Bill Hogan’s posts on Weelunk mirrored his personality in every word, phrase and sentence. Whether he was recalling life in his youth or life in his later years, you experienced his sense of humor and honest dialogue.
He wrote the way he spoke. The twinkle in his eye and abundant sense of humor came through in his stories of Old Wheeling’s characters, many in his own family. He spared no detail but was always kind in his memories of those he had encountered in his long life.
A visual artist, his keen sense of observation helped him record in words what he saw and felt. In order to draw lines on paper that make sense and form an image, the visual artist uses the same skills as the writer. Lines can just be lines, the genius of awareness makes the lines a work of art. Writers can put sentences on paper but the spark of “seeing” what others cannot make a cluster of words a memorable piece of prose.
Bill loved telling stories. Weelunk gave him the opportunity to share some of his best with hundreds who looked forward to every chapter. He wrote about Wheeling when it was the wild, vibrant place of his youth. Weelunk has a treasure trove of his memories. Here is a selection of our favorites.
- The Alpha and the Omega
- The Present Predicament of the Catholic Church as Seen From the Sidelines
- Peace Corps in East Wheeling?
- Poppa’s One, Two, Three
- The Flicks
