These are the people I read whenever I'm in the mood to read journals and blogs. In alphabetical order (by first name), they are:

Athena: A mom, a great writer, a Republican, and an absolute sweetheart. I met her at JournalCon1, and always wished she lived up the street from me.

Becky: A great friend who can be nice as pie at one moment, and totally evil (in a good way) at another. Don't let her nice journal entries fool you, she's got some bite to her! I usually AIM with her on a daily basis.

Beth: A lawyer, very sarcastic and witty. She also runs The Usual Suspects, where I tend to lurk often, and post spottily.

Carol Elaine: One of my newer regular reads, I don't have a heck of a lot to say about her, except I really like her writing style, she sends great e-mail, and I'm very much inclined to like her.

Greg: My first internet crush. Greg loves Japanese pop, Law & Order, composing music, and evidently likes me! Who can resist?

Hilatron: A very, very funny robot who lives in the Boston area.

Iain: I don't know how to describe Iain, except to say that he's hiarious and insightful and his writing style is different than most peoples'. Go see for yourself.

James Lileks: Proof that politics don't necessarily have to get in the way of admiring someone. I disagree with almost every political stance he takes, and yet I read him constantly.

Jeff: I knew him as an online journaller, and now I know him as "Mary Ellen's boyfriend." Hopefully, I'll see him more often and he'll just be "my friend Jeff."

Jette: Movie (and Muppet) buff extraordinaire, this isn't a personal site so much as a movie review site now, but I love Jette's writing style, and I always appreciate (if not always agree with) her take on films. I met Jette once when she was visiting a mutual friend, and she's on my "I wish she lived up the street from me" list.

Jessamyn: Radical librarian who invites anybody from the internet to come crash at her home in Vermont. I want every librarian in the country to be like Jessamyn.

John Scalzi: Who I turn to when I wonder what it's going to take to become a professional writer. He writes corporate publications, web material, and has published several books.

Kevin: If you've ever been under the impression that public school teachers don't care, or only have their jobs because they want a long vacation and short hours, read Kevin. His entries about teaching should be compiled into a book about anyone who wants to go into that profession.

Kymm: She used to be the most reliable poster on the internet, but now her updates are less frequent. A genuine New York City actress born of Hollywood actors, she's also a friend of mine who I'd like to be able to visit more often.

Mary Ellen: My former roommate and current good friend. I don't see her as much as I should, even though we live about 10 blocks away from one another. She needs to update more often, so I can keep up with her while still being lazy about calling.

Melissa: An unusual format for a journal. Melissa takes "Spots of Time" from her life and posts them out of order. It's a great approach.

Molly: Doesn't update very often, but worth checking out. Molly participated in a staged reading of a screenplay I wrote, and I'd like to work with her as an actress again someday.

Pamie: Pamie is so damned famous nowadays, she doesn't need another link. But we started around the same time online, we've both done sketch comedy, we both act, and we both write screenplays. She's just more successful at all of that than I've been so far. I think of her as an inspiration rather than an object of jealousy. Besides, who can dislike Pamie?

Rob: Oh, boy. Rob and I have had a rocky internet relationship in the past, but the one constant is that he's a good writer whose journal I read all the time. He's currently going through the battle of his life, and I'm cheering for him from the sidelines.

Sara: Sara is a lovely, lovely person. She never updates, or if she does, I have the wrong address. Sara runs my other constant message board, ThreeWayAction

Sars: Tomatonation is one of the most consistently funny journals out there. Sars also has a great advice column with grounded, funny, interesting advice.

Saundra: Saundra is a professional screenwriter with over 40 produced works. She's also amazingly sarcastic, funny, interesting, and one of my great friends.

Suzanne: I've known Suzanne since my freshman year of college, and she still manages to fascinate me. A visual artist, an author, a single mom, an IT professional, and the most complex, interesting mind I've ever encountered.

Tamar: A screenwriter-turned-novelist whose writing has always impressed me. I've been honored to read some of her non-online work as a "beta reader," and I think she's one of those people who is going to have to sign a book for me once she's published. I met her a couple of years ago, and really would like to have the opportunity to know her better.

Terri: Terri is an amazing writer, who went through hell and back, all online. If you haven't, read her entries starting from the very beginning, and you get to watch a person grow before your very eyes. And now, it's a pleasure to see her enjoy her life.

Tim Pratt: Ladies and gentlemen, the world's next great science fiction/fantasy writer. Another inspiration when it comes to writing.

Wil Wheaton: You'd think this was just another celebrity website, but you'd be wrong. Sure, he's the kid from Star Trek: The Next Generation, but he has successfully redefined himself as an author, a dad, and a working actor.

There are surely people I've missed, and I will add them as I remember them. If you want me to read your journal, e-mail me, and I'll certainly give it a look! I can't get enough of other peoples' lives.

Three Way Action

The Usual Suspects

Theater Mirror: Massachusetts-based website for information about community-theater and professional productions.