Internet Writers - Quick Blog Reviews

Remember a while back when I claimed that I can't write for shit when I'm in a good mood? Yeah, well, the past few days are proving that the claim is true. Since A River in Epirus, pretty much everything has been written with the assistance of alcohol (Barefoot Merlot, to be specific... try some!) and any "happy/sober" mood of mine has prevented the creation of anything worth reading. And regardless of what some might claim, I have been "happy/sober" for the most of the past few days.

In light of this inability to construct anything poetic/prosaic/worth reading, I've decided to point you (my rare loyal reader) to a few other Internet writers. What follows is not, by any means, a comprehensive list of Internet writers/bloggers that I follow... merely blogs that don't currently have a large number of followers and clearly deserve more exposure. I'm sure I'll be ranting and raving about other blogs in the near future.

Without further adieu, here they are:

Caffeinated Joe - probably the only "variety blog" I follow, there's a little something for almost everybody. All-too-rare examples (in my opinion) of fiction, creative non-fiction, and poetry are separated by rampant entries concerning pop culture and reactions to news that can only be described as aesthetic milieu. That may not make much sense to the casual observer, but will undoubtedly make sense to any who already follow Caffeinated Joe. With this one, despite the prevalence of "Theme Days," you never really know what you're going to get.

Death's Conspiracies - a reluctant blog written by an excellent writer who belongs in the world of memoir, but vehemently refuses to partake in it (the author is the dictionary definition of curmudgeon - Hell, I had to set up the blog for him). Death's Conspiracies can come across as a tad conservative, but is undeniably the result of a life lived with eyes wide open and a thought process that is both hardened by painful experience and softened by hopeless romanticism. Much more successful when being straightforward than when occasionally attempting poetic thought, it's still a great read.

News from Nowhere - probably written by the most thoughtful of all the Internet writers I regularly follow, this blog site is written by what I would refer to as a "friendly curmudgeon." There are great glimpses of obscure and long-forgotten moments in British history, touching (and sometimes disconcerting) anecdotes of a life long-lived, and rants and raves concerning progress in the face of nostalgia. Not only that, the author of News to Nowhere reads quite a bit, and if your blog is worth even half-a-shit, News from Nowhere just might even provide a link to your own ramblings.

Not for Jellyfish - a relatively new Internet writer who made the shift from repetitive (and not entirely open) poetry to interesting (and far less inhibited) autobiography. Believe me, this life is built for storytelling. Though perhaps a little too heavy on colorful language that leads to run-on ramblings, the openness of emotion creates an engaging narrative that is hard to dislike.

Tales From a Motherless Daughter - similar to Not for Jellyfish in its unabashed criticism of its author's life, this is another compelling look into a life full of creativity and self-deprecation. This particular author claims that she is a piss-poor writer (based upon an, I believe, misinterpreted criticism from an old college professor), but is quickly revealed to be otherwise. Strangely, she manages quite a bit of honest assessment and revelation in her self-deprecation, which makes her confessions all the more interesting... and sometimes confusing.

Undiluted Expression - a hesitant blog that is interesting for the same reasons as Not for Jellyfish and Tales From a Motherless Daughter. There's not much to go on just yet, but since I'm one of the first followers, I figured I'd pimp it out.

Yoork - undoubtedly the least depressing of the blogs I follow, this one just screams of creativity trying to break out of its shell. Yoork waxes artistic, covering everything from film (mostly independent), cooking, television (usually of some British soap opera called Coronation Street), photography, and illustration. There are also many brief glimpses into the life of a youthful citizen of Toronto who seems to get bored easily and is always on the lookout for something and someone interesting.