My Reply to Medium’s Automated Email Sent to New Members

Hey folks and Mr. Williams, of course:

First, I hope you and yours are well and safe (and I mean that more sincerely than whatever else I type).

Maybe it’s me or the writer’s burden but I’m not so sure. I re-read this email and it’s clear that it was neither intended to welcome new writers nor assuage anxieties inherent in this craft on which this medium relies (and to those still wondering, remember this mnemonic: “all the world’s a stage, and that is how you rhyme assuage”).

Back to the email. After the first few sentences of your email, I literally felt like I’d done something wrong but couldn’t think of anything in the two pieces I published that would warrant a reprimand from the CEO himself, Mr Ev Williams.

The first piece I wrote was an open letter to Jack Shafer’S Op-Ed “How About a Little Sobriety, Please? on POLITICO. I wrote the letter because I wanted to know why Jack’s first instinct immediately after the inauguration was to call out news and media personalities (on the left) for inappropriate giddiness and over-the-top euphoria. In no less than 982 words he pointed out that Rachel Maddow was so overwhelmed she needed Kleenex, argued that Joy Reid’s subjective and not-totally-ridiculous exclamation that it was an incredible inauguration was false, disparaged the first female vice president’s swearing in ceremony, and even managed to bring up Chris Matthews Freudian boner comment during Obama’s inauguration.

I just wanted to ask Jack and really all writers this question: “When the pen became mightier than the sword, didn’t anyone account for the motives of the writers and at the very least question them as much as those of swordsmen’s who preceded them?”

I wanted to address those whose motives are so ill-conceived and immoral and without question meant to do irreparable harm to society’s most basic ideals. In the piece, I asked “How much mightier is the pen?” and “For justice’s sake, shouldn’t we at least take measure to craft a proportional response?” I think the time actually calls for it.

I then pointed out that: “whatever his motives and however ill-conceived, the swordsman’s conviction is surely more obvious and tangible, the outcomes more defined and final (one way or the other), and so, inherently less likely to deceive or prone to manipulation by those who may have something to gain but whose skin (and reputation) is not under the scrutiny of the sword (or the public).”

I then wrote a second piece: “Thank You TV Show and Film Makers — You Really Stepped Up”

I wanted to thank the entertainment industry for their work, for showing me true empathy, and for teaching me about how an action, irrespective of its direction or force or charge, can lead to wonders and nightmares previously unimagined.

I stated that “I became quite the history nerd. I started with The Plot Against American and worked my way backwards seeing different yet similar depictions of the Tulsa Race Massacre by watching Lovecraft Country and Watchmen, learned about all the Victorias and Elizabeths and Bloody Marys, along with all the revolutions (Industrial, American, French, etc.) that by happenstance were all depicted in musicals (Mary Poppins, Hamilton, and Les Misérables, respectively) until I reached the fall of Julius Caesar himself in HBO’s Rome. And yes, I even sat through all seven episodes (501 minutes) of Paul Giamatti playing himself as John Adams (and Laura Linney as herself playing as the First Second Lady and the Second First Lady Abigail Adams). I then went back to the mid-20th century and moved forward all the way from Selma, Frost/Nixon, The Trial of the Chicago Seven and the Central Park Five (When They See Us) to Madoff and the Global Financial Crisis.”

And I shared something I made with all the time we now have. It’s nerdy and goofy but I had fun and people actually found it helpful. I attached it to the email.

So if I offended you, the Medium Staff, and the general Medium community, please know that my intentions were on the side of good and honest and civil.

I’ll leave you guys with a Thoreau-back (coined it!):

“I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavour. It is something to be able to paint a particular picture, or to carve a statue, and so to make a few objects beautiful; but it is far more glorious to carve and paint the very atmosphere and medium through which we look, which morally we can do. To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts.”

My goal everyday is that last sentence (and to be clear, I endeavor to improve said quality).

Now, I hope we’re good and if I’m totally out of line and is no longer self-aware, please help.

For anything else in between, thanks for the heads up and please take care,

Jason