#201: My Friend Has a Blog

Well, several of my friends have blogs, actually, but one has gone out of her way to send readers to Fat Man Running, so excuse me if I do a little logrolling.

Katie is a fourth year medical student who has been blogging about her experience, including a hiatus between 2nd and 3rd year to have a baby. She is a remarkable woman, mom, and healer whom I would love to have for my doc, though I have a feeling she's going to wind up doctoring "lady parts." Her blog is remarkable for its intelligence and compassion. She also opens a window into a world, medical school, that most of us never see. She puts human skin on the super human task of med school, motherhood, and in her spare time, being a doctor's wife. She's a marvel and her blog will make you smile.

While we're at it, bill felty is giving Perez Hilton a run for his money. His insights into contemporary culture are quick, sharp, sometimes just a little bitchy, and always funny. Whether he's talking about some celebrity slattern, or just big fat white people lolling about on cruise ships, bill always lifts my spirits.

Charlie, keeps his running life fueled with coffee which given his energy level, isn't that surprising. I've know him for many years. We met on a Motley Fool discussion board where folks spend most of their time showing off talking about things they don't really understand. Still, I admire his running career. I've followed him through injury and recovery, questions about career and love, and now his move from the greatest city in the world, Chicago. He's followed me through my first 5K, my loss of 50 lbs, and now my career as a cancer survivor. Charlie gives of himself to people learning the sport of running, and has a marathon or two under his belt as well.

For sheer courage, I turn to Andrew. His blog, The 4th Avenue Blues tells the story of his life with the dual diagnosis of substance abuse and mental illness. Andrew hides nothing. He is as candid about his life with schizophrenia as I try to be about my cancer. Andrew has struggled with drugs, with booze, with homelessness, and with just about everything involved in "normal" everyday life. And through it all, he writes with love and clarity about the people who care about him and his own victories and defeats. Andrew writes the most real blog I've ever seen. I can't wait to read him everyday.

Finally, two blogs that keep me up to date on what's going on here in the Bluegrass. Both are written by local arts journalists, but from very different points of view. KimmyVille is up close interviews with local artists. Kimmy has a way of making you feel like you know her subject yourself by the time she's finished. She brings a keen ear and careful craft to the business of blogging and is a pleasure to read. Rich Copely writes Copious Notes, a compliment to his own work as the arts and cultural maven for the Lexington Herald-Leader. Rich is that rare arts writer who rarely sounds like he doesn't know what he's talking about. He's a good critic, except when he reviews me, and he is comfortable writing about just about anything from grand opera to contemporary Christian music. Not many people can make a Backstreet Boys concert seem compelling, but he can do it. He also has a knack for covering local teapot tempests with just enough gossipy dirt to keep them interesting.

So there. Go visit some good blogs this weekend. There are good writers everywhere. There's a particularly good one napping on the bed next to me right now, but I don't want to be accused of nepotism. In spite of that, I'm telling you that Mrs P is the real writer in our house and I don't care who knows it.

Peace,
Pennsy.