Xark is a group blog that launched in June 2005, founded on the idea that breaking out of our conceptual ruts is generally a good thing. The number of active authors fluctuates, and there is no set posting schedule.
The blog's most prolific authors are typically Dan Conover (site founder and administrator), of Charleston, SC, and John Sloop, of Nashville, Tenn. Another half-dozen writers and artists post here sporadically. Longtime Xark contributor Janet Edens of Charleston launched her XarkGirl blog here in October, 2008.
The word "xark" (originally "zark") came to Dan in a dream as a descriptive term for the way he was living as a more-or-less independent features writer for a daily newspaper: Full, passionate immersion in one topic, followed by an abrupt change to another, and so on. This "xarking" lifestyle convinced him that everything learned in the pursuit of one topic is somehow applicable to understanding the next.
Hence, Xark is generally a liberal blog, even though it is not a political blog; it concerns itself with science and media and culture, but would seldom be confused for a blog about such things. It is, by intention, supposed to be interested in such things, because such things are interesting. By not focusing on one topic, Xark hopes to prevent the creation of a monoculture, either by itsauthors or by its commenters.
This is not to say that Xark is a democracy. Act like a jerk in the eyes of the site administrator and you will be banned, without appeal or pity. This is where we groove, and that can (and does) often involve disagreement. But if you insist on breaking that groove, we're going to insist you take yourself elsewhere.
Recent Comments