The Toledo Blade ceases "Saturday Essays"

The decision to discontinue The (Toledo) Blade’s “Saturday Essay” has a direct effect on And Then Some Publishing, L.L.C.

Let me preface the following information and letters with a brief explanation. I have had 14 essays published in The (Toledo) Blade since February, 2004, and those essays form both the starting point and foundation for this book of essays. The history of when and how this connection to the Saturday essay feature occurred is discussed in the preface to And Then Some - Book I. When The (Toledo) Blade changed editorial directors (from Tom Walton to David Shutt) suddenly the Saturday Essay feature no longer appeared, so I wrote the following letter:

Dear Letters Editors,

With Tom Walton's retirement, has there been a change in policy regarding the nature of Saturday essays? Will you continue publishing Saturday essays from your local stock of area-wide writers? I guess the real question comes down to this: Should I send you any more essays that may have the potential of being published as a Saturday essay? Just curious.

The following is the reply I received from the new editorial director, Mr. David Shutt:

Mr. Weaver: For the time being, at least, I've decided to give Saturday Essay a rest ... It may be revived in time but every feature wears out after a while ... Thanks for your interest.

David Shutt
Editorial Director

I immediately sent Mr. Shutt a reply; however, most of the content of the letter I sent to him is contained in the following letter I wrote for possible publication in the “Readers Forum.” Because it objects to Mr. Shutt’s new policy (the discontinuance of the Saturday Essay feature), and asks for those who disagree with his policy to respond in some way, the letter may not be published; however, this is the letter I wrote:

Dear Letters Editor
At the risk of sounding self-serving, I want to call readers’ attention to an unannounced (to my knowledge) editorial change. I noted that in my experience the "Saturday Essay" feature is always looked forward to with enthusiasm and interest. It involves the community, always relates to topics of relevance and immediacy, and is written by credible members of the community who readers admire, respect, and hold in high esteem, this writer not withstanding. I told Mr. Shutt that I was under the exact opposite impression. Rather than thinking it had “worn out,” my thinking was that it had not only caught on, but it had become a feature of the paper that made Saturday issues prized possessions. I can’t begin to count the number of times and places I have seen Saturday essays posted for others to read and admire. I regret the decision to discontinue the Saturday Essay feature for personal reasons, of course, but I feel it deprives the reading public of a significant and essential source of information regarding issues of vital and, often, critical importance, that can be found nowhere else. I wonder how many readers of the Blade agree with Mr. Shutt's decision? Has the "Saturday Essay" worn out?

It is true that I have an emotional attachment to the Saturday Essay feature since it set things in motion for this (and future) compilations of my essays in the series of books, And Then Some: Essays to Entertain, Motivate, and Inspire. The (Toledo) Blade supplied the parameters for the essays in length, style, and approach. More than that, however, the Saturday Essay feature served as the impetus for the establishment of And Then Some Publishing, L.L.C. which is the publishing arm of as well as the driving force behind the creation of this website for which my son, ANT, is the webmaster. You can see why this change in editorial policy at The (Toledo) Blade had a direct effect on me and those who work at And Then Some Publishing, L.L. C. We would like to see it brought back—not just for us, but for the community service it has clearly served.

Contact David Shutt Editorial Director and help get The (Toledo) Blade "Saturday Essays" back!
DAVID SHUTT - dshutt@theblade.com ~ (419) 724-6067