Writer Admiration

People who write often talk about work from other writers they admire. Usually, these are fiction writers, at least for most of us. I'd list Faulkner, Hemingway, Lee Smith, Toni Morrison, and many more on such a list, and give us some time, or at least don't stop us, and we'll tell you exactly why. Until you feel you're in the worst version of talking shop:

"The way he builds the character is so subtle that you don't even notice he's drawing you in."

"I like his use of the color descriptions to illustrate the mood of the antagonist."

"Her work is so multi-layered that it requires more than one reading."

But for me, I admire many others in my field, which, at least for now, is not fiction. One such person is Julia Reed, a writer who used to write profiles for Vogue, but who've I have been reading in Garden and Gun. Her writing is personal, funny, truthful, and well put together.

But more importantly, she has a distinct voice, which in non-writer speak, means that you can "tell it's her." Case in point: I pulled out an old copy of Conde Nast Traveler recently and got involved on a story on Rio's fashion scene. The writer was self-depreciating yet still very knowledgeable, and I liked her take on things. Flipping back to the byline, it was Reed.

Well done, Miss Julia. I look forward to reading more.

Amelia Island a green island getaway

Bob and I had the opportunity for a later-summer getaway last year to Amelia Island, and in this month's Go Magazine website, the article about the "green" resort is a web extra. Click here to access it and then cruise around the website for more travel tips.

My travel tip for Amelia Island, Fla.? Renting a golf cart is an option for the resort and perfect fun for tooling around this expansive place. There is much to see, it's easy to transport lots of stuff to beach or golf course or tennis court, and well, when you're driving a golf cart, you're having a good day!