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Editor’s Notebook: Hugs and kisses
The war in Ukraine is still leading the daily news reports for the nation’s major news sites, and rightfully so. It’s a tragedy that grows by the minute. The fallout from the Supreme Court leak has held the second slot for much of the past week, typically followed by COVID-19 news du jour (a Washington […]
Editor’s Notebook: Trails and shadows
It’s easy to slip. The shadows are thick in the middle of the petite mountain, and frozen snowmelt glazes some, but not all, of the rocks. And that some-ness makes matters worse. Traction is a lullaby on the trail, and the inhale-step-step-exhale rhythm sends attention flying, dreamlike, from the terrain toward more distant concerns. Inhale, […]
Editor’s Notebook: Searching for the right words
There is an old man standing in front of a downtown bank on a sunny Monday morning. Can you see him? The building is a mix of red brick and white decorative columns, with a series of arched windows that wrap around the corner. The man is tall and thin, but he looks strong. He’s […]
Editor’s Notebook: A milestone for the Bulletin
One year ago, on April 14, 2021, the Bulletin officially became a New Hampshire news outlet. In an introductory column, I told you all about the Bulletin’s reporters – Annmarie Timmins, Ethan DeWitt, and Amanda Gokee – and promised this: “The four of us, together, will work tirelessly to help you stay informed about what […]
Editor’s Notebook: The shape of things in April
Just as Lake Winnipesaukee has ice-out, my family’s little sliver of land has mound-out: Spring isn’t really spring until the compacted snowbank in front of the barn is finally claimed by the April mud. Winter, I predict, will at last succumb to its fate in our dirt driveway by mid-morning on Saturday. April demands of […]
Editor’s Notebook: Departures and arrivals
Before last week, it had been many years since I set foot on an airplane. It’s not that I don’t like flying, but I’ve always been pretty good at coming up with reasons why travel wasn’t a good idea at the time. Fifteen years ago, I thought our daughters were too young. Ten years ago, […]
Editor’s Notebook: The waiting trap
Years ago, my wife read “Waiting” by Ha Jin. She reads more than I do, and whenever she finishes a book I ask her about the plot and the writing style, what she did and didn’t like, and what she thought of the ending. That time, she looked gloomy as she set the book down. […]
Editor’s Notebook: The people you meet along the way
I didn’t really know Renny Cushing at all. We met once, years ago, because the editorial board on which I served was being honored for supporting the repeal of New Hampshire’s death penalty statute. I was an imposter at the ceremony – all of the important work was done by my editorial writing partner, Ralph […]
Editor’s Notebook: The news of the day
Long ago, as a front-page designer for a daily newspaper, I viewed newsworthy events in terms of the headline size they deserved. A typical lead story on a typical news day carried a 54-point headline, with carefully considered size increases signaling to readers that something truly significant had happened in their city or state, their […]
Editor’s Notebook: The story about the stories – a conversation with Annmarie Timmins
Last week, the New Hampshire Bulletin published a story by senior reporter Annmarie Timmins about the state’s 24-week abortion ban and the absence of an exception in the event of a “fatal fetal diagnosis.” Timmins talked with three women who were forced to make the “impossible decision” to terminate a pregnancy they very much wanted […]
Editor’s Notebook: Shouldn’t we be happier?
Is morning still morning when it’s indistinguishable from night? More than an hour before sunrise the alarm sounds, a shrieking digital racket void of celestial rhythm. Bedding is pushed away cruelly, as if by other hands, and the February cold coils around exposed extremities. In the kitchen, coffee warms hands and throat but the comfort […]
Editor’s Notebook: Exploring the simulation
I’m not crazy about the guy my Google news feed thinks I am. That person seems to be obsessed with Leonardo DiCaprio and Ben Affleck, as well as a reality show called “Below Deck” and, of late, singer Don McLean of “American Pie” fame. No offense to Leo, Ben, and Don – or their fans […]