard a US archaeologist use ever) and "pheasant shootings."

Paul Barford has quite a knack for connecting high level archaeology to a less educated audience through his humor. He asks simple questions not dripping with sarcasm but lightly touched with a sharper edge to the simple words (I just can't help but chuckle thinking that bird hunters are ecologists and kids collecting Barbie dolls are entomologists).

In his "what is archaeology?" we've got some references to cultural phenomenons: BBC, archaeology is rubbish, detectorists, programme, artefacts.  Even his "wot no webpage" not whut or what or wat, but wot, like with a British accent. . . is an excellent example of voice.

Now that I think about it, I guess I don't have to try quite so hard to have the voice I think I need to have to blog. . . maybe just give myself a chance to experiment and let the passionate adventurous archaeologist take over. After-all he really is being who he describes in his profile:

British archaeologist living and working in Warsaw Poland. Since the early 1990s a primary interest has been research on artefact hunting and collecting and the market in portable antiquities in the international context.

Moral of the story: time to flesh out my profile and not just go with what I know but also enjoy the writing adventure ahead.

Profiling Some Pro's

Jason Felch and Ralph Frammolino

Hello again!  So this week we are going to take a look at a few of my favorite blogs from my current blogroll.  I would like to give a shout out to the wonderful blog: http://chasingaphrodite.com/. This blog is written by Jason Felch and Ralph Frammolino who--together--wrote an absolutely fantastic book called "Chasing Aphrodite." Their book is an in-depth investigative-journalist's perspective on the Getty Museum's investigation and scandal regarding looted materials. Excuse me while I geek out about this book (I read it last semester for one of my ethics of archaeology classes): it is totally fascinating to follow the whole process from the looting that occurs at the archaeological sites to the museum cases and everything in between. Believe me I would read it again and again just for enjoyment. It really is that well written and full of intrigue.

Anyway. . . back to blogging. So both men are investigative journalists with the LA Times and are very highly regarded. Their blog and book is called "Chasing Aphrodite: The Hunt for Looted Antiquities in the World's Museums." What is even cooler about the research done by these reporters is that on the blog they have been doing follow ups to the book.Their blog, unlike their book, has more leeway to discuss and include information and articles about sites and struggles with looting in case studies NOT always involving the Getty Museum. I mean check out the Glyptotek (apparently the Getty isn't the only Museum in trouble). There are just so many facts against these museums. . . can you imagine finding those photographs PROVING an artifact looted? It is enough to make an archaeologist foam at the mouth and fairly need to be lead away. But really, what they are doing on their blog is goooood stuff.

Even though these men are not experts in archaeology or ethics, they have spent so much time pursuing the news stories involved in these cases (like Getty Museum) that they are very familiar with a lot of archaeological/ethical issues (very impressive if I do say so myself)! These men have definitely given me a greater level of respect for the time and effort that good journalists will put into their articles and research. I also find it interesting that even though they have written a book, and the case for the Getty has been "closed," they still haven't given up talking about the issue. And that is SOOOO encouraging, very few people actually understand or are aware of the issues that happen within the field of archaeology (or how that matters to them and why they should even care). . . It takes real genuine interest and publicity to get people's attention sometimes. . . just another reason why their blogging is so valuable.

 You'd never even think something was "rotten in the state of Camelot!"

"Chasing Aphrodite" is an academic and professional blog, much like what you would expect from two gentlemen who have dedicated their lives to journalism. The writing is not so full of jargon that it is impossible to follow (as often academics write) and it is not as casual as other blogs which focus more on the humor or 'pathos' -- I definitely feel much more of a logical (logos) kind of approach here. Overall I think it is a very captivating and informative blog. They do an excellent job by linking to other blogs and to more information regarding their posts. I find links to be especially helpful when it comes to fact checking (and as a visual-person who likes to click and look at pretty pictures and new sites).

I know, I know, I know I sound like I am fan-girling here over their blog and work. . . and that probably is surprising considering how critical I've been of things in past posts. . . but hey, I've gotta be honest. I respect these guys a whole bunch for their efforts and for sticking their necks out there knowing--that by challenging big institutions and crime scenes they would be taking a major risk. 

Thank you guys, I take my hat off to you. . . and hope maybe someday to go out there and catch those baddies myself ;)