About We are The Venn

I know you are, but what am I?

I’m a writer. That is what I’ve told people for more than three decades.

When my eighth-grade teacher asked what my academic strength was. The time a college prof asked me how I would describe myself. This summer, when I was waiting in purgatory—er, the DMV—and someone asked what I do for a living.

I’m a writer. That is what I’ve always said.

As my beard began to lose its ability to fend off gray hairs, I grappled with what to do with this skill. While I’m still enjoying a productive career, I am getting older*—and something has been nagging at me. What else can I use this talent for, and how could it serve the greater good?

That is where We are The Venn was born.

My Stories. Your Memories. A Beautiful Overlap.

Together, we’ll make a special space where my stories and your memories allow us to heal.

We are The Venn is where I document the special intersection between the rural American experience of my childhood and the realities of the modern world. Growing up in New York’s rural Southern Tier provided the enduring backdrop for my work as a writer.

If you were to map my life, the center point—the overlap of all my experiences—sits right here: 42.2359° N, 76.1831° W. Go ahead. Look it up. I’ll wait.

Writing has been my superpower since middle school, and it’s treated me well. In eighth grade, I won a New York State History Award for a profile I wrote about industrialist George F. Johnson, of Endicott-Johnson Shoes fame. That was the moment I knew I could write stories and people would enjoy reading them.

All these years later, I still believe that. And I hope that, soon, this will include you.

What to Expect

Thirty years ago, I joined the staff of a powerhouse weekly newspaper chain. Not as a reporter; I wasn’t yet qualified. The managing editor looked at me and said: “You could start here opening the mail. We’ll teach you how to edit press releases and see what happens.”

What happened was the start of a successful 30-year run as an award-winning journalist and public relations professional. I’ve written about everything from the baseball card craze to the newborn and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit staff giving new meaning to the word miracle. I’ve stayed up past midnight covering never-ending school board meetings. As a writer, I’ve worked alongside the poorest among us and a billionaire – always sharing stories that made an impact.

Now, I’m adding a new focus as the founder of We are The Venn.

I’ve spent the past few weeks writing stories about yesterday and today. Once I committed to doing this, the words began flowing from my fingertips. The more I dug into my memory bank, the more memories I discovered. I don’t remember a lot – but I remember more than most.

You can expect one story a week to start, and that will expand as this venture gains momentum. After reading each piece, my hope is that you are able to reflect on my experience, and yours, and gain a better understanding of our shared connections.

If we are fortunate, a swell of gratitude will follow.

If you’re ready to explore the overlap, I’d love to have you subscribe. The content will set this page apart from others, as well as the lack of political chatter and divisiveness that pervades our society. Even better, what you read will be authentic commentary. No AI-written fiction here.

Just authentic, human-to-human, storytelling, Get ready to breathe some fresh air.

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I believe in you, Reader.

Travis Anderson

* You might be getting older, too. Slow down a bit and take some time to get to know me.