Hey, y’all. It’s Amie.

I don’t know about you, but this spring-like weather has me feeling some type of way. Over the weekend, we cleaned out a shed, reorganized it, and put even more inside.

It’s the second round of our spring cleaning extravaganza, but it was so exhausting that my husband, Kody, and I said we couldn’t wait to get back to our computers at work on Monday. People who do shed clean-outs for a living have my utmost respect—and will be getting my business the next time I look at a project and overestimate my abilities over a two-day expanse.

I really do hope you’re having a great week so far, and that the inspiring story we’re sharing about Virginia native William Haines lights the way even brighter. I’m so glad you’re here.

Amie Knowles

Newsletter Editor, Dogwood

William Haines was one of Hollywood’s most in-demand movie stars and was openly gay. (Public Domain)

William Haines: A VA native whose story you need to know

By Sam Cohen

Here’s what you need to know: William Haines was a Virginia native, Hollywood’s first openly gay movie star, and a popular interior designer. Learn more about his inspiring life.

The facts:

In 1933, amid growing restrictions outlined in the infamous Hays Code, studio heads were cracking down on what their contracted actors could and could not do in their personal lives. Virginia’s own William Haines, who had been a popular silent film star, was one of numerous individuals whose private affairs were called into question when the code was being strictly enforced.
Haines was openly gay and had been throughout most of his life. It was a fact he didn’t try to hide, and when MGM’s studio chief Louis B. Mayer called Haines into his office one day to try to persuade Haines into entering a lavender marriage to save Haines’s career, the Staunton native refused.
Haines reportedly told Mayer, “I’m already married,” because, well, he was. Haines had been with his longtime partner, Jimmie Shields, since 1926, and was unwilling to forsake his relationship in order to save his career. He was Hollywood’s first openly gay movie star, and he went on to become one of the most in-demand interior designers following his break with MGM.

Want to know more about this breakout star? We’ve got all the details at the link below.

Read about his early life in VA →

By Michael O’Connor

Yesterday was a pivotal day 16 years ago—but despite its success, President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress allowed enhanced tax credits for SCS health cans to expire at the end of 2025.

Doing so, even as the US spends billions on yet another war in the Middle East, has made healthcare too expensive for millions of Americans.

See the impact →

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Our reporting cuts through false narratives, documents what’s actually happening in our communities, and provides voters with the clear, factual information they need—especially when the stakes are high.

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My copy of “The Psychology Workbook for Writers.” (Amie Knowles/Dogwood)

So you’re ready to write, r ight?

By Amie Knowles

Did you know I’m 97,000 words into writing a novel? It’s something I’ve been doing in my spare time—mostly after midnight when the house is quieter—for the past six years.

I used to crank them out in two or three years, but “real life” tends to take a front seat nowadays, and it’s harder to find the time to sit still long enough to jump into a world only I can visit right now. That’s why books like “The Psychology Workbook for Writers” by Darian Smith are so useful.

If it’s been a while since I’ve written a scene and I feel like I’ve lost my characters a bit, I’m able to flip to an exercise that brings me closer to center. One of my favorites is about the “messages” your character received as a child, which could give motivation to their responses as adults. It’s things like “you come first,” vs. “your needs aren’t important.”

Things like that challenge us writers to learn more about our characters’ internal script—even if we’d never write those thoughts out in plain English.

So if you’re looking for a good springboard to start your own story—or if, like me, you tend to get writer’s block more often these days—this is one little book I personally recommend.

Would you recommend this newsletter to your neighbor?

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Amie Knowles. Amie is a lifelong Virginia resident and mom to a fantastic 8-year-old who loves Pokémon. This edition includes stories from Sam Cohen and Michael O’Connor. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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