The Obligatory (but not Mandatory) Page About Me
Welcome to Constant Commoner. If you’re wondering why I chose that title, it’s because that’s what I am, and it looks like I always will be.
Fine with me.
I’m a widow now, nothing I ever asked for, and I’ve written about that experience, along with the experiences that go along with such a radical and complete life-change. I’ve found some things to smile about, always looking for the elusive joy I know is out there if only I go looking. And some to cry about.
And some to whine about.
Everything you find here will have been filtered through the eyes and ears and mind of an ordinary observer. I have no great wealth or talent or experiences that might blast you out of your seat.
I’m not what you might call ‘educated’. I’ve ‘known’ a few famous people along the way, but that was long ago so if you mentioned my name they probably wouldn’t remember. But I’m pretty good at witnessing and chronicling. Before we moved to the boonies, I had a long career as a citified freelance feature writer and columnist for newspapers and magazines. I’ve written essays and short stories, and I kept a political blog called Ramona’s Voices for 12 years, from the day of Barack Obama’s first inauguration to Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20, 2021, when I retired it and archived it here.
Now I’m exclusively at Substack.
I’ve been a practicing writer for so long it seems I don’t know how to do anything else. I love that so many of you have subscribed to my newsletter. It tells me you’re not just passing by. You’ve given me permission to send my latest pieces to your inbox, and that thrills and humbles me.
Here at Constant Commoner I write about living up north and in the Midwest from the point of view of a life-long Midwesterner with the soul of an up-norther. I write plain.
I write about aging because I’m way past just ‘getting old’. I’m old.
I write about widowhood because my husband, Ed, died three years ago and I’m still trying to process the realities of my life without him.
And I write about politics because this is my country and I’ve loved it for more decades than most of you have been alive. I’m not about to abandon it.
Right now, because of the urgency, my focus is on writing about the fears and dangers and triumphs of the country I love. Politics is in my blood and has been since I was around 12 years old and Harry Truman beat the odds and won the presidency, much to the shock of everyone, including any adult I knew then.
I see politics from a barely middle-class feminist point of view, union strong, as an advocate for the poor and disenfranchised, and as an unabashed Liberal and an unrepentant Democrat.
I don’t keep a schedule. I write about the things that move me and scare me and keep me in warrior mode as they happen. That means that some weeks I might send one post while in other weeks, if I’m in a panic, I might send three.
I want us to survive this menace, and I want to be a part of our survival. I hope you’ll feel the same and join me as a free or paid subscriber, as a supporter who shares what I’ve written here, as a friend, as an ally who has something to say, as an American who has to do something.
Please also share my list of ‘helpers’—those journalists, pundits, and advocates I trust in the ongoing fight for our sanity and our democracy.
You can reach me at Notes or at ramonagriggwriter at gmail dot com. And feel free to join our conversations here or at my sister publication, Writer Everlasting. Our comment sections are always open.
“Follow Remona Grigg because she refuses to sugarcoat collapse—she names the loss, the grief, and the theft of our democracy with a patriot’s broken heart. And yet, in the same breath, she summons us to courage, insisting that stubbornness, fortitude, and the will of the people are still enough to fight back.” Light Against Empire
“Poignant meditations on life, loss, work, writing and a lifetime dedication to working class issues in America.” Rant to Atmosphere
“This stack is bursting with beautiful writing, clear reflections, and deep engagement.” Holly Starley’s Rolling Desk
Please check out my newly launched Author Page for more information. You can contact me there or at ramonagriggwriter@gmail.com.
WRITERS, let me point you to my sister publication, Writer Everlasting. I’m taking all I’ve learned over these many years about the art and craft of writing and putting it all out there. We’re a community and a safe place for writers. We love words, we’re addicted to writing, and there’s nothing in the world more satisfying. Until it’s not. And we’ll talk about that, too.
If you’re reading this and you haven’t yet subscribed, here’s your chance. Subscriptions can be free or paid—and thank you in advance if you choose paid—but everyone receives the same work. No paywalls, no blocking of comments. The doors are always open.
