Blog Review: Head in the Clouds

In 1997, Jorn Barger of Yellow Springs, Ohio coined the term weblog to refer to his actions of “logging the web,” or cataloging different sites that he found on the internet. Essentially, then, the first blog was a list of links – this probably wasn’t exactly an interesting read, but perhaps a helpful source of information. Some blogs are still more informational, but most bloggers these days try to be entertaining, whether by providing their exploits on the bike trail, on vacation, or in the kitchen. But although many bloggers might be experts in their subject matter – the internet is great for empowering chefs and parents alike who want to dole out advice from their most recent learning experiences – only a small fraction of non-professional bloggers are truly gifted writers.

Tara, on the other hand, is truly a wordsmith. She claims to be “just another vitamin-D deprived Seattle blogger,” but her descriptions are more clever and delightful than the average blogger’s and her entries often awaken the reader’s sense of wonder at the little things in life. Jumping off from her initial joy at winter’s first snowfall, she blogs about missing her mother, and her nostalgia for a friendship that the two were never able to develop (“Watching Snow”). She describes spending Thanksgiving day with her Grandma Sharon, “chopp[ing] apples and potatoes in our pajamas” and “flip[ing] through her old hippie cookbook, yellowed with love,” making us all wish that our time standing over the stove felt so magical (“Feast of Love”). Her “Letter to 2010” is a testament to her incredible knack for turning frustrating and painful experiences into a humorous narrative, an ability that makes her worthy of the title wordsmith.

These are only a few of her excellent posts – she comments on feminism (“The F-Word”), working from home (“Resolutions”), her least favorite books (“The Best of the Worst”), and a dozen other subjects that become more interesting in her capable hands as a writer. Note that I've linked to each of the individual entries that I've mentioned, in case you want to read these specific posts -- but her’s is a blog worth following for every nostalgic memory and every interesting observation.

Post-Review Disclaimer: Of course, I’m somewhat biased. Blogger Tara is my whimsical and sweet best friend from high school, who shares with me the idealistic desire to make a living as a writer. How can I not love her blog? But with total honesty, I can assure you that you will love it too.

Check it out at: http://headinthecloudsblog.blogspot.com/