I have great news! My book about the Ohio River's racial legacy is in peer review at a major university press. This means experts in history, sociology, and public policy will give me advice how to improve it, including suggested topics and interviews, before it goes to press (likely 2026). Can't say more than that at this time, but hope to have a full report for my fourth quarterly update. Thanks for your good wishes and notes of encouragement.
Hello readers! Here's my quarterly round up of where I've been traveling, and what I've been reading, listening to, writing, and thinking about.
Public Service Announcement: A couple of years ago, my Facebook account was hacked and subsequently deleted. I took the opportunity to improve my menta...
I've been immersed in all things related to the Ohio River as I pitch a book on the racial legacy of the country's longest slavery border (north of the Ohio River was slavery-free per the Northwest Ordinance in 1787, all 981 miles of it).
Hit The Road: A Woman’s Guide To Solo Motorcycle Touring
Posted on February 8, 2018
I wrote Hit The Road, A Woman's Guide To Solo Motorcycle Touring to help readers experience the joy that a solo road trip gives me. It includes practical tips that anyone can use—whether traveling alone or with others, and regardless of sex.
Solo-wanderlust or solo-curious?
Group riding...
How to Turn a Picture into a Book Cover (How I did)
Posted on January 1, 2018
Four Octobers ago, in the mountains of West Virginia, my friend Jill took this photo of me. It remains one of my favorite shots—as a photo, and as a memento of a gorgeous day with a dear friend.
When I wrote my new book, Hit The Road: A Woman's Guide to Solo Motorcycle Touring, I knew I wanted ...
My Grandmother could have used the Hashtag MeToo in 1934
Posted on October 16, 2017
Social media platforms are blowing up with the campaign #MeToo that protests the culture of silence around sexual assault. While the hashtag is used mostly by women, others are coming forward with their stories of abuse too.
If my beloved mamaw were alive today, I'm not sure she would join the c...
History, Music, Food, and Serenity at Kentucky’s Shaker Village
Posted on September 24, 2017
When you hear the word "Shaker" you likely think of 19th-century furniture. Fair enough.
That said, Shaker innovations went far beyond furniture and crafts. They invented:
The flat broom
The circular saw blade
The spring clothespin
Chair tilter buttons
The paper seed envelope.
...
I’m Headed to Tuscany, Corsica, and Sardinia by Motorcycle in 2018
Posted on September 18, 2017
[caption id="attachment_12360" align="alignright" width="300"] Our outdoor dining room, Podere la Strega[/caption]
In 365 days I'll be on my second Italian motorcycle tour.
From Rome, where we pick up our bikes, my group will head to the fabulous Podere la Strega in Siena. I catch myself think...
Henry Ford’s Kentucky Coal Camps: My Great-Aunt’s Memories
Posted on June 1, 2017
I recently spent a week in Kentucky with my Great Aunt Buntin in the video above. She is the youngest and only surviving sibling of six, all of whom born in the 1920's and 30's in a Kentucky coal camp near the West Virginia state line.