Some Blogs I Know

Over on the right-hand side of this blog, a little farther down the page, sits a little area I've dubbed "BlogRoll," a list of fellow bloggers that I visit from time to time and suspect some of my readers might enjoy. It's one of the satisfyingly democratic aspects of blogging that one can so easily introduce others to projects that interest them - with a simple click, another writer gains another reader. And what makes these instant-recommendations so unique is that a blogger with millions of followers can be presented alongside one with only a few dozen readers. The easy ability to start one's own blog, and the total lack of oversight or outside control, means that more sloppy and pathetic writing is now available to more people than ever before. But talented and intelligent writers are also inserting their voices into the public realm - some of them established writers, others enthusiastic amateurs. Some are even friends of mine.

The more established bloggers need little introduction. My recommended links offer a little politics, a little food, a little art. Andrew Sullivan is my kind of political writer, and The Daily Dish is my kind of political blog, partly because Sullivan offers a viewpoint often strikingly dissimilar from my own, yet thoughtfully and intelligently presented. He's conservative, but he's also a U.K. transplant and a gay intellectual, so his worldview is noticeably more complex and well-informed than many of his fellow right-leaning comrades. His conservatism tends towards the libertarian stripe, meaning he's down on racism and bible preaching, wobbly on gun rights and income taxes, and reasonably business-friendly. And while it was even more pleasurable to read his daily posts after his enthusiasm for George W. Bush ran its course and he applied his full disdain towards the likes of Sarah Palin and the G.O.P.'s brand of reactionary politics, the truth is that Sullivan's ideas are always worth considering and discussing. I'm certainly not the first person to suggest I've learned quite a bit from those who I (mildly) disagree with. On the other hand, Glenn Greenwald's blog at Salon is the kind of liberal wet-dream that probably makes Glenn Beck break out in hives. I can't recommend his literate, impassioned and righteous screeds against Washington hacks and cultural crusaders to everybody, but he fights the good fight, in my opinion. And his writing rarely lapses into mere fire-breathing anger - a welcome attribute during these times of hot-air punditry and shouting matches.

But why sink into the mire of partisanship? Everybody likes to eat, and just about everybody likes to read about food or at least look at pretty pictures of food. The massive and sprawling FoodBlogBlog is just that - a collection of the many food blogs in existence under one alphabetically-organized umbrella. Many of the blogs presented here have seen better days or have gone completely under, and many are less carefully-weighed thoughts on food than benedictory offerings placed underneath the temple of conspicuous overeating. But there are so many quality food blogs out there - from restaurant reviews to recipe corners and home gardening tips - that one comes away from even the briefest visit with an amazement for how many people feel compelled to write about the food they eat or admire. It hasn't been updated in a while, so one may need to look elsewhere for more timely and /or new blogs, but there's plenty to drool over (literally and figuratively).

A few other linked sites are those from critics or art enthusiasts I admire, including Kristin Thompson's and David Bordwell's Film Art blog, which features some of the most consistently thoughtful offerings on film I've found in any freely accessible venue. BookSlut is the wonderfully named headquarters for reviews, essays, interviews and thoughts on the rapidly fading world of literature, while ReadySteadyBlog is a slightly more austere corner for book lovers (and currently on a summer hiatus). For music junkies, Idolator has some pleasures, although there's plenty of stronger sites out there. Those with an interest in another dying form of communication - journalism - may be interested in the sometimes lively debates that take place over at ARTicles, the blog for the National Arts Journalism Program.

And finally, I'd like to give a brief shout out to those blogs created and tended over by personal friends of mine. It's quite gratifying to read the thoughts of people one knows, especially when they're well-crafted, intelligent and witty. I'm lucky to have many intelligent and witty friends who are also talented writers, some in the professional realm, others not so, and several with feet planted firmly in both camps. It's one of the benefits of living in the 21st century that I can peruse the thoughts of two high-school friends and my father-in-law's co-worker from the same computer terminal each morning. For consistently high quality musings on food and related items (and, really, what's not ultimately related to food?), including in-depth analysis of episodes of Top Chef, try Reading This Will Not Make You Popular, penned by an old high school buddy and fellow keeper of the librarian flame. If the collusion (collision?) of anarchy and art rings your bell, and you're also slightly curious on which noise concert to attend this weekend in southern Wisconsin, well, the newly-launched CAHOOTS, the work of a dear friend who's a much more talented writer and thinker than I'll ever be, may be some sort of manna for your soul. And if you have a passion for wine, quality thoughts about the noble grape, and have ever sampled a vintage from that corner of eastern Washington reputedly "so nice they named it twice" - then Walla Walla Wine Woman should be your first stop.

I can heartily recommend visiting all of the above-listed blogs. You'll find solid writing, reasoned analysis, humor, insight and sometimes even flashy photography. Give some a try. Seek others out on your own time. And by all means, leave a comment or drop a line if you come across a blog post you enjoy. I think I can speak for all us out there when I paraphrase critic Robert Christgau, who once dedicated a book to any reader who had ever written him in thanks for turning them on to something new:

"If I haven't responded, I'm sorry. It always means a lot - in fact, it helps keep me going."