dear diary

Very much enjoyed the first of three tv programmes called “Dear Diary” on Monday evening – about what we get from reading, and writing, diaries. This one was presented by Richard E Grant (who himself is a diarist since childhood). Definitely worth watching. Next week’s will be introduced by Mariella Frostrup. Started me thinking about the differences (and similarities) between keeping a diary and having a blog. Fundamentally, for me at least, I regard a diary as something private and personal (perhaps only discovered by family members after your death); recording one’s thoughts, life events and the like. You can be as brutally honest and critical as you like, exposing all your worries, concerns, shortcomings or whatever. I assume that, for most bloggers (me included), this isn’t the case at all. Although blogging provides an opportunity to air your thoughts/ideas/concerns/delights, you are obviously doing so “in public” and therefore such frankness might not be altogether appropriate! But, having kept a blog for over three years now, I do enjoy occasionally referring back to some event and, of course, the technology also allows for easy access to your blogs under particular headings, such as films or books.
As a result of the tv programme, I’ve been dipping into “The Assassin’s Cloak” again (“an anthology of the world’s greatest diarists” – given to me by lovely friends Mags+Jez in 2004). I’ve just come across the following from Andy Warhol’s diary, which made me laugh: “11 March 1978: I had a lot of dates but decided to stay home and dye my eyebrows”.
Tell me about it!
Photo: Richard E Grant