Hey, have I ever mentioned that my husband Mike has a blog, too? Probably not. Because, to be honest with you, Mike’s Reading with Scissors blog is a bit difficult to explain. At least for me it is. It’s kind of visual, and I’m told even if you can see it’s a little difficult to explain.
But not for Micah Maidenberg, the talented editor of the Chicago Journal. Maidenberg’s article about Reading with Scissors this week is spot on.
Equal parts found object, humor and social commentary, Reading with Scissors features scans of advertisements (there are a few obituaries, too) that have caught Knezovich or site collaborator Greg Schafer’s eye. Both say they share a mordant sensibility, antennae that seek out absurdity, goofiness or the plain strange in the ads laced across daily life. There is a laugh-until-you-cry thing happening here.
Maidenberg goes on to explain that Mike and Greg are longtime friends.
Schafer, a flight attendant who lives in Barrington, regularly finds magazines, crossword books and other ephemera during his travels. He flips through what’s left on the planes, saving certain pages. “The job lends itself to time well spent reading,” Schafer said. The best gets sent in big manila envelopes to Knezovich. Knezovich scans the ads, posting one every other day or so.
He sometimes writes a bit of a jab to contextualize the entry, often just a line or two.
While Schafer has been sending Knezovich ads for years, the blog went live in September 2007. Knezovich wanted to experiment with online publishing. About 50 people now hit the blog daily, he said, up from five or six at the launch.
The blog has already gotten attention — and traffic — from Steve Rhodes and his Beachwood Reporter, a terrific Chicago-focused Web site that’s a must-read for Chicagoans. Now it’s caught the eye of the Chicago Journal, and no doubt traffic will double after folks read the entire article. And after they see the stunning photo of Mike Knezovich with his piles of magazine and newspaper clippings? The hits will triple. Quadruple! Do your part and link to Reading with Scissors. WHO knows? Like Mike, you may find Reading with Scissors therapeutic :
“I can pay attention and get utterly depressed, or confused,” Knezovich said. “Or I can find a way to get a laugh out of it.”
I checked out Mike’s blog and found that he and Greg read ads in a different way than the rest of us. Very funny! The last time I was “Reading with Scissors” was when I was cutting out coupons before shopping. I think Mike and Greg are having more fun then I did. Nice picture of Mike in the Chicago Journal.
As much fun as Mike has posting his “Reading with Scissors” ads on the internet, I think he is having even *more* fun with the responses he’s been getting to this Chicago Journal article. In addition to your comment here, others have commented to Mike on facebook and via email, plus friends are stopping him in the street now, too –many have promised to forward any silly ads they come across. Mike’s a local celeb now!
And even *he* admits it’s a great photo.
That is tooo funny that other people are now sending Mike ads ! So happy to hear that Mike is the new celeb in town. Now how will the two of you ever make your way through the streets of Chicago without the autograph seekers and paparazzi???
I get a laugh out “reading” every time I look at it and I’m glad it’s getting some attention. And, I agree, great picture Mike!
We’re managing to make it through the streets, Marilee. And thanks Nancy…the photographer didn’t even use Photoshop. I don’t think:)
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