A colleague of ours has long advised anyone who would listen that to be a good writer, it helps to be a good reader. Before sitting down to write something, he suggests, spend some quality time with authors who know what they're doing. It will raise you up.

We couldn't help thinking about that advice tonight as we read the hysterical prose of The Bloggess. Her work takes a little getting used to, but if you go with the flow, eventually she'll have you laughing out loud.

Then we went over to Cheryl Strayed's blog. Her memoir stopped us in our tracks, even brought on a tear or two of recognition. The blog is every bit as good. It appears that Strayed hasn't been blogging actively for a while. But when she comes back, we'll be there.