As to the origins of A Shroud of Thoughts, in the mid-Naughts blogs were something of a fad. I had a lady friend at the time who had her own blog and it looked like fun, so I decided to start my own. As to the title, at the time it was fashionable for blogs to have names containing the word "thoughts" or something similar like "musings" and so on. I then settled on the phrase "a shroud of thoughts" from Lord Byron's Childe Harold's Pilgrimage canto iii stanza 113 (I won't quote here, as over the years I think I have quoted it enough). I have to admit that I have since regretted it. Since the blog very quickly evolved from a general interest blog to a blog devoted to pop culture, nostalgia, classic movies, classic films, Old Time Radio, classic comic books, and pulp magazines, I think perhaps I should have chosen a more fitting name! Unfortunately, by the time I realized I should have chosen a better name than A Shroud of Thoughts, the blog already had a readership and I thought it would confuse people if I changed the name.
If 18 years seems very old for blog, I can tell you that in many ways it is not unusual. Immortal Ephemera is older than this blog, dating to 2002. Inner Toob is about a month and a half older, starting in April 2004. Both The Stop Button and Laura's Miscellaneous Musings go back to 2005. The Rap Sheet dates to 2006. My friend Raquel started Out of the Past in 2007.And these aren't the only blogs that are well over ten years old out there. While most blogs won't last one year, it's not as unusual for a blog to last well over a decade as one might think.
Sadly, some of my fellow long time bloggers are no longer with us. Steve Bailey, who ran the blog MovieMovieBlogBlog died last fall. His death took me entirely by surprise. He was only a little older than me, although his health was not particularly good. Steve had a wonderfully twisted sense of humour and he was active in many blogathons. He was a huge fan of The Beatles and perhaps the biggest Jane Russell fan I ever knew. It was on March 7, only three days before my birthday, that beloved blogger Patricia Nolan-Hall, known to her friends as Paddy Lee, died. In the classic film and television blogging community, I don't think anyone was more loved than Paddy. She not only posted to her blog Caftan Woman often, but she read a large number of blogs and more often than not commented on them. She was participated in many blogathons. Paddy was warm and approachable, a ray of sunlight even when the world seemed dark. I miss both Steve and Paddy immensely, and thinking of both of them still brings tears to my eyes.
Anyway, I would like to think those of you who have continued to read this blog over the years. It truly has been a labour of love, and it is largely because of your support that I have continued to post to this blog even through my darkest days.
It is my custom on each of A Shroud of Thoughts' anniversaries to share my favourite posts from the past year. Here they are then, my favourite posts from June 5 2021 to June 4 2022.
"William Haines and Jimmie Shields: The Happiest Marraige in Hollywood" June 24 2021
"Vanessa Marquez on Culture Clash," June 26 2021
"Saturday Morning Musical Kid's Shows of the 1960s and 1970s Parts One Through Five" July 12-17 2021
"The Media and Vanessa Marquez," August 30 2021
"The 50th Anniversary of Columbo," September 15 2021
"Car 54, Where Are You? Turns 60," September 27 2021
"The 60th Anniversary of NBC Saturday Night at the Movies," September 23 2021
"Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965)," October 23 2021
"The 30th Anniversary of Locked Up: A Mother's Rage," October 29 2021
"Broken Arrow the TV Series," November 19 2021
"Brute Force (1947)," November 22 2021
"Hans Conried: Scene Stealer in Radio, in Movies, & On Television" December 4 2021
"The 53rd Birthday of My Dearest Vanessa Marquez," December 21 2021
"The 50th Anniversary of Sanford and Son," January 14 2022
"Sounder (1972)," February 20 2022
"All Lies End in Murder (1997)," February 22 2022
"Maverick: 'Hadley's Hunters,'" March 19 2022
"Wendy Goldman on ER," April 24 2022
"Perry Mason: 'The Case of the Final Fade-Out," May 6 2022
"The Resurgence of Western Comic Books in the Late 1960s and Early 1970s" Parts One, Two, and Three, May 19-21 2022
"Little Shop of Horrors (1960)," May 26 2022
Wow! 18 years is a huge accomplishment--congratulations!
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work Terrence. Your efforts do not go unnoticed.
ReplyDeleteLovely post and congratulations on this inspiring milestone - I'm only 6.5!! xx This year has been pretty sad losing two unique and talented bloggers, do miss them both in their own ways - always remember Steve's crush on Adrienne Barbeau and Paddy for all those reasons and more. Love your voice on all things pop culture, especially your touching posts on those we've lost.
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