bloggers unite

Usually a blogger has the technical capacity to link to other bloggers in an official-looking bar on the side of his or her page. However, I am not a usual blogger, nor do I have much technical capacity of which to speak. Hence, you are presented with an unofficial-looking-yet-just-as-effective list of bloggers whose words I like to eat up. Besides having delicious vocab, they also happen to be pretty swell people in real life, too. If you like a heavy dose of humor, cultural critique, creative writing and a whole lotta soul, you'll find it here.

http://sheilapunkarelli.blogspot.com I got to know Cyndi while we worked together for two years on Calvin's beloved, ever-illustrious newspaper, Chimes. We have agreed since that our first interactions were marked by a shared sense of admiration of and intimidation by the other's fashion sense. (I mean, come on, have you seen me in my longjohns?) Since then, our friendship has become much less superficial and much more rewarding. Cyndi has recently moved away from Grand Rapids back to her hometown Chicago, where she is working as a curriculum writer and getting ready to go to Hong Kong. Her grilled vegetables and cheese-and-garlic sandwiches will be sorely missed in GR.

http://brianbork.blogspot.com/ Brian is a former Calvin history major, a former Bowling Green cultural studies grad student, a current seminarian, forever a Canadian, the future chaplain at the University of Toronto, the future lead guitarist of The Who Revival Tour, and eternally a Grade-A nerd and a Class-Act cook. Those wheels churning ever so speedily inside Brian's head proffer critique on the current American political scene, theology, the South, Star Wars, and Russia.

http://evangelicalexpat.blogspot.com/ Kate was the Research and Program Coordinator for the two years I worked for Calvin College's Student Activities Office. My time in the office was very dear to me and proffered some of the most formative conversations of my life, in large part because of Kate and her wisdom. Though she has not been updating her blog as of late, as she has recently moved to Philly with her husband Nate, I think Kate's reflections on American evangelicalism, Calvin's Cultural Engagement "Thing," and life in general are timeless.

http://katyharclerodes.blogspot.com Katy is a fellow student in the SCIO program at Oxford, studying Ye Olde English. She lives down in the basement of the Crick House with me, and thus provides much good conversation and entertainment when both of us are practicing paper neglect. She also happens to be an East Texaner, a fact evident after speaking with her for two minutes. She both affirms and subverts the stereotypes associated with such a title. Because of this, I think Katy offers a refreshing view on what life can be like in this rusty old city.

http://thegourd.blogspot.com Ryan is also a fellow student in the SCIO program at Oxford, as well as a fellow Crickster. He has red curly hair and recently just shaved his once-definitive beard, so that now we can call him "bald-chin." Ryan is by far the most artistic person living at Crick; while the rest of us are stressing ourselves out scrambling for the right quotes the night before our essays are due, Ryan can be found in the kitchen, contemplatively working on a collage whilst listening to Schubert. If you are looking for thoughtful insights on poetry, art theory, theology and the Midwest, you've found the right place.





Oh, and read mine too, when you get a chance.