Antisocial media, poetic justice and not so great Gatsby
Dear Rachel,
What is the statue of limitations on keeping old coworkers and bosses on my social media accounts? Networking is all the rage these days, to the point where building a network seems like it’s more important than the actual job you’re doing. There’s also the truth that I want them to see how well I’m doing since quitting all those past jobs. But I really also don’t want my Insta feed to be filled with HR dude’s mildly creepy selfies forever.
– Unsocial Media Maven
Dear Due for a Purge,
I’m not trying to be #thatguy who points out every linguistic mistake everyone makes, so please don’t take it that way. I just love the idea of a “statue of limitations.” Sculpted marble figures that determine the acceptable amount of time for crimes and social misdemeanors. Only they’re not models of perfection, like Greek deities. They’re built like most of us. An inch or two short due to slouching. Last year’s love handles. Probably distracted. Judging us at every turn.
– Unfollow the leader, Rachel
Dear Rachel,
Amanda Gorman, amirite? What a phenomenal young woman. She’s a hell of a poet, and a hell of an orator, and a perfect freaking example of how the arts can inspire a nation. So why don’t we start investing in the arts again, huh? I just don’t see Congress doing anything about that, let alone City Council. So how can each of us support the arts to make this nation even better than it’s ever been?
- Aimless Patron
Dear Gentle Benefactor,
You got money to burn? I mean, ahem, money you want to go toward supporting, enabling and inspiring the movers and shakers of the written word? The best way to support us is probably to write us checks. Because every minute we spend “hustling” (gag me with a shovel) is a minute we’re not creating the next great inaugural poem. You can start by writing donation checks to The Durango Telegraph. Be sure to put “Attn: Rachel” on the memo line. It will support all of us. And by all of us, I mean me.
– I’ll trickle it down, Rachel
Dear Rachel,
I read this list of all the great works of art to hit the public domain this year. Things like The Great Gatsby are now freely available to everyone to use as they see fit. It got me wondering, what do you want done with your own literary contributions when this column hits the public domain?
– Thinking Ahead
Dear Ahead of Yourself,
In my younger and more vulnerable years, my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since. “Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,” he told me, “just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” I hope his guidance will reflect well on my illustrious career, once the statue of limitations runs out.
– Publicly dominant, Rachel
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