Lucy, grad student
Meet Lucy. She’s a twenty-something grad student by day and opera-goer by night. Not a singer, not a music student, but increasingly obsessed with opera in NYC. For Lucy, blogging is an outlet for her unbridled enthusiasm for the classical arts (one in particular) and an impetus to self-education.
Her blog is called “Opera Obsession.” However, don’t go to Opera Obsession expecting to get the 4-1-1 on Lucy. Not much personal information on her blog at all. You will, however, learn more than you ever dreamed possible about opera and classical music reading “Opera Obsession” (and the comments–the comments are packed full of insights, too.)
Opera Obsession: a vibrant, exquisitely wrought online resource of reviews and loads of other info for opera enthusiasts
Opera Obsession, which dates back to January of 2010, is an exquisitely wrought and meticulously written compendium of opera and classical reviews with a liberal dose of her insights and academic expertise thrown in.
Welcome to Operatoonity, Lucy! And let me thank you publicly for being a devoted blogging colleague to so many of us who do what you do (“Operatoonity” included) by carefully reading and generously commenting on our posts.
O: How did you get your start?
L: I started blogging for a number of reasons. For one thing, I’d had the prose organization of a recent academic essay excoriated, and thought that this might make a good sphere for practice. For another, my father had been suggesting for some time that I should write about my opera-going experiences in some other, more public format than the rambling e-mails I would send him, decorated with multiple exclamation points! Perhaps most selfishly, I wanted to give additional direction to my own opera obsession. Blogging was a good motivation to be more organized in how I researched opera, and good training in how to process it. One of my biggest hopes was that I’d be helped along in my process of self-education about opera through readers chiming in with additional information and shared or contrasting opinions.
O: What have been your biggest challenge and your biggest thrill thus far in your opera blogging?
L: Biggest challenge? I’d say “finding the time,” but, honestly, I couldn’t keep myself away from reading about and going to the opera if I tried! Biggest thill? The opportunity to have online discussions with other, often more experienced opera lovers; the longer the comment threads are, the better I’m pleased. And it’s always nice to be quoted by companies or singers.
O: Do you have a favorite post?
L: The answer to that is the same as to “What’s your favorite opera?” — I couldn’t possibly choose! It’s always most exciting, of course, to write about the really great nights, the ones that make your hair stand on end and remind you of all the reasons you love opera… and maybe show you a few new ones.
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