We've been impressed with Elizabeth Edwards in the past, so I couldn't pass the opportunity to meet her last week for a talk about her new book, Saving Grace: Finding Solace and Strength from Friends and Strangers.

We sat down to chat with a few other NYC bloggers about the book and blogging. While it's an autobiographical account of her life over the past ten years since her and John Edwards' son died as well as her experience with breast cancer, a portion of it discusses the importance of online communities. For quite some time Edwards has been engaging online using an alias and reaching out to a number of communities who ended up largely helping her cope with her loss.

We didn't have much time with her, so once the conversation began to get "political," she had to leave for another appointment. Her engaging yet somewhat shy demeanor was adorable, and she made it a point to sincerely remind the group how passionately she feels about online communities and the importance of our work. She also told me she likes Feministing's name. (Teehee.)