… but unlike every Thursday for almost a year now, I don’t have a column to upload. I have discontinued writing my weekly column, Thinking It Through, for Mint, due to recent disagreements. They wanted me to write exclusively for them (even on cricket!), and I felt the terms they offered didn’t justify such an expectation. So we parted ways.
I’m quite certain it’s my loss. Mint is an excellent paper with high editorial standards, and will no doubt find a better replacement. I shall remain a loyal reader.
I did 48 installments of the column, all of which you can read in my Thinking It Through archives. I worked quite hard on them, and became a better writer as the months went by, even if I’m still not as good as I’d like to be. Some bits of writing in there make me twinge—but I’m rather proud of some of those pieces. I also managed to win the Bastiat Prize in that time, which I put down more to good fortune than to my work being particularly mind-blowing—all awards have an element of the lottery to them.
While some nostalgia will no doubt come, I’m relieved that I will no longer be getting all stressed out every Tuesday and Wednesday over the impending deadline. This also frees up the mindspace I need to get down to doing certain other things that will require time and discipline, which I’ve delayed long enough. So wish me luck…