Thinkers and writers

Yesterday, I got tagged with a meme by the inimitable Dr. Flea, of whose recognition I am totally not worthy. Although normally, memes, meh, this "Thinking Blogs" meme gives me the opportunity to give props to several excellent thinkers and writers who routinely send my tiny brain into spasms of glee.

I'd have tagged Flea himself if it hadn't been he who tagged me. That not being an option, here are five other bloggers I adore:

1. I Blame the Patriarchy. My daily dose of radical feminism since 2004, this blog has done nothing less than give me a new vocabulary for thinking about human rights. It is also completely freaking hilarious, and the author is a serious stickler for the grammar and the spelling. Even when she's wrong, she's right on.

2. Blog, MD. Thoughtful writing from a pediatric hematologist-oncologist on all sorts of topics, many of them health-related. His sense of humor and principle shine through his easy prose, and he often cites interesting references.

3. Orangette. Engaging, lyrical, meticulously edited food writing by a woman who is clearly enraptured by all things edible. Her recipes, conveniently catalogued on the website, reliably turn out toothsome products.

4. Cathy Horyn's blog. Cathy Horyn writes about fashion with incredible intellect and authority, yet is almost ecclesiastic in her shunning of pretense. Her reviews stimulate the mind without tugging at the wallet, urging the reader to regard rather than possess. I'll give a dollar to anyone who can name another fashion blogger who does that. Horyn is way too famous for this meme, but I don't care.

5. Terra Sigillata. A neighbor here at SB, Abel Pharmboy is a pharmacologist who writes critically and eloquently about all manner of issues in drug research and development. He's consistently both interesting and educational, and handles even conceptually dense issues with a light touch.

There are plenty more--these are just the five that popped into mind first. For others, please see the blogroll at left.

Here are participation instructions for those tagged and willing:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,
3. Optional: Proudly display this 'Thinking Blogger Award' graphic with a link to the post that you wrote [ed. I presume this means your thinkiest piece.].

Then, watch the bucks roll in! Just kidding.

Thanks, Flea!