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.
Last week in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama said that with the Obama’s moving out of the White House and the Trumps moving in, America is a nation where hope is lost. “We feel the difference now,” Michelle Obama said, referring to Donald Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton. … Read more…
(Note: This is a substantially revised and highly personalized version of an email I recently received from a like-minded American Deplorable. I hope you will find it thought-provoking). I used to think I was just a regular guy, but . . . I was born a white male, which means, whether … Read more…
I belong to a lively online Historical Novels discussion group in which authors engage in lots of discussions ranging from how one researches historical novels to selecting book titles. Most recently someone started a discussion about whether or not we authors should be politically correct when writing historical fiction. The result … Read more…
In 1995, I returned to Vietnam for the 20th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon. During that trip, I made it a point to interview as many people as possible about their country–including former Communist Viet Cong cadres. What I heard was surprising. They were not happy with this new … Read more…
There is a reason the very first amendment to the U. S. Constitution in 1791 dealt with issues such as freedom of speech, the press, religion, the right of peaceful assembly and the right to redress grievances via government petition.
The founding fathers viewed those freedoms and rights as critical to a functioning democracy. Without them a government could exercise almost total control over its people.
I recently received the results of a poll asking that very question. It was produced by a company called Grammarly, a leading automated proofreader. The results are sure to set off some interesting (read: heated & intense) discussions among writers of both genders. I won’t keep you in suspense. The … Read more…
Accomplished wordsmith William Safire once defined a gap between the generations as “a frustrating lack of communication between young and old, or a useful stretch of time that separates cultures within a society, allowing them to develop their own character.” That’s a pretty good definition. But it doesn’t tell the … Read more…
You have probably received one of those e-mails displaying photos of so-called “Walmart People.” As you scroll down, there is a collection of photos of Walmart shoppers wearing wild assortments of clothing covering bodies that seem fashioned from silly putty or carved from tree stumps. There are horribly overweight women wearing … Read more…