The Web is full of fine writing—but things do tend to dry up during the holidays. To help get you through, here are links to some of my favorite posts written by other bloggers during 2008.

Gabriele at Lost Fort translated a lovely Rilke poem.

Steven Hart compared Bobby Fischer to Icelandic outlaw Grettir Asmundarson and wrote eloquently about poetry and the decline of New Jersey newspapers.

Terry Teachout visited Willa Cather’s grave and pondered Our Town.

Jonathan Jarrett saw traces of a love story in 10th-century charters.

Cell phones clashed with Gregorian chanting when Kate Marie went to Rome.

The Cranky Professor offered tips on dining in the Eternal City.

Jake Seliger defended fantasy lit, suggested that media pundits would benefit from reading The Best Software Writing, and revisited the cheeseball novel Day of the Triffids.

Studenda Mira wrote about Irish lighthouses and ancient monks.

Scott Nokes explained why he takes medieval studies beyond the confines of the campus.

When everyone else reviewed Salman Rushdie’s new novel, Sam Sacks reviewed the reviewers.

Adam Golaski continued to serialize the weirdest, funniest, most alluring translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight you’re ever likely to read.

Heather watched the National Spelling Bee and remembered her Bee time 25 years ago.

Michael Drout told a fun story about his daughter, ancient animal toys, and a Lord of the Rings actor.

Michael Livingston contemplated the ex-squirrel in his attic.

Frank Wilson suggested that T.S. Eliot might have enjoyed Cats.

The Gypsy Scholar turned a Philip Larkin poem upside down and discovered it was still quite readable.

Patrick Kurp poked around in the memoirs of Sir Alec Guinness, who concluded that “Shakespeare can take care of himself.”