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The Power of Email: How One AP Student Gets the Attention of One Time’s Magazine Columnist
Around one year and nine months ago, I emailed a columnist by the name of Joel Stein. In the email, I asked him to simply respond to a mock column I had to write for my AP Language and Composition homework. The column itself was my ignorant attempt to emulate his style of writing on a piece about going from the slums to super-stardom in sports; the quintessential example of making it big in the 21st century. I chose Joel as a columnist because I spontaneously found him in the back of a Time Magazine. Unbeknownst to me, I was unaware of what was to happen after.
Nine days after I emailed him, he replied. He gave a short response; said to keep to my voice, only in a more amplified manner. Then, I printed that email and gave it to my teacher.
Fast-forward to the present; the same columnist I messaged on one boring, back-to-school September day, messages me back. In his email, he says that my email meant a lot to him and that his first book “Man
Made: A Stupid Quest For Masculinity” is coming out on May 15, 2012. He even described the adventures in his book, and summed up his new findings in a short statement. “By going on these adventures, I expect to learn that masculinity is not defined by the size of my muscles but by the size of my heart. This is not at all what I learn.” Perhaps the greatest thing I noticed was not just his new book chalked full of achievements, but the integrity he had to email me back after such a long time and say one more thing, even as the big-shot writer he is now:
If you write a book, I hope you will email me a form letter about it.
Joel
I could go on and on about how this could and did affect me, but I won’t. All I want to say is that you never know what can happen when you email a columnist that works for Time Magazine. I may never meet Joel, but at least I know that my writing did something more for another than just give me an A in a class. Without the power of an email and good ol’ spontaneity, I would have never read such a funny and honest column in my life…most likely.
To buy Joel Stein’s book “Man
Made: A Stupid Quest For Masculinity” on May 15, go here : http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446573124/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thejoelstei06-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0446573124
To check out his shiny new website, go here: http://www.thejoelstein.com
Joel’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoelSteinTime
Joel’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/thejoelstein
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Smart College Decision
Yesterday was a tough day. Declined my admission to the University of California, Los Angeles as a Biochemistry undergraduate. On the bright side, I sent in my online registration payment to the University of Washington. I hope that I can continue my education and one day (in four years or so) attend UCLA for medical school. Perhaps then, money will not be such an issue like it is now with no financial aid as a Washington resident. Cheers to making big decisions, to growing up, and to thinking about how the lives of others around me will be affected by my absence. Go Huskies.
Anonymous asked: did you get accepted to USC?
Unfortunately, I did not get into USC. My two favorites right now are UCLA and UW, but if I don’t get the NROTC scholarship like I planned, then UW will for sure be my school for Biochemistry:)
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Accepted to UCLA. They should have accepted someone else because if I get accepted to USC, there’s no way I’ll ever be a bruin! I have too much Trojan blood running through my veins at the moment!
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It’s snowing right now in Washington and it’s March. I need my USC decision soon:(
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