Factsheet Life
I recently reconnected with an old friend I haven't talked to or emailed in about five years -- Seth Friedman, former publisher of Factsheet 5. When I lived near San Francisco, I spent quite a bit of time hanging out with Seth and the F5 gang -- Chris Becker; Ashley Parker Owens; John Held, Jr.; and Jerod Pore. I've fallen out of touch with most of the old F5 gang, and I miss them. Like I miss San Francisco. While I lived in the Bay Area, Jerod introduced me to Japanese cuisine and wasabi, for which I will be eternally grateful.

In an edition of the San Francisco Chronicle earlier this month, Jerod contributed a piece about his bipolar personality. This is what Seth emailed me, and it's what reconnected us. The first-person account of manic depression was inspired by a Rob Morse column about Electroboy. It's a moving and insightful look at how extreme ups and downs can affect your life. What's even more moving and insightful is Jerod's account of the series of events surrounding the publication of the piece -- Morse's original column, Jerod's letter of commment, his original draft, his edited draft, the draft as it was edited by the Chron, and reader response.

The context is as interesting as the content. Jerod experienced waves of mania and depression while writing the piece -- and writing about writing the piece. In fact, Seth says that Jerod's been going through a pretty rough spell lately, and I miss him -- regardless of which him I might be missing. Good to reconnect.