Our Paula

pjmedia.com

I’m writing this on the fly. I’m in New Orleans at a hotel bar (hotel bars = always the best places to write), trying to hide away from the happy surrounding chaos that is the State Policy Network Annual Meeting for just a moment to react to the announcement from the now-former managing editor of this publication, Paula Bolyard.

It’s gonna be short, sweet, and not as eloquent as I’d like because I am pressed for time, but when I learned last night that Paula would be announcing she was stepping down from the helm of PJ Media, passing the torch to her thoughtful and immensely talented protégé, Chris Queen, I knew I would have to weigh in. For I have things to say about this.

I never set out to be a writer, and I’ve come to it slowly. I’ve been a lifelong activist with a lot to say about a variety of subjects (basic translation: big mouth), but for a long time, I never felt I had the skills or the rep to be taken seriously enough to put pen to paper and have my thoughts land somewhere meaningful. Plus, I’m a little lazy. Writing is hard. I think it was Dorothy Parker who said, “I hate writing, but I love having written.” Yeah, that. In publishing my work, Paula, of course, fueled my love for having written. And via her sharp eye and diplomatic editorial skills, she actually made me hate writing a little less. Made me want to think harder and be better without making me feel like I should impale myself. Dare I say, helped me find pleasure in putting pen to paper, carefully. This is what being an editor is really all about.

Early on, I would feebly try my hand, and often, as I’ve learned, it goes for even the best of writers, be either entirely ignored or brutally shut down — very bad things for an overly self-conscious person like me. Editors are generally horrible people who can wreak havoc on one’s self-esteem. There are precious few who are kind, constructive, and (gasp!) appreciative of submissions. An editor who can pass on your submission and not make you feel like a stone-cold loser in the process is a rarity.

So, as such, I’ve loved writing for Paula at PJ. She has made me better, sharper, and stronger with her gentle yeses and occasional noes and tweaks and tanks, which have allowed me to basically nowadays write for anyone I feel like writing for, and with confidence. This, my friends, is a gift. A gift she gave me, and I do not doubt one she has given to many, many others.

While I know Chris Queen well enough to believe he will very likely operate in the spirit of Paula when it comes to care and feeding and critique and inspiration, I still can’t help but feel a great sense of loss as she steps aside. We need more Paulas.

I’ve no idea what Our Paula’s got up her sleeve, if anything in particular, in terms of next steps, but I will miss her. I know I speak for an awful lot of people who feel exactly the same.

So, to close simply… thank you, Paula Bolyard. On behalf of your grateful writers. You’ve left the place, publication, and profession much better than you found it.

Editor's Note: The mainstream media continues to deflect, gaslight, spin, and lie.

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