Adventures in Writing - The Bridge

October 9, 2025 (Vol. 19 No. 39) - The idea for my first solo-authored book was conceived in the Italian village of Paderno del Grappa in the spring of 2004. I was privileged to be teaching two journalism courses at Consortium International University during that semester. During those memorable four months, I was relieved of the normal research and service obligations of a tenured professor. Instead, I had time to ponder how I might move forward into the remaining 10-20 years of my academic career.

Perhaps over a glass or two of limoncello on a balcony overlooking the Italian Veneto, I came to the realization that I would be best-served and most-happy if I pursued projects for which I was passionate. That may sound like a no-brainer, but it was really an epiphany for me. Up until that time of my life, I was pretty much saddled with what I have to do. But now, a tenured professor and with my daughter off to college, I realized that I could do what I want to do. So, the central challenge during those soft Italian nights was to identify what I was most passionate about.

To the surprise of everyone I know, I decided that I wanted to write a book about the construction of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. "Really. A book about a bridge?" was the general reaction. I understood their befuddlement. Unless you had grown up on Maryland's Eastern Shore, the political, social, historic and psychological significance of the structure alluded you. The 4.3 mile span made access to what had been the remote Delmarva Peninsula available to all. It removed the final barrier that had severely inhibited interaction between the peoples of the two shores from the days the Maryland colony was founded three centuries earlier. (The above picture is one I took during construction of the bridge's parallel span in 1972.)

Based on a content analysis I conducted of Bay Bridge coverage of eight Maryland-area newspapers in 1947 (when the bridge received legislative approval) and 1952 (when the bridge opened to traffic), I determined that the span symbolized different things for different people. To generalize those findings, I determined that the people on the Western Shore saw the new bridge as a good thing, while the folks on the Eastern Shore saw it as a threat to their way of life. A historical review also revealed a fascinating story of the competition between the two shores and the long, difficult journey toward construction of the span. There were heroes and villains. There was also the amazing sweep of American history that influenced this saga from conception to completion. In short, it was a great story. Why wouldn't I write about it?

Bridging the Chesapeake: A 'Fool Idea' That Unified Maryland was first published in 2013 by Old Line Publishing. When that publisher went out of business, the book was republished under the Archway Publishing banner in 2017. I feel the publication of this definitive history of the Bay Bridge - now known as the Willian Preston Lane, Jr. Memorial Bridge - is one of the greatest achievements of my professional career. I believe it established my credentials as a thoughtful contemporary historian. Frankly, there are few titles one can own that brings more satisfaction than being called "an author." It fueled a passion to write that continues to this very day. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle.