Warning: the word “snarky” will be overused in this entry.  I can’t help myself: the sound of the word snarky is just too delicious. 

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While I gain a certain amount of satisfaction from writing this blog, I do feel quite constrained by the confines of political correctness.  A lot of snarky lies within my soul – a lot of snarky - and I long to release it upon this blog, yet my role as a public figure prevents me from unleashing the snark.  Had I thought more about this back at the beginning, perhaps I would have set up this blog [actually, asked my brother to set up this blog…] as an anonymous production.  Though, of course, this is a professional development tool for me, and anonymity would remove that practical element.  Those of you have been with this blog since the beginning will note that I have deleted any specific mention of the library for which I work or the town in which it is located; the closest to anonymity that I can come, seeing as my domain name is my name.

Why anonymity?  Children’s librarians are often perceived as being sweet and non-confrontational, and snarkiness does not fall into the usual children’s librarian’s job description.  Writing as myself, I am well aware of the eyes that see this blog, and am loathe to offend those eyes or cause any sort of controversy: I feel obligated to support the image of me as sweet and kind and unexceptionable.

Yet I long to push the envelope.  On Thursday, Roger Sutton published this entry on his blog, Read Roger:

 http://www.hbook.com/blog/2007/09/kathy-griffin-isnt-only-one-to-drag.html#links   Controversial?  Yes.  Funny?  Yes.  Did it incite discussion?  Yes.  I’m not saying that I’d publish an entry along those lines, exactly, but merely that I’d love to air the snarky without worries.  Sutton’s reputation stands on firm enough ground that not only can he publish such an entry, but he can also link his blog to the website of the Horn Book Magazine.  What grand freedom.  My reputation, on the other hand, is in its infancy, and given my age upon beginning this profession, it probably won’t mature much past toddler-hood before it’s time for me to retire.  (Not that I’ll be able to retire, ever, in this financial climate…oops, was that a bit of snark creeping in???)

Pushing the envelope doesn’t always have to mean being snarky, though, I’ll admit.  On Friday, my clever brother posted this video to his blog: http://www.danielharper.org/blog/?p=1016#comment-4477   Dang!  Wicked creative.  I’d love to think that the only thing standing between me and such creativity is my lack of a video camera and video editing software and gobs of time, but truth is that Dan’s mind works on levels that I can only dream of. 

So I guess I’ll just have to continue to muddle along with non-controversial entries, while my soul longs to be snarky.  How did you like that book you just read, Abby?  Oh, my, I LOVED it [not!  can’t think of a more boring book! – says the inner snark]  How was your day at work, my dear?  Wonderful, as always!  [hmmm, well, actually, it wasn’t a banner day – I was cranky and the air conditioning gave me a stiff neck]  And that performer who came last month?  Oh, my, such a wonderful job!  [dang – I was bored to TEARS!!]

You get the idea.  You’ll just have to read between the lines.  Just remember that the snarky is there, somewhere.