LZ Sunday Paper Newsletter: The "Open Letters" Edition
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Greetings!
This past week, the news cycle brought us an Opening Ceremony and a plethora of "Open Letters." Wikipedia defines an Open Letter as "a letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience…provided to the public through newspapers and other media, such as a letter to the editor."
We saw the most explosive Open Letter from Dylan Farrow introduced by NIcholas Kristof in his NY Times Op Ed Column. In other news, Entertainment Weekly wrote an Open Letter to JK Rowling regarding her comments about Ron and Hermione's romantic pairing. And then Mark Zuckerberg wrote an Open Letter to celebrate Facebook's 10th Birthday. Because maybe he "just cared more." (Read the letter, you'll 'get it').
Then, a cool digital publication called Video Ink published an Open Letter to Susan Wojcicki, Google employee number 16, who just got an important, bigger job there (see below**), and told her "don't f*ck it up." To wrap up, Woody Allen responded to the Nicholas Kristof/Dylan Farrow pieces with his own Open Letter, as Variety and many other outlets termed it, but it was in fact an official New York Time Opinion Piece, which as a reminder, Dylan Farrow's was not.
So why did the phrase "Open Letters" take off this week, all of a sudden? Does that make it a "meme"? I have no idea. But it made me think:
Way back at the dawn of the millenium, a very smart journalist and writer, Paul Tough, created an actual website called Open Letters. Like many 1.0 web efforts launched just as the 2000-era dot com bubble burst, it was a short-lived great idea. But it lived just long enough for me to write an Open Letter for it. My letter is about the creative work we ask people to do in relation to the money we pay, the rules we impose, and the relationships we make doing it. My letter was also based on an emotional upheaval within that set of relationships. It was an expression of pensive forgiveness after hurt and insult. (Don't worry-- no relationships were (ultimately) harmed in the proverbial making of this letter).
Email communication--relatively new at the time--had opened up a not just a new level of communication, but a whole 'nother level of mis-communication. The digital equivalent of a "Freudian slip" had been born: the mis-directed email. That is what Paul Tough wrote in his editor's letter.
Paul used the word "meta." It wasn't the last time my comments, writings, or work would be referred to as "meta." And so now The Sunday Paper is "meta," too! Perhaps a meta open letter meme is afoot.
Here is my Open Letter from October 19th, 2000.
After all that head-banging heavy meta-ness, don't forget to laugh with the Sunday Paper. This week's What's Not To Love About is a pretty good way to start. And please remember there is no such thing as over-sharing when it comes to telling your peers and friends about the LZSundayPaper. Email us at LZSundayPaper@gmail.com.
Enjoy!
LZ
The Price of Gold: Tonya Harding Thought Skating Would Make Her Rich. It Never Would Have via Slate
An Imbalance of Power: The Woody Allen and Dylan Farrow Controversy via Grantland
My Oh Mylie! Interviewed by Ronan Farrow via W
Rene Fleming Performs The National Anthem at The Superbowl: "I Only Know How To Sing Live" via The Huffington Post
Why Toy Startup GoldieBox's Historic $4M Superbowl Ad Win Matters via Forbes
Infographic: Broncos Fans Go Porn Crazy After Superbowl Loss via Huffington Post
Why A Picture of Four Female European Leaders Went Viral via Business Insider
Knowing What Makes Women Tick Essential For Swiss Watch Makers via The Business of Fashion
Invite-Only Oceanside Conference Vows To Re-Set The Agenda For Women via Valleywag
Don't Ever Say "Will Work For Shoes" via Daily Worth
"You'd Think We'd Be Further Along": Carrie Underwood on the Lack Of Successful Female Country Artists via Billboard
Breaking The Waves: In Her '60's, Diana Nyad Revives An Old Dream via The New Yorker
Co-Educational? Columbia and Barnard Students Film Porn in Butler Library via The New York Observer
**Susan Wojcicki, Googler No. 16, Is The New Top Boss At YouTube via VideoInk
Natalie Massenet Discusses The Thinking Behind Net-a-Porter's New Print Magazine Porter via Business Of Fashion
"Distressed Babies": AOL's Armstrong Responds To 401(K) Controversy In Internal Memo To Employees via Re/code
Two Of Venture Capital's Senior Women Start A Firm via New York Times
Ripped From A Magazine: Should We Find Offense With This Toyota Ad's Gender Stereotyping?
The Best Time I Learned That My Last Name Means Blowjob via The Awl via The Hairpin
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The LZ Sunday Paper (soon to be registered trademarked and copyrighted) launched at the dawn of 2014. We expose and recirculate interesting content that is about, and for, women in business, with a dose of ultra-relevant culture. We think that culture comes in size high, medium, and low. Our audience for this content is vast and not gender-driven. Every week we expect at least one good laugh. Send suggestions, clips, or names of people you think might enjoy this to LZSundayPaper@gmail.com.
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