Oh, Manchester, So Much To Answer For

I received an email from Chuck Eddy today. for those who don't know, he's the Music Editor at The Village Voice. It was in response to an email I sent in response to an email I received from one of his interns, an email which is setting into motion the wheels which will lead to the realization of one of my greatest professional goals - and I don't care how melodramatic that sounds (no, it has nothing to do with being paid for sex!). To my utter shock and amazement, I've been invited to take part in the 2003 edition of the Voice's Pazz & Jop Critics Poll. Pazz & Jop is the nation's definitive music critics' poll, and has been since the '70s. The Voice polls every rock and pop critic in North America they can get to return a ballot to put it together. This is something which, frankly, I've fantasized about since I was 18 and reading the issue (which I still have, natch) in which Public Enemy and Sonic Youth finished 1-2 (with It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and Daydream Nation, respectively). I'd read the comments and think to myself, "Someday, my comments are gonna be in there." And now, stunningly, it's a possibility. I thought that maybe in 5-10 years it might happen, after I'd gotten a few good bylines in some national magazines (goal, not dream, y'all), or perhaps sooner, if I got a position with an online zine/website. What I didn't expect to happen was to be invited to participate based solely on lil' Oh Manchester. Seriously, I know I'm gushing, but I feel like Miss America. As this wanker could most certainly tell ya, this is huge for me, up there with getting a byline in Rolling Stone. [Yeah, I know, it's not so good these days, but their last issue was very solid, and the new issue (featuring Missy, Eve, and Alicia on the cover) has a superb piece of journalism by Touré on "The Mystery of Lauryn Hill."] Of course, there's another big reason P&J is such a big deal for me. He started it. He's still the Pazz & Jop grand poobah. His name is Christgau. And he is funky.

Holy shit. If I'm responding this way now, I can hardly imagine what I'll be like when I actually get my ballot!