The things I rant on about on my blog, I also rant on about in real life. I’ve written here or maybe in the comments on another blog that I believe that academics should do a better job of bringing their work to mainstream audiences. Tim Burke often writes about the importance of academics as public intellectuals, and I’m with him on that. I’ve been meaning to practice what I preach and try to write things for mainstream press. Mostly political stuff, but it would also be fun to write stuff on television or parenting or the Yankees.

The problem is that academics have no clue how to get published in non-scholarly journals. The procedures for getting accepted are completely different. Writing styles are night and day. Each profession sets up their own barriers to success, and it’s difficult to just jump into something new.

Anyhow, my brother has heard me go about my writing plans quite a few times, and so, last week, he handed me the brochure for a writing and journalism conference being held in NYC. It was geared to helping freelancers become more successful. Sounded good. I signed up and picked up my badge at 8:00 on Saturday.

Continue reading “A Wrong Turn” →