Maria

She’s not gonna like this, but I feel compelled to tell you something about Maria. She’s one of the founding bloggers at 2 Political Junkies and her blogging career stretches back into the early 2000’s.

Soon after I launched this blog in late December 2005, Maria emailed me with lots of positive and encouraging things to say. She offered to talk with me if I ever needed help. So I called her that day. It was a Saturday morning. I had coffee and was curled up in the desk chair in the attic, using my ancient desktop computer. I remember that experience from my early blogging days because I realized that I was not alone and that someone actually cared what I had to say (and that I said it.)

I still remember the various strands of our conversation as I learned how much I had in common with this otherwise stranger to me.

Over the years, we’ve collaborated on many projects – from ‘Days of Blogging’ focused on domestic violence, LGBT rights, sexual assault and more to the Pittsburgh Women’s Blogging Society to an art of blogging exhibit in 2015.

We’ve had coffee, dinner, dessert, attended events together, and had lots of phone calls. Even though our blogging styles are different, we don’t look alike, and our names don’t sound alike – we are conflated on a regular basis. Because, really, how many women blogging Pittsburgh can there be?

Yesterday was our 9th friendiversary on Facebook where we do most of our talking nowadays. We talk about politics, life, blogging, politics, aging, health, politics and more. Maria proofreads for me and I know that I can go to her with my most far-fetched idea to get feedback. Feedback the she offers freely and with directness that is always helpful.

Maria’s legacy as a political blogger is inextricably intertwined with her identity & experiences as a woman. She and I are political bloggers, we are also female political bloggers. We don’t agree on everything, but I know we have one another’s backs. Women need to stick together, just like bloggers do. And women’s roles shaping the discourse matters.

I constantly urge Maria to blog more, but I respect her decision on how to invest her time. Her legacy in the ‘Burghosphere’ should not be overlooked and if any blog content were to be preserved, it should be 2 Political Junkies (both Maria and David.) I’d like to see more women blogging politically. I’d like to see more opportunities for women to support and encourage one another in the blogosphere. And I’d like those who benefit from our work to invest in that work.

I owe a lot to Maria as a person and a blogger. I’m not ever going to get the chance to forget her name in a red carpet moment so I’ll say it here. Thank you, Maria.

You can find Maria’s bio here.

2 Political Junkies can be found here (co-blogger David DeAngelo is also a great read)

Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_In_Pgh

I strongly urge you to check out Maria’s legacy of political satire via her imagery on the blog. She has a masterful collection.