My starter list for the year, in no particular order.

1) Louise Erdrich, who can say more in one sentence than some writers can in an entire book

2) Kent Meyers, who writes eloquently about ranch life

3) Audrey Niffenegger, who made all that time traveling look unplanned

4) Billy Collins, the first poet to make me laugh in a long time

5) Lillian & Donald Smith, who publish our local paper

6) Diane Fienstein, who fights the good fight

7) Barbara Boxer, ditto Diane

That’s the best I can do so far. Thanks, Todd, for the nudge.

I did write to the widow of a man I admired very much, and was lucky enough to know very briefly, Frank Wilkinson.