Editorials à la fleur—Introduction

[a] Editoriaux RF

This new series on Round and Square appears of necessity, as it were. Very occasionally I am asked to provide—usually for a small readership—a rendering of how I really feel about a topic. This differs somewhat from the "exploratory" nature of most of my blog posts. In this series of "editorials," I will be making quite clear my own cultural or political stance on a given issue. This should come as no particular surprise. Regular readers of Round and Square will immediately note that I am not afraid to give my opinions, especially regarding such matters as the future of the Dakota prairie and in-text citations.

[b] Done RF

Nonetheless, there is a difference between letting my opinions show through in a somewhat analytical blog entry and writing something for publication (small though the audience might be) in an attempt to assert my unvarnished opinion. This series represents a collection of such entries. I will add a few from the past if I stumble across them (this should not amount to much, since I do not—contrary to what some readers might think—sit at the kitchen table scribbling letters to the editor addressed to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Sacramento Bee, and Grand Forks Herald). Nope. In fact, these "editorials" will probably be addressed to the college newspaper, as often as not, covering just a smattering of topics.

[c] Opinion RF

Still, editorial "voice" is not exactly the same thing as "lecture voice," "blog voice," or "academic article voice." It is that little twist of genre and intent that I wish to fence off in this series of editorial posts. For better or worse, they are just a little bit different from the "normal" Round and Square entry...whatever that might be.

They will also (probably) be a little bit shorter, too, and this may come as a relief.

Let's get started.