doesntSigning Off Soon

Mark Rubin

A few weeks more than 10 years ago, I launched MarkRubinWrites with Food Writers Have Foils: barleymash. (My blog site identifies several pre-February 2014 posts. I wrote them and brought them over from some other place, long forgotten.) The guts part of my site tells me I have published 887 pieces, or roughly 500,000 words.

Signing off does not signal a decision to stop writing. Instead, I am moving myself to Substack. Having lots of readers doesn’t drive me but, like anyone, being heard read matters. Getting readers requires marketing and I don’t understand social media very well. Facebook provided a place to let people know I’m out there, but I think their algorithm changed, as its reporting tells me I’m barely noticed. I never understood Twitter (and I am proud of that fact these days), and I find LinkedIn about as dry as the toast I often burn. Instagram and TikTok and YouTube? Say what?

So, I am hopeful that Substack will provide more exposure. I am also going to get some help, as I am sure I can manage the post-writing side of the process better.

Presently, I am saving most of my output to my computer, as I decommission MarkRubinWrites. I suspect a way exists to click twice and save everything but OMG, what a treat to see my work product years later. I don’t keep a diary but this exercise has me reliving my past. For example, I’d completely forgotten about being gluten free for a while 10 years ago. I also can’t believe 67 of 887 posts (7.5%) show pizzas, or that I made a pizza topped with dried cherries, dry, salt cured black olives, red and golden pickled peppadews, carrots, capers, red onion, radicchio, and a bit of Asiago cheese. (Pretty sure that pizza will appear on my kitchen counter, maybe as soon as this evening.)

As for the non-food writing, re-reading pieces about legal issues suggests plus ça change, plus c’est la même shows. Not much changes, although the battles in 2014 and 2015 support the sense that the amperage has increased exponentially since June 16, 2015.

About the legal writing – the posts about basic legal subjects – Ugh! Dry as that afore-mentioned toast ,,, and boring. I plan to do some serious editing, as I do see value in providing meaningful information that helps people understand their rights and responsibilities.

About those more personal posts? Diaries reflect our lives, in the day, to the extent by which we have shared our thoughts. What I shared, I shared! What happens to it now? I don’t know.

Reading the pieces provides only part of the pleasure associated with the review process. Frankly, I’d forgotten how often we engaged, back and forth. What fun! You can’t go home again, but I do hope my new platform and more writing will allow us to reengage.

I hope to have Substack ready to roll in the next month or so, and maybe sooner. Stay tuned for the link.