I’m not terribly good at introductions, it turns out. I start out wanting to give readers a brief introduction to what I’m going to write about and from what perspective, and I end up trying to write a book about my worldview and all the problems of modern society. This has the perverse effect of making me give up on writing the damn thing altogether, and it falls by the wayside.
So I’ll try to keep things brief as we lunge into this. Between my work schedule and my personal life commitments, along with a lack of discipline, I haven’t done much writing, other than in short, furious, manic bursts. My goal with this project is to get more disciplined in my writing; to create feasible deadlines and meet them, then exceed them, exercising the muscles I’ve long let atrophy, trying to create something more compelling.
This newsletter will focus on current affairs, politics, economics, international relations, and social and cultural commentary. As for the perspective, I’ve spent many an hour navel-gazing, trying to find a phrase that best summed up my outlook. I’ve described myself variously as a Jeffersonian Socialist, a radical populist, an Upton Sinclair Democrat, a Hillbilly Zapatista, an agrarian eco-socialist, a communitarian leftist, and anarch-ish. Those do give a rough description of my politics. Put more simply, like the tagline says: I’m a Christian, an Appalachian, and a Socialist, and my writings come from the dissident, unorthodox Left.
What is my goal with this newsletter? I’m honestly not sure yet. Part of it has to do with having an outlet; part of it has to do with trying to work on something I used to be passionate about (political writing). I guess at my most optimistic, I hope to provide a perspective on current affairs I think is missing, and utilize that to organize and create positive social change. The idea that I might grow big enough to earn a little side money is too utopian at this point.
There’s a chance, of course, that this will go the way of all my previous writing attempts, all the way back to LeftPress, the anti-war, anti-Bush newsletter I wrote and distributed in my rural high school back in 2004. But for now, I’m trying to look on the bright side.
In that spirit, a warning: I’m trying to undo the failed perfectionist nonsense in my mind, and trying to accept that not everything will be perfect. My first few pieces will be rough. My goal, starting now, is publishing something new every week. This means there will be a lot of incomplete thoughts. It’s a beginning, and over time, I aim to improve.
I’m also bad at conclusions, so: Thanks for taking a chance!