Above the Fold
This Bus is Bound for Ramallah
Well, as faithful readers will know, I am leaving my position as a Gonzaga University history professor at the end of this semester (May 15). My plan is to devote myself to full time writing, focusing on books and history articles. The early results have been promising: my first book written for a general readership (Comet Madness) is in production and will hit the bookstores in Feb. 2023. I have also enjoyed modest success placing feature articles in magazines, and I hope to expand this effort once I no longer have to divide time between two careers.
The post-academic plan was clear, but a question remained: “where would I practice my craft?” That has been enigma. My wife, Mary, wanted to pursue her TESOL career overseas. I was happy to tag along—I can write anywhere there is a desk and a power outlet for my laptop. She applied for a post as an English Language Fellow with the U.S. State Department, and after months of highly-classified silence, the diplomats finally spit out an assignment.
In early September, we shall move to Ramallah, Palestine. We will spend the next year in the Holy Land.
For someone with my interests—I have spent the past twenty-five years teaching and researching late-Roman/early-church history—this is the dream assignment. Apart from Venice, I don’t know if the State Department could have found anywhere more suitable for me. To explore the land that sits at the center of Western civilization is the proverbial opportunity of a lifetime.
What does this mean for you, the readers of What’s New in Old News?
Certainly the most consequential change will be a slow shift toward articles and features that combine history and travel. In other words, I hope to travel to interesting places and write about the history of these destinations. No longer tied nine months a year to a job in Washington, I shall become the Peripatetic Historian. The world awaits the man who walks with a pen, and I hope to fully exploit this wonderful opportunity.
Comet Madness Update
The Comet draws closer. My editor at Prometheus returned the manuscript this month with a list of queries and typos that required correction. After making the changes, I sent the book back to the publisher. It now officially enters “production.” This includes steps like final copy-editing, typesetting, printing, and distribution. Most of these activities take place under-the-hood and behind-the-scenes. I won’t be in the kitchen as the professionals cook the bouillabaisse.
That’s a good thing. My editor asked me a month or so ago if I had any thoughts to pass along to the art designer about the appearance of the cover. Energized and enthused, I quickly worked up this mock-up, which I think would be brilliant:
This cover will sell a million copies. Happily, I slapped it into an email and shipped the image to my editor.
I haven’t heard anything more about it.
Probably better to let the experts handle these things.
Continuing Series
Via Romea Germanica XV: Borgo Valsugana to Primolano, Italy
Today we continue our stroll down Valsugana (the Sugana Valley) to Primolano. This will be a longer stage (25 KM), but somewhat shorter than the guidebook stage which carries on to Cismon del Grappa (32 KM).
Remarkably, when we step outside in Borgo Valsugana, the sun is beaming down. Yesterday had some sun, but there were still many clouds about and the sun was limited to brief appearances through the vents in a larger grey tapestry. Today, however, the sky overhead is blue; only a few puffy white clouds cling to the high mountain peaks. This is more like the Italy I was expecting for this trip.
Click here to continue reading this installment…
The Oyster Burger Chronicles XV: La Conner Pub and Eatery, La Conner, WA
La Conner, Washington, named by the owner of a local trading post after his wife [L]ouisa [A]nn Conner, is a small town of around 900 souls, centered like a bead on the Swinomish Ship Canal, east of Fidalgo Island. Home town of novelist Tom Robbins, La Conner runs beside the saltwater ship canal, a rustic row of restaurants, art galleries, and pubs. A boardwalk runs the length of town, allowing pleasant strolls in the afternoon and scenic views of battered boats, restless pigeons, and the slow roll of green water.
Click here to continue reading this installment…
A Long Walk Across America
“We’ll foot it to the fair or faint.”
On March 18, 1915, three young women—Ruth Harsley, Ethel Rockwell, and Maud Bridson—gathered in front of Chicago City Hall. Accompanied by Frisco Jack, a Scotch Collie adopted from the local pound, the trio were about to hike west on the newly-opened Lincoln Highway. They planned to reach California in time to visit the San Francisco Exposition, arriving by October 1.
“This trip was suggested to me a year ago,” Harsley, the group’s de facto leader, told the newspapers, “I was reading of the great fair to be held in San Francisco and decided at once to be there. So you see this is a carefully thought venture and not a momentary impulse.”
Click here to continue reading this tale of an epic journey across the continent…
And that’s a wrap for this month. April was a month of uncertainty—were we leaving Spokane or staying?—followed by a frenzy of packing, sorting, and preparing to sell our house. May promises a period of respite and contemplative calm as we tick off the final items on our departure checklist.
As always, if you know someone who enjoys history or travel, shoot them a copy of What’s New in Old News with the “share” button below. Otherwise, be safe, be sensible, and I will be back 31 days from now, on the eve of our departure.
I like the cover. Fight for it!