Category Archives: History

Writing-Tip Wednesday: World Building Lessons I’d Forgotten

Posted on July 22, 2020 by dbjackson

Back in early March, I posted about creating magic systems, and said then that I expected I would post about world building at least once more over the course of the year. And so here I am, making myself a … Continue reading →

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Monday Musings: Covid-19 and America’s Character Flaw

Posted on July 20, 2020 by dbjackson

Many of you know that I have a Ph.D. in U.S. History. My years of studying America’s past have taught me a lot and left me fully aware of the dangers inherent in making broad, sweeping generalizations. And yet… I … Continue reading →

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Writing-Tip Wednesday: My Favorite Reference Books

Posted on June 24, 2020 by dbjackson

Last week’s Writing-Tip Wednesday post was about the computer apps I use most when researching, outlining, and writing books and stories. As promised, this week I want to look at what are probably the most important writing tools I have: … Continue reading →

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Monday Musings: Challenging Ourselves

Posted on June 15, 2020 by dbjackson

I will admit that my first impulse for this Monday Musings post was to write about something other than race and politics. Not because those things aren’t still on my mind. They consume me. But rather because I was thinking, … Continue reading →

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Monday Musings: On Race, Privilege, and Uncomfortable Conversations

Posted on June 8, 2020 by dbjackson

As I white progressive, I have struggled with how to write this post. I know that the white progressives in my audience will struggle to read and process it. All of this, I believe, is to the good. This past … Continue reading →

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Photo Friday: Not My Image, but Wow…

Posted on June 5, 2020 by dbjackson

For this week’s photo, I couldn’t see myself posting a pretty picture from Nancy’s garden or nearby natural sites. Instead, I offer a photo from AP photographer Steve Helber. This is, to me, a remarkable image from this week’s protests, … Continue reading →

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Monday Musings: A True Story of Privilege

Posted on June 1, 2020 by dbjackson

I can’t shed my privilege – it is part and parcel of who and what I am, as impossible to separate as chewed gum wadded in tissue. This is a true story. Every detail. I swear. When Nancy and I … Continue reading →

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Photo Friday: A Shaky Image

Posted on May 15, 2020 by dbjackson

For this week’s Photo Friday post I offer you a slightly different sort of image. Last weekend, early Sunday morning – 3:33 am, to be exact – I was awakened by something I hadn’t felt in years: an earthquake. The … Continue reading →

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Monday Musings: 50,000

Posted on April 27, 2020 by dbjackson

It is more people than can fit into the stands of Fenway Park. Or Wrigley Field. It is actually higher than the capacity seating of 28 of Major League Baseball’s 30 stadiums (the exceptions: Yankee Stadium and Dodger Stadium) It … Continue reading →

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Monday Musings: Flattening the Curve, Projection “Hoaxes,” and Righteous Anger

Posted on April 13, 2020 by dbjackson

I’m angry today. The pandemic – the isolation, the uncertainty, the steady stream of tragic news, the underlying fear – elicits different emotions at different times, running the gamut from those I’d expect (sadness, fear, numbness) to those I might … Continue reading →

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