The Foreign Service Journal, February 2010

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 31 sonal interest. Consequently, for more than 10 years, I’ve written “on the one hand; on the other hand” analyses of U.S.-Canadian relations. This work culminated in Uneasy Neighbo(u)rs , a 2007 book about the U.S.-Canada relationship co-authored with a former Cana- dian member of Parliament. The Fruits of Collaboration But it doesn’t have to be a book. Beyond the community newsletters many of us have con- tributed to, or even helped run, over the years, a variety of professional associations produce newsletters for their members and constituents. My wife, Teresa, and I pro- duced a 20-page weekly for the National Council for Ad- vanced Manufacturing for nine years. When starting such a commitment, one should keep in mind that a weekly publication must be produced pretty much every week. For us, 450 editions proved sufficient. If the thought of a major drafting project appears daunting, you might consider helping a Foreign Service colleague bring a project to completion. Every author can use a researcher, fact-checker, editor or general as- sistant, and the Internet facilitates such collaboration. My long association with Ambassador Maynard (“Mike”) Glitman, the chief U.S. negotiator for the In- termediate Nuclear Forces Treaty, prompted me to “hold his coat” as he worked through a complex memoir-his- tory recounting the long process that culminated in the signing of the INF Treaty by President Ronald Reagan and Premier Mikhail Gorbachev in December 1987. Pal- grave Macmillan published The Last Battle of the Cold War in April 2006. Alternatively, self-publishing has never been easier and less expensive. You might adapt the oral history you recounted for the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training project into a memoir that can answer the ques- tion, “What did you do during the Cold War, Daddy (or Mommy)?” Or take your personal Foreign Service ex- periences and transform them into accounts that (hope- fully) family members will enjoy and cherish. Still others have plunged deeply into the Internet, constructing blogs devoted to having their say on the Middle East or other foreign policy issues. Go for It! The Foreign Service Institute’s Retirement Seminar for Foreign Service personnel includes a panel on writing opportunities. For a number of years, Teresa and I have enjoyed participating with other writers. One panel member, the director of a regional writers’ cen- ter, provides access to a wide range of instructional/mentorship re- sources covering the full spectrum of writing types (and ways to im- prove your writing) that clearly assists many prospective authors. My final advice would be to place yourself in front of the word processor (or take up your notepad) and get going. It is, after all, your constitutionally protected “write.” ■ F O C U S Seeking publication in the nongovernmental or private sector can require an attitude adjustment, but it also opens up a whole new arena.