is such an icon, he hardly seems human. Americans see his face dozens of times every day on the dollar bill, and nearly every town in the country has a street or a park or a school named after him.
But the Randall biography made me see parallels between this icon and people I knew.
Washington was an ambitious kid. In his childhood diaries, which survive, he carefully copied the "100 Rules For Being a Gentleman" from a British men's magazine.
At 16, using tools he found in a shed, he taught himself how to be a surveyor. At 20, he wangled himself a job commanding a small brigade in the French-Indian War.
Washington had absolutely no military expertise, and he lost every battle. But the war was won, and Washington acquired a reputation as a hero. A tall guy, good-looking, and reportedly quite a hot dancer, he put together an advantageous marriage to Martha, a popular and very wealthy widow.
When the Revolution began, it became apparent a general would be needed to fight against the British. Washington went to Philadelphia and paraded around in his military uniform until someone suggested him as the perfect candidate. (He beat out the Bill Gates of the day, America's then-richest man, John Hancock.)
I saw a lot of parallels between Washington and the pioneers of the Internet. He was a self-made - and self-promoted - man, as most Web personalities are. Most Internet innovators also came from undistinguished backgrounds, the middle class at best, rarely the elite. They often floundered early in their careers, before finding a niche online.
And like Washington, who fought the Revolution having no idea what a modern democracy would look like, and knowing he was very likely be hanged as a traitor to the King, the web pioneers left traditional careers behind and went full speed ahead into the unknown. They continue to do so.
This site is the outgrowth of the three-year-old Xander Mellish: Short Stories and Cartoons, and of a continuing effort to make Web Literature a new art form, distinct from its print book cousin.
Web literature can use color, graphics, and technological surprises - which you'll find hidden throughout this site - as a means to deepen and expand the basic text. And no trees were harmed in the creation of this book!
The official launch of this site took place before a Web Writers In the Flesh reading on October 26, 1998.
Chocolate-covered cherries and cherry liqueurs were served.
