The 2005 Koufax Awards: Best Writing
This category seeks to recognize the best overall writing by a lefty blogger. In some cases, nominations were specific for a particular blogger on a group blog. In other cases, the entire blog, whether a singular or group effort, was nominated. I attempted to follow the intent of the nominator.
Once again, voting will open soon, hopefully next week. For now, get familiar with the best political writing in the blogosphere.
Adventus: Robert Jeffers
Alas, A Blog: Ampersand
Alicublog: Roy Edroso
All Facts and Opinions: Natalie Davis
AmericaBlog: John Aravosis
Attytood: Will Bunch
Baghdad Burning: Riverbend
Blood & Treasure: Jamie Kenny
Body and Soul: Jeanne d'Arc
Booman Tribune: SusanHu
Booman Tribune: Blksista
Booman/European Tribune: Oui
Bootstrap Analysis: Nuthatch
Casual Asides: DJ Waletzky
Cool Beans: Bean
The Countess: Trish Wilson
Creek Running North: Chris Clarke
Daily Kos: Hunter
Daily Kos: Armando
Daily Kos: Devilstower
Daily Kos: Georgia10
Daily Kos: Grand Moff Texan
The Democracy Cell Project: Casey Morris
Eschaton: Atrios
European Tribune: Jerome a Paris
Feministe: Jill
Feministe: Lauren
Firedoglake: ReddHedd
First Draft: Athenae
From Pine View Farm: Frank
Hullabaloo: Digby
Hullabaloo: Tristero
I Blame the Patriarchy: Twisty Faster
Informed Comment: Juan Cole
King of Zembla: Simbaud
Legal Fiction: Publius
Lawyers, Guns and Money: Scott Lemieux
The Left Coaster: Paradox
Left I on the News: Eli Stephens
Liberal Street Fighter: Madman in the Marketplace
Looking for Someone to Lie To Me: Michael Roston
Mahablog: Barbara O'Brien
Majikthise: Lindsay Beyerstein
Making Light: Jim Macdonald
Making Light: Teresa Nielsen Hayden
My Left Wing: Gottlieb
My Left Wing: Shanikka
My Left Wing: Maryscott O'Connor
My Left Wing: Caliberal
My Left Wing: Weeping for Brunnhilde
The Next Hurrah: Meteor Blades
Obsidian Wings: Hilzoy
Once Upon a Time: Arthur Silber
Orcinus: David Neiwert
Pandagon: Amanda Marcotte
The Poor Man: The Editors
Random Thoughts: Unfair and Unbalanced: Susan Nunes
The Reaction: Michael J.W. Stickings
Rittenhouse Review: Jim Capazzola
Shakespeare's Sister: Melissa McEwan
Suburban Guerrilla: Susie Madrak
Sisyphus Shrugged: Julia
Talking Points Memo: Josh Marshall
Thou Shall Not Suck: Unholy Moses
Washington Note: Steve Clemons
Unclaimed Territory: Glenn Greenwald
Unqualified Offerings: Jim Henley
Washington Monthly/Political Animal: Kevin Drum
WhirledView: Patricia Lee Sharpe
Whiskey Bar: Billmon
Winding Road in Urban Area: Jaye Ramsey Sutter
Working for Change: David Sirota
Yep,Another Goddamn Blog: Jurassic Pork
Comments
Courting Destiny gets my vote.
Posted by: jacob | March 4, 2006 12:24 PM
Chris Clarke, Creek Running North.
Posted by: PZ Myers | March 4, 2006 12:34 PM
Susan Nunes, Random Thoughts: Unfair and Unbalanced
Posted by: Susan Nunes | March 4, 2006 01:07 PM
A tough call for me between Lance Mannion and By Neddie Jingo! I'll go with Neddie on this one.
Posted by: helmut | March 4, 2006 01:08 PM
I Blame the Patriarchy: Twisty Faster.
Posted by: Chris Clarke | March 4, 2006 01:17 PM
Chris Clarke
Posted by: Roxanne | March 4, 2006 01:53 PM
The Fat Lady Sings - always a good read...Funny, informative, entertaining. I make TFLS a daily stop.
Posted by: George | March 4, 2006 01:55 PM
Pandagon
Posted by: Kate | March 4, 2006 02:00 PM
uh, Courting Destiny
Posted by: pia savage | March 4, 2006 02:57 PM
Glenn Greenwald
Posted by: Deacon | March 4, 2006 02:57 PM
Chris Clarke, Creek Running North.
Posted by: Jamie | March 4, 2006 03:41 PM
I am voting for Courting Destiny by Pia Savage.
Posted by: Miz BoheMia | March 4, 2006 03:49 PM
First Draft - Athenea
(Though if Digby takes it again I won't complain!)
Posted by: maggiemay | March 4, 2006 03:53 PM
First Draft - Athenea
(Brilliantly channeled insight--especially when she is angry!)
Posted by: Spocko | March 4, 2006 04:00 PM
Mahablog - Barbara O'Brien
Even if you don't like what she says..you'll like the way she says it. She has a way with words
Posted by: Swami | March 4, 2006 05:00 PM
Glenn Greenwald - absurdly good
Posted by: Washington | March 4, 2006 05:12 PM
The Heretik--goodly absurd.
Posted by: The Heretik | March 4, 2006 05:22 PM
Michael Berube online, simply because the MLA thinks so... and who am i to critique them... lol
Posted by: spyder | March 4, 2006 05:30 PM
James Wolcott, without a doubt.
Posted by: coldH2O | March 4, 2006 05:36 PM
Hunter at Daily Kos
Posted by: Mark H | March 4, 2006 05:39 PM
Sisyphus Shrugged
Posted by: dean | March 4, 2006 05:43 PM
Hullabaloo: Digby
Posted by: Anonymous | March 4, 2006 05:50 PM
Creek Running North
Posted by: Vasha | March 4, 2006 05:52 PM
One vote for Courting Destiny, please.
Posted by: Ignatius Dedd | March 4, 2006 05:59 PM
The Heretik! But so many other good ones...this is a great resource for me as I try to branch out.
Posted by: amy | March 4, 2006 06:09 PM
I vote for The Reaction (Michael Stickings).
Posted by: Jasmin | March 4, 2006 06:14 PM
Digby
Posted by: mokawanis | March 4, 2006 06:16 PM
I'm voting for myself since I don't blog any longer. Lauren at Feministe.
Posted by: Lauren | March 4, 2006 06:26 PM
Digby at Hullabaloo
Posted by: Unstable Isotope | March 4, 2006 06:50 PM
Scott Lemieux, Lawyers, Guns and Money
Posted by: Rob | March 4, 2006 06:55 PM
Chris Clarke, Creek Running North
Posted by: pinkko | March 4, 2006 06:56 PM
Courting Destiny
Posted by: Lensma | March 4, 2006 07:03 PM
James Wolcott
Posted by: thel | March 4, 2006 07:10 PM
Again I say The Mahablog....this lady has serious talent!
Posted by: justme | March 4, 2006 07:16 PM
Respectful Insolence
Posted by: IAMB | March 4, 2006 07:32 PM
Matt Yglesias
Posted by: Minipundit | March 4, 2006 07:35 PM
A Vote for "The Fat Lady Sings", always a good read.
Posted by: amy kancler | March 4, 2006 07:36 PM
PastPeak
Posted by: Ali | March 4, 2006 07:37 PM
My Left Wing: gottlieb
Posted by: eugene | March 4, 2006 07:44 PM
Athenae from First Draft, by a length! Great writer, one who could write about the classified ads and make you cry with emotion. But, also able to write a rant better than anyone ever before.
Posted by: hoppy | March 4, 2006 07:48 PM
Oh boy, this was tough. In the end I had to go with my friend: Caliberal @ My Left Wing. Her words will make you feel the importance of women's rights down to your very soul.
Posted by: sassy texan | March 4, 2006 07:53 PM
The Editors at The Poor Man.
Posted by: MattT | March 4, 2006 07:53 PM
voting for Gottlieb on My Left Wing for Best Writing. His writing is truly fucking superb.
Posted by: bluebird of happiness | March 4, 2006 08:03 PM
Courting Destiny.
Posted by: Bone | March 4, 2006 08:14 PM
Riverbend of Baghdad Burning
Posted by: Wren Dishon | March 4, 2006 08:20 PM
Nuthatch at bootstrap analysis
Posted by: Cindy | March 4, 2006 08:21 PM
As many votes as possible for myself at Casual Asides. No frontin'.
Posted by: D. J. | March 4, 2006 08:26 PM
After much (and by "much" I mean "metric tons") of agonizing, I have to go with Caliberal at My Left Wing.
Posted by: Raybin | March 4, 2006 08:29 PM
tough to pick one. Toughest category of all for me. I could
pick half the people on this list.
I personally think it's a miscategorization to have Wolcott in indy/
w/ indy/amateur bloggers, so I'm eliminating him.
Jeffers, Athenae, Digby- touched by the gods, each of them.
But if I have to choose one writer, who can can consistenly day
in day out, on a staggering variety of topics, from the intensely personal to the political, from the ridiculous to the sublime, get the
job done, I've got to go with Amanda Marcotte. Even when I
disagree with her, I love the way she can communicate an idea.
Amanda Marcotte of Pandagon.
Posted by: virgotex | March 4, 2006 08:30 PM
I cast my stone for Pia at Courting Destiny
Posted by: Doug Pascover | March 4, 2006 08:33 PM
Daily Kos: Georgia10
Posted by: FranM | March 4, 2006 08:50 PM
The Poor Man: The Editors
Posted by: oldwhitelady | March 4, 2006 09:02 PM
Bitch PhD is, hands down, the best writer in the entre blogosphere!
Posted by: TD | March 4, 2006 09:06 PM
Courting Destiny- Pia Savage.
When you talk writing blogs she is the one.
Posted by: cooper | March 4, 2006 09:12 PM
Jonathan at PastPeak
Posted by: Charyn | March 4, 2006 09:14 PM
DailyKos: Hunter
Posted by: Cathy | March 4, 2006 09:14 PM
Georgia10 at Daily KOS
Posted by: TheBlaz | March 4, 2006 09:17 PM
Shanikka, at My Left Wing.
Posted by: mirrim | March 4, 2006 09:18 PM
My Left Wing's gottlieb.
Posted by: Maryscott O'Connor | March 4, 2006 09:23 PM
David Neiwert at Orcinus.
Posted by: Urizen | March 4, 2006 09:42 PM
Jonathan at PastPeak
Posted by: Charyn | March 4, 2006 10:02 PM
Legal Fiction
Posted by: Josh | March 4, 2006 10:07 PM
Driftglass.
Posted by: Michael | March 4, 2006 10:16 PM
Mahablog: Barbara O'Brien
Posted by: modus potus | March 4, 2006 10:28 PM
Lance Mannion
Posted by: astroprof | March 4, 2006 10:29 PM
athenae @ first-draft. doubly so when she's pissed
-- And only because billmon hasn't written enough lately to justify the nomination and a vote (still the best in the biz, tho).
Posted by: thingwarbler | March 4, 2006 10:39 PM
Digby at Hullabaloo
Posted by: kathyp | March 4, 2006 10:45 PM
kid oakland
Posted by: wu ming | March 4, 2006 10:48 PM
The Fat Lady Sings
Posted by: The Fat Lady Sings | March 4, 2006 10:50 PM
Pandagon: Amanda Marcotte
Posted by: julie | March 4, 2006 10:55 PM
I vote for The (liberal)Girl Next Door (that's me). Digby would have got my vote in this one, but since my name is missing from the Most Deserving of Wider Recognition category (although it's where most of my noms came in), I'll have to choose myself on this one. I do write a heckuva lot of original material and much of it is even quite good.
Posted by: liberalgirlnextdoor | March 4, 2006 10:55 PM
Courting Destiny
Posted by: EsotericWombat | March 4, 2006 10:58 PM
Chris Clarke, Creek Running North.
Posted by: Orange | March 4, 2006 10:58 PM
Digby at Hullabaloo
There are any number from this list who are incredibly talented -- brilliant, in fact. But Digby delivers eloquence nearly every day -- thoughtful, analytical, ranting, tongue in cheek -- whichever voice he (she? don't know, don't care) choses it is always resonant. Somehow, through these dark years, Digby has learned to make his keyboard scream with both logic and grace.
My runner up - Athenae at First Draft whose growth as a writer is visible and stunning. She's gotten amazingly good very fast.
Posted by: Kay | March 4, 2006 10:59 PM
Gottlieb at My Left Wing -- The dude is a genius.
Posted by: Pluto | March 4, 2006 11:02 PM
bitch phd
Posted by: ben wolfson | March 4, 2006 11:09 PM
Well, really Chris Clarke, Twisty, or Michael Berube deserve this, but I'm still gonna vote for me.
Bitch PhD
Posted by: bitchphd | March 4, 2006 11:09 PM
Lance Mannion.
Posted by: coturnix | March 4, 2006 11:24 PM
berube
Posted by: eddi vulic | March 4, 2006 11:27 PM
My Left Wing: Gottlieb
Posted by: beagleandtabby | March 4, 2006 11:31 PM
BitchPhD
Posted by: taddyporter | March 4, 2006 11:35 PM
Best writer, so on form rather than on content or volume.
Michael Berube, (then Yglesias, then BPhD).
ash
['Pardon moi.']
Posted by: ash | March 4, 2006 11:38 PM
Obsidian Wings: Hilzoy
Posted by: vanessa | March 4, 2006 11:38 PM
Weeping for Brunnhilde @ My Left Wing
Posted by: Deano | March 4, 2006 11:39 PM
One for Courting Destiny, please! I love Pia's stories!
Posted by: Bonnie | March 4, 2006 11:39 PM
Bitch PhD
Posted by: Nick Barrowman | March 4, 2006 11:44 PM
First Draft--Athenae
She would have written a fabulous comment to accompany her vote were she me. I, on the other hand...sigh...
Posted by: BuggyQ | March 4, 2006 11:49 PM
without question, I Blame the Patriarchy
Posted by: sa | March 4, 2006 11:49 PM
gottlieb: My Left Wing
Posted by: billybush | March 5, 2006 12:09 AM
I vote for COURTING DESTINY too!
Posted by: Lisa | March 5, 2006 12:10 AM
Digby
Posted by: mpower1952 | March 5, 2006 12:16 AM
firedoglake: ReddHedd
Posted by: neurophius | March 5, 2006 12:27 AM
Courting Destiny son!
Posted by: enjoi | March 5, 2006 12:33 AM
Digby, day in and day out, never fails to amaze.
Posted by: Sandia Blanca | March 5, 2006 12:35 AM
My Left Wing: Maryscott O'Connor
Posted by: Nonetheless | March 5, 2006 12:35 AM
BitchPhD rocks.
Posted by: JB | March 5, 2006 12:39 AM
Athanae at First Draft
Posted by: flory | March 5, 2006 12:59 AM
Hunter @ dkos....no doubt about it.
Posted by: tlh lib | March 5, 2006 01:12 AM
James Wolcott, my God yes
Posted by: Josh | March 5, 2006 01:18 AM
Creek Running North. By a mile.
Posted by: Michael Anderson | March 5, 2006 01:20 AM
ReddHedd at Firedoglake - her post after the mining tragedy alone merits a Koufax. In a blogworld filled with snark, ReddHedd instead touches our hearts and that is a rare gift indeed.
Posted by: siun | March 5, 2006 01:30 AM
Berube, without a doubt.
Posted by: eno | March 5, 2006 01:32 AM
Meteor Blades.
Posted by: Laura | March 5, 2006 01:43 AM
The Next Hurrah: Meteor Blades
Posted by: anonymous | March 5, 2006 01:43 AM
Digby
Posted by: shayera | March 5, 2006 02:17 AM
Winding Road In An Urban Area, Jaye Ramsey Sutter
Posted by: Missouri Mule | March 5, 2006 02:44 AM
hullabaloo
Posted by: asda | March 5, 2006 02:46 AM
Majikthise
Posted by: Lindsay Beyerstein | March 5, 2006 02:49 AM
Amanda Marcotte of Pandagon.
Posted by: masale.wallah | March 5, 2006 02:57 AM
firedoglake's reddhedd
Posted by: op99 | March 5, 2006 03:09 AM
The Rude Pundit is always bodacious and bawdy fun, but James Wolcott gets my vote by a foreskin for his brilliant, cutting wit.
Posted by: radlib1 | March 5, 2006 03:44 AM
James Wolcott all the way! Funny guy.
Posted by: Giuditta | March 5, 2006 04:54 AM
Twisty at I Blame the Patriarchy
Posted by: M | March 5, 2006 05:40 AM
Suburban Guerrilla!
Posted by: Waco | March 5, 2006 05:55 AM
My Left Wing: Weeping for Brunnhilde
Posted by: pyrrho | March 5, 2006 06:12 AM
Hullabaloo: Digby
Posted by: :-D | March 5, 2006 06:27 AM
Unclaimed Territory by Glenn Greenwald.
Posted by: Jeff Coleman | March 5, 2006 07:08 AM