Beginning Again Pt.2

Big changes are afoot for this space. I can't wait to show you more!

I hope you had a chance to read last week’s update. My analytics said so many of you did take time to check in on me and for that I am so grateful!

If you haven’t had a chance to catch up, the last nine months have been a sprint within a marathon and a few things in my life fell by the wayside, including my Substack. But now that life has found a bit more of a predictable ebb and flow, I can dedicate my time with more focus and consistency. And I am so excited to have this creative space to share my thoughts, work on my writing and connect with friends and supporters.

So let’s dive in!

Roots & Revolution

As you may have noticed, my Substack now has a name! Poor thing wandered around the interwebs for a year without so much as a moniker to call her own. But now we are doing things properly, so please let me introduce you to Roots & Revolution, a place where I can share about the two things that I am most passionate about: telling the story of the place I came from, and speaking boldly about the things that inspire me, challenge me, sadden me, frustrate me and make me laugh. I couldn’t think of a name that encapsulates that better than Roots & Revolution. With that name upgrade came a refreshed color palette, some more recent photos of me and a new plan for posts.

Monday the Iowa-Way

Mondays will start with roots, with a focus on Iowa. It might be a discussion of a current event or commentary on a breaking news story. Or perhaps reflections on the beauty, history and culture of our state. Some days I might share a favorite photo from RAGBRAI, the Iowa State Fair, the High Trestle Bridge or the rolling green hills of Adair County. And other days it could be an interview with an Iowan (video or print) who has an important story to share.

Got something you want me to know about or a story to highlight? Send it my way by email and let’s share it out.

Writing Prompt Wednesday

This summer I was able to tear myself away from my hectic life to spend a weekend at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival working on memoir writing. It was such an inspiring deep dive into the art and science of telling one’s own story and I fell in love (or should I say renewed my love affair with) writing prompts as a tool for honing one’s voice and prose. I had the honor of reading some of the things I’d written at the open mic event at the end of the workshop and received such a warm and encouraging reception from my fellow workshop attendees. So I’d like to share some of those things written at the workshop, many of which may find their way into my book, as well as many of my future pieces guided by writing prompts. Just be forewarned, writing prompts have a tendency to be a bit like improv comedy. You have no idea from the first word to the last where things might go.

Threads Thursday

Have you joined Threads yet? A year ago I made the decision to delete my X/Twitter account. I had spent years amassing a follower count of over 10,000 and developing some really outstanding connections with like-minded friends and colleagues so letting go of something that I had invested so much time into was a difficult decision. But when I realized my free labor was helping keep a scab like Elon Musk in business (and an openly antisemitic scab at that), it was time to walk away. I have found a home on Threads, a mostly text-based platform tied to Instagram and owned by Meta. Listen, I have no illusions that Mark Zuckerburg is a hero of the revolution but for now, I have been able to share thoughts, connect with others and live a mostly harassment-free existence in a space that has many of the same attributes I liked about Twitter. There is some decent content over there and I am encouraging as many people as possible to leave the hellscape Xitter has become and join us over on Threads. Its not a perfect platform but it is improving and its a decent place to connect.

I plan to use Thursdays to expand on all things Thread-y. Maybe it’s a quote or a post(?) thread(?) I find interesting. Maybe it will be a deeper dive into a conversation I am having on the platform or perhaps it will be a diatribe complaining about the clunky user interface and the irritating AI moderation. (I’m no cheerleader for anything Meta-related so prepare for my occasional unvarnished thoughts).

Friday’s Sign of the Revolution

Every day across the US, the people are winning. From small victories like basic income pilot programs, to more states adding universal free school meals, to big (potential) wins like the Child Income Tax Credit and The PRO Act, grassroots activists, policy-makers and electeds from local to national office are working to address the needs of workers and families. On Fridays I will highlight places where progress is happening and our communities are getting stronger.

Do you have a recommendation for Friday’s Sign of the Revolution? Email me with your ideas and suggestions and let’s get the word out that helping one another makes us all stronger.

---

So that’s the plan. I am so excited you are going to be part of the conversation and I am so grateful for all the kind and supportive messages I received from my last post. Writing is something that has always come easy to me. It is the discipline to do it regularly that I have struggled with (hello, ADHD anyone?). This more organized approach will help me stay on track and will, I hope, give you the kind of content you find engaging and meaningful.

As always, I welcome your comments and feedback and if you find my writing to be valuable, please share it with others!