I received an interesting letter today in the mail from Susan. She
cancelled my almost used up subscription and vented rather heatedly over
the course of two typewritten pages of her own words accompanied by
Bibical quotes. To be fair she refunded my current subscribtion price in
full. She made it clear she wasn't interested in keeping me as a
subscriber. I'm only taking this to this forum as it was a post of mine
here, last Summer that bothered her so.
Susan made it clear that she was NOT RESPONSIBLE for any undelivered
issues. She laid the entire blame on the United States Postal Service.
It's interesting that more then half of my issues remained undelivered by
the post office as she says while every other publication to which I am
subscribed has been delivered by the same organization. I did not receive
one issue from Fall 1994 until the July issue which was delivered to me in
September 1995. It's odd that so many others had problems. It seems
perhaps she might, at least, check her distribution system before laying
the blame elsewhere. <IMHO>
The first point that she took offense to was the event transcribed where
I accompanied my friends Ann and Sylvia to Susan's place of business
(also her home) in 1992. They had come up from Los Angeles to purchase
back issues. The person to whom we spoke was cold and made no effort to
complete the transaction. I might point out that perhaps in my original
post I made my involvement seem greater then it was. Still my friend's
had a terrible experience and left unsatisfied. I stand by my
observations made in the original post. They took place. The attitude
noted during that event seem to reflect the attitude of the letter I
received from Ms. Gibson today.
The other was my reference to what I made clear in my post was second
hand information in regards to Donna Snyder-Smith. In the letter I
received today from Ms. Gibson and dated October 23, 1995 she makes it
clear that Donna has signed a three year contract to act as a colomnist
and made Bibical references to gossip as it pertained to my immortal
soul. :) Hummmmmmm well I would say that heresay from any source is still
hearsay. Be that from Susan or from Donna's East Bay associates. I might
also note that a contributing coloumnist is somewhat diminished from that
of an editor. I'm awlfully glad she's still with Trailblazer. She's
highly knowledgable and an asset.
In closing I'm saddened that I won't be receiving her fine publication.
The information therein is excellent and she has, to that point, done an
excellent job. I'm going to resubscribe and see where it goes from there.
After all the endurance community is relatively small and our paths have
crossed before and shall again. I'd like for it to be a pleasant
experience. I think it's sad that factual criticism is taken with such
remarkable anger. She has put out an informative well cared for magazine
for the last 16 years.
Tommy Crockett, Los Osos, California USA, tcrocket@callamer.com
tomydore@goblin.punk.net or DAMS028%calpoly%bitnet@cmsa.berkeley.edu
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# "she'd buy betadine if she only had a dollar and she'd live out in the #
# pasture if she only had a tail" Johnaton Richmond #
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