It was about a year ago that I first heard of Nineveh. Not the Bible story (it took me an embarrassingly long time to remember it’s connection to Jonah and the Whale), but a local neighborhood in my city, Troy, Ohio. I don’t remember how Nineveh first came to my attention. I just remember beingContinue reading “A Tangent Research Project: Vanished Black Community of Nineveh”
Tag Archives: research
Spring Break-up
There are many little signs that spring is here. The crocuses and daffodils unfurl. Thunder storms resume, along with tornado warnings. Elementary kids get their third quarter report cards. Easter approaching. A sharp uptick in gardening books being checked out at the library. An itch to get outside on just about any day above 50Continue reading “Spring Break-up”
Elizabeth Robins
Drawing and editing are fun, but I am excited to be researching again. In a run of luck, I found THREE first hand accounts of the Alaskan Frontier. I randomly chose one to start reading. Allow me to introduce to you Elizabeth Robins (1862-1952): actress, playwright, and author. She booked passaged to Nome, Alaska inContinue reading “Elizabeth Robins”
Words that Echo
At the beginning of today’s writing session I was continuing to read “Blond Indian” by Ernestine Hayes. It’s not very helpful for my 1920s setting, but it’s giving me much better insight to the living conditions of Native Alaskans. “Blond Indian” is literature with a capital L. It’s too heavy and abstract to be leisureContinue reading “Words that Echo”
Wrestling with History
I’ve had an on-going internal dialog on how to portray the women in my book, so I started writing it out. It’s a technique I tried to get my 1st and 2nd year students to use a few times because it’s a great way to figure out the problem. I encouraged them to write itContinue reading “Wrestling with History”
No luck…
I was looking for information on a man named RWJ Reed of Nome when I found this article. RWJ Reed is mentioned briefly in it, but I didn’t learn much about him. However, the article’s story… my first thought afterward was, “You’ve no manner of luck, my friend,” from Pirates of the Caribbean. Don’t wantContinue reading “No luck…”
Water water everywhere…
I know I just posted a few hours ago, but… I was just writing a bit of the novel when something came up. Margaret was going to replenish the resivoir along side the stove when I realized I’m missing something. Something big. WHERE IS THE WATER COMING FROM?! So I turned to Google, and itContinue reading “Water water everywhere…”
My Secret Love Affair
Sometime this past spring, right before I started writing my Alaskan novel, I got hooked on “Dr. Oakley: Yukon Vet.” I’ve always enjoyed a good vet show, but Yukon Vet is so much more. She seems to be an amazing veterinarian who does it all: reindeer/caribou, bears, lynx, eagles, owls, ferrets, dogs, moose, cats, chickens,Continue reading “My Secret Love Affair”
Caribou Fences
My OhioLink books arrived this past week! Now in addition to my writing I have some serious reading to get done. The first book I read was The Alaska Flying Expedition by Stan Cohen. It provided me with a time-line for my story since it begins with the announcement of the expedition and ends whenContinue reading “Caribou Fences”
Character Ideas: Mary Wilson
In my previous post, “Be the Other,” I wrote about my dedication to getting the voice and actions of my half Inupiaq character, Mary, as real as possible. I should note that I have never taken a creative writing course that taught me about voice, so I’m learning as I go. So far I’ve foundContinue reading “Character Ideas: Mary Wilson”
Northern Skies Publishing 