Why I Don’t Write More Often

I should feel complimented that I get email all the time asking why I haven’t commented yet about this or that important story.

The simple answer is that I don’t like to write unless I feel that I have something semi-insightful to add to what is already out there. If Cross-Currents were to become a regular source of news to the community, I would have to quit my day-job.

I stumbled upon Frank Rich’s swan-song piece as an op-ed writer for the New York Times. He conveyed perfectly what I have thought for a long while – and why I have resisted writing more, even when I could carve out the time. I think he identifies an occupational hazard of many blogsters, particularly those who gain a following

I didn’t like what the relentless production of a newspaper column was doing to my writing. That routine can push you to have stronger opinions than you actually have, or contrived opinions about subjects you may not care deeply about, or to run roughshod over nuance to reach an unambiguous conclusion. Believe it or not, an opinion writer can sometimes get sick of his own voice.

Of course, as more Americans turn to alternative sources for all their news, I would be open to a career change, despite Frank Rich’s warning. So if anyone has an “in” with Jon Stewart and can convince him to add me to his list of providers alongside Steve Colbert, have his people speak to my people.

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7 Responses

  1. Dovid Teitelbaum says:

    I heard the Yated is looking… they might qualify for satire as well.

  2. Raymond says:

    There is an old saying that not every thought needs to be expressed, not everything that a person says needs to be written down, and not everything that is written down is worth reading. Everything that I have ever seen Rabbi Adlerstein write down, has definitely been worth reading.

  3. lacosta says:

    1— my favorite nechama lebowitz’s usually involve when rashi either didnt comment or says i dont know … so the RYA meforshim will have to try to be medayek….

    2—– it is definitely NOT a case of Lincoln’s ”better be silent and….”

  4. Really says:

    I am not sure why you would be expected to write on every topic. It certainly would not lend any credence to any of your pieces if you wrote on every topic and every day. B’mechilas Kvodcha, I don’t think that you are an expert on every topic or even informed or invested enough to write a piece on every topic. It is your strength that you limit what and when you write.

    Look at the blogs where the blogger feels that they have to write an article each and every day and about all topics. All they inform us of is how misinformed they consistently are and about how many topics they are really clueless about.

    Kol Hakavod for not getting dragged into that morass.

  5. DF says:

    If other writers on this website engaged their readers with comments, and if other writers were a little less strident and combative, their columns would actually be read, and thus people would have less need to badger you.

  6. Bob Miller says:

    If writing required semi-insight, the Web overall would become a shadow of its current self. I’m happy with the occasional gem.

  7. Reb Yid says:

    Colbert would eat you for breakfast, lunch and seudah shlishit. Be careful for what you wish.

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