Where do Thoughts come from?

From people like you. Someone reads a great book and finds a passage that resonates with them, changes their way of looking at the world. Or maybe they read it once and it meant so much, they saved it. Maybe they heard it in a play or found it in a magazine. Maybe it’s a poem or a song.

How can I submit a Thought?

Before we even get to audio recording, I have to make sure the text works and the permissions are received. So the first step is simple email. Send me the portion of text and any information (publication, page number, author, publisher/producer, title, who said it, addresses, emails, date, etc.) that will help to secure permission.

What makes a good Thought?

The intent here is to take the usually shallow sound bite and transform it into something deeper, something that provokes attention, maybe even action. Pieces with multiple layers of understanding that require reflection – thoughts that linger after they’re heard.

• Pieces must have published, produced, factual, or cultural sources; they are not “musings” of your mind.
• These are not just quotations. Quotations are over in 7 seconds; this is a whole thought. So if you have a good quote, look at its context. Is there something good before or after it?
• 45-60 spoken seconds long. The goal is a non-shallow sound bite, a thought only small in its expression.

But all I have is either too long or too short.

Okay, email it to me. I can help edit or perhaps find something to flesh it out.

How long could it take for my submission to get on the air?

That depends on whether your piece is protected by copyright or is in the public domain. Older pieces can be quick; anyone can use them once their copyrights have expired. In many cases, the permissions process is arduous (finding defunct publishing houses, agents, widows, attorneys), so those take longer. I’ll let you know once permissions have been received and you and your piece are ready for the “big time.”

So has every reader submitted their particular piece?

No. Sometimes a piece is submitted by someone who prefers not to read it. Sometimes a piece is submitted by someone in a city that I don’t have arrangements made for recording. Sometimes one piece leads to a source which leads to more pieces. So I give away pieces to members of the community who might have a special interest in it (Pablo Casals’ pieces to musicians, for example).

What do I get for submitting a piece?

Good karma. Plus a photograph, 2-sentence bio, and a web link to the website of your choice.

Any ideas to stimulate my Thoughts?

• Check the calendar: Presidents’ Day, First day of Spring, Thanksgiving. Election Day, for example, could lead to Thoughts of historical statistics about elections decided by one vote, the lines to vote in South Africa, fights for The Vote.
• Multiculturalism: thoughts from different cultures, religions, ethnicities, potential for bilingual segments
• Ask your book club to examine your book picks for Thoughts
• Maybe you know an author who’d like to voice pieces from his or her work
• Don’t forget magazines, newsletters, whatever else.
• If one of the goals of this is to increase general Thoughtfulness, you’ll be surprised how many Thoughts start appearing. It’s about paying attention. Ever notice how many blue cars suddenly appeared on the road once you bought yours?

Is "Hold this Thought" on the air?

Through a wonderful partnership with KSKA 91.1FM, public radio in Anchorage, Alaska, we are broadcast twice a day on weekdays (8:38 a.m. during Day to Day and again at 7:00 p.m.) and once on weekends at 7:00 p.m. Other Alaska Public Radio Network stations can easily pick up broadcasts.

How can I get my radio station to broadcast these Thoughts?

If you are with a radio station, it’s easy! If you’re not, let me know where you live, what your station is, maybe even whom to contact. In either case, just email.

So who are you, Barbara Brown?

I once was a philosophy graduate student who afterwards ran public transit systems, wrote a weekly newspaper column, managed a theater company, and directed a community leadership program. Through it all, I've been in a book club or several, loved libraries, and would do anything for the thrill of illuminating conversation.

And then this little idea took hold. This very little idea.

So while I still volunteer for literacy, tell stories to little kids, and try to get my precinct to reach 100% voter turnout; I think this little idea has possibilities. That's all. Any more, and you’ll have to go to my personal website (www.barbarabrown.alaskawriters.com).

How can I help make the world more Thoughtful?

Oh, that’s a big question. But the small answer is, please share this website with your friends and relations. If you figure out other ways to get these Thoughts out, try them out on me. I do great interviews and write great articles. But mostly, you just have to do that viral thing.

And please, join in the conversation. What’s an illuminating conversation that doesn’t happen? Silence.

So I clicked on “Share This” at the bottom of the page and have NO IDEA what all those odd little words are.

Me neither, but I’m learning. My younger and smarter web designer explains:

At the bottom of each Thought you'll see a row of icons.

ShareThis lets you instantly access all of your profiles, blogs, friends, and contacts for easy sharing and updating on various social networking sites. Click this button to see the different sites you can share information on. Social Networking is an increasingly popular class of website that helps connect friends, business partners, or other individuals together. The sites combine social bookmarking, blogging, and syndication. Click on each site to learn more about the services provided.

Comments allows you to quickly add comments to any entry. Use this if you have questions or to continue the discussion. We want to hear from you!

Print is an option that opens a clean page that you can quickly print without clutter.

Send allows you to quickly email this page to anyone.

Download allows you to download the MP3 file instead of listening to the streaming version.

RSS ("Really Simple Syndication") is a family of Web feed formats used to publish frequently updated content such as blog entries, news headlines or podcasts. An RSS document, which is called a "feed", "web feed", or "channel", contains either a summary of content from an associated web site or the full text. RSS makes it possible for people to keep up with their favorite web sites in an automated manner that's easier than checking them manually.

Do you want any money so you can keep Thoughts flowing?

Oh, yes. Modest, tasteful, and friendly sponsorship opportunities are available. Don’t you want to be seen as promoting thoughtfulness in the world? There’s Big Visibility options and lesser (sponsor-a-day) options. Just ask. Start-up for this project was supported in part by a grant from the Alaska Humanities Forum and the National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal agency. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed on this website do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.