Honesty time.I am a 44 year old, happily married, church-elder, liberal, family-man, heterosexual American male. I hold a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Davis in English, with, had I filed in time, a minor in Political Science, 1984, and a Juris Doctor from the same school (1987). I went to law school because I realized that I knew nothing at all to write about -- knew nothing of life -- as of 1984, and I thought that law school might lead to a career that would teach me about life. I was right: 15 years as a civil litigator (and a short stint as a special prosecutor for the Multnomah County, Oregon D.A.) taught me more about human nature than 100 years of "civilian" life would have.
I always assumed that a law practice would lead me to a career as a novelist -- but, instead, it led me to great joy, great competitiveness, and ultimately to great pain as I took my clients' pains upon myself. I finally had to quit, and five years ago quit my litigation practice and became a mediator, arbitrator, and writer.
Lately I've been working on a book that Jennifer Nix, editor of George Lakoff's "Don't Think of an Elephant", Kos' "Crashing the Gates", and Glenn Greenwald's "How Would a Patriot Act" thinks has promise: rebutting and mediating the "War on Christmas" and "Culture War" being mounted by the Right against the principles of egalitarianism, parity, and freedom enunciated by the Founders.
The problem is, I don't have a formal "book deal." Jennifer is supportive of the idea, and is pitching the book to Working Assets Publishing (her new employer), but it's not a guarantee. Meanwhile, since I want the book to be released in the Fall, I'm working on it day and night, setting aside my work as a litigation "neutral" and as a homemaker (my wife is a student at the university of Oregon at age 51), in order to do so. And, incidentally, neglecting VichyDems.
Ergo, my infrequently-updated blog, and your highly-stressed blog proprietor.
I care about this project deeply. It's my life's work, when you get down to it, especially since I'm a mediator by profession: reaching across the divide to the good people who honestly believe in God and America and who are being misled by demagogues and false prophets and who should, if they understood the issue, be Democrats (at least, if Democrats were worth following, as Dean is and Ms. Clinton is not). So I'm giving everything to it.
But tonight, with a daughter frustrated at her inadequacies at softball, another who has tested as a genius but is receiving C2 and C3s in school because she cannot get it together to turn her homework in (and her dad can't get it together to provide her with adequate support) -- I'm frustrated. Is this (the blog, the book) just a fool's errand? Or are we --- all of us together -- going to change the world, and get the pendulum swinging back our way? It's certainly time. But sometimes, it's hard for even the cheerleaders to fathom how the home team is going to come back and win.
So: community: help. Is this going to work out?
Don't worry. Tomorrow I'll be back to telling you that it is.
I love you guys. Time for another martini.
BACK TO VICHYDEMS HOME
4 comments:
I love you when you are sober. Now you have to go and make it worse by being even more lovable when you've had a few?
Unfair.
Is it all going to work out? It better or we'll all have to jump off a cliff.
Sometimes it looks good. Sometimes it looks hopeless. I relate to your confusion about the outcome :)
One thing is certain: you have to follow your destiny and that is to write this book you have inside you.
Even though there is no evidence there is a God, if it makes you feel better to think there is one, go ahead. Whatev.
God, no God, what's important is that enough people of honor step forward now to try to save the country.
And you are most clearly one of those!!!
Good luck. Hoist one for me, and remember: spelling counts :)
Well, from your reading list it certainly looks like your firmly ensconsed in the faux-liberal democrat echo chamber. Reading Wardheeler Kos's book is an especially good indication that you're ready to follow in the footsteps of yellow stripe dems everywhere and just vote for whoever has a (d) next to their name.
But then, if you voted for Kerry, you'd vote for a mildly retarded weasel anyway. Nevermind.
If it weren't for the kid, which I have no experience with, do the book, do the blog. Personally, being intelligent but a 'dreamer', school and I never got along, but the great foundation my parents laid down for me helped me get it together.
Another note on the book: If you're serious about getting it out in fall, you'd better get a deal inked soon. If not, think about self-publishing ad doing your own marketing. Drop me an email if you have any questions.
Your daughters come first, of course. But they will be fine. They've already been raised right. They will find the way.
First two words of this post were gonna be "Holy Shit!! Don't Do It!!" -- but too flippant (& it's not 'me') b/c I haven't been around this blog enough or even much and so can't adjust for appropriate tone.
So don't do it!! We need you, it's important, and that's a helluva lineup on Vichy Democrats ya got there. Just pace yourself (insert obligatory Ed Abbey quote here).
And the meme-worthy Vichy Media/Dems carries a lot of power and impact.
ANYway, your topic is of specific interest to me. I've been around liberals of faith all my life. It astonishes me that the church-state issue has been turned upside down in America of all countries. It seems to simultaneously invert both American political values and Christian religious values.
But I digress -- maybe you need to arrange some sort of collaborative effort. You should have no trouble finding a publisher. Get ahold of me if you want a few more people to talk to about that.
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