I'm mulling over a problem about which I'd value input. The John Thurman Historical Society was given some diaries, which I've been transcribing for possible use somehow in our quarterly magazine, cleverly named The Quarterly. As I read these diaries, which were written in the 1930s by a woman now deceased, I was entranced. I must have a voyeuristic streak (there, I've said it!), but I love peeking into the lives of other people in this way. Tucked into the tedium of entries that typically began, "Home all day..." was tragedy. The woman's life was changing, and not in a way to her liking. The children, despite her efforts to cling to them, were growing up and away. Her parents were aging and becoming more dependent. Her marriage was unraveling,thread by thread. It's a poignant story, one that is not new and will never be old. It has started me thinking a great deal about the lot of women in that diarist's position in eras when women's options were so much more limited. I'd like to use these diaries as a centerpiece in a discussion about that issue. It's believable and dramatic. It would work well.
But what about respect? What about the woman's assumption of privacy as she wrote? What about the feelings of her descendants? What about the fact that this is just her side of the story? As a caring person, I feel the itch to censor, to be selective in what I publish.
What's right? There are no simple answers, but your ideas will help me arrive at a decision I can live with.
Perky
AYL Writing Class
-
FEELINGS
It is okay:
To be sad
To be old and have wrinkles
To sit in the kitchen window
and watch the birds
with dishes in the...
1 year ago
Several people have contacted me to say that they had tried to leave a comment but had been unable, or were not sure if they had succeeded. In a couple of cases I know they did not succeed. So, as a newcomer to Blogdom, I decided to try commenting myself, to see if I could figure it out and perhaps pass along secrets for success. First challenge: How to access the option. I clicked on the link that said (#) comments. (But if you didn't do that, you aren't reading this.) Second challenge: Select "Post a Comment." Third - and biggest - challenge: Figure out what they mean by "Comment as." I hit the drop-down menu and had no clue. I finally selected "Name/URL" and entered information in both blanks, but I'll bet I could have just put my name. Presto! I'm in and typing. Now to preview it and see how many typos there are. Back in a sec. Okay, I'm back. Just three typos that I was able to spot. Next challenge - how to get back to the screen where I could edit. Couldn't find a button there, but the browser back arrow did the trick. Corrections made, final sentences written, and I'm going to hit "Post Comment" to my lower left. If you've had trouble posting comments, I hope this works for you. Or perhaps I'm being premature. I hope it works for me!
ReplyDelete