On the road again

What I've learned as a magazine editor, and other surprising facts about life.

Elk Refuge sleigh ride in Jackson, Wyoming. Photo by Rusty Parrot Resort & Spa.

Dear Reader,

I realize no one is keeping track except me, but it’s been nearly a month since I’ve published here. Unlike my pal, author and playwright Leslie Liautaud, who was brilliant enough to see the writing on the wall by naming her Substack column Why I’m Not Writing, the truth is, I’ve been on the road since September with the launch of Palomino County magazine.

I went from publishing one, mildly personal essay a week (sometimes in my dog’s voice), to researching, interviewing, writing, and editing over 25 to 30 articles a month.

So you see, this is why I’m not writing.

As it turns out, being the editor-in-chief is more about the chiefly duties and less about the editorial duties when it comes right down to it. Particularly during the startup phase—something I swore up and down I’d never put myself through again.

I believed so fiercely in the “no startup rule” after enduring nearly a decade of Silicon Valley technology company startup-dom, that when the company sold I called my older brother Adam and said to him in my most serious, unironic voice:

“If I ever, and I mean ever, tell you that I’m going to be part of another startup venture, please fly to wherever I am, take me out back, and well, you know the rest.”

He suggested that I likely needed a long break, and encouraged me to re-evaluate in a few years. But as any good brother would do, when I hinted at the magazine project toward the end of 2024, he reminded me of our conversation a few years prior. We both agreed I had been a little melodramatic, and that I deserved a few more good years at life before going out back.

But let me get back to why I’m not writing. Although I suppose that’s not entirely accurate.

I have been writing, but I’ve mostly been writing pitch emails, thank you notes, and chatGPT prompts which include queries like:

“When does duck hunting season start in the United States?”

“Is it ok to say Native American or is there a better term in 2025?”

“Does it snow in Jackson, Wyoming in October and also what are the names of those big horses that pull sleighs?”

“What is a normal amount of time to spend on Instagram, and how can I keep my brain from rotting?”

And my personal favorite…

“How many billionaires live in Bozeman?”

If I end up getting stuck in the air on my way to New York City this week—for my fourth trip of the past month—and don’t make it home, may I discourage you from rifling through my search history? The worst thing for the legacy of a professed writer is for the world to find out the reason they are not writing is because instead they were trying to figure out how to post an Instagram reel; and subsequently, how to make other people collaborators.

I know you feel my pain. I see you small business owners, entrepreneurs, and creatives everywhere. I see you moms who wish they had time to read a book, but feel the tug of the doom scroll.

And I am also here to say…while I can’t promise consistency here, if you want to read the works of some of America’s top notch culture writers, please scurry on over to Palomino County’s website and subscribe to the bi-weekly newsletter “County Line” or the print magazine (also available in digital format). I will be writing there, here, and everywhere.

With gratitude for living in a place where startups are possible…and where brothers don’t take you seriously,