Lance A Little

I can see why Lance would be described as a strong writer. He's a great storyteller whose writing is often witty and absorbing. But has the freedom of the blogosphere shaped the ideas and writing style of this pundit? Hmmm. I think not, though Lance Mannion has to be a name made up for the blogosphere. Or maybe he's overly influenced by the Hollywood movies he loves to write about from time to time (Rock Hudson with a mighty pen?).

He's at his best, I think, when he's able to make a point around a telling anecdote, like the Charlie Meets Bill story. And, he's capable of writing a short, pithy blog that sings to the blogosphere. But when he gets wound up on matters that are close to his liberal heart he can succumb to long-windedness and a strained attempt at humor. And, the Polanski movie review does not gain enough momentum to keep the typical blogger aboard for some of the humorous swipes he takes at actors and directors along the way.

A number of the so-called strong writers I've seen blogging overly like the style they are used to, to the detriment of their blogging personas. I still think the blogosphere is a terrific place to nurture experimentation and innovation stylistically. But the odds of innovation have to go down the better known the writer is before blogging. I really liked many of Lance's posts, like reading Bob Greene's Cheeseburgers except they're more political. A lot of commenters seem to like him and read regularly. But I'm not in awe of where these thoughts came from, nor do I feel like I'm looking at next year's model.