A Special Announcement

08/08/23 11:42
IMG_3733August 8, 2023 (Vol. 17 No. 32) - It is with great pleasure that I announce that I have signed a contract with Pegasus Publishers of London for the purpose of publishing my second foray into historical fiction, In The Moment: The Journey of the Class of '70. It is set in Talbot County on Maryland's Eastern Shore during the turbulent 1960s. It was a time of race riots, school integration, political assassinations, Vietnam, Beatlemania, George Wallace, Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew, the Space Race and "the generation gap." The story focuses on St. Michaels High School's graduating class of 1970, a group of young people who were on the front lines of dramatic social change. While the characters and their actions are purely fictional, the surrounding context has been painstakingly researched to ensure historical accuracy. For me, it's a very personal story as I attended school in St. Michaels through the eighth grade and graduated from nearly Easton High School in 1970. Although I now live in the Midwest, I still consider myself an Eastern Shoreman at heart. As a journalist and historian, I am committed to telling the whole story, both the good and the bad. I am not one to whitewash history to protect fragile sensibilities. Depending on whichever source you believe, the phrase "May you live in interesting times" is either an ancient Chinese curse or was first uttered by American politician Frederic R. Coudert in 1939. Regardless of its origins, In The Moment: The Journey of the Class of '70 describes the coming-of-age adventures of young boys and girls in what was arguably the most interesting post-war decade. It doesn't matter where you grew up. If you are a Baby Boomer or know someone who is, I think you find this to be a fascinating story. I've been thinking about project for a long time, but did not start putting words to paper until April 2022. I am told that the editorial process will take approximately a year. The book will be printed in hard cover and soft cover. A digital edition will eventually follow. I will share more details on this process as they become available. As you can imagine, I am looking forward to the book's publication. I hope that you are, too. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle.