I read two types of blogs. The first type are blogs written by people that I like. These are bloggers with whom I feel I have developed (or am developing) a relationship. I am interested in what they say and the way that they say it. They comment on my blog, I comment on theirs. I tease them and call them names, and they tease me and call me names back. I read their stories about every day life with genuine interest and pleasure. And when I say “Congratulations!” or “You’re in my thoughts” I really mean it. They are my friends and are what keep me coming back to the blogosphere

Then they are the other types of blogs. These are the ones that are so well written and so funny they wouldn’t be out of place in a weekly newspaper column. Due to the quality of what these bloggers churn out they often (but not always) have hundreds of readers and commenters, and so the personal relationship between reader and writer is heavily watered down. There’s a very good chance that this person doesn’t even know who you are, that you’re just another face in the crowd. But that’s OK, the writing is so good that you’re happy to consider yourself a fan rather than a friend.

I suppose the difference between the two categories is similar to the one between a bunch of really clever and funny friends in the pub and watching Stephen Fry on the TV. If you had to chose between the two you’d go for your mates without hesitation because they give you so much more than simply entertainment. But it’s nice to have the facility to just sit back and watch a master at work now and again.

But there are a few bloggers that span both categories. People with whom I’ve developed a friendship, but that have the potential to become superstar bloggers if they put their mind to it. There isn’t a single blog in my google reader that isn’t written by a talented blogger (I tend to have high standards), but these people are beyond the pale. If they don’t produce at least one book in their lifetime then it will be a waste. Greg, Whit, Xbox – these are just three of fantastic and honest writers about whom my boundaries between friendship and fandom is deliciously blurred. And I have gushed sycophantically about them on previous posts.

And I would like to add Erin from Fierce Beagle to that list.

Blimey Erin’s good. I mean really good. For example today she did one of those “This is what my child is doing developmentally” posts. You know the kind – Dooce does them every month (or did back when I used to read her anyhow). But somehow Erin managed to make her development posts both interesting and funny. This is very hard to do, I know because I’ve tried and failed myself.

Just read this:

“And he’s very good at impersonations. For instance he can wag his finger and Shhh! at Cody in such a way that people can barely tell the difference between him and me, a differentiation that is further complicated by the fact that he frequently wears my slippers.”

That, ladies and gentlemen, is subtle comedy genius at it’s best. Not for Erin is the big, obvious, signposted gags. This woman is a crafstman.

In her day job Erin’s an editor, which goes some way to explaining her writing chops (although as far as I can make out all that editing involves is tipexing out spelling mistakes). She’s also the wife of Noah, a police officer, and writes extremely eloquently about the anxieties that having a husband on the thin blue line can provoke.

In short – go add her to your feedreader now. You won’t regret it.

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