Introduction Issue
Big Hello!
I have a surprise for you --- I decided to create a newsletter through Substack, a rapidly growing method of publishing email newsletters.
In the past year, I have read newsletters written by Heather Cox Richardson (covering today's news), Robert Reich (politics), Erin Brockovich (environment), Sam Wang (gerrymandering), and Lucian K. Truscott IV (whose grandfather was my dad's WWII general.) Last month I told myself I should write my newsletter, but how? I took a closer look at the newsletters mentioned above and got surprised that all have used Substack. Same for Dan Rather and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Thanks to Substack, here is my introduction issue!
I showed the picture below to my first cousin once removed (an author of four novel books) and explained to her that I must downsize hundreds of clippings, articles, documents, etc, by writing newsletters. [Note: some boxes contain DVDs.]
She replied, "Oh my goodness! You have a lot to choose from!" She is right, so I will have no problem selecting the topic for writing.
Several years ago, my first cousin in Michigan persuaded me to write an autobiography book. No way! A few years later, the above author's friend thought I should write a travel blog. How do you have time to write a blog while traveling?
However, Josh Kurtz, founding editor of Maryland Matters, was the first to persuade me to write! On New Year's Eve in 2018, I was in Verona, Italy, with my deaf Italian hosts to prepare for the celebration. Suddenly, I received the first-ever email from Kurtz at 6:18 pm (Italian time - six hours different from Eastern time), asking me to write a commentary about how to fix redistricting problems in Maryland. He added, “Many thanks and Happy New Year!” Three days later, Kurtz published my first-ever political commentary!
Since then, I have written 36 political commentaries for Maryland Matters, Maryland Reporter, and The Fulcrum. One deaf friend asked me if I got paid for writing them. I replied no, but I wished. How?
For two months (June and July), I fire-wrote over 40 massive emails addressed to the selected sports editors and 12 of 14 members of the Commission on the State of U.S. Olympics and Paralympics (CSUSOP) to urge the CSUSOP to make at least two recommendations:
Congress should amend the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act to include the Deaflympics in the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) program; and
the USOPC should recognize the word "Deaflympics."
After being exhausted after beating the CSUSOP deadline (July 31) to submit public comments to them, I declared that it was time for me to write newsletters via subscription.
Please bear with me since I am new to Substack. Now, you’re on the free list, which is excellent.
What are the differences between free and paid subscribers?
Well, I have decided to tell you any announcement, quick news, etc., through a free subscription while giving you my deep thought on any topic through a paid subscription. Only paid subscribers can access all letters and stories in my archive.
Most of Substack’s 17,500 writers prefer to charge $5 monthly or $50 annually, so I agree with their decisions. It could be cheaper than eating the $5.09 Big Mac for five minutes.
Turning 79 last month, I am ready to challenge this one!