History: October through December 2001

December 27, 2001
Well, the well-worn and horribly romantic image of a writer writing and pacing and drinking himself silly sure has taken a hit this year. Writing is proving to be much more of a "job" than anyone ever lets on. A job, to be sure, that I wouldn't trade for anything. And that, my friends, is a great place to be.

December 20, 2001
Finished a "markets" piece for Children's Writer Newsletter. Researched which publishers are looking for adventure pieces in 2002 and early 2003. This means I'll be able to seriously pick up where I left off on White Rose work. Hopefully very soon! Nothing like a short absence to make me ready to go again. How is it that after all these years, their story still has the power to make me cry?

November 29, 2001
Birthday tomorrow reminds me that we all get older and slower, no matter what we do or where we live. Oh well. Enjoying the journey, and that is what matters most.

November 22, 2001
So much to be thankful for, and I don't even mean the "biggies". Strong sense this year of needing to understand that so much that I am "thankful" for comes at the expense of others who receive little or no wage (much less thanks) for their labor.

November 1, 2001
We are coming up so quickly on the 63rd anniversary of Kristallnacht, the night of breaking glass, that awful pogrom that signaled the irrevocable beginnings of the Shoah. In these days when our own society can feel like it is standing on equivalent quicksand, we need to hear the words of Paul Spiegel, President of the German Jewish Council, spoken last November 9 in Berlin.

October 18, 2001
The worst thing to come of the bombing of the World Trade Center and Pentagon has been the willingness of too many citizens to voluntarily hand over civil liberties in exchange for what is perceived as "security" ...

This is a dangerous world view. We can fight external enemies. It has never been difficult to rally Americans to genuine jeopardy from abroad. But if we let go of the things that make us special ~ the right to freely assemble, the right to dissent, the right to speak our minds even if our opinions buck conventional wisdom and White House spin ~ we may as well surrender now. For we will have already lost.