What frames the Four Corners of your world? Show us. Use a few words, four images and some connective tissue to weave your corners for us. Use digital images. Draw your corners by hand. Create a collage and digitize it for web publication. Invent a whole new way to share your sight with us.

The Opportunity: Here are the details of the “Framing Four Corners” writing opportunity for publication: Find four interesting corners of your world no one else but you knows are alive with life — but that you know need to be known. Your Four Corners should, in some way, provide a frame for your core. You don’t have to use a lot of words — but you can if you wish! Show us how those corners are related to you, and how they support each other in space, time and consequence. Here’s a sort-of-example of what an article might look like based on my Monarch of the Plains article.

There are only three image “corners” framed in that article so I would need to add a another image to create my fourth corner — but that article should at least give you an idea of what this opportunity might look like in print. You do not have to write that much text if you prefer to let your images speak for you.

Technical Details: You may write more than one “Four Corners” article. There is no final deadline for submission. Images should be high quality but no wider than 500 pixels. We will help format your images for publication if you do not have experience preparing images for web publication. Discuss the image right before the image appears in your article. That keeps the “flow” of the article always moving “down the page” and not stuttering backward over what has already been read. You must be the owner or the creator of your images and you must write your own text and all your work must be previously unpublished.

Next Step:  If you are interested in moving forward with a contribution — we now have a “Four Corners” category! — please get in touch to pitch your idea(s) and to tell us when when you will submit your work for publication. You may use our Contact form to make initial contact if you haven’t previously exchanged private email with us. We look forward to hearing from you and you can start the publication process right now by posting a comment and telling us your ideas if you would like some support and feedback!

17 Comments

  1. Hi David,
    This is an exciting project. I can’t wait to see the submissions you get.
    I was going to write demolition project that is taking down Chicago’s political machine, but I’m more excited about getting the camera out and taking some photos.
    Political corruption in Chicago is like saying it snows in the winter or Lake Michigan is a large body of water, so while it’s news, it’s not really new news. I’m not as inspired about that subject as I am about the “Four Corners” activity.
    The President is in the city today and there’s a John Kass column that does a better job than I would have been able to do explaining what’s happening in Chicago today.
    It’s excellent writing that paints such a delicious picture, I figured I’d share:

    The 60th birthday dinner for President Bush in Chicago–with Mayor Richard Daley as the clout of honor–offered scrumptious delicacies fit for princes to the manor born.
    “We have great food,” said a woman on the phone from the Chicago Firehouse Restaurant. “And a blue cheese encrusted rib-eye steak that’s to die for.”
    Yet even before a single fork was lifted in bipartisan love and respect, the mayor was served something special from federal court that no wine in the world is smooth enough to wash down:
    The convictions of four of his top City Hall underlings for their part in massive patronage fraud, in which jobs and test scores were rigged at taxpayer expense, providing the mayor with a political army in the streets to impose his will.

  2. Hi David,
    I messed up the blockquotes.
    The quoted segment from the Chicago Tribune should start at “The 60th birthday” and run until the end of the post.
    I’m putting my lithum ion battery in the charger so I’ll be ready to snap some pics when inspiration hits!

  3. Hi Chris!
    I think I fixed your blockquote.
    😀
    Political corruption is always a great story — especially when greater connections are made to the universal human condition.
    I can’t wait to see your Four Corners project! I’m glad you’re getting everything lined up and ready for when the inspiration hits you!

  4. Hi David,
    I already have some ideas for the project.
    There’s a Greek Festival going on in the area this weekend that should be fun and might be a source for some interesting photos. Even if I don’t take any photos, I know there’ll be excellent gyros and fun people!
    There are tons of interesting things in this area that will make excellent subjects.
    We have casinos, heavy industry, Lake Michigan sand dunes, urban core, rural farmland, suburbs and more all in a relatively small area.
    Plus, there are all of the fun things that make this area special and unique — tons of firework stands and strip clubs are just a few of the urban attractions that lure people from I-80 to Gary’s avenues and boulevards.
    I might have to also take a trip to the gun range, now that Indiana grants lifetime gun permits!

  5. Chris!
    I LOVE ALL YOUR ARTICLE IDEAS! What great insight and fun you will share. I like it that each idea has a different tone and attack. Fab!
    Lifetime gun permits! Now that’s wild!

  6. I don’t understand the idea of the lifetime permits, myself. The fee is only $125, so it isn’t a big moneymaker for the state.
    It would make more sense to require renewal and a periodic background check.

  7. I agree, Chris! I also like the idea of renewing your gun permit as a way of checking to make sure you are who you are, the number of guns you have and to run a background check to make sure you aren’t wanted.

  8. Here’s a plug for an excellent free photo editor for people who don’t have Photoshop:
    GNU Image Manipulation Program

    GIMP is the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed piece of software for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. It works on many operating systems, in many languages.

  9. Dave!
    Yay! Love to hear it that you are on board! I think “The Four Corner of Your Mother’s World” would make a fascinating current — and touching — photo montage.
    I am happy to help you with PhotoShop and Illustrator and I’ll even design your graphics arts for you if you need me…
    :mrgreen:

  10. I’ve heard a lot of great things about GIMP, Chris!
    I’m waiting for it to come out in the Universal format for the Intel-Macs. Right now I’m limping along with Fireworks from Macromedia. It’s slow on my Intel-Mac. PhotoShop and all my other Adobe software doesn’t want to work at all under Rosetta on Intel.

  11. Dave!
    Yes, I read everything you write! Your blog is all set up in NetNewsWire. Love the PEEP story! Your sister is extremely beautiful.
    I look forward to your music article. I think you had a really interesting take on the topic.
    CS3 here we come!
    😀

  13. Now that’s a cat obviously being attacked by a Swiffer dry mop!
    I’d have the same reaction with that thing in my face!
    😀

  15. When I saw the picture while looking at someone’s profile on MySpace, I thought the person was protecting herself with the Swiffer from a dangerous cat. Maybe, it’s the other way around.
    I’m calling PETA!

  16. I’m calling PETA with you!
    When you see images like that — just ask yourself one question: “Who’s bigger?” The answer is your culprit.

  17. Pingback: Four Corners Revisited: My People « Boles Blogs

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