The Noun

We never thought we’d live to see the day where an innocuous literary magazine gets a piece of hate mail, but today we have been proved wrong. (We may be being a tad hyperbolic using the word “hate,” but it sounds better than “rudely inquisitive.”)

The Email:

With all due respect, why would a writer write for no pay? Would you work free to get “experience”?  Good luck with your project. Maybe you’ll find a good writer who does pro bono work.

-Xavier P. Timberwood*

Our response:

You just wrote that for free.

While getting paid to write is delightful, we feel that there is more to it than money.  The point of our site is to encourage storytelling and promote general goodness at a time when things seem bleak.

With all due respect, if you have no interest in participating in our project we’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t take time out of your day to email us your groundless negativity.

Have a great weekend.

-The Noun

The Dénouement:

Not groundless negtivity [sic], just curiosity.

It took only about 30 seconds out of my day.

But despite your counter-attack attitude, I really do wish you luck. The more journalism the better.

Have a good weekend,

-Xavier P. Timberwood

We are somewhat regretful in engaging in such jejune behavior, but couldn’t help ourselves.  We even felt bad after his (disingenuous after-thought of an) email back to us.  But really?  A literary magazine?

*Names have been changed

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