Week 3? Whoa!

I can't believe that I just finished my third week at Friends Journal! Time is flying.

This week was lighter on the editing than the past two weeks have been. The August issue is almost ready for its mock-up printing, and September and October are well under way. With less concentration on preparing articles for publication I had time to start my long-term project. All Friends Journal interns choose a project to work on when not completing daily editorial and production tasks. Some have written articles for publication in Friends Journal. Many other interns choose to work on an anthology–a book of previously published articles on a particular topic such as peace, Quaker history, or parenting. Friends Publishing Corporation recently published one of these anthologies: Answering Terror: Responses to War and Peace after 9/11/01.

Both project ideas appeal to me. I'm interested in book publishing so taking part in creating an anthology sounds like a really cool opportunity. However, I also like the idea of doing some writing and research of my own. So, as of now I'm hoping to take advantage of both opportunities. I've started collecting articles for an anthology on Quaker heroes and historical figures and I'm thinking about possible directions for an article.

Of the two projects, writing an article feels like a much larger challenge. Writing is a lot more personal than selecting articles for a book and as a non-Quaker I don't feel completely comfortable writing for a predominately Quaker audience. Why should Friends Journal readers care about what I have to say? What if my views are very different from theirs? What could I possibly have to say? What do I even want to say? Past interns have written about their first experiences with Quakerism, its impact on their lives–but I want to do something different. What new thoughts can I offer?

I've kept these questions in mind as I've read and edited articles, noting the relationship between Quaker values and my own moral and religious beliefs. I've definitely seen some overlap, which I actually hoped and expected to find. The small religious high school I attended was part of a Quaker sports league–one that emphasized sportsmanship and friendly competition–so I expected to share Quaker values at least on some level. I hope to continue to explore this connection and to look for a unique way to present it. I also want to look into possible historical interactions between Quakers and members of my own church community. I'm not really sure what I'll find, (if I find anything at all) but I think it's worth exploring.