First days: An open letter of reflection and gratitude, and on following a dream.

Friends, colleagues, and soon to be fans, I have an announcement to make. Today is the first day of the rest of my life.

Well, every day is the first day of the rest of my life because what I do today sets up tomorrow, but some are more monumental than others. Today is like the day I left the ad agency I was working at right after college because I possibly, maybe, thought I wanted to study history full time. I wasn’t in a program yet and didn’t have another job, but knew leaving my current situation was the best way to get to that future situation. Today is like the day, after completing grad school and teaching on the adjunct circuit, I started back at an ad agency because I wanted a descent quality of life and the adjunct circuit wasn’t cutting it. It’s like the day I got married and divorced, adopted a puppy named Baxter, and moved to New York City for the first, second and third times. Today is the day that I leave my corporate job to write a novel. It’s in me, I need to get it out, and I actually think it could be pretty good.

First a shout out to the people I’ve been working with for the past many years. I came to work or logged in each day not because of the 5G or the networks that move the world forward (although those things are important), and despite the complicated plans, challenges with executive alignment and the seemingly impossible deadlines. I came to work every day because of the smart, caring and world-class people that I worked with. Not everyone, to be sure, but the vast majority. I came to work every day because my team was the best in the business and I knew that every day we were having a positive impact on each other. We really saw each other, and that matters. While we were earning that pay check, we very much were in it together.

But for me, that was yesterday. Today is the first day of the rest of my life.

So what’s this book I need to write? Well, if you know me you know that I study New York City and wrote my dissertation on the history of Union Square. Specifically the role that Union Square played in the evolution of public protest in New York. It started in the early nineteenth century, before Union Square was developed, and ended with the first Labor Day parade in 1882. It’s an important topic, and one day I may polish it up and put it out there, but that is not this book.

I want to tell a deeply human story. In my research on Union Square I found small inklings of great characters. The historical record can only reveal so much, so I am going to take some liberties to bring these characters to life.

I’m going to focus on two families and their descendants over a few generations. The Spinglers, who owned a farm on the land that would become Union Square and who would become some of the wealthiest landowners in the city. And Philis, a slave who was owned by the Spinglers, and whose family’s experiences will reveal the opportunities and struggles of being black in pre-Civil War New York City. The story will be told through the eyes of members of these two families, but there will be a parade of fascinating characters who will profoundly change both them and Union Square. The story will begin in the early nineteenth century and end during the Civil War. It will reveal the impact that spaces have on us and that we have on them. And it will deal with love and death, bravery and resilience, and how they tried to make the most of the opportunities that they created or were placed before them.

At least that’s my plan today. When I wake up tomorrow and it’s also the first day of the rest of my life that plan may change. And that’s ok.

A big thank you to Curtis, who made me see, without even trying, that I can and should follow a dream. To my always supportive mother, for always being supportive. And to Matt and Marshall, my greatest friends, who are brilliant, creative and hilarious and inspire me every day. To my other great friends who I am not going to name but you know who you are, thank you for the love and support I feel from you always.

Wish me well on this journey. I’ll be sure to keep you posted.

With lots of love and good vibes — Michael