Interview with the Rhetorical Letter Writer Blogger

The blogosphere is filled with all sorts of people who are trying to present their unique view on the world. While many fail to keep up with the demands of keeping blogs fresh, there are a few great bloggers that need to be recognized for their work. One such rising figure in the blogosphere is The Rhetorical Letter Writer, who has agreed to answer a few questions about the method to his madness and the future of his wonderful blog.

First, a primer on the concept behind this blog. The idea of using rhetorical letters may be difficult to wrap one's head around without evidence, but the author does a great job of navigating the hypocrisies and humorous events that come up in everyday lives. In a recent letter entitled, "Dear MySpace," the Letter Writer demonstrates his frustrations with the titular peer networking web site for deleting his personal site for no good reason. In another letter, called "Dear Mr. Potato Head," the Letter Writer weaves in a simple humorous observation about the ubiquitous children's toy with a commentary on our obsession with plastic surgery. However, the Letter Writer does not use a formula that can be repeated into the ground like a bad Saturday Night Live skit. Rather, his scatological thinking and free styling manner are refreshing and keep readers on their toes.

Nick: What was your motivating force for beginning your own blog? Have you been a writer or artist prior to writing this blog?

Rhetorical Letter Writer: In my day job, I'm an advertising copywriter. It's a great deal of fun, but the sad reality is that most of my ideas end up in a garbage can. The Rhetorical Letter Writer came to life as a result of my desire to create a project I'd have complete control of. I wanted to produce work no one could alter or kill or f*** with. For better or worse, it's my voice and my voice alone.

N: How did you come up with this idea of using the rhetorical letter method?

RLW: I don't really remember. It just felt like a format that was pretty fresh and had potential to go long-term. I'd never seen any other blogs use a letter-writing format.

N: How do you think Rhetorical Letter Writer compares to other blogs that deal with popular culture? Have you consciously tried to distinguish yourself with this unique approach or is it a more organic process that has just worked out for the best?

RLW: I didn't consciously try to differentiate myself. Just tried to write in my own voice and not worry about too much else. It was definitely an organic process. When I wrote my first post, I had no idea I'd still be writing the blog ten months later.

N: Forgive me for the analogy, but your blogging format reminds me a bit of David Spade's "Hollywood Minute" bit on Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update years ago. In many ways, Spade was doing us a favor by skewering Hollywood from the inside but it slowly got tired when Spade's own popularity damaged his critical eye. How do you keep you overall letter writing scheme fresh?

RLW: It's not easy. Being funny and fresh isn't something I can conjure up on demand. When I began, I was writing five letters a week. Now, I publish only when I'm inspired. Still, it's somewhat stressful keeping the quality bar as high as I can.

N: Do you have an editorial process for deciding what you address in your letters or does the nature of blogging allow or require you to be more loose with the areas of popular culture that you address?

RLW: Not really. I write what's on my mind. One day, it's a topical issue. Another day, it's a funny photo someone sends me. The next day, it's a dumb thought that enters my head while I'm beat boxing in the shower.

N: Are there areas of popular culture that you particularly like or dislike to deal with in your blog?

RLW: There's no area of pop culture I tend to focus on or stay away from. I just write about stuff I'm interested in or find funny. Which, come to think of it, is pretty much everything.

N: What do you think the most rewarding quality of blogging is?

RLW: It's a great feeling to write what's on my mind and discover that some people out there actually give a s***.

N: The most frustrating?

RLW: It's hard to meet chicks as an anonymous blogger.

N: Do you have any future plans for expanding/changing Rhetorical Letter Writer? Perhaps an e-book or more traditional anthology of Rhetorical Letters? Or is it best not to mess with a good thing?

RLW: I've definitely thought about how to push this project to another level. Maybe it's a book. Maybe it's a live performance. Maybe I find a path to syndication. We'll see. For the time being, I'm pretty happy just being a guy with a blog.