Jean Wilson Murray's Blog, page 5
June 24, 2018
Louisa Adams and Her Wild Journey Through Europe
Louisa Adams never could get used to the dislocations and disappointments of her life. By 1815, she was 40 years old she had had many dislocations and disappointments. She had moved with her husband, John Quincy Adams, through his many postings for the new American government. She had suffered three miscarriages and lost an infant […]
June 18, 2018
Jeanne Baret – Naturalist and 18th Century World Traveler
Traveling around the world sounds glamorous to us, but for Europeans in the 18th century, it was no picnic. All sailors at the time were men, but imagine a woman sailor on a voyage with a shipful of men. Jeanne Baret was the first such woman to travel around the world in a sailing ship, […]
June 9, 2018
What Does Courage Mean? Aung San Suu Kyi’s Courage
In 967, Kathrine Switzer entered the Boston Marathon as K.V. Switzer and ran the race as the first woman to run the Boston Marathon. In a famous photo from the NY Times, you can see an official (partly obscured behind her) trying to shove her off the track as her boyfriend gives him a body […]
August 7, 2016
It’s About Time – Time to Find Your Green
My favorite Twilight Zone episode is called “Time Enough at Last.” It’s about Henry Bemis, a henpecked bank employee, who is a bookworm. One day, Henry takes his lunch and a book into the bank vault. When he comes out, the world has been destroyed by a nuclear blast, and everyone is dead. He finds […]
July 7, 2016
Contentment and the Boiled Frog
“I have learned to be content in every situation.” – The Apostle Paul “I am still determined to be cheerful and to be happy in whatever situation I may be, for I have also learnt from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions and not about our circumstances.” – Martha Washington […]
November 9, 2015
Contentment and the Boiled Frog
Contentment and the Boiled Frog “I have learned to be content in every situation.” – St. Paul “I am still determined to be cheerful and to be happy in whatever situation I may be, for I have also learnt from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions and […]
October 13, 2015
A True Confession – I Don’t Read Much Fiction Anymore
Long-time fiction junkie confesses – “I read very little fiction now.” From the time I learned to read (about age 5, I’m told), I have read fiction. I love good stories, and my top favorite books of all time are fiction: Gone with the Wind, which I remember reading one summer and crying and being […]
July 2, 2015
How I Work as a Beta Reader
I love to read, and I enjoy doing reviews of what I read. I am available as a beta-reader, but I want to clarify what I will do, and what I won’t do. Fiction: I do very few reviews of fiction. I read very little fiction these days (that’s the subject of another blog post). I […]
June 8, 2015
The Best Music to Write To – My 3 Favorites
What’s the best music to write to? I decided I needed some different music to listen to while I write, so I started on a quest. First, just like you’re supposed to do, I set my criteria. I made these up myself, by the way; feel free to make up your own. The music for […]
April 1, 2015
What Does the Author Owe the Reader? Questions about The Buried Giant
Just read The Buried Giant, by Kazuo Ishiguro, and I have a lot of questions. What in the world was the author trying to say? Should I be worried because I don’t know? Or should he? The story is about … Continue reading →
