Some writing I admire, at a distance. That's not you, Howard. Your writing I'd like to have a beer with; or a few glasses of red wine and a penne puttanesca at a local café
I’m Jewish but went to convent school (not that uncommon, weirdly). The nuns were a delight- girlish, giggly and liked a hug. Naples is a wonderful place
You wrote that the piece was written many years ago and you had forgotten about it. You did not say it was published. Your love for words seems to lack a desire for precision. Sending me a “fiver” does not make up for the $60 I paid for a subscription, only to get some rehash. Furthermore, your mockery (it does not rise to the level of sarcasm) is evidence of an ego accustomed to and expectant of flattery. Just acknowledge you were lazy. Come on, you can do it.
I just received an offer for three gift subscriptions from you. I assume that is your response to my earlier comment. Why would I give a gift to a site I’m not happy with?
Dear Duane Skelton - I hope I have your name right, I don't want to cause you even more upset. It's not my my practice to have a conversation with readers, disgruntled or otherwise. I don't do social media and Substack isn't twitter. But I just want to clear up a couple of things. You have not received any offer of free subscriptions from me. I know nothing about them. I can only guess that they come, as a matter of course, from Substack itself. Your irritation proceeds, I see, from an earlier dissatisfaction with my piece about a reading I gave in Naples. You have every right not to like it. But you make false assumptions when you accuse me of 'feeding you old stuff I thought unworthy' for publication. The piece was originally published in the Guardian magazine. And was liked by many readers at the time. It was when one of those readers reminded me of it last week that I thought it might make a pleasant piece - a light diversion in dark times - for which I wouldn't dream of charging. I didn't 'feed' it you. I simply posted it. You were free to tuck in or not. Why you are so distressed I can't imagine but if you are determined to believe you have been cheated in some way, send me your address and I'll put a fiver in an envelope for you.
I just renewed my subscription. Don’t make me regret that decision by feeding me old stuff you much have thought unworthy for eyes other than your own when you wrote it years ago.
Some writing I admire, at a distance. That's not you, Howard. Your writing I'd like to have a beer with; or a few glasses of red wine and a penne puttanesca at a local café
I’m Jewish but went to convent school (not that uncommon, weirdly). The nuns were a delight- girlish, giggly and liked a hug. Naples is a wonderful place
I'm Jewish but lived in Florence for a while where, oddly, I found myself teaching English to Roman Catholic novices.
Duaneskelton: why don’t you just shove off?
You wrote that the piece was written many years ago and you had forgotten about it. You did not say it was published. Your love for words seems to lack a desire for precision. Sending me a “fiver” does not make up for the $60 I paid for a subscription, only to get some rehash. Furthermore, your mockery (it does not rise to the level of sarcasm) is evidence of an ego accustomed to and expectant of flattery. Just acknowledge you were lazy. Come on, you can do it.
I just received an offer for three gift subscriptions from you. I assume that is your response to my earlier comment. Why would I give a gift to a site I’m not happy with?
Dear Duane Skelton - I hope I have your name right, I don't want to cause you even more upset. It's not my my practice to have a conversation with readers, disgruntled or otherwise. I don't do social media and Substack isn't twitter. But I just want to clear up a couple of things. You have not received any offer of free subscriptions from me. I know nothing about them. I can only guess that they come, as a matter of course, from Substack itself. Your irritation proceeds, I see, from an earlier dissatisfaction with my piece about a reading I gave in Naples. You have every right not to like it. But you make false assumptions when you accuse me of 'feeding you old stuff I thought unworthy' for publication. The piece was originally published in the Guardian magazine. And was liked by many readers at the time. It was when one of those readers reminded me of it last week that I thought it might make a pleasant piece - a light diversion in dark times - for which I wouldn't dream of charging. I didn't 'feed' it you. I simply posted it. You were free to tuck in or not. Why you are so distressed I can't imagine but if you are determined to believe you have been cheated in some way, send me your address and I'll put a fiver in an envelope for you.
Best regards
Howard Jacobson
I just renewed my subscription. Don’t make me regret that decision by feeding me old stuff you much have thought unworthy for eyes other than your own when you wrote it years ago.