It's A New Year, It's a New Day

Let's write!

Three travel days brought us out of Michigan to our winter digs at the ocean shore. I took this moments ago. High winds and tornado warnings! And the sun is shining! The threat of COVID still hangs over us all, and I hate that! So another year of masking and distancing and hoping three vaccinations will be enough to protect us.

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Good morning, friends! Here we are on the first Monday of the new year, full of promises to ourselves, ready to get to work.

Right?

Of course! It’s what we always do when the holiday dust settles and things are back to what we laughingly call ‘normal’.

I’ll go first: I won’t call it a resolution, but I’m leaning toward resolving to spend more time writing shorter pieces, including my two newsletters. (Don’t tell Constant Commoner, but I get much more pleasure out of writing this one than I do that one. Possibly because I know you all better, and I know we’re all in the same boat. We get each other.)

This newsletter will be a recap of some of the pieces I published in 2021, in case you missed them. Or forgot them. Or might want a chance to read them again. I’ve chosen the ones I like best, but there are many more. Feel free to wander around. Any time…

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It may not seem like it, given the apologies, but I loved writing this piece. I can still laugh in certain places. I hope you can, too.

My Childhood Was a Happy One

Of all the essays and columns I read during the disastrous Iraq War, none resonated like this short opinion piece by E.L Doctorow.

And why wouldn’t it be amazing? He was quite the writer!

When E.L Doctorow Looked into GWB's Eyes

This one only got one comment at the time it was published. I thought it would do better. So I’m trying it again. Thanks for reading it!

How to Overcome Writer's Desperation

My homage to William Zinsser. His advice didn’t always age well, but there was enough in there to get me started, to energize me, to make me believe I could be a writer. Can’t ask for more than that.

Why Zinsser's 'On Writing Well' Still Persists

There’s no denying the power of words. Some of them live through the ages—they’re that strong. We latch onto them and give them meaning of our own. We’re inspired to give our own words power. That’s some strength!

The Amazing Endurance of Remarkable Words

I’ll end with this one on loving your own writing. It’s something we need to do more of. In fact, if you have a favorite piece of your own writing, I’d love it if you’d share it here. If we’re going to be a community we’ll need to interact. Share away!

When You Love Your Own Writing

See you soon. Be sure to tickle that heart above, and for heaven’s sake, say something!

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