I am a history professor trying to develop my skills in writing short-form, public-facing writing like op-eds and short opinion pieces online and in print. I am not alone on campus in having a part of what I want to do go in this direction, and I have some way to go to adjust my style, tone, and process to be the most successful with this form.
I'm wondering if there is a group of faculty who would enjoy and profit from gathering and discussing members' pieces, collectively supporting each others' work and gaining insights from each other. This sort of writing is for general audiences, so disciplinary silos are irrelevant, it seems to me. I know I need other people's eyes on my work, and I would profit from discussions of other people's writing as well. Perhaps there are others?
I'm imagining this as a summer experiment: perhaps an on-campus meeting of interested folks sometime, and an off campus (coffee shop? Picnic table at a park? bar in the late-afternoon/evening?) meeting and just see where this goes.
If you are interested, please email me: mtrotti@ithaca.edu