Technical writer, journalist and author
Comics fans know that Popeye the Sailor is strong to the finish because he eats his spinach. But what many people don’t know is that Popeye is from Victoria, Texas. Elzie Crisler Segar (1894-1938) was from Illinois, and he went…
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When it comes to advertising taglines, Texans have put their stamp on things. To cite one example, a 1980s American Express television commercial featured then-Dallas Cowboys football coach Tom Landry. Sports fans today might remember Landry for his coat, tie,…
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Many Texas cities are named in honor of someone. Austin, Houston, and Lubbock are three examples. For whom Dallas was named, however, isn’t so clear. One can make the case for any, perhaps all, of the following historical figures. Joseph…
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A new year brings new resolutions, such as these for organizing your writing workspace. 1. Master your clutter. When paper comes across your desk, you have one of four options: You can address the issue (for example, responding to a…
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Liendo Plantation is off U.S. 290 between Hempstead and Prairie View, and can be easy to miss if you’re not actively looking for it. Today it’s a working cattle ranch, but it has a fascinating history. Liendo Plantion was established…
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Articles serve many purposes. They can inform, educate, and help persuade. Yet popular misconceptions about articles exist. Some of them include: 1. Articles are written with the intention that they are meant for the media only. It is true that…
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Gov. Mark White served from 1983-87 and is perhaps best remembered for his support of educational reform in Texas, including the “no pass, no play” law. We had met on a couple of instances, perhaps most notably when I was…
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A book trailer video is similar to a movie trailer you would see at your local theatre. (Or, for that matter, a television commercial promoting an upcoming show.) The difference, obviously, is that a book trailer promotes a book, and…
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Last week, Houston-area newspaper readers learned of the decision of the Houston Press, an alternative weekly newspaper, to cease publishing a print edition and publish exclusively online. Officials said their decision was based on the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey…
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You want to promote an upcoming event, so you create a flyer that you think will do the job—something that not simply informs but promotes, and the flyer fails to do so. Has this happened to you? Recently a friend…
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