Listics

Jeneane Sessum started a conversation on diversity that was promptly taken up by many in our circle.  Or perhaps it just re-emerged and no attribution is needed.  Anyway, Halley Suitt suggested that we encounter our lack of diversity by finding "Ten New Voices."  My disclaimer on this is that I’ll play as long as people understand that these are new to me, even if they aren’t new to you!     I’ve gone this way and that on playing.  Lisa Williams did a quick list of ten people who fit the rules:

1.  They can’t be male if they are white;
2.  You must have five women and five men;

3.  You must have at least three non-Americans.

I quibbled with her:

"Yeah but, just because Joi is a non-white, not American, Japanese guy, how can we say he’s a new voice?"

"Just shut up Frank.  You’re so annoying."

I’m pleased to see that my interpretation has legs, based on this post today.  On the other hand it makes it that much harder to find a so called "new voice."  I’m pleased to say that there are two people I’ve added to my blogroll today who for me are new voices.

1. Keith Jenkins.  How have I missed Keith?  Well, I have, that’s all.  He’s a prominent journalist with deep roots in the web, and I’m glad to have learned of his work.  (Thanks to Dave Winer who linked to Steven Levy who said,

Rebecca MacKinnon, writing about the conference as it happened, got a
response on the "comments" space of her blog from someone concerned
that if the voices of bloggers overwhelm those of traditional media,
"we will throw out some of the best… journalism of the 21st century."
The comment was from Keith Jenkins, an African-American blogger who is
also an editor at The Washington Post Magazine [a sister publication of
NEWSWEEK]. "It has taken ‘mainstream media’ a very long time to get to
[the] point of inclusion," Jenkins wrote. "My fear is that the
overwhelmingly white and male American blogosphere… will return us to
a day where the dialogue about issues was a predominantly white-only
one."

Okay, now check this out.  This is by way of what the maoists in the commune used to call "self-criticism."  Rebecca was referencing Keith Jenkins on March 4.  Halley referenced him Monday.  I ran into him on a link search inspired by Levy’s citation, and now I’ll list him as a new voice, because I "found" him on the web.  I think Shelley could make something of this, but for now I’ll forgive myself with a shake of the head.

2.  My second "new voice" is Lisa Stone, Surfette.  This link is also due to the prodigiously linking Dave Winer.  Stone and a group of other women bloggers are talking up a BlogHERcon meeting. 

There, I’ve consciously added two new people to my blog roll who meet the "Ten New Voices" criteria. 
For others out there who are interested in diversifying the community, I commend to you a Madison blogger I ran into through the good offices of Jonathon Delacour sometime in the last year or two… Chan Stroman, The Bookish Gardener.  Ms. Stroman is not a new voice to me, and therefore not a token on my game board (… do I have to tell you that yes, I’m generally conscious of my use of language?)  Anyway, she writes beautifully about gardening and many things cultured, and I recommend that you check out her blog if you have an interest in living well and living good, regardless of the color of your thumbs.