We Promise This Is Our Last Spiers Post — for the Day, at Least
With two weeks to go before she sheds the orange-and-green handcuffs, Mediabistro editor Spiers today bids a fond farewell to her coworkers, issuing a recitation of her (significant) accomplishments and a bout of "nostalgia" for her time at the company.
After the jump you'll find the full memo — complete with a very special show of concern for her friends here at Gawker. (Note to self: From now on, always remember to very carefully clean out work computers before leaving a job.)
Dear Colleagues (That sounds oddly formal for an office with less than 20 people. Dear Fellow Schmorg Consumers? Dear People Who Are Likely Sitting Within 15 Feet of My Desk — and Taffy?) At any rate:
As several of you know, I've been here almost exactly a year, and those twelve months have been packed with experiences both wild and wonderful. We relaunched the website with at least 40% less orange and 600% more blog, sent Garrett Graff to the White House and Laurel to Michael's (20 times by my count), forced Roger Ailes to call at least one press conference addressing our reportage on TVNewser and have been affectionately mocked for using Barry Manilow lyrics in headlines by Brian Williams-all of which appears to have been very good for traffic: ([LINK])
But as some of you know, I sold a novel on a partial manuscript last week to a major publisher (the details of which will probably be made public soon) and have decided not to renew my contract, which expires November 1. I need to focus on finishing the book and would like to do some freelance writing, which I haven't had time to do during my time here. But it's been a great experience working with all of you and I will miss you tremendously.
And so I leave you with a parting gift, one which will perhaps give you a tiny bit of joy the next time mediabistro shows up on Gawker — a file titled, "HAIR" that I found on my computer when I took this job last November. It contains a photo of Jesse Oxfeld's bald spot, taken at the first of the month every month for over a year. (Attached is April [sic].) I hope you will treasure it. I know I have.
Best,
Elizabeth Spiers
_____________________________________
m. elizabeth spiers
editor in chief
t. 212.929.2588
f. 212.966.8984
m. 917.573.XXXX
494 broadway, 4th floor, ny, ny 10012
And herewith, the attached photo (which was in truth from February 2004):
You'll be pleased to know that the Propecia, the progress of which was tracked in said pictures, has been working rather well, and, combined with some deft scissorwork from Ricky at the Avalon Salon on West Fourth Street, the half of Gawker more susceptible to male pattern baldness has stopped his defollicularization in its tracks — and perhaps even reversed the trend.
[Necessary contextual disclosure: Oxfeld was editor in chief at Mediabistro until September 2004. Spiers, who was editor of Gawker until September 2003, took over his post — and, more relevantly, his computer — in November of that year.]
