This is a blog for journalists, authors, and those who enjoy reading and learning. Here you will find a variety of posts about all forms of writing–from fiction and non-fiction to the news media and journalism. It is produced by a former foreign correspondent and journalism school dean.
In my continuing examination of the way people of the past predicted the future, here is yet another look at some interesting forecasts from long ago. My previous post on predictions from the past was posted earlier this week. Why am I blogging about this? Because, as an author of … Read more…
Predicting the future can be a daunting, if not a sometimes embarrassing occupation. I have already posted on this topic a few times because as a writer of historical fiction I think it adds something when characters look ahead and wonder what the world will be like in one hundred … Read more…
There is an anonymous quote about books and reading them that I recall from my English Literature class at the University of Kansas several centuries ago. It goes like this: “Anyone who says they have only one life to live must not know how to read a book.” The meaning … Read more…
Let me say right off: I do not believe in the idea of hate speech. One person’s “hate speech” is another person’s “free speech.” In that regard, the American Civil Liberties Union and I are in 100 percent agreement. More on the ACLU later. In a previous post, I talked … Read more…
Once upon a time, America was a nation of laws. Thieves and thugs were punished when they were caught, arrested, and convicted. Those were the good ole days. Today, we live in a nation where smash and grab thieves are invading stores at will, cleaning them out, and walking away. … Read more…
I was getting ready to post today on the fully warranted Kyle Rittenhouse acquittal and then I read the column below by former Chicago Tribune colleague and columnist John Kass. John left the Tribune this past summer, the victim of “cancel culture” primarily because of a column he wrote that … Read more…
“Has America Ever Been as Divided as it is today?” That was the rhetorical question a television pundit recently asked during a discussion of the nation’s current hateful political climate. Frankly, the question surprised me. Then I looked at who asked it. She was a thirty-something talking head who had … Read more…
Today is Veterans Day. Given that only 7 percent of the people of this nation have ever put on a uniform, I wonder how many Americans know why Veterans Day is a national holiday. Yes, it means schools and most government offices are closed. But it means a lot more … Read more…
This Thursday, November 11, is Veterans Day. I will be posting about that special holiday, but before I do that, I want to discuss the deliberate deterioration and weakening of America’s military. Immediately following my comments is a commentary I received from US Defense Watch, a website founded by U.S. … Read more…
I had never heard of Winsome Sears before Tuesday’s Virginia gubernatorial election. Why not? She is charismatic, smart, confident, and formidable. She is a 57-year-old mother of three, a former U.S. Marine, vice-president of the Virginia Board of Education, and a business owner. And she was running for Lt. Governor … Read more…