Well dang....that's so classy. There are a lot of terrific people on this board, but man, that is classy.
Yeah, I'll miss her. She's a funny bird. And a beautiful and classy letter, as Ruff put it. I'll echo what she said, and say that if anyone does want to email her, I'd be delighted to share.
I also should probably 'fess up and say that it isn't my adoration of Brokeback that is the primary motivator in keeping me here. Of course, I'm attached to it in all kinds of unhealthy ways, but it really is you guys that I find so fascinating.
I go to a university filled with smart people who can write well. Most of my friends write well. But the level of discourse here is just mind-blowingly good to me. As an indicator of how good it is, Rtprod, a professional film critic, doesn't put us all to shame. (And I mean no disrespect by that, rt. You have an incredibly polished mind, and your voice is entirely distinctive and memorable here.)
There's such a richness to our discussions. In my everyday life, most conversations are pretty banal. That's not to say that we don't get hysterically trivial here, but there's an interest and a depth that I find so compelling. It's the passion for
stories, be they films, theatre, novels, short stories, poems or personal experiences that is so addictive. I'm marked out amongst my friends for being the one everyone asks for movie recommendations, the one whose bookshelves are overflowing, the one who always, always wants to talk endlessly about what we've seen recently. Here, I'm unexceptional, and I
love that.
I also love the range of voices we have, from our baby Becky to the French femme fatale Isabelle, to the beautiful inside-and-out Indian princess Reanna to the eloquent and dryly hilarious Jmmgallagher to the warmth and kindness of Shuggy, who believes in the best of everyone, to the frankly insane and adorable thought pieces by Julie. And Julie, get your hands out of your pants, I can see you!
I guess this is just a love letter to all of you. Yes, I mean you. And you. I don't know if you all witnessed my adoring molestation of Henrypie the other day, but I probably could write a similar piece about every single one of you. I really could. And I will, if you ask me.
My heart beats big for you guys. Just wanted you to know.