Jun 4, 2012

Mary Pickford Blogathon: Thank You



I was planning to post this message yesterday, but I got a bit overwhelmed, and had to stop for a moment to think about the past three days and why they were important to me. I've been grinning all weekend. What a fantastic turnout!

Thank you to everyone for your wonderful contributions. I know that many of you were so busy that you could barely participate. I am grateful that you not only joined in, but did so with enthusiasm and creativity.

When it first occurred to me how strongly I felt about promoting Mary Pickford and her legacy, I assumed the event would be a hard sell. And it was. Even among people with classic movie blogs, she doesn't get much attention.

I'm one of those people. Before this event, I'd posted one thing about Pickford, in 2009. It was a classic quote:

If you have made mistakes, even serious ones, there is always another chance for you. What we call failure is not the falling down, but the staying down.

I've certainly fixed that problem! I'll revisit Mary in the future as well. There's so much more to learn.

I'm saddened by the events that inspired me to put on this event. I can accept that the Pickford-Fairbanks Studio is gone, but the cultural insensitivity that led to its destruction is much more difficult to stomach. It didn't surprise me, and I think that is the most frustrating thing of all.

It also really makes me sad to see what has happened to the Mary Pickford Institute. Cutting off the funding to this group is like ripping the blooms off an orchid. Promoting cultural literacy is difficult work and anyone who is willing and able to take on that task needs all the support they can get.

Without cultural literacy, we live in a dying garden. The past that built us also nourishes us; it keeps us from living in an empty bubble. Understanding where we came from gives us the perspective we need to make the best future. I think we are all aware of that. It's the "how" that's tricky, but I don't believe it's impossible.

Mary Pickford can be as simple as 67 minutes of entertainment, but she stands for a lot more than that. She created the template for some of the most important elements of our culture. I honor her for that and I'm delighted that you all have as well.

Thank you for your posts, comments and love for Mary! 

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The winner of the Sweet Memories book giveaway is Helen of Commentary Track, which is appropriate, because she submitted the first entry for the blogathon! Send your mailing address to me at classicmovieblog (at) gmail.com, to get your fabulous prize Helen!

9 comments:

  1. KC,

    A lovely, heartfelt post in appreciation of Mary Pickford and your grand event in her honor. I Am very touched by it. I am proof of the success as it inspired me from the moment I first read the announcement to make time for Mary. It is in no way false modesty to say I've written far better posts than my contribution here, partly because I didn't know how to react to what was essentially my first foray into silent film. I am thrilled to have been introduced to it and Mary Pickford's work. And plan to continue watching whichever of her films I can get my hands on.

    Congratulations!

    Aurora

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  2. Thank you KC for holding the very first Mary Pickford blogathon and caring enough to respond to the unfortunate circumstances this year. I am forever amazed by the participation and surprised so many other people care too. I learned so many things I never knew over the course of three days and it's interesting to point out the differences between how people blog about the same subject. Some people write really amazing long pieces that seem like they would make a great chapter in a book on Pickford, some are very simple yet informative, some were philosophical, others were primarily visual. Mine happened to be my first blog ever for my Mary Pickford blog I've been trying to start for a long time and I have two more blog entries on here that are incomplete and are in a state of limbo, in particular one is 50 pages long and I need to chop it down just a tad ;). Thank you for the blogathon and glad it had a good turn out and thanks to everyone who participated and congrats to Helen.

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  3. Congratulations on hosting this important event. It is amazing how many people care about this tiny yet monumental figure from so long ago. Thank you for giving them the opportunity and the forum to express their thoughts and exchange their knowledge. I think Mary Pickford would be amazed to know that so many people appreciate what she gave us and that we also want to make sure that it is not forgotten. Good work!

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  4. Aurora--Thanks! I loved what you wrote. It made me determined to finally see Romance of the Redwoods. I haven't watched any of her deMille flicks yet.

    Melissa--I was also impressed by the variety of the entries. You couldn't have made a better mix if you planned it! I'm glad you popped in at the last minute. I'm also honored that you got your blog rolling for the event. Good luck with that. I'm looking forward to reading your future posts.

    11east 14th street-Thanks! I have yet to work my way through all the posts you shared. I was so excited that you had already written so much about Pickford and her time. Thank you for sharing them with us!

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  5. It was awesome.

    I read a great number of posts but have been slow to get back to everyone.

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  6. You've done a great job of organising this event, KC, and I've really enjoyed reading the posts. Well done! Judy

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  7. Thank you Timothy and Judy--it was great to have both of you in the mix. I love that you are all reading each other's posts and making comments. That's what's made it such a fun event!

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  8. Email sent and I'm looking forward to some good reading! Thanks for putting on a great blogathon.

    Helen

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  9. Great Helen. Congratulations and thank you!

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