Dave's diaries: Life, writing and more

Writing: What you know, remember, and dream up

March 9, 2026 If you’ve been writing for any length of time, you’ve heard “Write what you know.” In fact, you might’ve been inculcated with it, which is the ten-dollar way of saying, “had it knocked into your head.” Often attributed to Mark Twain, the phrase has been repeated countless times in various forms by… Read more
New short story: “An Uncloudy Day”

February 15, 2026 My new short story, “An Uncloudy Day,” is about a subject I know well: hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico. When my wife and I owned a beach house there, we became avid storm-watchers, always alert for danger in the forecast. In this story, a longtime resident waits as a potentially devastating… Read more
On writing: Tools for the hand and mind

February 6, 2026 When I retired from my last regular job in communications, my wonderful colleagues sent me off with a nice dinner, lots of shared memories, and best of all, a toolkit for my new writing career. It includes all this: As useful as these gifts are, I’ve learned that a writer needs a… Read more
Sins of omission: 1865 and today

January 20, 2026 Let’s take a little quiz. Which statement is true? The answer? Number three. Why didn’t you know about that? Because Confederate apologists purged it from our history, like Trump is trying to vanquish the truth about J6 and undermine every bit of equality we’ve achieved since 1865. The First Alabama U.S. Cavalry… Read more
Six degrees of fake patriotism

December 23, 2025 Have you heard the phrase Heritage American? At first I thought it meant furniture, like Colonial, Traditional Revival, Empire, and Postmod Pretentious (I made up the last one). Unfortunately, it’s a loathsome idea that’s gaining steam on the right: that descendants of white, pre-Civil War colonists and settlers are more “American” than… Read more
My own private solstice

December 10, 2025 It’s a bit of a rough time. First, I learned of the passing of yet another longtime colleague from the Voice of America, someone I liked and respected. These losses mount with each year and are always hard. Right now, with VOA itself fighting for life under Trump, it feels as if… Read more