Odd Bits
In Praise of Nurses, Again. (And Always)
A post in praise of nurses during National Nurses Week, which runs from May 6 through May 12 * here in the United States, has become a tradition here on the Margins. Like many of the best traditions, it happened almost without my noticing it. In the months after Heroines of Mercy Street was published,…
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Déjà Vu All Over Again: Long Before Textspeak, There was Cablese
One of the things foreign correspondents juggled in the days before the internet rendered long-distance charges meaningless was the eternal trade-off between time and money in turning in a story. The mail was slow and (relatively) cheap. Cables and telephones* were fast and expensive. Reporters were torn between the desire to scoop other papers…
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Celebrating Independent Bookstore Day, Virtually
Today is Independent Bookstore Day in the United States, assuming you are reading this on the day it comes out. (And it really doesn’t matter if you’re not. All the important bits still apply.) Last year I was too heartsore/stunned/scared to post my usual love letter to independent bookstores. My beloved Seminary Coop Bookstore and…
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