You are so welcome here

Hi, this is me, Maura Casey. I’m glad you are here on my Substack home of Casey’s Catch! I grew up fishing in Lake Ontario, that vast freshwater sea, and I’ve always thought of opinion writing as casting a net for ideas, thus the name of this newsletter.

I’ve been a journalist for 40 years, during which time I won an award a year for my writing or reporting. That, and $3 will get me a cuppa joe at Tim Hortons, my favorite coffee chain. I am also a sailor, a grandmother, a compulsive writer, a bread baker, an amateur astronomer, a dog lover, and servant to my cats. I’ve been married for 40 years. I have lived in rural New England for most of that time. I love its slower pace, the quiet, and the rolling hills. But I still call my beloved birthplace of Buffalo, NY home. I’ve written a memoir about growing up in Buffalo that my agent is shopping to publishing companies - more on that later. Let’s just say my fingers are crossed, and I’ll keep you posted.

Why subscribe?

I believe in not being boring. I search for what other journalists are not writing about and the overlooked angle on current events. I try to combine good reporting with a personal view. But I also like to write about universal topics: family and sunsets, snowstorms and the poetry and struggle imbedded in everyday life.

I have had a little practice. I wrote opinions every week for four different newspapers for decades, during which time, heaven help me, I probably wrote 5,000 opinion editorials. I served on the editorial boards of The Lawrence (Mass.) Eagle Tribune, The Day (New London, Conn.) the Hartford (Conn.) Courant, and The New York Times.

I don’t work at a newspaper anymore, but I am incapable of staying on the sidelines. And, God knows, there is a lot going on. So I write once a week to keep my head from exploding. And yes, it’s free.

So why pay for a subscription?

A good question. I’ll be honest. If I had an audience of one, I would write. I would write for pennies. And I don’t like paywalls, so I will try not to put up any.

However. A paid subscription supports my work and makes it more likely that I will be able to write for years to come. Think of a subscription as stuffing the tip jar in your favorite pizza joint (although, truthfully, my thing is baking bread). Although for now, there is no difference between a paid and free subscription, that may change as I branch out and do more interviews, get the hang of podcasts and other technology.

I want the world to be a better place; my guess is that you do, too. We could learn a lot from one another. So whether you are a free or paid subscriber, thank you. I am profoundly grateful that you have read my words and are willing to come along with me on this journey.