Some house-cleaning stuff.
First, a big welcome to Zuzu, and to Mystery Blogger #2, who I think will be introducing themselves soon. I’m incredibly excited to be working with these two — many of you know Zuzu from the comments here and elsewhere, and I suspect you’ll recognize MB#2 as well. I’m looking forward to big things.
My internet at home died last night, so I couldn’t do my Blog for Choice / Roe Anniversary piece. It’ll be up later today. And it looks like our internet won’t be repaired for at least a week (thank you TimeWarner), so moderation of comments may be a little slow. I’ll be checking the comment dashboard throughout the day while I’m at school and in the library (9-7ish Monday-Friday), but after I go home I won’t have any access to it. Both Zuzu and MB#2 have access to comment approval, so they’ll be able to clear stuff when I’m not around, but please be patient if your comment is stuck in moderation longer than usual.
Finally, my bit about missing Ms. Lauren. I wasn’t surprised to see how many people were sad to see her go, and how many people dropped by to wish her well. I, for one, will miss her quite a bit. Lauren and I have never actually met, but since coming to Feministe I’ve considered her a friend and an inspiration. I consistently find myself reading her posts in awe, and going back into the archives to discover even more Lauren goodness. Before I began blogging at Feministe, I read her constantly; when I first started blogging on my own about a year and a half ago, she was one of the first feminist blogs I found (along with Feministing and Alas), and her style, wit, and intermixing of the personal with the political shaped the way that I aimed to write. When she asked me to be a co-blogger, I was both thrilled and terrified — the best feminist blogger out there wants me to work with her? I thought, in the eternal words of Wayne and Garth, “[I’m] not worthy!” After a few weeks at Feministe, and after getting more entrenched in the general blogosphere and reading more and more online, I realized that my co-blogger wasn’t the best feminist blogger out there — she was the best blogger out there, period. No one else I read had anything on her. And that made me work a lot harder, and care a lot more. Lauren created a community here, in a way that I haven’t seen anywhere else. And I am deeply grateful that she invited me to be such an active part of it. At this point in my life in particular, when all I do is school and when I feel generally isolated from activism and real-life feminist communities, this blog has been a godsend. It has become my only political/feminist outlet, and it’s the one thing that’s currently keeping me sane with all the pressure and disillusionment that law school has brought. Lauren built this vibrant, interesting and diverse community, and graciously allowed me to hop on board. So thank you, Lauren, for that. I hope you’ll drop by from time to time — we miss you already! And I know that great things are ahead for you. Keep us updated.
And good things are ahead for Feministe, too. I can’t wait to see how the blog develops with the two new people we’ve brought on. They’re fabulous, they came to mind immediately when Lauren and I were thinking of who to ask on, and I know you’ll all be impressed with their work. I’m looking forward to the new face of Feministe. I hope you are too.