This blog is the logbook of The Goodness Project — a 365-day effort I launched on June 1, 2010.
My name is Diane Silver, and I’m an independent journalist on the morality beat. My mission is to understand and report all things moral as I seek to unravel the concept of goodness. I also write about political issues and climate change and have been published in Salon.com, The Progressive and Ms, among many other publications.
When I’m not committing journalism, I write grants and fundraising materials. I’ve published original research on the media in an academic journal and taught in the journalism schools of Michigan State University and the University of Kansas. I’ve even wandered in the wilderness of politics, working as a press secretary for a liberal Democratic candidate for Kansas governor and directing communications strategy for a gay rights campaign. I have a couple of college degrees, and a sordid past as a wire service desk editor, newspaper reporter and magazine editor.
All of this tells you everything about me and nothing. For the truly important stuff, you’re going to have to read this blog.
In Search of Goodness 
Ms. Silver,
Your post on the moral wounds of combat (“Beyond PTSD…”) is essential. The answer for my healing is waging peace through Veterans For Peace. For vets of basic Christian orientation, I’ve told the VA about Celebrate Recovery, which some have used as PTSD support groups. About 8000 free, anonymous groups nationwide.
Thanks for your comment, Roland, and your hard work.
DS, What would you call someone who is in search of goodness? I’m noticing the lack of an appropriate term for one who continually does ‘the next good thing’, or is curious in an ongoing way about goodness. There are a few heavily religious terms, but they don’t quite fit what I’m describing, because I’m lacking a common, everyday term for this. Thoughts?
Apologies for taking so long to OK this comment. I just realized it was in my inbox. It’s nice to hear from you, Kayt! I don’t know if there is an term we can use that doesn’t lead us in the wrong direction and force us into the camp of the righteous. If we starting thinking of ourselves as being RIGHT, then it’s too easy to beat other people up with the rightness of our singular point of view. The only term that seems right to me, at least at this point in my life, is the term “Seeker.” I seek to do right, I seek to do good, I seek to understand, and I do the best I can in full knowledge that I’m gonna screw up at times. For more on the trap of righteousness, see my interview with novelist Laurie J. Marks: https://insearchofgoodness.wordpress.com/2010/06/01/whats-wrong-with-being-right/