Somebody said, "what is a blog?" Why write a blog if you already are writing private poems (erotica and not), private journals, shared essays for class that only your teacher will see (or class), fifteen minute scribbles of every bit of conversation you hear in the room before class begins (interesting!), lots of emails, letters to the editor (published and not), grocery lists, lists of people in Berea who are my friends as a reason to stay here after I graduate, notes in my planner, secretary style notes from class (or not), essays for my Creative Nonfiction Writing class that are not even requested or required; with all of that, why write a blog? Why write a blog instead of putting all of my writing in one single place where it would be more powerful?

People often do that. They say why before they ask what. I do it. I did it.

What is a blog? Tessa said that. I think I now am clear on what it means to me. A blog is all about audience. It is open for literally anyone. It often seems like I have one reader, but it gets churned into a family site where at least five people read it regularly. I have the url on the bottom of my emails because it is a way of getting to know me better. When I email people and they respond that they've read something on my blog, I know they find me interesting. And that's a big thing.