United, We Stand #NaBloPoMoPgh #NaBloPoMo2019

national writers union

The Prompt –Pittsburgh has deep ties to labor movements. Are you or have you been a union member? How has union culture shaped your life? Do you believe we need more or fewer unions now in both the public and private sectors? I am a relatively new member of the National Writers Union. I also […]

My Hometown: Living in Two Pittsburghs #NaBloPoMo2019 #NaBloPoMoPgh

Two Pittsburghs

The prompt – There’s a phrase often used describing us as living in “two Pittsburgh.” Pittsburgh has multiple legacies, from being named ‘Most Livable’ to the recent report from the Pittsburgh Gender Equity Commission describing the magnitude of racial inequality in our city. How do you relate to this dual nature of Pittsburgh? There are […]

#NaBloPoMoPgh Writing Prompt Day Four #NaBloPoMo2019

NaBloPoMo 2019

These prompts are for anyone interested in or connected to Pittsburgh Some of you grew up here, some relocated as adults. If the prompt isn’t a perfect fit, feel free to adapt to your circumstances – insert your own towns, tweak it a bit, write about something else entirely. There’s a phrase often used describing […]

Yinzers and Jagoffs, Oh My #NaBloPoMo2019 #NaBloPoMoPgh

The Prompt – Do you identify as a ‘yinzer’ or ‘jagoff’ or some other Pittsburghese term altogether? How so? Is there anyone in your life that fits your perception of these terms? In my mind, jagoff is an insult and yinzer is a posture. I use both terms liberally, including variants like “a jag” and […]

Five Pieces of Pittsburgh History I Never Knew #NaBloPoMoPgh #NaBloPoMo2019

Westylvania

The Prompt: Summarize what you learned about Pittsburgh’s history in your school days? As an adult, did you learn anything new about Pittsburgh’s history that surprised you? What parts of local history would you like to learn about now? I attended a public school in a blue-collar suburb of Pittsburgh. To my recollection, we never […]

#NaBloPoMoPgh Writing Prompt Two #NaBloPoMo2019

NaBloPoMo 2019

These prompts are for anyone interested in or connected to Pittsburgh Some of you grew up here, some relocated as adults. If the prompt isn’t a perfect fit, feel free to adapt to your circumstances – insert your own towns, tweak it a bit, write about something else entirely.   Summarize what you learned about […]

#NaBloPoMo2019 My relationship to Pittsburgh

The Prompt – Tell us about your geographic relationship to this region. Were you born here? Where did you grow up? Where do you live now? Do you feel a strong tie to any particular neighborhood? What about living in the urban neighborhoods versus the suburbs and rural regions? I was born in a Pittsburgh […]

#NaBloPoMoPgh Writing Prompt One #NaBloPoMo2019

NaBloPoMo 2019

These prompts are for anyone interested in or connected to Pittsburgh Some of you grew up here, some relocated as adults. If the prompt isn’t a perfect fit, feel free to adapt to your circumstances – insert your own towns, tweak it a bit, write about something else entirely.   Tell us about your geographic […]

NaBloPoMo, Pittsburgh Style for November 2019

NaBloPoMo 2019

National Blog Post Month (NaBloPoMo) used to be a thing. Basically, participants used writing prompts to fulfill a goal of posting daily (or writing 30 posts total for the month.) I thought it was a great challenge to keep blogging fresh. Along with NaBloPoMo, several daily blog writing prompts have stopped posting new content as […]

Election Day 2017 Wrap-Up: My Queer Perspective

There will be lots of these types of posts today across the blogosphere. You should read them because the outcomes from this particular election are both disappointing and hopefilled for those of us living our lives on the ground. Check out what Alvin McEwan has to say about it at Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters. […]