Writing

Once upon a time, there was a country called, “Independence.” The citizens of Independence prided themselves on their patriotism, having an appreciation for the long-ago revolution that had liberated them from oppression. The citizens of Independence enjoyed many freedoms, including where to work, where to live, whom to marry, what to say, etc. Various sporting events often brought the…

This blog post contains a book proposal on the manuscript that resulted from the Dimorier Project. BRIEF ABSTRACT  The Dimorier project began in 2004, when a handwritten journal of original poetry was discovered at a printing-house auction in Erie, Pennsylvania. The journal belonged to William E. Dimorier (1871-1951), an educator, administrator, benefactor, and poet. Born in Afton,…

You might be an activist who has been speaking up about issues you feel strongly about. You want to be heard. Or, you might not think of yourself as an activist, and you might be only posting on Facebook, but you want to persuade others to think as you do, or at least, to understand your position.…

Presque Isle State Park, in northwestern Pennsylvania, provides quiet refuge for clearing one’s head and connecting with nature. The trails that wind throughout this Lake Erie peninsula offer many opportunities for such soothing sojourns. William E. Dimorier (1871-1951) educator and servant leader, spent many idle hours at Presque Isle. In April of 1941, retired from the…

One of the books found in William E. Dimorier’s personal library was The Meaning of Service, by Harry Emerson Fosdick, published in 1921. It, perhaps, more than any other of William’s books, illustrates his life of service. Fosdick graduated from Colgate University in 1900, three years before William, so they had probably met one another there. After…

Here are seven bits of inspiration from the documentary, Martha of Lattimore, about Martha Mason, paralyzed by polio, who lived in an iron lung for more than six decades. Why am I sharing this list with you? I recently saw a post on Facebook about the iron lung, a massive mechanism invented to breathe for people who had become…

When I was a kid, I was a voracious reader. Luckily, we lived near a library. My trips to the library often employed a wagon to ferry my borrowings home. Once, my mother walked by me in the living room as I turned a last page and said, “You didn’t read that whole book already,…

Imagine quitting your really great job for a decade-old writing project you haven’t been able to finish while working full time. And you must finish. You can’t explain why. It must be done. It doesn’t matter that there are people who think you’re crazy. Then, imagine you finally find a way to corral the multitude…

In 1916, the subject of my research, William E. Dimorier, an educator and poet, wrote an article called, “Significance of Poetry” for the Journal of Education. He begins his piece, The memorizing of choice passages of poetry is a popular and well established practice in high schools. In this materialistic age it is well that such is…

Well, it’s official. Tonight, I made an important announcement to my Penn State colleagues, students, and alumni with a mixture of sadness and excitement. If I could live two lives simultaneously, that would be perfect, but none of us gets that luxury. I have made a choice. Here’s what the announcement said: I have enjoyed…