An American strawberry patch

Publisher’s Log: May 30, 2020

We have launched our first monthly conversation experiment.

With the editorial "Moving the conversation forward," we proposed and tossed out this prompt for reflection: “What does it mean to be an American?”

We are calling for our readers to send their reflections, essays, creative writing and artwork to let us know: In the face of pandemic, what does it mean to be an American?

I thought about this prompt as I was admiring my new strawberry patch. The strawberry leaves, glistening with dew, caught the morning sun and my attention. I pondered those plants and mused on what they could tell me about what it means to be an American. On a walk, I recorded my musings. You can listen through the player below.

I’m hoping that people will consider this prompt and participate by sending their musings to copyeditor@riverreporter.com or by calling our response line at 845/252/7414, ext 137 to leave an audio blog. We’ll curate and publish responses online and in print. The deadline for this month’s prompt is June 26.

I’m hoping this is a creative process. I’m hoping that this process enriches the lives of all who participate.

What could be better than that?

Some fabulous strawberries in a couple of weeks! 

Take a listen to my first audio reflection below and let me know what you think in the comments below.   (It could probably use some editing, but it is really on point at the end.)

Here's the link to the NYT opinion piece by David Brooks mentioned in the audio that could prompt your own musings about "what does it mean to be an American."