Championship tournament. I asked him how he continued to come up
with ideas for his column because I was having trouble finding things to
write about. Tom explained it very simply, by saying he just went to his
e-mail, found the most interesting letter that was asking a question
about poker, and then just used his answer for his next column.
Our conversation was interrupted by the start of the tournament, so I
didn’t get a chance to tell him I had only received two letters in the past
year that I have been doing my column. Neither of the letters was
asking a poker question. As a matter of fact, both letters informed me
that the expression that I used in one of my columns, “Damn the
torpedoes, full speed ahead”, was not a World War II quotation.
Eventually, I found something to write about, and Tom’s and my
conversation seemed to become a mute point. That is, until the other
day, when I got my third letter. It was, I might say, not a kind letter. I
was devastated and I showed it to my wife. She first told me I would
never be any kind of writer, if one little letter could destroy me. She
then, in her own indomitable way, informed me that “there are probably
a lot of people out there, who don’t like your writing.” I said “thanks
honey, you have a way of saying the right thing to make me feel better.”
Once I got used to the idea that there are people who don’t care for my
columns, I figured I would do just what Tom McEvoy does. I’ll answer the
letter, and use the answer for my column.
First of all, the writer of the letter didn’t want any poker advice. He just
wanted to express his negative views toward one of my columns, and
also ask some questions about my writing. The letter started out, ”Dear
Sir: It is amazing and unbelievable that a man can make his living by
writing an article about such a trite subject as his dislike of such words
as amazing and unbelievable.”
My answer to that first statement is--sir, I do not make a living writing for
Card Player Magazine. My salary barely covers the cost of my pool man
and my gardener. That is if he doesn’t fertilize. Secondly, I do not
“dislike” the words amazing and unbelievable. I was just trying to point
out, in a humorous way, how those two words are used a million times a
day at the poker table, in situations that are neither amazing nor
unbelievable.
My unhappy reader goes on to say, “ You are paid to write about poker
but that you can (only) write about trash. Linda Johnson must be an
easy person to work for.”
Let me try and explain. I try to furnish the poker playing public with
something a little different. I try to write about some aspect of poker
life--maybe getting my readers to see poker from a slightly different
angle, a little less serious and a slight bit light- hearted. Hopefully,
underneath the rhetoric, most of my columns will have some small,
serious thought that I am trying to convey. I don’t want to be too funny
and take Max Shipiro’s job. I also don’t want to instruct you on how to
play poker. Four or five of the columnists instruct us on how to play
better poker, and I think there is enough poker strategy in the magazine.
The comment of my letter writing friend saying it must be easy to work
for Linda Johnson, is completely true. She is always the same-- calm,
cool, collected, and very nice. The whole staff at Card Player is helpful
and nice, with the exception of Steve Radulovich. He’s the editor. He
always calls, sounding real cheerful, opening with, “Hi, Invincible (that’s
what he calls me). How are things?” Just when I think he likes me, he
adds, “By the way, you need a column sent in today. Okay? Bye, pal.”
As usual, my wife’s input hit the nail right on the head. She is right in
saying that everyone is not going to like my writing. To take it one step
farther, as much as I, like most people, do not like criticism, I realize
every reader has the right to express his feelings, about the merits of
the columns that appear in the magazine.
I want to encourage the people who read Card Player, to write to any of
the columnists, when they read something that moves them in a positive,
or negative way. I realize most of the readers of Card Player are busy
playing poker, working, or both, so no one would expect them to write
more than occasionally. But, hopefully, you readers will write us a line
once in a while, telling us what you think.
A lot of people will tell you, when they see you, that they like your
columns, but most people are too nice to tell you they think your columns
suck. Believe me, we don’t know how we’re doing, unless you tell us.
For what it's worth ...
