For years, Colin has been trying to explain the way the web works. Not the technical aspects, cause that's a lost cause, but how the current communal dynamic differs from the old professional paradigm, when relationships were often predicated on competition. Today, the more we overtly recognize one another's contributions, the more we further the collective advancement of our profession. We're like fiddleheads, coiling around and around, sharing information and ideas.
I spent the past 5 days in Portland, Oregon at the IACP Conference, and while I have buckets of information to share, I'll be leaving again on Tuesday, so this initial I'm-still-alive! post will be quick and dirty. Here's one nugget: Elise Bauer said the "most important thing" about food blogging right now "is having a spirit of generosity." This means not charging readers for content, not hoarding culinary secrets, and not being stingy with our connections. "This is the jewel," she said. "When you give away what you know, you build real authentic relationships with your readers."
So in an effort to further our authentic relationship -- yours and mine -- I'm giving away a peek at some of my colleagues who made the mistake of standing near me when I had my camera. The universe assures me that your discovery of them and their excellent work will in no way compromise your loyalty to me. Check out their sites, follow them on Twitter, read their musings.
Generosity!
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Meet Vancouver-based Eagranie Yuh. In addition to being very photogenic, she also writes a food blog called The Well-Tempered Chocolatier (get it?) and leads tastings of artisanal chocolates. Follow Eagranie @eagranieyuh.
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Meet two Kims. On your left is Kim Carlson, editorial director at Culinate. On your right is Kim O'Donnel, veteran journalist and soon-to-be cookbook author who leads weekly discussions on Culinate and writes the Licking Your Chops column at True/Slant. Follow Kim C. (& her colleague Mark Douglas) @culinate and @kim_carlson. Follow Kim O'D @kimodonnel.
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Meet San Diego writers Susan Russo and Jill O'Connor. Susan (left) writes the lusciously-photographed Food Blogga, has penned two cookbooks, and freelances for several venues, including NPR's Kitchen Window. Jill (right) should be a familiar name to many of my readers. I've sung the praises of her books Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey and Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey Treats for Kids on several occasions. Follow Susan on Twitter @FoodBlogga, and encourage Jill to blog and Tweet. She currently does neither, but will do both by the end of 2010 (I've just unilaterally decided). Here's Jill's website.
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Meet Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan, founding editor of The Kitchn, a beautiful food and cooking site and part of the larger Apartment Therapy family. (If you like design and don't know about these sites, you don't know jack.) Follow Sara Kate on Twitter @sarakategr and @thekitchn.
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Meet Sarah Henry. Sarah had the dubious honor of rooming with me for 5 nights, so she now officially knows more about me than anyone really should know, and that's alarming. Sarah is an Oz-born, Berkeley-based journalist and the voice behind the blog Lettuce Eat Kale. Follow Sarah on Twitter @lettuceeatkale.
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There are several Portland-based artisan food producers, one very special bakery owner, and a cookbook author I will be writing separate posts about in the coming weeks. Tomorrow, I shift gears entirely, heading to Phoenix for the 10th annual Food & Community Gathering. (Follow my tweets @sternmanrule.) Bear with me a few days longer while I get through all this travel, and then I'll return to our regularly scheduled programming. In the meantime, enjoy my colleagues' sites.
Be a fiddlehead, form a community, and share.
