62. Writing (and Editing) his Ticket in the Mountains of France
Ward Rinehart
Ward Rinehart is an American who lives and works in the Jura mountains of France. He co-manages Jura Editorial Services, a small business editing and writing English-language publications for the international organizations in nearby Geneva, Switzerland, and for clients worldwide. He worked in international health communication for 30 years at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Baltimore.
How Did You Start Using Your Talents?
At age 6, Ward recalls creating “a little neighborhood newspaper” with a friend, an early indication that writing might be in his blood. Years later, he was in Paris in 1968 during the student uprising. Returning home to Middletown, CT, he edited a newspaper covering the student strikes in 1969.
The Most Impactful Turning Point?
“I think what I took from that (Paris) experience that has affected the rest of my life” Ward observes, “is that I realized I needed to make a contribution to making the world a better place some way by what I did,” as evidenced by his career in public health.
The Most Powerful Lessons Learned?
Working as a reporter for a newspaper in Springfield, Massachusetts, he learned, “What was satisfying to me, was to learn something and then be able to use that to help other people understand issues they faced or the concerns they might want to get involved in, and issues that were going to affect their lives.”
On His Bookshelf
“I’m very fond of classical Chinese poetry, which I can’t read in the original, only in translation. There’s something about the aesthetic and the expression and sentiments that appeal to me,” he said.
