My Hope for this Blog

The purpose of a blog, as I understand it, is to share thoughts and information with readers. Of course, as an author, I get to do this in the books that I write. But a year or more can pass between the time I start a book and the time you get to read it. I hope this blog will give me the opportunity to speed up that cycle and write about subjects that, while not worthy of book-length treatment, are nonetheless interesting to me and also to you.

I expect that many of my posts will relate to my work. I've often found it ironic that, by the time my latest book reaches the bookstores, I've already moved on to a new project. So, while I'm making appearances in support of a newly published book, I'm really most eager to talk about the book I'm currently writing. With this blog, I hope to pass on some of what I learn as I learn it and thus allow you to share in the creative process, especially the joys of discovery and the aha! moments.

Other posts will, from time to time, relate to current events. My background as a historian gives me a helpful perspective, I think, in untangling much of what we hear on the news. When I believe I have something useful to offer, I'll post it here, especially if the mass media seems to be missing the boat. (But this will not be a political blog.)

Some posts will, of course, simply be fun. At my house, I do most of the cooking, and—as in all things—I like to share what I've learned. For five years, I had a fortnightly cooking show on Northeast Public Radio called "What's for Dinner." That show is no more, but I'm still cooking and still developing recipes, which I'll begin posting here for your culinary enlightenment. My repertoire, which I call family cuisine, is an eclectic mix of ethnic and comfort foods. What all of my recipes have in common, however, is that they're simple to execute and healthful to eat. I'm just a dad who cooks; if I can make it, you can, too.