So long, farewell

I’ve been struggling to write this, my final post for True/Slant. Writer’s block aside, it’s very difficult to sum up the fantastic experience I’ve had writing for this site and being a part of the True/Slant community.

To put it mildly, it’s been an absolute joy writing for True/Slant. I had no idea what to expect when I applied to write for the site last October with only a few writing clips under my belt. I received an e-mail from Coates Bateman less than 12 hours later, and, soon enough, I was off and running.

The thinking is innovation is the key to succeeding in journalism, and no doubt True/Slant brought that in force. Yet, this site did more than innovate: It cultivated a community. And that’s a testament to the True/Slant team’s fantastic work. This site was created with the believe of fostering a great range of voices, new and old.

I fit into the former category – probably as new to the field as they come – and I felt the kind of support one would expect was reserved for veterans of the industry. I felt it with the constant communication I had with Coates, Andrea Spiegel, Michael Roston and the rest of the folks at T/S headquarters, an experience that made me feel that I was an integral part of site. I felt it with the fantastic comments left by T/S reader and writers: Whether the words were critical or congratulatory, I relished the opportunity to create a communal forum and appreciated each and every response. I felt it with the communicative nature of the site, with a slew of fantastic writers giving their own spin on the news of the day and opening their lives up to one another.

Needless to say, I’ll miss writing for this site. And I’m hardly the only one. I’ve been lucky to have the wonderful opportunity to write for True/Slant: It felt like I purchased the winning lottery the day I joined the site, it felt like that with every post I wrote and it feels that way now.

As this version of True/Slant ends August 1, I’ll continue to keep my writing about music, culture and just about anything that catches my interest. Check out my personal site – leorgalil.com – for updates on my journalism work, follow me on Twitter (@imleor) and feel free to send me an e-mail (leorgalil at gmail dot com) if you want to say hello.

But – for now – goodbye. Thank you for reading.