This week, I saw the voting process from the back side when I worked as a roster judge for Ohio’s special August one-issue election. The experience has me more convinced than ever that it is extremely difficult to rig an election. It is virtually impossible to get away with voter fraud with all the checks and balances in place. I encourage anyone who qualifies to work at least one election. See for yourself how the […]
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Pilgrims, Refugees and Immigrants
Our nation is the enduring dream of every immigrant who ever set foot on these shores, and the millions still struggling to be free… this idea called America, was and always will be a new world. President George H.W. Bush I doubt that any child says he or she wants to be a refugee or immigrant when asked about their adult aspirations. Yet millions of people find themselves in those categories. Technically the first Pilgrims we […]
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Book Festival
Columbus Metropolitan Library Book Festival The Columbus Metropolitan Library Festival was the library’s first Book Festival, planned to celebrate its 150th anniversary. They estimate over 30,000 folks came out to check out the festivities. It was 18 months in the making and involved dozens and dozens of staff and volunteers. Over and over again, I heard people saying they hoped this was the first annual event. The Columbus Metropolitan Library has many good reasons to be […]
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Fourth of July 2023
Fourth of July 2023 has me thinking about frogs. Perhaps you’re aware of the frog-in-the-pot theory of change. Apparently, you can boil a live frog easily if you put the frog in an open pot filled with cold water. Gradually increase the temperature over a long period of time, and the frog will not jump out, even as the water temperature rises to lethal levels. Heather Cox Richardson has written a succinct and helpful summary […]
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Historical Stories Inspire Change
This week’s article, “Historical Stories Inspire Change,” is a guest column by Arlene Westcott, who offered to provide it as I was packing to head to the 2023 Historical Novel Society conference. It was a huge help to have it waiting for me when I returned from several days of discussing the power of historical stories to inspire change. That was my hope when I wrote Mayflower Chronicles: The Tale of Two Cultures and Mary […]
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