The Future of Classics Considered

My book-related endeavors online consist of this blog (Classics Considered) and my YouTube channel. I’ve been doing this for quite some time. It is a constant in life and the thing I find most meaningful. I intend to be a book blogger and vlogger the rest of my life.

At the same time, I’ve started a new career in design—a job I’m wholeheartedly excited about—and, though I’m not exactly starting at square one, there is an infinite world of new ideas and skills to learn. I can’t fit all this learning into my work hours. It’s going to take some personal time, too.

So… I will be posting less frequently than I used to, but with more intention and quality. (Finding inspiration again from Steven Kraaijeveld—in different seasons of life, he is not the most frequent book reviewer, but everything he posts is of high caliber.) For example, I used to write in-depth, ongoing commentaries on long books, such as The Brothers Karamazov and Seven Pillars of Wisdom. I will get back into this with Middlemarch by George Eliot, which I’m reading right now. And my Classics index has served us well over the years, but it is high time to sift through over 10 years (!) of reviews, pull out the gems I’m most proud of, and highlight those for current and future readers to find more easily.

On the YouTube channel, there will be similarities—a combination of long-form videos like my Crime and Punishment analysis and some shorter poetry readings. I cannot upload weekly anymore, but a really good video once a month or so could be worth waiting for. There are opportunities to improve video quality and creativity in how reviews are shared. (What I learn for work will help here, too!) I might even bring back the podcast… I keep thinking about it…

As infrequently as I already post, this explanation was hardly necessary, but writing it out helps me feel clarity and express what I am trying to do. While viewership grows steadily, I have decided I do not have the heart nor the time to pursue the YouTube algorithm, in spite of how much I admire those who are able to do so. My journey must continue at a tortoise pace, taking another branch in the road, and always looking ahead for brighter days and mountaintops.