NPR: Siegel to the 'BPP': Where Are the Comments?

Siegel to the 'BPP': Where Are the Comments?

Lee Siegel takes on the Bryant Park Project, day two

Lee Siegel could deal with a little less "noise."

Jill Krementz

Lee Siegel and his new book -- Against the Machine: Being Human in the Age of the Electronic Mob -- are everywhere right now. Siegel's even quoted on that television thing in our office elevator. The powerhouse critics has agreed to critique the Bryant Park blog and Twitter feed this week.

In our conversation on day one, he cautioned against mere talkativeness, then relished a Tweet about cupcakes. Today he's onto a Tweet about our daily breakfast order, and also an anonymous comment about him. Someone wrote, "Lee Siegel is a genius," and signed it "Sprezzatura." That's Siegel's onetime nom de net, one that got him into something of a pickle, let's say. He's brave about it.

Laura Conaway

3:11 PM ET | 01-29-2008 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

I'm absolutely loving this whole discussion/conversation. The timing is perfect for me. I just started using twitter, somewhat under duress, for work. By searching for NPR I found your twitter feed and blog. Lee Siegel's take on twitter is really interesting, and I'm really enjoying your tweets. (Still having a hard time with that phrase for some reason.) Just thought I'd let you know I appreciate what you're doing. Thanks!

Sent by BB | 4:04 PM ET | 01-29-2008

The irony to which I referred, and perhaps which I should have been more clear about, wasn't that someone make a Sprezzatura joke on the Lee Siegel post.

It would have been ironic if BPP, since comments here are moderated, let that comment go through without getting the inside joke. At least I think it would have been ironic.

Maybe I don't understand the word "ironic."

I do wonder how much the Sprezzatura incident has colored Siegel's analysis and understanding of blogs, and the web in general. It's seems that, instead of gaining insight about how Internet culture works -- distinguishing, for example, between anonymity ("Sprezzatura") and pseudonymity ("Atrios," who's a guy named Duncan and lives in Philly and likes to grill on his roof) -- it's actually pushed him farther away from seeing what's really happening.

Sent by carlo | 5:25 PM ET | 01-29-2008

Wait, did I completely misinterpret what Lee Siegel was saying, or did he just compare himself to Megan Meiers?

Sent by Stewart | 10:17 PM ET | 01-29-2008

Honestly I usually listen/read every day and try to comment where ever I feel I might have something to add, but sometimes I worry about being the only one posting (especially if it's multiple entries in a row).

Sent by alice | 6:12 AM ET | 01-30-2008

Twittering makes me happy. Too much analyzing and it will ruin it for me.

Sent by wareagle | 9:47 AM ET | 01-30-2008

Send a Comment

Comments are reviewed and edited by NPR prior to display. All comments will be read, but not all will be posted.

NPR reserves the right to read on the air and/or publish on its Web site or in any medium now known or unknown the e-mails and letters that we receive. We may edit them for clarity or brevity and identify authors by name and location. For additional information, please consult our Terms of Use.

E-mail this Page

Recipient's e-mail address:	» Up to twelve addresses, separated by commas.
Your e-mail address:
Your name:
Personal message (optional, 600 characters max):
Your NPR member station:	» List of local stations (PDF)
Are you a member of your local NPR station?	Yes No
Would you like to receive information from your local NPR member station? (see NPR's privacy policy)	Yes No
May we contact you with information about NPR programming and services? (see NPR's privacy policy)	Yes No

(Information collected by NPR will be used solely for internal NPR or NPR member station purposes and only if you selected 'yes' above. See NPR's privacy policy for more information.)

Host

Alison Stewart

Welcome to 'The Bryant Park Project'

This new radio show from NPR comes to you weekdays, straight out of New York City. You can find audio and video from us here and in our podcasts. Bryant Park is not a talk show, but it is a conversation. Intrigued? Read our frequently asked questions and discussion rules.