Our next installment of diaries is up now on our archives page. We did something a little different this time. Instead of focusing on a single day, we invited our contributors to record their thoughts over some or all of the New Year’s Day 2023 weekend–New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, and January 2nd (since it was a holiday for some people). In addition to the usual prompt to talk about activities, thoughts, and feelings, we encourage people to reflect on 2022 and on plans, goals, speculations, and portents for 2023. Some contributors opted for the moment-by-moment diaries that comprise the largest part of our archive, while a few pulled back to offer a broader view of the past year and the one to come.
Along with the mix of parties, cooking, quiet evenings, and college football, these diaries are especially attuned to the passage of time, and to connections between past and future. This is a theme that EDLM has been exploring for a while, and about which we will have more to say once we’ve had a chance to digest these new, slightly different contributions to our Archive. Please check back here for more on that topic and for other observations gleaned from this set of diaries. As always, we are happy to share your observations on everyday life in Middletown. Just use the contact form at the bottom of the page. And Happy New Year!