Reader of the Week: Sarah “Spy”

Part of your life is missing, and it’s this reader’s blog, SARAHSPY

By Kirsten Kilponen
Published: May 25th, 2009 | 12:00am

What are you missing out on right now while you’re sitting there not reading Sarah “Spy’s” blog? Fish from Peru that are bigger than people, French art, and a grilled cheesecake sandwich, that’s what. This Brooklyn-based blog of pop culture nonsense presents some pretty awesome discoveries of societal absurdities, which won her a coveted Blog of the Day Award back in ’08. But before you whisk yourself off to the wonderful world of SARAHSPY, mentally prepare yourself first by checking out her VZ interview about her blogging motivations, her favorite book of the moment, and the advice she has for all of you out there who want a piece of the personal blog pie.

What made you start a blog in the first place?

I started SARAHSPY in October ‘07 after getting positive feedback from friends on my sporadic MySpace blog posts. I stick with it because writing about pop culture nonsense helps keep me cheery and light-hearted even on horrible days. It's a great outlet for what my Mom calls my "warped sense of humor."

Your blog has everything from quotes about Christopher Walken to dolphin sex. How do you filter through all the junk on the Internet and choose what will go on your blog?

I don't set out to cover pop culture comprehensively, but rather to share bits and pieces I personally connect with-- whether it be a YouTube clip that cracked me up for 10 minutes, or a ridiculous diatribe about Kanye West's overuse of AutoTune.

What are your top favorite things you've ever found online?

Here are my top 3 favorite YouTube clips:

1. Thom Yorke's hilarious laugh on Britain's "Big Fat Quiz Show" — never fails to cheer me up on rough days.

2. "People in Order" — a short film from the 2007 Portable Film Festival — touchingly cycles through people of every age from 1-100.

3. Angela Chase's "Freedom Dance" — favorite classic My So-Called Life clip, which I must reference at least a dozen times a year.

What do you do besides your blog? Who is the woman behind SARAHSPY?

I'm 28, work in book publishing in NYC, see a lot of bands in Brooklyn, and write and read a lot of fiction.

What’s your favorite book of the moment?

The Road by Cormac McCarthy is one gorgeously intense read I'd highly recommend. I just finished it the other day, and it's admittedly left me pretty heartbroken.

Do you have any advice for other people who want to start a blog?

Blogs provide accessible/flexible outlets for expression no matter what your chosen focus. The resources are out there [like] Blogger, Wordpress, etc., generally free, and real easy to get the hang of. Figuring out your audience [like] who you're "talking to" when you're typing away in your apartment to seemingly no one is helpful if you want to grow your site. Stick with it, find your voice, and do your thing!

It seems like everyone has a blog this day. Why should people read yours?

One of my oldest friends who I barely see anymore says reading my posts is a lot like hanging out with me, which I presume to be a pretty good thing.

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http://sarahspy.tumblr.com/