Questions for all of you.

[naomikritzer]

Every now and then I look at my "Friend Of" list and click on all the unfamiliar names to see if I can figure out who they are. Sometimes the new face turns out to be a college friend I hadn't heard from in years, or someone I knew back in Madison (hi, jedilawyer!), or someone I met at a con. Other times, they appear to be a complete stranger. Now, I can totally understand friending a complete stranger. The LJ friends list isn't really a friends list, after all, it's a reading list. I read lots of blogs kept by total strangers.

But I do kind of wonder if I'm living up to your expectations.

So, if you've friended me, or read my LJ regularly via a bookmark or whatever:
Have we met?
What do you come here to read?
Is there anything you wish I'd write about more often?

Comments

[irihs.livejournal.com]

We've never met, but I'm a Carleton alum who enjoyed your writings about Molly on Legacy, when Legacy still existed. I have you on my friends list mainly for your parenting posts, but I also enjoy your political commentary.

[naomikritzer]

Oh, cool, I'm glad one of my Legacy Parenting fans found their way here. There was someone (you?) who was a grad student in cognitive psych or something similar, who was a fabulous audience, always fascinated with language development stuff. That was really cool.

[juliansinger.livejournal.com]

Nope, we haven't met. (Hi, I'm Kate, I'm a reporter and student (Human Services with a focus in Counseling) in the Boston area.)

I originally put you on my flist because you were a Published Writer Who Wrote About The Process Of Writing, but you don't, actually, write much about writing, and that's extremely ok, because your stories of your kids charm, amuse, and scare me in equal measure. (I'm planning on kids myself in a few years, you see.) So I, at least, don't require any changes in the blog to suit the audience.

[naomikritzer]

Well, cool. Thank you.

[marikochan.livejournal.com]

1. Nope.
2. I'm not too picky -- I've found that the people I read on a regular basis tend to be interesting (to me) no matter what they talk about.
3. Writing, maybe. I just read Freedom's Gate a couple weeks ago (and have now ordered Freedom's Apprentice). But I like kid-stories, too.

What is it about Carleton alums becoming writers I like? I wish I'd known about its existence back when I was applying for undergrad.

[naomikritzer]

What is it about Carleton alums becoming writers I like?

I think there is a connection between Carleton and writing skill generally. Carleton has a fairly strong expectation of competant writing, even in the sciences, which these days is pretty unusual (sadly). Some of the best science writing I've read anywhere came from the diary (sent out by e-mail, before blogs became common) kept by a Physicist classmate of mine when he went on a research cruise to Labrador.

Thanks for your response :-)

[midnitephoenix.livejournal.com]

1. Nope
2. I peruse at my leasure. The parenting posts are funny, though.
3. I friended you because I thought it was extremely cool that you, a published author, had a livejournal. I read Freedom's Gate and loved it and I can't wait for the next installment.

[naomikritzer]

Cool, thank you. :-)

[thaisa.livejournal.com]

I'm a friend of Abi's from Harvey Mudd (although I'm a Scripps student), and I've read and enjoy your books. :) I really enjoy reading your entries, rather writing-related or not.

me too! me too!

[dmyersta.livejournal.com]

I'm also a friend of Abi's who graduated from Scripps and I friended you because of your interesting comments in Penny's journal and I *love* *love* *love* you novels and your stories about your kids and your posts about writing...

Pretty much whatever you've written has been super interesting to me.

[apis-mellifera.livejournal.com]

I friended you because I adored Freedom's Apprentice, but I think you knew that already. (Thanks for using my name on the pull quote on your website, btw--that rarely happens, so it's double-plus exciting for me when it does. :) ) I've kept you on my friends list because I really enjoy reading what you have to say.

[naomikritzer]

Cool. Thank you!

[cynthia1960.livejournal.com]

I've read some of your books and like to keep in touch with what is coming out as well as hearing about the life of a writer.

[naomikritzer]

Thanks for the response. :-)

[snippy]

We haven't met. I likely friended you because I saw your comments in someone else's journal (probably pegkerr's) and wanted to read more of your stuff--I don't remember exactly.

Write what you choose. That's part of how I learn who you are, by what you choose to write.

[naomikritzer]

Well, okay. Thank you! :-)

[squigsoup.livejournal.com]

We met at the park that one time, and we virtually meet at that one place often.

I read your lj because I think you're a good writer and I enjoy your posts.

I like the stories about the kids.

[naomikritzer]

Yeah, I kind of figure you for part of the core audience for parenting posts. ;-)

[orthoepy.livejournal.com]

Hi -- I'm not sure how I got here, probably Scalzi? Who knows. But I love reading about your writing and your adorable little girls.

[naomikritzer]

Cool. Thank you!

[wanderlustlover]

No, we've never met. We commented once or twice when I first added you though.

I originally added you while bookmarking the webpages of my prefered authors a long time ago (no ego stroking, just honesty). I'd just finished the duology then and wanted to be able to check up on when new things published by you would come to release. I added you then because you were an author I was reading and was amazed one had an LJ; *BUT*

I read your journal now because as an aspiring writer, presently persuing a English Degree at University, I like seeing through your eyes how it is to be living, workig, married, mothering, writing and doing everything at once. I find these moments, like your post about the children's cups, something I can find a company with....sometimes it's nice to know I'm not alone in thinking sometimes the world around me takes up too much that I could just be using for writing. Moments like that.

No, there's nothing really specific I'd love to see you write about. I find it an amazing gift enough that you let us/me have this window into your life, your family and your passions.

[naomikritzer]

Cool. Thank you! The "window into another person's life" aspect of blogs is why I read so many blogs by people I don't know. I love the day-to-day opportunity to peer into someone else's life. If they're interesting and a good writer, anyway.

[kuddliphish.livejournal.com]

We met once at a book signing in Boston for Fires of the Faithful which I admittedly went to because I knew Abi in college and thought it was very cool that her sister was a real live published author.

Since then, as an aspiring author and new mom, I've found your writings on those subjects insightful and interesting.

[naomikritzer]

I remember the Mudder who showed up at that signing. Thanks!

[peacockharpy.livejournal.com]

Have we met? Briefly, at WFC. I'm Darice. I enjoyed Fires of the Faithful.

What do you come here to read? Writing stuff, mothering stuff. I like that you are a mother who writes. I like reading about kids and balancing creative work with children, since I'm doing the same thing. (Except with only one child.)

Is there anything you wish I'd write about more often? I like what you write about!

[naomikritzer]

Oh yes, I remember meeting you. Thanks for responding! :-)

[topaztook.livejournal.com]

We have sort of tangentially met, since I am squigsoup’s sister.

I started occasionally reading your blog because we are both writeres of one stripe or another living in the Twin Cities. I like your entries about writing, and books/reading, but I enjoy the kids entries and political ones, too.

I don’t have any requests for changes, because I think one of the nice things about blogs like this is that you get to write about what you want to write about.

[naomikritzer]

Well, cool. Thanks.

[skylarker.livejournal.com]

We've met, but briefly. I'm a former member of the Wyrdsmiths (I put the 'wyrd' in the name), and friend of Rosalind and Magenta.

[naomikritzer]

Oh, you're Laramie! I've met you at cons, including WFC. And I've seen your artwork.
Thanks for responding. :-)

[lenora-rose.livejournal.com]

We met at WFC, we both hung around the Rumor Mill in the day (I've almost devolved to lurker there.)

Your content is what you should choose it to be. If it interests you, the interest comes through more than if you choose a topic by request. Kid stories are good, writing is good, other life things are good....

[naomikritzer]

Ha. The RM was great in its day, but the interface sucked. There's such good software available for bulletin boards now (UBB Board, which has replaced VAX Notes as my all-time favorite) I don't understand why they never upgraded.

Anyway, I remember valuing your comments on the RM. Thanks for responding! :-)

[waterfall8484]

We've never met, but I've read (and really enjoyed) some of your books, which is how I ended up here. I admit I thought you'd be writing more about... well, writing, but I like reading about your children and your life. Especially your children, as it makes a nice change from reading the rest of my friends list. :~) I won't make any demands on your writing, just talk about whatever you want.

[naomikritzer]

Cool. Thanks!

[splagxna.livejournal.com]

we have not met.

i come here to read about your books, your kids, your political commentary, and because you write about minnesota, which i miss dreadfully. (not in order of preference)

not really. =)

[naomikritzer]

Cool. Thanks!

You know the first one.

[lilisonna.livejournal.com]

Yup, we've met.

I like keeping up with friends that I haven't been able to keep track of through normal means, and your writing is interesting and entertaining.

Nah. I like normal every-day-life sorts of posts.

Re: You know the first one.

[naomikritzer]

Did I ever tell you that the first time I visited your LJ profile page, trying to figure out who you were, I thought you were Nikii?

Since this was right after finding out you were expecting the Littlest Darkling, I just about keeled over.

Fortunately, all the Atlanta references straightened me out. :-D

[dsgood.livejournal.com]

We've had a brief conversation at Minicon.

I don't recall how I came across your LiveJournal.

I find your LJ interesting even when you write about topics which don't usually interest me. (Stuff about your children is borderline. I don't want to raise children; on the other hand, I'm interested in people and consider non-adults to be people.)

[naomikritzer]

Okay. Thanks!

[trinitysite.livejournal.com]

Ok -- you were my babysitter. A long, long time ago.

I remember that you were a great babysitter.

I just checked, and the Chicago Public Library has a bunch of your books, so I'm looking forward to reading them :)

[naomikritzer]

Hee. I remember that you and your sister WOULD NOT STAY IN BED. I remember repeatedly trying to drag you up the stairs. You sensed weakness and exploited it. Right up until we heard your parents' car pull in the driveway, at which point you both made it upstairs and into bed so fast, I think I heard a sonic boom. I can't remember whether I told on you or not. :-)

Already covered this. :)

[mrswebchik.livejournal.com]

Yep, you know me. Went to Carleton together.

I read your journal because you're one of the few people I know from there who has children around the same age as mine. I love reading your writings in general. And I was able to lose myself in your books at a time when I really needed the escape. That was amazingly therepeutic.

I remember when I found out that you and Ed were engaged. We were standing in the sci-fi house hallway and ended up having a discussion on the appropriate use of the phrases "Congratulations" and "Best wishes" with the bride and groom to be.

Keep posting what you want. It's a refreshing change from much of the other stuff that shows up on my "friends" page.

Re: Already covered this. :)

[naomikritzer]

Hee. I remember that conversation! I also remember Ruth Worman going up and very pointedly saying "Congratulations" to Ed and "Best Wishes" to me.

Hi. I'm from left field. You could hardly know me less!

[(Anonymous)]

We have not met. I think I clicked through at some point from Scalzi's "Whatever", but I cannot recall exactly, and it's been at least a half a year. I do a weird thing, where I put blogs into a "maybe" category and click on them only after I read all my regular RSS feeds (I really don't need more to read, I need less), so I only read the "maybes" sporadically when I have extra time. You graduated up from "maybe" into my regular RSS feed with that wonderful, wonderful post about the academic life (hiding the TV's - so perfect!) and I almost commented then, but I'm always double extra wary of commenting on people's LJ's because I've been burned by LJ elitists who think non-LJers have no business commenting.

I'm an aspiring-to-publish writer so the writing posts are part of what I enjoy. I love the kid posts (which is another reason I like Scalzi, as well. I used to read Lileks for the same reason, but then he stopped with the kid posts and went wholesale into snark world and frothing and I quit). The posts I'm least interested in, honestly, are your local Minneapolis posts, like the one about the election and the giant garage sale, but I completely understand why they're there, and wouldn't think of asking you to stop posting that sort of thing. I'm perfectly capable of skimming.

FWIW, I bought your book "Freedom's Gate" on the basis of your blog. I haven't read it yet. My to-read list always outpaces my reading time.

-- Anna
(http://anna.slithytoves.org)

Re: Hi. I'm from left field. You could hardly know me less!

[naomikritzer]

Oooooh, cool, I'm glad I made it from the "maybe" category to the "read" category. (I do that too.)

I spent a long time as a non-LJ-er who read and commented on the journals of just a handful of people (pegkerr and springbok). Peg finally sent me an LJ invite, and I registered just so that I could comment more easily and set up a friends page. It was a long time before I started actually writing entries in my LJ.

Anyway, I understand why some people disable anonymous posting, if they've had troll issues or whatever, but I don't understand why anyone would object in principle to non-LJers commenting. It's a public blog with public comments, so why not?

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

I've stopped by now and again, but I only just now got around to friending you.

We've not met, but Abi and I were the same year at Mudd, and our moms know each other from WVU, and I've met cnoocy albeit not because of his brother, so really, we have no excuse for not having met, except that I live in Boston and you pretty unambiguously don't.

Anyway, for all those reasons I feel I'm pretty much duty-bound to buy all your books, but I also like them ;). (No (http://www.livejournal.com/users/ukelele/23446.html?nc=5), really (http://www.livejournal.com/users/ukelele/26419.html?nc=4)! And I've read the other two as well but just been too lazy to write anything.) And since you can write, and also think, your journal's worth reading.