1. It was interesting and illuminating to read that Krieder's piece "got cut way down from its original length." I'm wondering how many people reading that sentence assumed that "got cut" meant not by him. Note though, the wording doesn't necessarily mean it was cut by someone else. After originally submitting it, they might have said "Lose 1500 words" - and he went about ruthlessly editing his own piece. I think that's why he is letting the piece stand on his own.

2. I did not take the "absolutely not" to be hostile or arrogant. Sometimes we know where we stand and we want to make that clear.

3. Steven, I think it's great the way you reach out to writers. Writers often work in something of a vacuum. It can be wonderful to hear from someone about one's work. Asking someone to participate in a discussion requires a little extra research and thought. It's amazing that 1/2 respond back and are willing to engage.

If I read a very moving letter in the newspaper (which we still get), or find a fabulous but mostly unknown poem by a still-living author, I often locate the author and send a quick email of thx or agreement. Most of the time, they write me back by noon saying something appreciative. We've connected and shared some humanity. It's not hard to see why all the networking technology has been so compelling and so addictive to so many people. A kind of "connection" is possible without the dizzying demands of the agora.