"I've been inspired by José Saramago's extraordinary blogs, which he posted when he was 85 and 86 years old. They were published this year in English as The Notebook. I read them with amazement and delight. I never wanted to blog before. I've never liked the word blog — I suppose it is meant to stand for bio-log or something like that, but it sounds like a sodden tree-trunk in a bog, or maybe an obstruction in the nasal passage... But seeing what Saramago did with the form was a revelation. Oh! I get it! I see! Can I try too? My trials/attempts/efforts (that's what "essays" means) so far have very much less political and moral weight than Saramago's and are more trivially personal. Maybe that will change as I practice the form, maybe not. Maybe I'll soon find it isn't for me after all, and stop. That's to be seen. What I like at the moment is the sense of freedom."