Like many Midwestern homes, ours has become a cornucopia of stuff. I think about downsizing, and had better get on that or face an estate sale at the end of the line. For now, though, the accumulated memorabilia is the equivalent of a limestone quarry: the stuff of which to build my literary edifices.
Instead of disciplining myself to write a book of fiction in 1986, I continued to collect writings, journals, photographs, clippings, books, musical recordings, posters, and such until they would press hegemony into my 2025 writing space. One book into my autobiography, I am now mining this personal memorabilia to tell my story.
Let’s frame this with a passage from a letter I wrote to a friend:
I got a copy of F. Scott Fitzgerald On Writing from the Book of the Month Club. Though I had little good to say about Fitzgerald before now, there is much of what he says here I find pertinent. I recommend this book; much of it makes sense to me. He speaks of an attic of albums, files and clippings being the bank account of a writer, I look around my study and say, ‘Of course.’ This spring I hope to draw on my account and invest in creative endeavor. Appreciation will come close behind. (Personal Letters, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, April 6, 1986).
I’ve been back and forth with Fitzgerald, but he got this right. The part he missed is the role living memory plays in writing. Sometimes memorabilia can trigger living memory, and that is the point of keeping it. The trouble I’ve found is letting go of it, both literally and figuratively. The best use of attic findings is to allow them to be a springboard for new ideas or a germ of creativity. What writers do here isn’t coal mining. It’s more like panning for gold in California. If an artifact doesn’t present value, we should get rid of it.
Organizing personal memorabilia for use is not a straight forward task. Like anyone, my tendency has been to throw things in a box or folder and tuck them away wherever there is space. As a result, memorabilia is scattered all over the house in a semi-organized mess. The wall of boxes outside my writing space is intimidating and inadequately marked. Boxes are seven high and seven wide, or 49 of them. This doesn’t count the other two walls of boxes, or the trunks, desks, and stashes in the living room and bedroom closet. Since I am following a chronological narrative, it would be best to arrange everything by date order. That in itself would be a too-long task.
There is a lot of writing to be found in memorabilia. That raw material is the easiest to convert to new narratives. Sometimes I quote directly from the past with minimal editing. Sometime I take previous pieces and completely rewrite them while preserving the essence. Either way the presence in the original usually shines through its new use. That’s what a writer wants. By the time I finish book two I expect I won’t have touched half of the memorabilia. If the narrative is good, I’m okay with that.
I put up three posts on Substack to see what they did. They got a lot more views than the same posts received on WordPress. Is there a future there? I don’t know.
The challenge I face, and many others like me, is to monetize my writing. I have one book done and privately published. I’m about a fourth of the way through a second. I need resources to revise the first book and publish it on major platforms as an eBook, audio book, and on-demand paper book. By the time I get that finished, I should be ready to repeat the process for the second book. Our pensions are presently sufficient to live, yet there is nothing extra for book publishing. I have to raise money to get my writing out there.
The model for Substack seems straightforward. Put your work up, and structure subscriptions so there is a free option, combined with tiered subscription plans that offer subscribers something extra. If I can develop a large following of paid subscribers, I might then afford publishing my two and any future books I might write. I could even publish the books on Substack as a premium benefit for paid subscribers. Details of that could be worked out.
The question is can I develop a following beyond my loyal readers? It’s an open question that’s partly answered by my other public writing… from which I receive plenty of feedback. If anything, my exodus from most social media platforms has increased the number of visitors to this website. But will they convert to Substack and pay?
WordPress offers a pay model, which I haven’t explored. I expect it was to keep up with the Jones’s at Substack. When comparing the two platforms, number of viewers trumps workable software every time. It is Substack or nothing, based on viewers, I think.
Maybe I am looking at monetization wrong. Perhaps I could figure out how much money I need for the two books and do a Go Fund Me campaign. That could work. It seems less complicated than an ongoing subscription project. I could also start streaming on Twitch or another platform that generates income. Whatever it is, I may have to add a fundraising hat to my closet to keep up.
I’d be curious to know reader reactions to this topic in the comments.
I’ve been back on the state park trail for about a week since the cold snap. The debate in the neighborhood is whether winter is over. The consensus seems to be winter is not finished. I maintain winter never really got started this season. The relatively warm temperatures, consistently, and year upon year, mean trouble for us all regardless of what the president does about the endangerment finding.
I have been reading the news and doing my best not to think about it. Very little is positive. Six weeks into the new administration and I feel strong, ready to upgrade my resistance. However, new shrapnel continues to fall from the sky. Better keep my powder dry a bit longer.
Yesterday I planted the second tray of seedlings: spinach, celery and arugula.The seeds were from 2022, so I’m not confident of the germination rate. I ordered new ones which should arrive next week. The spinach and arugula should show quickly whether or not they will germinate.
I have been working on my book daily for the last week. Mostly, the word count is going down as I edit a chapter about the period 1985 until 1987. There are some instances when a quote from my written journal or papers is appropriate. More often, I’m find such texts to be the basis for new writing. As I progress through the book, I believe I will use quotes as a starting point for a draft instead of using them as an actuality that nests in the narrative. This is especially true when I have new insights into what that 30-something man was thinking from a privileged viewpoint in 2025.
Today is the “buy nothing” day and I hope to keep my credit card in my wallet. If I can’t go a few days without buying anything other than emergency items, then what have I been doing the last 70+ years?
These daily blog posts are helpful in getting the writing fluids flowing. The next major change in my intellectual life will be when it is warm and dry enough to work in the garden and yard. Since I missed planting garlic in the fall, that will be the first crop to go into the ground: as soon as the ground dries enough to till the soil. Today we are not there yet.
These days have been the best part of winter. I intend to use them as I can until spring truly arrives.
Black Coat, long cut, with a red flower in the lapel. Top hat rounded, and in good shape. He hung it on the vacuum tank while he worked. Come in. Where is the fire place? Move things around so there is room. Lay out the cloth. Bring in the drum-like vacuum pump, Rods and brushes. Move things out of the fireplace Sweep, lights. Point out problems with fireplace. Clean up gear. Take out gear Sweep hearth with a hand broom. Everything is done methodically. Ford pickup with cover on back, ladders on top, though he did not use them.
Editor’s Note: House File 274 passed out of subcommittee on Monday, Feb. 17, 2-1.
A bill in the Iowa legislature seeks to repeal Section 728.7 of Iowa Code. This section provides a long-standing obscenity exception for libraries and educational institutions. According to the bill, nothing in code prohibits the use of appropriate material for educational purposes in any accredited school, any public library, or in any educational program in which a minor is participating. It further provides that code does not prohibit the attendance of minors at an exhibition or display of art works or the use of any materials in any public library. People are worried that children are being exposed to obscenities enough in public spaces to change how public institutions operate. This bill should be cause for concern for anyone who uses a public library.
I looked through our local library’s policy statements and found this:
Including materials in the collection does not constitute endorsement of their contents. The Library recognizes that any given item may offend some patrons, but, because the Library follows accepted principles of intellectual freedom, it will not remove specific titles solely because individuals or groups may find them objectionable. (Solon Public Library website, October 2022).
The language regarding children and censorship more directly addresses the concern:
Censorship is a purely individual matter. While an individual or group is free to reject material, no library staff person shall restrict access to the rest of the community. Selection of materials is not restricted by the possibility that children may obtain materials their parents may consider inappropriate. While materials are shelved by recommended age, patrons of any age may use materials in all sections of the library (see ALA Bill of Rights, Article V). Responsibility for children rests solely with their parents or legal guardians. (Solon Public Library website, October 2022).
So yes, House File 274 directly addresses existing library policy related to the American Library Association Bill of Rights. Here is the entire ALA Bill of Rights. On Monday, Feb. 17, at 11:30 a.m., an education subcommittee of the Iowa House meets in Room 103 at the State Capitol to consider the bill.
Here is a typical pro comment from the public comments section of the bill where more than a few words were used:
02-11-2025 Jonathan Huber:
I support House File 274 because it aims to protect minors from exposure to obscene content. By repealing the obscenity exemptions, Iowans can ensure that educational and public spaces remain safe and appropriate for all students. It’s important to have clear standards that prevent the distribution of material that could be harmful or offensive. This bill helps create a more secure learning environment where students can focus on their education without the risk of encountering inappropriate content. This bill prioritizes the well being of our youth.
Here is another:
02-12-2025 Sonya Swan
Our children are our future. When a child sees something, they cannot “unsee” it. Those images are forever in their precious little minds. When they read something obscene the result is the same. As an educator, I choose the materials for the children I teach very carefully. Our public institutions, have an obligation to omit obscene material for minors regardless of the location (school or library) or the function. Please repeal 728.7
Here is a con comment:
02-13-2025 Steve Clarke
Dont pass this bill the current exception in 728.7 allows for the use of appropriate material for educational purposes. Nobody is advocating for Playboys and Xrated movies. This is part of the larger cultural wars being waged. Protect our society by denouncing censorship.
Here is a longer con comment:
02-13-2025 Sarah Smith
Do NOT pass this bill. It is not the role of libraries or librarians to determine what children can or cannot readthat responsibility belongs to parents. Rather than restricting access to books, we should encourage parents to be actively involved in their childrens reading choices.If I come across a book I dont want to read or a news channel I dont want to watch, I simply choose not to engage. Thats the beauty of intellectual freedomthe ability to decide for ourselves. HF 274 imposes unnecessary restrictions that would hinder libraries from fulfilling their mission, limiting access to information and stifling the freedom to read.Our communities thrive when libraries are empowered to serve without political interference. Please vote against HF 274 and protect our right to read, learn, and think freely.
If I can figure out the technology, I plan to watch the subcommittee meeting online. In the meanwhile, I recommend you take a look at the comments and tell your state representative to vote no should this bill make it to the full house.
UPDATE: I submitted this comment on the bill:
“Vote no on this bill. There was and is a valid reason for this exception. I hope the committee will consider these things: Perhaps the raciest part of the public library is the romance genre section. It would be okay with me to eliminate this section completely, although many patrons read romance novels. It persists. A local group developed a solution in which a sticker is placed on romance library books suitable for Christian readers. It seems like a workable compromise, better than repealing this section of code. Secondly, I have been shocked at the content of a few books I checked out from the library. I’m thinking of the Elton John memoir Me. John talks openly about his sexuality and if I found it shocking, so could others. Should graders have access to this book? It’s not for me to say, nor for legislators. It is for parents to say. The American Library Association’s Bill of Rights is clear on this: “A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.” If a citizen’s group or individual objects to a book, resolution should take place at the local library or with the library board. As with my example of the racy romance novels, a solution can likely be devised at the local level. Republicans have super majorities and can enact what they will, including advancing the idea that Iowa will become a nanny-state. No reasonable person wants that. Please vote no on this bill. Thanks for reading my comment.”
My farmer friends are lining up customers for the 2025 growing season. February is the time folks sign up for a community supported agriculture share and there is a limit to how many shares each farm can produce. I used to belong to a CSA yet no longer need one. My large garden usually produces enough good stuff to serve our family. I wish them a productive and profitable season. This photo is one taken after I harvested bell peppers to take home, process, and freeze.
Part of writing an autobiography involves photographs and art work. The visual arts convey something much different from narrative text. In An Iowa Life: A Memoir, the first volume of my autobiography, I included a single photograph of me as a toddler. In volume two, I may include more than one, depending upon the expense. The book is not available to the public at present, but may be once early readers all provide feedback. Here is the cover with the photograph:
The way I used photographs in volume one was to describe something based on them, using my narrative to control the meaning. This is important because we don’t want to distract the reader from the energy of the narrative by introducing a photograph that can be interpreted in multiple ways. By describing photographs, instead of inserting them into the text, we can better guide readers.
Part two begins in 1981, a time when I took many film photographs. I keep the prints in boxes near my writing space, and in a few photo albums we made. I don’t know how to process them, yet at a minimum, I will get them out and look at them. There are a host of projects one could create with old photographs. A couple of days ago, I cleared access to the piles of boxes where the photographs rest.
I had a flip phone with a camera and took this photo of Senator Barack Obama on Sept. 17, 2006. The video of that year’s Harkin Steak Fry is here. It was one of the first digital photographs I took. The quality is not the best, yet it records the moment.
Obama at the Sept. 17, 2006 Harkin Steak Fry
Obama is in the rope line after he gave his keynote address. You can see Chet Culver and Tom Vilsack behind him. I shook his hand and was surprised at how genuine he was in our brief conversation. He had quite a handshake.
On May 3, 2008, I bought my first digital camera and took this photo after opening the box. Once I entered the realm of digital photography, the number of images exploded. Cameras in smart phones changed how I looked at photography. Now I take many exposures of a scene and then pick and edit the best one. There is no additional cost for multiple exposures and device memory seems unlimited.
My first photograph using a digital camera on May 3, 2008.
This has been a roundabout way of getting to the topic. In figuring out how to address photography in part two, I need to:
Find all available photographs in our house.
Look at them and set aside the ones I can use in the narrative.
Pick a small number for inclusion in the book.
While I look at them, I need another photo project in the works in which to use them. Posting on social media is one. Making specific albums, both paper and digital, is another. I might enlarge and frame a few of them. Each requires a significant investment of work.
Reviewing photographs should help make my picture-taking better. I hope to be cognizant and thoughtful in this process. I hope to be a better photographer.
My storage system has been good in that few have been damaged. Determine how to store them going forward.
I need to get rid of some of them. I don’t want to pass along photos that are meaningless to whoever inherits them.
I will read or reread a couple books about photography. In particular, The Photographer’s Eye by John Szarkowski, Photography and the American Scene by Robert Taft, Wisconsin Death Trip by Michael Lesy, On Photography by Susan Sontag, and others. If you know of a current book about photography, please drop a comment with the name and author.
At the beginning, this project is hopeful. It should be a fun year reviewing the images of my past and recalling the living memories behind them.
As part of the resistance, the machinery of a Republican government will be clanking in the background no matter what else I am doing, even as it needs improvement, maintenance, and breaks down intentionally. I am doing my part and want to do more. I also have to move the rest of my life forward.
It is important to write my way out of 2025 and this post outlines how I intend to do it. One word at a time, one post after another, emails again and again until a flood is unleashed. I worked all my life to do this, so there is no stopping now. The carpentry of my life dovetails with the rest of society even less since Jan. 20. This post is about writing in this new, broader context.
A cleanser from my journals:
Here in my basement I continue to make preparations, to write what I believe will provide the basis for change in the point of view of American life. The change from “the other” to the recognition that we are all part of the whole, of the one, that there is no other, just the one. (Personal Journal, Iowa City, Iowa, May 26, 1983).
I am 31 days into a streak of daily blog post writing. I expect that to continue, but it is not compulsive (I hope). I make a post to get daily words flowing in an organized manner. Correcting and revising each post, then hitting the schedule button is its own closed sphere of narrative. Some are better than others, and that is to be expected. The hour or two spent posting is like turning on the lights in my shop. I can immediately see better.
Equally important are the emails I write. Email is a dying art form, with text, Discord, Reddit, social media, and other venues taking more of our time and writing energy. In emails I work through things on a variety of topics. Each has a recipient potentially giving feedback. I spend a lot of time on a single email because it has import not only in answering someone’s inquiry, but represents an attempt to make more generally cogent and applicable statements. The group of people with whom I engage in the email is diminishing.
Finally there is the book. Doing the math, I need to write about a chapter a week, leaving time at the end of the year to pull everything together. That would present me with a draft for final editing and potentially publishing in 2026. The key at this point is when I get in a groove to keep writing until I have written it out. Hopefully such grooves will present themselves frequently. I drafted the first six chapters, so I’m about where I need to be today.
Recently two cable guys were at the house to fix a problem with the internet service. They wanted to see where my computer was, so we crammed into my book-lined space and stood there chatting. Not many people besides family enter here. It is my hideaway from the ubiquitous politicization of our lives and poor governance by Republicans. It is my safe space until I write my way out.
Before deactivating my Facebook account, I posted a photo of Rainer Werner Fassbinder as my profile picture. The New German Cinema was in vogue in Iowa City during the early 1980s. I saw more than 20 films by Fassbinder during a two-year period. He died on June 10, 1982, of a drug overdose/suicide. The joke was that as prolific as I was on social media, as Fassbinder was in film, I ended my own Facebook life by deactivating it, partly because I felt addicted to it. I suspect no one got the joke.
The changes in my social media use mentioned in yesterday’s post have had an immediate effect. Maybe not exactly cause-effect, but since I removed social media from mobile, I have been sleeping more soundly and more hours of it. I reduced mobile device screen time by half yesterday, to about three hours. I seem to be getting back to having seven or eight hours of sleep in a night. While that takes time from doing things I love, it is likely good for my health. Other positive changes seem to be happening.
It took a while this year, yet I am deep into revision of my current book. I had 63,000 words on January 1, yet the whole thing needs restructuring. I spent part of yesterday working on a new outline. It’s not finished. Having written the first book, I learned a lot about how to create a readable narrative. I plan to apply those skills as the major re-write begins. I will start with a solid outline and then, from the beginning, rewrite each chapter as if it were a stand-alone piece. The main epiphany is I need to focus on a smaller set of narratives. I’m thinking 25-30 stories. My whole life won’t fit, and there is no reason for it to do so. It’s not like I’m Robert Caro writing the biography of LBJ.
Yesterday one of my shoes wore out while I was walking on the state park trail. Water began to seep through the hole in the sole and by the time I finished 30 minutes of walking, my left foot was drenched. When I got home, I tossed the shoes in the trash and dried my feet. I made a note to buy a better pair of walking shoes soon.
There are a lot of moving pieces today. Having more rest and a new pair of walking shoes seems like a necessity. Also humor can help if people get the jokes.
Journey Home 
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