First, let’s talk about the name. Keep reading for a special offer.
When I started this Substack Newsletter 2 ½ years ago, I named it Arnold Garson: Second Thoughts. Now, I have had second thoughts about Second Thoughts.
From the beginning, this newsletter has focused heavily on history; often putting today’s news in historical context or telling a forgotten story that is relevant to today’s world; sometimes digging deep into history to find a story that has been lost, forgotten, or never told before. About 80 percent of the 140 newsletters I have written – including several of my most popular – have aligned with these approaches.
A few examples:
· Iran: 120 years of failed government
· Memories of a mass murderer in the Midwest
· The downtown department store: A remnant of the past and where it came from
· When smallpox ran rampant in America and why it doesn’t anymore
· An untold story of some big names in Iowa history
· West Okoboji Lake: A surprising new theory on how it was created
· The untold story of an author’s struggle for the freedom to write in America
· The things you never knew about Jewish Iowa
Most recently, there was my five-part series on the history of America tied to our 250th anniversary celebration last month. Each part focused on 50 years of American history, often weaving in some things you didn’t know.
There still will be a stray newsletter now and then that falls outside this framework. But it is time for the primary focus of my newsletter to become part of the name.
Welcome to FORGOTTEN HISTORY with Arnold Garson.
The first newsletters following the name change will be a five-part series exploring Iowa’s influence on America’s growth and development as it nears 180 years of statehood in America’s 250th anniversary year.
Each newsletter in this series will feature mini profiles of Iowans who have made America, and sometimes the world, a better place to live. Each installment will include three stories of Iowans whose work product, breakthroughs, inventions, or creations made life better or more enjoyable for millions of people.
Nineteen Iowans will be featured in these five newsletters. Some of the names may be obvious and easy to guess. But I will bet that no one can guess all 19 names – or even 17 of the 19 (90 percent). Anyone want to try? Helpful clue: There are no living Iowans on my list. If you want to play the guessing game, send me an email – ahgarson@gmail.com – with FORGOTTEN HISTORY in the subject line. A free copy of the new book, described in the following paragraph, will be sent to all who correctly guess at least 17 of the names. The first installment in this series will appear a week from the date of publication of the newsletter you are reading here; entries must arrive before the first of the five newsletters is published.
AMERICA 250 — The Semiquincentennial, a five-part series published on Substack, now has become a small book by the same name. The book includes all five parts, each dealing with a 50-year segment of our country’s history. The full text of the Declaration of Independence, some of the most compelling writing in American history, also is included.
Here’s an easier way to get a copy of the book: For a limited time, each new paid subscription or upgrade from a free subscription will receive a free copy of the book described above. Absolutely no cost. Just email your name and mailing address to me at ahgarson@gmail.com with the words “SPECIAL OFFER” in the subject line. The book will be on the way as soon as your subscription comes through. If you already have a paid subscription to my Newsletter and would like a free copy of this book, just send me an email as described above with “SPECIAL OFFER” in the subject line. Use the button below to subscribe or upgrade.
As always, thank you for reading and for your comments.
FORGOTTEN HISTORY with Arnold Garson is part of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative, a collection of 60 professional authors who have deep roots in Iowa.
No posts
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.