The Best Letter Ever.
In a previous post I wrote about fellow photographer the late Steve Fears. "He had to cover a regular, somewhat mundane assignment, nothing award-winning, but the folks were so excited that he was there that they wrote a letter to the editor. In that letter, they ended with "Thank God for Steve Fears." He liked it so much that he cut out the letter from the paper, enlarged it and made it into a T-shirt." and "I am still waiting for my "Thank God for Paul W. Gillespie", but until then thanks for all the kind words I do get out there. They really make me feel like I am doing something worthwhile."
Well our Publisher and Executive Editor Tom Marquardt got a letter, that while lacking the "Thank God for Paul Gillespie," I think is pretty great. I am reprinting it here and I hope Tom does not mind.
"Dear Tom:
I imagine that you are used to hearing from the disgruntled Executive Director who,
upon reading an article in the Capital, is intent upon correcting some nuance of meaning
that is lost on everyone else. But I am writing to thank you and to acknowledge the
extraordinary work of Paul Gillespie. By now, many of our partners and friends have
seen the photo spread that appeared in Saturday's newspaper, and we are directing
them to the slideshow at HometownAnnapolis.com. I have thanked Paul for his
dedication to this project, which has taken months. I also wanted to let you know that
we are deeply moved by and profoundly grateful for this remarkable piece of work.
Over the past 20 years, residents of this community have contributed in every possible
way to build 100 decent, affordable houses for low income families. We celebrated that
milestone on the day that we presented Lorraine Williams with the keys to 204 Clay
Street—our 100th house. Paul's work captured the many aspects of this work with grace,
sensitivity, and real artistry. As such, his work, and The Capital's dedication of so much
space to that work, is a wonderful gift and a real thank you to the thousands of people
from this area who made this house and this milestone possible.
The photo spread and the slide show depict with absolute accuracy the warmth, the
enthusiasm, the dedication, and the reverence that are part of Arundel Habitat's work in
this region. His images lend truth to the saying that "one picture is worth a thousand
words"- I am not sure that we could ever capture in writing what Paul has shown so
clearly with his camera.
During the months of construction and at both the wall-raising in February and the
dedication in August Paul was also wonderful to work with: clear about the
photographs he wanted to arrange and respectful of Lorraine's privacy. My staff
enjoyed working with him throughout the project never imagining that the end result
would so capture the heart and soul of our work.
On behalf of our volunteers, our donors, our staff and board members, and our Habitat
families, I want to thank you for devoting so much space to our 100th house. And I want
to recognize the remarkable contribution that Paul Gillespie made to this community by
depicting, with fidelity and understanding, the work that has transformed so many
lives—the lives of our Habitat families and the lives of our many volunteers, supporters,
and friends.
I wish you and everyone at The Capital and the Maryland Gazette continuing success as
you inform, educate, and celebrate the people of this community.
With sincere thanks,
Daniel T. Ellis
Executive Director"
I am not sure if I can fit it all on a T-shirt though.
Well our Publisher and Executive Editor Tom Marquardt got a letter, that while lacking the "Thank God for Paul Gillespie," I think is pretty great. I am reprinting it here and I hope Tom does not mind.
"Dear Tom:
I imagine that you are used to hearing from the disgruntled Executive Director who,
upon reading an article in the Capital, is intent upon correcting some nuance of meaning
that is lost on everyone else. But I am writing to thank you and to acknowledge the
extraordinary work of Paul Gillespie. By now, many of our partners and friends have
seen the photo spread that appeared in Saturday's newspaper, and we are directing
them to the slideshow at HometownAnnapolis.com. I have thanked Paul for his
dedication to this project, which has taken months. I also wanted to let you know that
we are deeply moved by and profoundly grateful for this remarkable piece of work.
Over the past 20 years, residents of this community have contributed in every possible
way to build 100 decent, affordable houses for low income families. We celebrated that
milestone on the day that we presented Lorraine Williams with the keys to 204 Clay
Street—our 100th house. Paul's work captured the many aspects of this work with grace,
sensitivity, and real artistry. As such, his work, and The Capital's dedication of so much
space to that work, is a wonderful gift and a real thank you to the thousands of people
from this area who made this house and this milestone possible.
The photo spread and the slide show depict with absolute accuracy the warmth, the
enthusiasm, the dedication, and the reverence that are part of Arundel Habitat's work in
this region. His images lend truth to the saying that "one picture is worth a thousand
words"- I am not sure that we could ever capture in writing what Paul has shown so
clearly with his camera.
During the months of construction and at both the wall-raising in February and the
dedication in August Paul was also wonderful to work with: clear about the
photographs he wanted to arrange and respectful of Lorraine's privacy. My staff
enjoyed working with him throughout the project never imagining that the end result
would so capture the heart and soul of our work.
On behalf of our volunteers, our donors, our staff and board members, and our Habitat
families, I want to thank you for devoting so much space to our 100th house. And I want
to recognize the remarkable contribution that Paul Gillespie made to this community by
depicting, with fidelity and understanding, the work that has transformed so many
lives—the lives of our Habitat families and the lives of our many volunteers, supporters,
and friends.
I wish you and everyone at The Capital and the Maryland Gazette continuing success as
you inform, educate, and celebrate the people of this community.
With sincere thanks,
Daniel T. Ellis
Executive Director"
I am not sure if I can fit it all on a T-shirt though.
Comments
Wayne Bierbaum