seeking sterling, va

i have a site counter and sometimes people get to my blog from pretty strange google searches. like "sourdough turban bread" and "sorenson interpret," and i've had numerous hits for people searching for reviews on compagnie jant-bi. take that, chronicle. i wrote a letter to the editor a few weeks ago ( i even used proper grammar and punctuation), and said:

Dear Editor,

I’m incredibly disappointed with your lack of performing arts coverage, specifically visiting dance companies. For example, Compagnie Jant-Bi’s two-night run at Yerba Buena shone brightly as one the past year’s major dance highlights, and Compagnie Marie Chouinard recently swept into San Francisco, yet the Chronicle didn’t review either of these companies. San Francisco serves as an arts mecca, and I would hope that the Datebook would support our cultural ideas and process of expression rather than simply write about passive, couch-type activities that really don’t require a lot of press and hype such as new television series, badly written movies, and what’s new out on DVD. Arts companies and presenters don’t have the big budgets that, for example, ABC, Universal, and Clear Channel have, so how about supporting them (the arts, that is) a little bit more? And maybe then, I’ll renew my subscription.

Regards,
Becca H.

P.S. Two wonderful companies are coming to town in the six months. Have you assigned reviewers to Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE and Doug Varone & Dancers?

to which i got a very timely response (let's just say less than 4 hours) from david wiegand, whom i have met a few times before in the sfb press room way back in the day. david said:

Hi Becca, I am sorry you're disappointed, but the reality is that we probably offer more dance reviews than reviews or features on any single art form. Really. Ironically, we don't have a dance critic, but we have actually reviewed MORE dance programs using freelance writers than when we had our own critic. Can we get to every dance event in the Bay Area? Not at all. And we never can. I guess we prioritize Bay Area dance companies because they are Bay Area companies. For example, while we were not able to do Compagne Jant-Bi, we did choose to do the Yerba Buena program on up and coming Bay Area choreographers. Datebook serves many masters and many readers. You may not have any interest in TV or films, but I'm sure you understand other readers do. Our hope is to try to offer a balance. Again, I am sorry you're disappointed but assure you that we will always do our best. We make choices. We have to, and they are never easy.
Thanks so much for writing,
David Wiegand
Acting Deputy Managing Editor for Features

too sad. obviously people want to read about the touring companies. why else would i be getting hits on my reviews from people in san francisco and beyond? and perhaps there's some real reason, besides the dot-com bust and online newspaper access, as to why the chronicle's circulation has decreased dramatically in the past 4 years. but that wasn't the real point of this post.

there are several people outside of san francisco who read my blog on a regular basis without a link from blogger or some other random blog generator. the one that jumps out at me specifically is someone in sterling, virginia. now, i don't think i know of anyone in sterling. or in virginia. actually, i've heard that someone i knew from way back might be in virginia, but i don't think it's sterling. i know people in new york and connecticut and florida and peru. but no one in sterling. or richmond hills, ontario either. who are you, sterling? are you the person who liked to watch the free play-per-view at my mom's house in high school? or are you some rogue, on-the-run blog reader?