A columnist for a publication in St. Louis, Mo., would occasionally “turn (his) column over to the readers.” He would then address emails and letters that readers had sent to him with questions, comments and concerns. An example of his method of answering those inquiries might be something like this: “A letter from Bill asked why I called my cat a predator. I do that, Bill, not because I don’t like cats, but because the cat spends every waking moment stalking my dog, trying to bring it down.” There was always a hint of humor in the responses, even to the most serious queries, but the columnist always ended by gently reinforcing whatever position he had taken, and thanking the reader for the note.
While this paper does not have the reach of that St. Louis publication (you can change that!) I do get some e-mails, calls and letters from readers. Some laud, some offer suggestions for future columns, and some chide me. In March, 2014, a man sent an e-mail with suggestions on how I might handle a problem my mother had encountered. In the column he had read, I told the story of how my mother had struggled to make weekly payments on a sofa she had purchased on credit, only to find that “the collector,” who picked up the payments in person, had stolen many of her payments. The reader suggested that a future column might “(give) details regarding what are the weekly payments on a sofa, what is the total cost of buying a sofa that way, (and) what stores offer weekly payment plans.” He suggested that Goodwill stores “are truly a resource for people … in poverty …” He also suggested some legal remedies for my mother, and when I thanked him for his readership, I noted that the incident had happened in 1970 and was beyond the reach of the appropriate statutes.
Another reader sent a lengthy e-mail in March, 2015, addressing his concerns about a column where I told of a Korean-American woman’s laughing acceptance of bigoted comments about her ancestry. “ … I felt from reading the (column) that you have a chip on your shoulders, (and) that you are ready to right all wrongs.” He wrote his upbringing, pointing out that he and I may have been raised in dissimilar environments, but have had some similarity of feelings. I thanked him, saying, “I wrote, and you read. The meeting of those two things makes me happy.”
A chiding by another reader suggested that I include myself in the class of “no-fact-checking journalists.” In “Do Not Attempt,” I wrote of how many of the laws that caution against obvious perils have evolved from an incident of spilled hot coffee. The reader listed the incident in some detail, suggested that I “Try Wikipedia,” and “(looks) forward to a follow-up column” of apology to the woman scalded. I thanked him for his readership.
Whether or not a reader cheers, chides, or derides, I appreciate the feedback. I practice, as the poet Dylan Thomas wrote, “my craft or sullen art” indeed, “Not for ambition or bread.” I am sharing my experiences and exposures to the world we have in common. I care what readers think and every e-mail gives me another view to consider. This includes the e-mail chain from a reader who tells me that my usage of a certain word is wrong. Despite my citations (not from Wikipedia) to support my position, he continues to insist that I am wrong. I thanked him for his readership.
Look for that error to continue in future columns.