The Terri Clark Journals: Phases and Stages

Tamara Jones is a former production operations supervisor in the
Entertainment Department of Paramount Canada’s Wonderland.

Musician and country music star Terri Clark wrote these journals to
illustrate, she writes, “[that] what is perceived to be an easy,
glamorous life, is not always what it seems.” Initially, she set out
to record events in order to “gain insight into everyday living” and
share that insight with her fans by means of an online journal.

The journals, which cover the period from December 2000 to June 2003,
primarily chronicle the highs and lows of Clark’s career (concert
dates, speaking engagements, the movement of her songs in the music
charts, etc.), a pattern that becomes repetitive and is not helped by
the fact that only the diarist’s fans will be familiar with many of
the acronyms and events she refers to. The occasional reflective
passages or moments of insight are banal, and the running commentary,
rife with exclamation marks and capital letters (YEP!, YYYYYuck, LOVE!,
RIGHT!), should have stayed online.

In book format, Clark’s journals simply do not have the substance to
attract a mainstream audience. Recommended for loyal fans only.