Launched in November 2000, MadeByMark was one of the internet’s very first personal blogs. For seventeen years, I published a post here almost every day.
After shuttering the original site in October 2017, I relaunched it in July 2022 as a personal-interest site focused on dining, media, politics, spirituality, and travel. This is also where I publish posts on the things I love about our hometown of New Albany, MS.
My professional site, where I write about facilitation, personal knowledge management, and the work involved in writing, is MarkMcElroy.com.
Who’s Mark McElroy?
Professions. I’m an author and retired media producer and facilitator living in New Albany, MS. Over the years, I’ve worked as a photographer’s assistant, disc jockey, writer, university professor, corporate trainer, minister, public relations director, on-camera host, graphic designer, presentation developer, speech writer, voice actor, communications director, media development team director, and professional facilitator.
Passions. My proudest achievement is my 30-year marriage to my husband, Clyde Parks. We love traveling the planet together and sharing adventures and insights with fellow travelers. We enjoy sharing great food and good stories with family and friends. We live a quiet, happy life with Sunny Day and Windy Day, two wonderful dogs we rescued through the Atlanta Humane Society.
Questions. After leaving behind the spiritually abusive fundamentalist church of my childhood, I began a lifelong quest to make sense of matters of faith. I’m very comfortable admitting that what I believe (or don’t believe) fluctuates from day to day. Despite all my questions, there’s one thing I’m sure of: in the realm of spirit, the people you should fear the most are the ones who think they have all the answers.
Obsessions. I like pizza. Too much. I could literally eat it for every meal (and did, for two months, when I was in college). The perfect pie is out there, and I’m going to find it. (And pair it with a frosty cold IPA, to boot.)
Decisions. I’m unwavering in my belief that the best society allows adults and make their own decisions about their health, their bodies, their relationships, and their indulgences, as long as doing so causes no harm to others. Science is real and beneficial, and pseudoscience, propaganda, conspiracy theory, and so-called “Christian Nationalism” are detrimental to your mental health and our nation’s future. These days, I have little time or patience for those who believe otherwise.
Connections. I’m eager to hear from folks who share an interest in
- great science fiction (including Dune, The Expanse, For All Mankind, Star Trek – Strange New Worlds, the Bladerunner movies),
- quirky television series (Doctor Who, The Lazarus Project, Severance, Blackbird, Dark Winds, Moonhaven, The Walking Dead and its many spin-offs),
- binge-worthy streaming series (Sex Education, Around the World in 80 Days, You, Zombie Nation, Midnight Mass),
- surprising or disturbing art cinema (Donnie Darko, Lamb, Melancholia, Primer, The Box, Parasite),
- movies that start conversations (Call Me By Your Name, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Tree of Life),
- divination (including the I Ching and the Tarot),
- Apple’s hardware and software (and related podcasts, including The Accidental Tech Podcast, Connections, and Upgrade), and
- great books in any genre.
MadeByMark Elsewhere
Photography. You can see my photography on Instagram — but see better shots, with no ads and no distractions, on Glass.
Professional Presence. If you’re curious, you can also visit my professional site, MarkMcElroy.com, where the posts are focused my work as a strategic advisor and writer.