I came across a thread on Twitter the other day by a history teacher named Seth Cotlar that I can't stop thinking about. Here's how the thread begins: The conservative freak out about the 1619 Project (of which Cotton is just the latest example) is not about history. It's about memory; about what parts of … Continue reading Re-Creation of History
In bios, we list all the ways we might seem valuable: the places we've studied, degrees we've earned, teachers who've chosen us to mentor; the magazines and journals where people in positions of editorial authority have considered the fruits of our labor worthwhile; the whole books of ours accepted for publication, the new books we're … Continue reading Third Person
As a writer of creative nonfiction, it’s imperative that I think about my own role in anything I write. Am I a participant or an observer? Or am I writing from the “hazy territory between insider and outsider perspectives,” as Gabe Montesanti describes in her essay “Inside, Outside, In Between” (Creative Nonfiction, issue 72). This … Continue reading How Not To Write About Racism
Lexicon: the vocabulary of a language, an individual speaker or group of speakers, or a subject. (Merriam-Webster) I wrote my book An Adoptee Lexicon, in which I discuss forty-five terms that are significant to me as an adopted person, because I want to have a conversation about the words we use surrounding adoption, especially those simple words we … Continue reading The Words We Use: National Adoption Month 2018
It's February. How did that happen? For weeks, I've been meaning to share some thoughts here about the new year, writing goals, personal goals, etc., but I haven't been able to find time. I've been busy making plans and preparations for a new venture I'd like to share today. I am launching my own independent, … Continue reading New Year, New Venture
Karen Pickell: Between 