history major Archives • BOOMERPDX

WRITING ROOTS: HOW DEEP DO THEY GROW

Writing roots are reading roots. Everybody knows that from their first grade if they had a teacher as good as Mrs. Baker. I recall her saying, ‘Our writing is a reflection of our reading.’ I believed it then as I believe it now. (Folding a corner to mark my place in Patrick DeWitt’s novel The […]

FOR TEACHING HISTORY, FIRST LEARN HISTORY

My first awareness about teaching history came during a senior seminar class on the origins of WWI. I was a night school student finishing off history degree requirements; a ‘take classes at noon’ student, a ‘whatever class fits the right time slot’ student. It was the usual schedule for irresponsible college dropouts who get married, […]

HISTORY MATTERS WHEN YOU’RE NOT LOOKING

History matters more to history majors? We like to think so, but history matters to everyone else, too. It matters with personal history, house history, town history, business history, and the big history between nations. The key to remember is that it always starts small. And it starts with one question: What happened?

THE HISTORY WRITER YOU NEED, THE STORY YOU GET

Every history writer has a To Be Read stack of books. I like to think most people have the same stack. The difference for a writer is most of their books To Be Read explain how to write. I’m finally able to say they helped me. How? Thank you for asking.

HISTORY CLASS NEEDS AUTHENTICATION, VERIFICATION

My father in law was a big history class fan; he gave his own history a good spin. The man had been everywhere and done everything, driven every kind of rig that’s ever been made, flown airplanes in every war that had airplanes. His stories were familiar the first time I heard them when my […]

What’s Better Than A Garden Party? Eight Garden Parties

Forest Grove Opens Their Yards For Friends Of History The most important part of a garden tour, or yard walk, is avoid comparing every stop to your yard. Yes, you’ve done incredible yard work and you’re proud as a pick axe the way it turned out, the same pick axe you broke your water line […]

RUSTIC FRUIT RECIPE ON THE WESTERN CHEF TABLE

A recipe is nothing more than food history, and nothing says history better than ‘rustic.’ Like the discovery of fire, the first food recipe had to be pretty rustic. The top cave chef probably didn’t have as much to work with. No one appreciates recipes more than a history major with […]

HOW TO EXPLAIN MODERN PROBLEMS TO THE GREATEST GENERATION

Boomers in the Sandwich Generation have a lot to cover. Wedged between the Greats from WWII and Millennials, baby boomers in combined households find one group over-informed by network news, and the other who understand world events from Comedy Central. The younger group has time to figure things out on their terms. To the older […]

NEW YORKER THURSDAY IN THE MAIL, A LESSON IN READING

WRITING ROOTS: HOW DEEP DO THEY GROW

YEARNING NOSTALGIA vs REAL LIFE

FOR TEACHING HISTORY, FIRST LEARN HISTORY

HISTORY MATTERS WHEN YOU’RE NOT LOOKING

THE HISTORY WRITER YOU NEED, THE STORY YOU GET

HISTORY CLASS NEEDS AUTHENTICATION, VERIFICATION

What’s Better Than A Garden Party? Eight Garden Parties

RUSTIC FRUIT RECIPE ON THE WESTERN CHEF TABLE

HOW TO EXPLAIN MODERN PROBLEMS TO THE GREATEST GENERATION

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