About this Page: In Praise Of…

I am really not the greatest critic. 

I say this as someone who, in the past, has been unfairly judgmental of people’s work based on nothing but my own strange baggage. I'm decent when it comes to cracking jokes at others’ expense - I’ve even been paid to cut down things people have put a lot of hard work into, but nobody gets anything out of that.

That kind of writing only ever brought me a sense of pointless self-satisfaction over people who are just trying to share work that means something to them. The laughter I get out of being a dick comes at the cost of thoughtful discussion of work that deserves better attention and respect. It isn’t a lack of humor, or me losing my sense of it. It’s just a part of getting older.

This is why I do not call myself a critic, even if what I write could fall under its technical definition. You live through the era of Pitchfork reviews, you watch every episode of Siskel and Ebert, you turn 30, and suddenly being smug just gets exhausting. Leaving that shitty review to fester in Google search results isn't exactly fair to whoever you're writing about, and doubly so when you barely put any thought into your own criticism to begin with. But flogging myself over growing up is just another brand of irritating, so I intend to end that here.

This is in no way an admonishment of actual criticism, or critics in general. The world needs more critics who have a little grace, and I admire those who try. There is always space for thought-provoking critiques of all kinds of work. While I’m capable of that kind of writing, I simply choose to leave that to others who are better at it - those who take much more care with how they approach the things others have put into this world. That’s their realm, not mine, and it took me a little while to realize that.

Life is too short for me to fixate on things I don't enjoy, but I'm happiest when I get to praise the things I love - music, books, movies, or games that I think are worth my time, and might be worth yours. Now whether or not reading my praise is a waste of your time is up for debate, but I'll try my best. I'm just a witness to others trying to express their lived experiences, as I try to do the same with mine. If what they share is something I find moving in any way - beautiful, or funny, or simply fun - I’ll write about it. I hope you can find something enjoyable out of what I share.