John Baker’s Blog

1. Why do you blog?
I started out blogging because I felt like I had something to say and blogging was an easy way to put it “out there.” I guess I blog now because it has been integrated into my life. Book blogging has become a hobby. I have contacts and relationships with publishers, publicists, authors, etc. Plus, I am addicted to books.
I also blog because I enjoy the feeling of successfully communicating. Blogging is an endless quest to describe my thoughts and ideas better. There is something about that quest that keeps me coming back.

2. Which author and/or book has most influenced you?
This is a tough question. Authors like J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis influenced me a lot as a child by expanding my imagination. Authors like John LeCarre and Len Deighton began my love affiar with international intrigue and tight storytelling.
But if I had to pick one book I would have to say the Bible. Predictable perhaps, but nevertheless true. It has informed and formed my thoughts on theology, morality, and spirituality but has also had a large impact on my views on language, history, and culture.

3. Which three blogs do you most visit?
The American Scene (http://www.theamericanscene.com/), Contemporary Nomads (http://contemporary-nomad.blogspot.com/),
RedState.com (http://redstate.com)

4. Why do you read fiction?
I read for entertainment and for insight. Good genre fiction gives me a break from the mundane and often depressing world. It entertains me and stimulates my imagination. Literature often does this as well, but at its best it also communicates something deeper about human nature; about what it means to be human. Good fiction makes me feel like I know the world better.

5. What makes you laugh?
I will admit to a penchant for silly slapstick and corny humour. Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, and John Candy movies tend to make me laugh.
In fiction, I enjoy both a wry sense of humor as well as larger than life satire.

Kevin Holtsberry blogs at Collected Miscellany, which can be found here: kevinholtsberry.com/blog.html

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