Articles by Jonathan Cortez

In last week’s column, I mentioned one of my primary sources of knowledge is works by accredited academics, so I’ll elaborate slightly. Generally, when people use a word in the correct context, they mean the accepted definition of that word. That’s how language works. For example, “The Battle Cry of Freedom,” is a single-volume history of the American Civil War written by James McPherson, the Professor Emritus of American History at Princeton University. I can read the book with confidence that it will have an accurate account of the American Civil War. On another level, “The Civil War: A Narrative”…

The presidential election season is approaching halftime, when there will be a slight break before the respective party nominees launch full fledged attacks against each other. I’m already burnt out. Normally, I don’t watch or read the news beyond the bare minimum of knowing what major events are going on around the world. Back when I used to follow the news, I came to the conclusion that everything is simultaneously racist, not racist, good for the economy, bad for the economy, good for democracy, bad for democracy, something that everybody should be talking about, something that nobody should be talking…

Two Fridays ago, on April 29, the Ellwood City Area Public Library hosted an authors’ fair. There were 22 published authors, which only represented about half of the total authors in the area. That alone is an impressive figure, and it was matched by a decent turnout of supportive Ellwoodians. Even though my current literary ambitions are on a hiatus, I appreciate the recognition from the community, as I’m sure my 21 colleagues do. Becoming a published author is no easy task. Getting published by a major publishing house is a nigh unobtainable feat. First, you have to write a…