I started this little blog 15 years ago because I wanted a place to explore my own thinking about politics. I'm not one who automatically buys into the conventional wisdom of the day and often have interests/questions that I don't see addressed in other news outlets. As a pragmatic progressive, I'm drawn to all kinds of topics, but have a special interest in the role that both race and religion play in our politics.
Because I tend to be drawn to angles on stories that don't dominate the headlines, it takes a unique reader to appreciate my writing. That makes you special. So I really appreciate the small audience that has developed here.
As you can see, writing at "Horizons" has never been about making money. While I did have a paid gig at the Washington Monthly for a few years, that ended about a year ago. So far I've resisted putting my writing behind a paywall or heading over to Substack and requiring people to subscribe. Neither of those options have appealed to me.
However, due to some recent unforeseen events, I find myself struggling financially. I don't think it will be permanent, but I'm a bit stressed out at the moment. So if you are one of those special people who appreciates what I do AND you happen to have a few bucks of disposable income, the time has come to ask you to consider making a donation. On the top right corner of this page you'll find a "Donate" button that will take you to my PayPal account.
As is true for most of us, it's never been easy for me to ask for help. But...
Do you have a Patreon? Would you consider one? I find it convenient for supporting people without having to remember to donate.
ReplyDeleteNo. But I'll look into it. Thanks!
DeleteYes! I agree with Tim. Patreon makes donating easy. I don't know what it's like for a creator, but it's worth investigating.
ReplyDeleteI think of it as rather like a firewall or the other alternatives she ruled out, but I have to admit they're all not that different from asking for contributions, only less awkward. It's always been hard for me to pay for a blog post (I have a site myself), which seems so much more impulsive and transient, not to mention short, than a magazine. So I don't have Talking Points Memo prime (and don't take seriously its claim to be a news site), although I miss Josh Marshall's opinion, and no longer get to read Martin Longman since he, too, left the dreadful Washington Monthly. But Nancy has contributed a great deal, so I'll definitely look into this one.
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