Hello and welcome to my website, a project that is still in progress, and given my limited technical skills, far from complete. But there's a nip of Autumn in the air reminding me that soon I'll be able to dedicate many happy hours scratching my head to make something out of it to satisfy me and those who might come upon it. Hopefully, by Winter's end, this site will be in its glory, fully stocked with my writings of the past several years as well as those that are sure to follow.
I have decided to forgo the publication process and instead post my works on the Internet for a few reasons. The most telling is that I am not one to sell my ideas to a corporate entity, were they to publish me in the first place. I lack both charm and confidence and tend to put my foot in my mouth when confronting persons in power. I'd welcome an editor- a writer can benefit even from a bad one- but publishers have agendas not often comporting with mine. Still, we are living in the most consequential moment humanity has ever faced. The issues confronting us are staggering. Will American democracy fail? Will the middle class survive? Can we end gun violence? Find peace and feed the world? Save ourselves from the potential dangers of A.I.? Lead green lives and clean the environment or doom our children to misery on an inhospitable planet?
There has never been so much for a writer to tackle, and there's that constant urge propelling me to try to help, to tell future generations that some of us did try to leave them the legacy mine was born to: Hope that our children will lead happier, more healthy and prosperous lives than we enjoyed. This is why I write. And in expressing myself I find purpose, and ultimately courage, and perhaps a dubious form of sanity that suits me.
This site is divided into two sections: The Writings, literary pieces more or less: Stories and sketches, fiction and non, some of which you will find already uploaded, and The Rantings: Letters and articles I have submitted to newspapers both published and not. In both cases, I will try to explain the context, purpose and background leading me to write them. The plan is to upload a few each week, meanwhile producing new material as the spirit inspires me.
So thank you again for sharing some of my laughs and tears, and please be sure to come back to check out the latest postings.
Gene Burshuliak
Late Summer, '24