Doree Shafrir: A Look Back
As you know, Doree Shafrir is leaving us today, which is an occasion for great sadness. As readers, you know her from her fantastic work here on the site, but those of us who work with her have been lucky enough to see a whole other side of Doree. Who is Doree Shafrir? Let's take a quick trip down memory lane, via the magic of stored e-mails.
Right from the start, Doree showed that she was willing to learn, but that she had an indomitable spirit and could respectfully disagree with issues not to her liking.
Lockhart Steele Thu, Nov 9, 2006 at 4:00 PM
To: Doree Shafrir , Emily Gould
Cc: Chris Mohney , Alex Balk
Good talk today. As a reminder (print and post next to you), my thoughts on Gawker:
1) Stories. Need to be our own. They're out there; let's go get them. Tidbits from parties, new words entering the lexicon, the hot new bar, the new Gawker-created celebrity. One Thing will help — let's
not be afraid to be servicey.
2) Grossout. No need to be abrasive for the sake of being abrasive. For instance, random black dildo pic excessive. Wait until there's a reason, or the joke is terrific.
Lock
Doree Shafrir Thu, Nov 9, 2006 at 4:17 PM
To: Lockhart Steele , Doree Shafrir , Chris Mohney Alex Balk
Oooh, poor little WASPy trust-funder can't handle a little black dildo! Oh no! Listen here, Fuckface, I don't know how it worked before, but from now on I'm posting whatever the fuck I want whenever the fuck I want and I don't expect to hear jack shit from you except the occasional "Excellent work, Doree." Got it? Don't make me do something worse to you than whoever gave you that terrible haircut. Thanks for your attention.
XOXOXO,
Doree
Lockhart Steele
To: Doree Shafrir , Emily Gould
Cc: Chris Mohney , Alex Balk
Understood. I appreciate your candor.
Lock
When a new Managing Editor came aboard, Doree did her best to make sure he felt comfortable and respected, and helped him get up to speed with procedures.
Choire Sicha Fri, Feb 23, 2007 at 12:35 PM
To: alex@gawker.com, doree@gawker.com, emily@gawker.com
Our style is all over the place and it's time to unify! Whee! It's easy and painless, I promise, but you'll each just have to change a few little habits. Do not be alarmed!
Here are the basics. There's tons of stuff I've forgotten or left out. But if we get 90% there with all of this stuff, I'll just be so delighted that I won't care about anything else!
[Ed. Note: Letter continues on interminably with a bunch of Choire's wisdom on punctuation. Seriously. We'll spare you.]
Doree Shafrir Fri, Feb 23, 2007 at 12:39 PM
To: choire@gawker.com, alex@gawker.com, emily@gawker.com
Guess what, Chicken Choker? You're not Strunk and you're not White and I wouldn't give a fuck if you were both of them. Your job here is to look at our posts and then pick a time for them to go live. I doubt that even that falls within the scope of your limited abilities, but why don't you just focus on that and shut the fuck up about punctuation before I slice you open and feed your entrails to my dog, who has no compunction about eating off-brand meat. We clear?
XOXOXO,
Doree
Choire Sicha Fri, Feb 23, 2007 at 12:41 PM
Reply-To: choire@gawker.com
To: alex@gawker.com, doree@gawker.com, emily@gawker.com
Very, very clear. My apologies for even bringing it up.
To the very last, Doree has remained true to herself. She's a good friend with a great amount of spirit, and she definitely knows how to make her colleagues feel appreciated.
Alex Balk Fri, Sep 7, 2007 at 8:35 AM
To: doree@gawker.com
Last day! Are you so excited? We're going to miss you, but I'm really thrilled for you, it's a great opportunity!
Doree Shafrir Fri, Sep 7, 2007 at 8:38 AM
To: alex@gawker.com
It is a great opportunity! A great opportunity not to have to see your stupid fucking face every day or listen to the idiot ramblings that come out of your jackass mouth every goddamn minute. Also, guess what? The smell of bourbon and puke on your breath? Not attractive! Brush your fucking teeth, you endlessly complaining whiner. And, seriously, what's with all the bitching about your job? Sack up and get another one or shut the fuck up about it, okay? There are a number of reasons I'm leaving, but one of the most important ones is that it means I NEVER HAVE TO DEAL WITH YOU AGAIN, you stupid cuntrag. Thanks for making the last ten months a living hell!
XOXOXO,
Doree
In the end, we'll never forget how she was always ready to crack wise on IM during the workday, filling us all with goodwill and team spirit.
Goodbye, Doree, we'll miss you! Thanks for not cutting any of us, except for that one time you slashed Josh when he bumped into you by accident! Good luck at the new gig!