Nice to meet you all.

[Aslun Dream]

Hello. I figured I should finally get around to posting on here, because I've been reading the forum for awhile, along with the reading I did at SOLO HQ before I decided to leave in the midst of all of the, uh, occurrences.

I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Joshua, and I am a twenty-year-old who is currently going to college for a degree in history. I first read The Fountainhead at age fifteen, and since then have really been a firm supporter of Objectivism. Of course, since then, I've gone through a microcosm of what we all go through when we get into it. I've been moved by all the sort of "required reading", made friends, lost friends, discovered the passion for living, discovered the passion for moralizing, discovered the passion for being myself. I've experienced all of the usual memories and experiences that anyone passionate for Objectivism goes through, these days.

I really am happy to find a place that is open to ideas. I hope to post a bit more than merely lingering, though, as I have for more than a few years at this place and others.

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Joshua,

Please accept a warm welcome to OL.

History?

That's great.

Michael

[Chris Grieb]

Let me add to Michael's welcome. Are you currently in college? What's your major?

[Ross Barlow]

Joshua, welcome.

I majored in philosophy and only minored in history. But I still consider myself more of a historian because I look at most things, including philosophy, from historical perspectives and cannot get enough history reading.

What specific areas of history do you like the most? Do you plan to teach? To write? I would be most interested in hearing your thoughts and plans.

I had the honor and pleasure of teaching high school history for 10 years at all levels, including Honors U.S. History and almost every course in the social studies curriculum, as well as an elective course in Philosophy that I wrote myself. If my health had held up, I would still be in my classroom. It was the best job I ever had and the toughest one outside of the Marine Corps.

I don’t know if you are planning to teach or not, but teaching is a rewarding calling, albeit stressful and demanding. If you love the subject matter, have the energy and can project your enthusiasm for it, you can hook them on it. Many of my former students changed their plans for their college majors to history and even to philosophy because they said my outrageously “crazed” passion for the lessons was contagious.

Unfortunately, teaching’s stresses and workloads almost killed me. If a teacher cannot present lessons with all of their heart and soul, they have no business wasting everyone’s time by settling down to the lowest common denominator that is the norm in public schools. I felt I could no longer give my students the education they deserved, and had to hang it up.

I still love exploring history. In a Bangkok bookstore last week, I found a copy of *General George Washington: a military life* (2005) by Edward G. Lengel. Washington was a man that I truly admire. I sat in an all Thai shopping mall – the only Westerner in sight -- reading the first paragraphs of the Prologue, which starts with the funeral of Washington, the speeches in his honor and the incredibly heartfelt mourning of a new nation that lost its one true hero. I had to stop because of the tears blinding me. Now that is good historical writing and it does great honor to its subject.

I kind of envy you as you have so much great history reading ahead of you. Enjoy.

-Ross Barlow.

[Chris Grieb]

Josh; I too am interested in history. Reading a great deal of it. What period? What figures? Ayn Rand introduced me to more philosophical look at history. I have a good friend who has taught history in college who tells me that history today sounds like a swamp. This is my description not hers. What do you think?

[Aslun Dream]

Thanks, everyone, for the greeting.

Ross: I'm really interested in early American history, though I do enjoy European history. However, the entire period of the Revolution is one of the few aspects in history that I am genuinely moved by. I don't even have to explain, if you understand the feeling of reading about Washington. These people were literally heroes among men.

As for teaching, I have considered it. I've also considered going into law, specifically constitutional law. However, of course, I'm not sure yet - I'm only a sophmore, and I have barely finished my general education - so as of now, the plan is - whatever I do, teach. I would also like to write, but I really want to write fiction. Historical fiction would be fun, but only in terms of the setting; I could never have, say, Alexander Hamilton as a character. However, I do not yet know entirely what I want to do; there are a lot of options.

Oh, and I'm not minoring in anything, but I considered philosophy.

Chris: On all of the fundamentals, I had a long time before thought the way Rand did, but she introduced me to the specifics. She certainly helped me in terms of writing, and more specifically it was nice to read about her and hear that she did the same thing in the university that I want to do. As for your friend's comment, I would need more information.

[studiodekadent]

Hi there Josh. Welcome to OL.

Is that avatar of yours a pic of Amir Derakh of Orgy?

[Aslun Dream]

No, a rock star from Japan named Gackt.

[Chris Grieb]

Have you ever heard of Kenneth Roberts. He wrote novels about the colonial and American Revolution periods. His most famous novels are Northwest Passage and Rabble in Arms.

He used real individuals as characters in his books. Rabble in Arms which is about the Battle of Saratoga Benedict Arnold is one of the heroes. Arnold was in fact a hero at Saratoga.

I offer the above to suggest that in a historical novel I think it is permissible to have real life individuals interacting with fictional characters. The alternative is to create a new universe with all fictional characters

[BaalChatzaf]

Arnold was in fact a hero at Saratoga.

I offer the above to suggest that in a historical novel I think it is permissible to have real life individuals interacting with fictional characters. The alternative is to create a new universe with all fictional characters

As long as such work is labeled historical -fiction- there is no problem. Historical fiction solidly based on documented fact can be very entertaining and informative. In many ways, it is more edifying than purely historical fact. It puts some flesh and blood on the bones.

Ba'al Chatzaf