after changing jobs to a workplace where it’s not widely used, i’ve rediscovered the joy of email. i also credit this to the start of the ephronathon, which led me to watch YOU’VE GOT MAIL (1998) and re-read Hanif Abdurraqib’s essay about it.

while i like pithy communication for some things, sometimes deeper thoughts need a broader expression of one’s own voice. a turn of phrase that feels wasteful in a text message no longer has the pressure of economy and parsimony. in an e-pistle, i can let the real me come out ever so slightly. i don’t worry if closing a message with “best” is passive-aggressive; i don’t fret about miniscule things. the power is in the whole: header, body, attachments.