First Draft
Why “enslaved person” rather than “slave”
A recent discussion in one of my professional groups centered around the use of the word “slave.” It began as a discussion about slave as an adjective, as in “slave cabin.” The editor had been asked to avoid using the word, to use “enslaved person” instead. The problem arose when they needed to describe the cabins.
Being scammed on the Mass Pike
Ten ways to look at being scammed at the Charlton rest stop on the Mass Pike
On families, funerals and graves
I had an extraordinary moment at my father-in-law’s funeral last month. I suddenly realized, as we celebrated the long rich life of this quintessential Maine man, that I knew where I am to be buried, and I had a sense of what my own funeral might be like.
Should I stay or should I go: My Facebook dilemma
Truth be told, I’ve already decided to leave Facebook. I deactivated my account in early September and I haven’t thought about it much since. And I know I’m not the only one who’s gone, or is thinking about leaving. Of course the company is incontrovertibly evil. What’s been made clearer to me is that it’s also a creativity suck. And what surprises me most recently is how alienating it is. I thought it was helping me feel closer to people, but in many ways I feel more alone than ever, and I don’t think it’s just the rona.
Blog intentions
Welcome to my latest blog, which I am calling First Draft: Musings and Observations. Or some such. My intention is to use the blog structure and its public nature as a way to tell stories, make comments and observations, and share readings, links, images, etc. Maybe something further will emerge at some point.