Writing (or Reading) on the Semiquincentennial

Maybe today, July 4, 2026, you’ll find time to write. You’ll fit it in between the hot dogs at noon and the fireworks after dark. Or perhaps, you’ve secreted a pad of paper in the pool bag. Of course, if you’re busy with cookouts and parades, it may be next week before you get a chance.

Will you write about the United States?

If you do, what perspective will your writing take?

Will you describe the United States as a maturing and inspiring nation full of promise or will your metaphor for the country be a screaming toddler, pushing back against voices of calm and rationality?

Will your paragraphs include images of the founding fathers and mothers as brave freedom fighters or as terrorists?

Or will you instead write about who you are as an American or a soon-to-be American or a never-will-be American?

These milestones are a good time for reflecting.

Of course, reading may be an easier task to accomplish this holiday weekend, and maybe your selection is focused on some aspect of United States history. Are you reading about the major voices of their respective times or the lesser known figures who are still trying to make their roles known these many years later? Have you chosen a historical fiction that paints a picture of living as an American during a particular era? Or is your selection from an outside angle looking in at America during westward expansion, the Reconstruction era, or the Cold War?

We would love to know what you are writing and reading as the nation celebrates its birthday.