Embracing My Irish Heritage: Why I'm Proud to be a McMackin
February 2, 2010
Editor's note: As a journalist, the most fun stories to write are the ones that hit close to home. While researching an article on early Irish immigration for the March/April issue of American Spirit, the magazine we publish for the Daughters of the American Revolution, I got the chance to learn more about my own Scots-Irish ancestors, who arrived in America during the Colonial era. Intrigued by the bravery of these immigrants and their role in shaping our democracy, I decided to delve a little deeper into my Irish lineage. Here's what I discovered.
Some girls I knew growing up wished for blue eyes or blond hair. I wished for a normal last name. Starting with grade school, my last name, McMackin, always caused me embarrassment. Every year on the first day of school, I would cringe when teachers reached my name in roll call because the same thing always happened. After staring quizzically at the grade book for a few minutes, they would painfully attempt to pronounce my last name, subsequently butchering it. Feeling bad for their awkwardness, I would interrupt halfway through and finish it for them, causing the class to erupt in laughter.
When I complained about this—and the nicknames I endured as a result—to my grandfather, Roland “Mack” McMackin, he set me straight. “McMackin is a name you should be proud of,” he said. He then pulled out printed copies of a family tree and a coat of arms that belonged to my ancestors, which was intriguing enough to make me momentarily forget my name predicament.
I was fascinated to discover how my paternal family had evolved through the centuries. My grandfather had traced our lineage back to Sir Andrew Fraser, a man of Norman French decent whose family had come to Britain with William the Conqueror in 1066, and settled in Scotland. Two of Sir Fraser’s sons, Simon and Kenneth (nicknamed “Kin”), rebelled against his stern rules, and he disinherited both. Kin started his own clan, and his son was called “MacKin,” a Scottish term for the “son of the descendant of Kin.” When the British crushed a Scottish rebellion led by the Duke of Montrose in 1645, the Mackins, who participated in the revolt, fled to Ulster in Northern Ireland, where they became known as the “McMackins.”
My ancestor, James Alexander McMackin Sr. was born in Ireland in 1726, and he and his brothers were the first of their clan to leave the security of their Scots-Irish homeland for the unknown of colonial America. No one in my family knows when or why James Sr. came, but we do know that he soon became “American” in every sense, finding a home on the North Carolina frontier, marrying a girl of German decent, raising eight children and enrolling in the Continental Army in 1776 to fight for America’s independence. When his son and daughter-in-law, James and Elizabeth McMackin Jr., left the Carolinas in 1822 to venture to the wilderness of Tennessee, the 80-year-old traveled with them, helping them establish a farm on the Big Sandy River in Carroll County, Tenn., and living there until his death in 1826.
While little documented information about their lives exists beyond birth, death and marriage dates, I’ve heard relatives tell stories through the years about my Scots-Irish ancestors—their stubborn streak, their tenacity, their kindness to families less fortunate, their love of storytelling and their patriotism. I wonder what their lives were like. How hard was it to leave everything they knew behind for an unfamiliar land? What kind of hopes and dreams must they have had to muster up the courage to do that? I’ll never know the answers, but I like to believe that a little of who I am comes from their legacy—and that makes me proud to wear the McMackin name.
Do you have Irish lineage in your family? Watch for the March/April issue of American Spirit to learn more about the proud tradition of your ancestors in our "Pride of the Irish" feature.
Photo Scavenger Hunt | Emily McMackin
September 1, 2009
Several members of the Hammock crew dusted off our cameras in August to have some fun with a photo scavenger hunt. The rules were simple: Interpret the nine items on the list in any creative or literal way that we wanted, and have fun!
What Emily found:
A Day in the Life of Emily McMackin
April 9, 2009
Do you doodle while on the phone or in meetings?
I don't actually doodle that much. I never have. I'm more of an auditory person, so I retain information by listening and replaying words and phrases that I pick up over and over again in my mind. It's like having a constant tape player rolling! Sometimes I take a pen and pad into meetings, but I usually just come out with an empty page or a bunch of random circles and swirly lines.
What's your favorite non-tech tool you use for work?
My AP stylebook ... It seems like I pick it up a couple of times a day! Some grammar rules become ingrained in you after a while, but there are so many to keep up with that it helps to have a refresher. When in doubt, I always take a minute to flip through because assuming has gotten me in trouble in the past. Of course, a cup (or two) of coffee in the mornings is also essential to get my creative juices pumping!
What is your favorite on-the-job responsibility?
I love writing most anything, especially feature stories. I also love interviewing people, even if it's just over the phone, because for me it's like taking a trip; hearing their stories takes me to a different place and allows me to experience another perspective. I also get a thrill anytime I get a layout into my hands to edit because there is nothing like seeing stories and images come together—it makes everything real. Another new favorite task is putting together an edit slate. It's fun to be part of shaping story ideas for readers and tying different concepts together to create a complete issue.
Do you listen to music while you work? If so, what are your favorite artists/songs for working?
I don't listen to music much when writing or editing because it's too distracting (too many words colliding in the brain!). But I do crank up my iTunes for more repetitive tasks like making PDFs or changes to design documents. My favorite tracks include anything upbeat—artists like Natasha Bedingfield, Beyonce, Sarah Bareilles, Rascal Flatts, to name a few. While working on a magazine project for a military client, I created a special mix of "fighting" songs to keep me going.
How do you refocus if you're having trouble concentrating or getting the creativity flowing?
I get a cup of coffee! Seriously, something about coffee stimulates my brain—but that's not all I do. Sometimes, cleaning off the clutter from my desk (or computer desktop) helps me regain clarity. For writer's block, it helps to listen to a song with great lyrics or just do 10 minutes of "free writing" without putting any restrictions on myself. Taking a walk is my favorite way to get my creativity flowing. My best ideas come during afternoon walks when I'm listening to nothing but the birds chirping and the wind in the trees.
I Resolve ...
January 2, 2009
New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are two of my favorite holidays. Call me sentimental, but I love the idea of getting all dressed up and going out to celebrate all that was good about the past year ("Auld Lang Syne" always gets me choked up!) and embracing the possibilities of a new year. I've always made resolutions. Like the cabbage, black-eyed peas and hog jowl I consume on New Year's Day, I know that making resolutions might not bring me prosperity, wealth or luck, but there's something magical about believing you have the power to change and grow. Here are my three resolutions for 2009:
My Holiday Schedule
I'm out of the office for the holidays from Wednesday, Dec. 24, until Monday, Jan. 5. I will be checking my email—emcmackin@hammock.com—and office voice mail during this time. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Postcards From Chicago
October 21, 2008
Recently a few of us Hammockites traveled to Chicago to attend the Folio: 2008 Show. In addition to gaining valuable knowledge about the magazine industry, we also got to check out some of Chi-Town's most interesting sights. Here are a few snapshots from our trip.
Make Your Magazine a Must-Read
October 15, 2008
3 Keys to Keeping Readers Engaged
Recently, I spent two days attending the 2008 Folio Show in Chicago with fellow Hammock editors Jamie Roberts and Megan Pacella. It was my first visit to the Windy City, and as you might imagine, I learned a lot during my 48 hours there. (Like always give an address to cab drivers, so they’ll take you to the right place and ignore people who approach you on the street—lest you find yourself part of a product demonstration.) But, seriously, attending the show gave me new insight into the ever-changing magazine industry and new strategies to help our clients produce publications that can compete in an interactive world.
Hammock editors Megan Pacella, Emily McMackin and Jamie Roberts between sessions at the Folio: 2008 Show in Chicago on Sept. 23.
My favorite session focused on how to make your stories (or issues, for that matter) must-reads. With most readers going online to get instantaneous news and information on topics that interest them, magazines must do more to stand out to audiences with high expectations and shorter attention spans. Even newsstand staples like National Geographic and The Scientist grapple with this issue. If your publication covers stories that are covered elsewhere, you can distinguish yourself by going beyond the facts to provide context, point of view and a guiding voice.
National Geographic’s executive editor Tim Appenzeller and The Scientist’s editor and publisher Richard Gallagher keep their magazine compelling and relevant to readers with these three tips:
Confessions From a Teen Magazine Junkie
April 3, 2008
There are many reasons I love working at Hammock, but one of the biggest ones is getting the chance to indulge in my love of magazines—and not just any magazines but teen magazines. Yes, I’m 31 years old, and I can still be spotted checking out all the great ones at the grocery store racks, including Seventeen, Justine and even Cosmogirl! Hey, what can I say? Just because I’m a responsible, tax-paying career girl with a 401K doesn’t mean I still can’t use advice on the timeless subjects of beauty, fashion, friendship and dating.
I still remember my mom buying my first Teen magazine for me at 14. It felt like a rite of passage (like getting my ears pierced or going to my first New Kids on the Block concert). I spent hours in my room that day engrossed in a glossy book that introduced me to a new world I'd only begun to explore—one of style, possibilities, angst, infatuation and identity.
Recently, while doing some research for a client who publishes a magazine for teenagers, I found the perfect excuse to delve into this world once again. Boy, was I surprised! Like everything else, teen magazines have gone digital.
About Emily
November 26, 2007
Before joining Hammock, Emily worked as an editor at a newspaper in Decatur, Ala., where she covered the teen and young adult beat and designed weekly sections for Gen-Xers. There she spent most of her time scoping out malls, arcades and the local water park for sources, and writing about everything from breakups to blogging.
Now most days, you’ll find her scouring the Web for business owners to profile for her MyBusiness features. Or she may be spotted lurking around libraries to research American Spirit articles and interviewing everyone from East Coast water-sport devotees to West Coast health-care executives—all without losing her Southern accent.
Storytelling is her strength—one she came by honestly growing up amongst big talkers and colorful characters in the small northern Alabama town of Tuscumbia (birthplace of another writer, Helen Keller). She swept through several small towns pursuing her education, traveling first to Searcy, Ark., where she received her English degree from Harding University and honed her journalistic skills at the same campus newspaper that the infamous Ken Starr wrote for as a freshman.
After a detour at a book publisher in West Monroe, La., Emily headed south again to Tuscaloosa, where she graduated with a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Alabama (home of her favorite team, the Crimson Tide, and alma mater of her favorite author, Harper Lee).
Now she’s glad to be a small-town girl in the big city, exploring museums, staking out live music, going salsa dancing and drinking Starbucks anytime she wants.
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