For a family like mine that enjoys expressing themselves in writing, the first decade or two of the twentieth century has been a time of great opportunity. With the invention of Blogger in 1999, blogs provided an opportunity for individuals to put their own work out to the public without it having to be run through a gated gauntlet of publishers. Blogs were an invitation to families like mine to take hold of the issues that were important to them and put their thoughts out in a format that allowed them to express themselves without interruption but also allowed for comments and observations by others.
My three daughters – Maura, Melissa, Maya – and I have all taken a substantial stab at making use of blogs. Together, we have produced nine separate blogs. Some were time-limited, some (such a s this one) have essentially met their demise, but a few are still going strong. Taken together, we have covered quite a bit of territory. Before a new upgrade or transformation in computers makes all of this work inaccessible, I want to take a few minutes to list and describe the work we have done with the hopes that it might pique or rekindle interest. I’ll take a chronological approach, providing the name of the blog and blogger, the dates that frame it, the link to the blog home page, and a brief description.
Michael Northen – Dispoet (3/05-2/21) https://dispoet.blogspot.com/ This blog was established to promote the work of disabled poets. It describes the work of individual poets, promotes some of the activities in which they were involved and recommends work for interested readers to take a look at.
Michael Northen – Northen News ( 5/05-5-21) https://northen.blogspot.com/ When this blog was created, I envisioned it as a communal space where family members could post stories or information about their families or, basically, anything they thought might interest other family members. I chose family members to be blog facilitators. Initially it seemed to work and others like my sister Judi, brother Ed and daughter Melissa all contribute posts about the family, but interest waned and I ended up being the sole contributor.
Maya Northen Augelli – Chimera
Travel Blog,( 8/9-9/12) http://chimera-travel.com/blog/2009/08/
. This travel blog was launched in connection with Chimera Travel, Maya's
personalized travel business. It gave
useful information for potential travelers but also described places that Maya
herself had traveled with the intention of interesting others. A brief follow up to this blog is continued at Travel Luxe (2018) https://mytraveluxe.
Melissa Cotter Northen– Swell Notes (/6/11-7/12) http://swellnotes.blogspot.com Often tongue-in-cheek, Swell Notes explores the vicissitudes of being a “stay at home Mom” in the early twenty-first century, attempting to balance child rearing and creativity through a wide range of topics.
Maya Northen Augelli – Lilies and Elephants (8-11- Present) http://liliesandelephants.blogspot.com/ After being diagnosed with cyclothymia, Maya began advocating for mental health. In these posts she tries to support others with mood disorders through an exploration of her own experiences.
Maura Northen Madden – Staying (mostly) Upbeat ( 6/13-5/14) https://mauraupdates.wordpress.com/ Maura began this blog when she was diagnosed with cancer. It follows her through the year of her surgery and the beginning of her recovery describing not only the medical experience but the social, cultural and emotional ramifications.
Michael Northen – Northen History (11-2013-Present) https://northenhistory.wordpress.com/ As the family’s default genealogist, I was interested in getting out information about the history of the Northen and Wilkins branches of the family for family members to read and comment on.
Maura Madden Northen Blog – Women + Money = Power 5/21-Present) https://mauramadden.com/blog/ In May 2021 Maura launched her new business as a feminist financial planner. This blog works to counter male-dominated financial advice by empowering women to take charge of their own financial decision-making by providing them with the tools, knowledge and encouragement they need.
Maya Augelli Northen – Blog (6/20- Present) https://maya-augelli.com/blog . This blog accompanies Maya’s professional website putting a personal face on her various roles as a yoga & wellness instructor, health advocate, travel planner and writer by integrating them in relating her own experiences.
Clearly, these blogs represent a diverse number of topics, interests and styles. It is my hope that other family members will find their interest whetted enough to browse them. I think you will also agree that the three women whose blogs are represented here are all excellent writers. If there is interest, I am hoping to make further posts on this site sampling a few of the more thought provoking or entertaining blogs.
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