The single binding aspect of all the magazines subsequently mentioned in this issue, and this will seem obvious, but far too many editors ignore it, is that for a publication to succeed it has to have a point. It can’t just come into being because the owner wants to impress his friends. Or because market studies have shown an opening in a certain line of interest.

Graydon Carter, writing in GOOD Magazine about The 51 Best* Magazines Ever, and echoing my own grouse with many of the titles I see cropping up in these parts. I’ll be the first to admit that the glee I experienced on reading this is due (partly) to sour grapes: selling ads for our baby The Ticket (which had a point) was like pulling teeth, while other publications with less of a point seemed able to bamboozle advertisers into supporting them. Please note that I say this in full awareness of the fact that the grass is always greener, etc.: maybe these other publications just tried harder and complained less.

Other publications with a point: Caribbean Beat and The Caribbean Review of Books. (And yes, I am associated in all sorts of ways with both of these publications — which, somehow, never seemed to affect their quality).

Hat-tip to Prufrock’s Page.

Carnival 2007, that is. And not a moment too soon.

More pictures here.

Nikipedia has been named official judge of the Global Voices Valentine’s Day poetry contest, but there’s also a separate People’s Choice Award that will be determined on the basis of votes. So if you found any of the poems in the competition particularly appealing, you can cast your vote here by midnight PST (GMT -8) on Wednesday 21 February.

One of my colleagues mentioned that we’d received a submission from “somebody pretending to be a dog”. “No,” I thought. “It couldn’t be. . . .” But sure enough, it was. She even had the nerve to blog about it. Sigh.

This has been my most out-of-it Carnival ever. In 2006 CFR was on Carnival, as they say, like white on rice, with a whole series of posts entitled “My Carnival” and Flickr pages updated what seemed like daily with a dizzying selection of photos from the Minshall mas’ camp and any other place I could sneak a camera into.

This year the word has barely even been mentioned in these pages. There’s no Minshall this year, of course, and I believe I’m persona non grata in at least one pan yard. And I don’t think my being out of the country for most of last week helped, nor does the fact that I’ve now come down with what a nasty cold which made me miss the only fete — C*POP’s infamous “Beach House” extravaganza at Ortinola estate — I’d have attended for the season. I did attend the uber-slick 3canal Show at Queen’s Hall on Monday, but Queen’s Hall operatives stopped me from taking photos, so I have nothing to show for it. I guess the pale attempt at a photo essay I made the other day at their offices will have to suffice.

And now it’s Carnival Friday, the day the Carnival bug — if it hasn’t already — is supposed to bite hard and make you run out and sign up for a costume in the nearest band and start calling around in desperation for Brian Lara fete tickets (the “you”, in this case, referring of course to other people; I myself have better things to do with my hard-earned cash).

I’m about to head out into the fray shortly to run a few errands, so if I don’t return it’s either that the bug has bitten or the traffic is worse that usual. But at the rate I’m going, it looks like I might even skip j’ouvert.

Speaking of Carnival, I’ve been meaning to recommend my Global Voices colleague José Murilo’s lovely piece on Recife, Brazil, where the build-up to carnival has included a celebration of the 100th anniversary of frevo, the traditional sound of the state of Pernambuco, and other lovely things.

Me, all I’m concerned with at the moment is the build-up in my nostrils. Sniff.

"It's a great privilege to have my papers alongside Seamus Heaney and Br'er Rabbit."

Salman Rushdie on having his papers housed at the Manuscript, Archive and Rare Book library at my alma mater.

Nikipedia just e-mails me announcing the arrival of Caribbean Writing Today: The online literary magazine of the Caribbean, edited by Wayne Brown.

There’s a sample issue available free of charge, with work by, among others, Edward Baugh, Mervyn Morris, Olive Senior, Pamela Mordecai, Ramabai Espinet, Anu Lakhan, James Christopher Aboud, B.C. Pires, & Ian McDonald.

Enter the Global Voices Valentine’s Day poetry contest!

There are a few rules, but they’re hardly stringent, so “get cracking on that haiku/limerick/ghazal/madrigal/sonnet/ode/gangsta rap/elegy about the wonders/joys/perils of love!”

I’ve resigned myself to the fact that, for me, blogging and travel just don’t mix. I’ve been in Miami since February 6, attending the We Media Miami conference on behalf of Global Voices, but you wouldn’t have known it unless you’ve been stalking me or looking at my Flickr page. And now I’m at the airport ready to head back into the Carnival frenzy.

I’m still sorting out my thoughts on the program, but from a networking standpoint the experience was invaluable. I also had a chance to meet fellow Caribbean blogger Geoffrey Philp — who lives and works in Miami — in person; and spending time with my Global Voices colleagues in meatspace is always a delight. Oso and Alice are long-time denizens of my Flickr page, but I’m thrilled to have been able to add Melissa and Luis Carlos to the list. (Melissa’s up for a Bloggie, by the way, for her muy sabroso blog CookingDiva, so go and cast your vote now).

But the flight’s about to board — more soon!