My Bid for a MacArthur Genius Grant.

On Tuesday, The MacArthur Foundation named this year’s 24 recipients of its so-called “genius grants.” (To its credit, the Foundation doesn’t actually call them “genius grants”; everybody else does.) These are no-strings-attached fellowships of $100,000 a year for five years, to allow the 24 lucky stiffs to pursue their muses unfettered by foul economic necessity.

There are only 363 shopping days left until next year’s grants are announced, so I don’t think it’s too early to let the fine folks at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation know that I am here.

Here are the criteria, as stated on the MacArthur Foundation’s FAQ page: “The selection decisions focus primarily on exceptional creativity, as demonstrated through a track record of significant achievement, and manifest promise for important future advances.”

Creativity? I lovingly hand-create each of these blog posts from scratch, with Old World care. And I have created over 45 of them so far—not counting this one! As for the “promise for important future advances,” who knows what I’ll blog about next? The next post I write could lead the way to a renewable energy source for our children and our children’s children.

The FAQ goes on: “Emphasis is placed on nominees for whom our support would relieve limitations that inhibit them from pursuing their most innovative ideas.”

Since I have created 45 blog posts so far (not counting this one!) absent the slightest promise of financial remuneration, the mind reels (doesn’t it? mine does) at what I could accomplish with half a million dollars’ worth of inspiration.

But it’s obvious that the MacArthur folks can’t pick you if they don’t know you’re there. I’m not accusing this year’s 24 winners of rank self-promotion—but they had to do something to get noticed!

Well, one thing I figure is that the MacArthur Foundation has someone on the payroll who’s constantly Googling the words “MacArthur Foundation” to see what turns up. With five mentions of “MacArthur Foundation” in this post so far (not counting this one!), I figure I stand a pretty good chance of turning up in the search.

And I’ve heard that linking to sites is a good way for those sites, in turn, to find you. But I’m going further than that, MacArthur Foundation. I’m adding you to my blogroll!

It doesn’t take a genius to play this game. But it helps. (Hint, hint.)

---