Dear friends,

On September 1, Good Morning Project is making a big change. Paid subscribers—whether monthly, annual, or Benefactor—will receive missives daily, as usual. Free subscribers who choose not to upgrade will receive one missive a week.

Why are we doing this? For the happiest of reasons.

Good Morning Project began a decade ago as a daily greeting to a small group of pals. That number grew, by word of mouth, from a few dozen to five hundred, most of whom I knew only online. The question arose, How many folks might be interested in joining our congregation if they knew about it? In June, we embarked on an experiment to answer this question by purchasing a modest amount of advertising – about $50 a week – on Facebook. I’m no Facebook fan but their machines are wizards at targeting potential like-minded souls among their three billion (gulp) users.

The results were wow. In two months, our readership more than quadrupled – from five hundred to two thousand plus – with no signs of slowing. Was it possible we could become an influential voice in our national conversation, a force for betterment in our ugly world. Aggressive growth, though, costs real money – to pay folks to service new subscribers and explore ways to increase their number.

I will never take money for my contribution to this effort. Your attention is my lavish reward. But I need help funding our attempt. I don’t want to go broke chasing success!

Please consider becoming a paid subscriber if you haven’t already – either by the month ($12) or the year ($80) or as a Benefactor ($500).

If this doesn’t make sense, continue to enjoy one missive a week at no charge.

I am skittish about this change. I always envisioned my daily missives as jeux d’esprit. I never undertook this project for fame or lucre.

The acceptance of my words and the astonishing quality of my readers impose an obligation. If we can grow into a numerous throng – and a force for good – shouldn’t we try to? Many valiant voices address our national crisis from their professional vantages – economic, historical, political – trying to make sense of the mess we’ve toppled into and envisioning a way out. My beat is morality: how best to be in this troublous hour, how to help, how to hope. Art, especially literature in English, is my essential compass. We have much to learn from those who’ve come before. We are not alone.

I began these daily escapades more than a decade ago as a way to stay connected with my friends. The more we talked, the more there was to talk about. “The habit of expression,” as Henry Adams put it, “leads to the search for something to express.” As retirement afforded more time to ponder, my world widened. Our four-year sojourn in Rome widened it further. Meanwhile, our nation’s slide into cruelty, stupidity and turpitude made the consolation of community more compelling. Dog-pal Henry’s arrival in our lives provided a fresh perspective.

I couldn’t – and wouldn’t – have done this without you. Your interest fueled mine. Your dedication redoubled mine. Insensibly, this enterprise matured from a frolic to a cause. We needed to converse to remind ourselves of the persistence of human goodness. We needed encouragement to counter despair.

If you’d like to support this endeavor and continue receiving daily missives after September 1, you can join as a paid subscriber here.

If your budget hasn’t room for a subscription but you’d like to continue to receive these emails daily, let me know directly at [email protected] and I’ll welcome you as my guest.

Thank you in advance for your precious attention; it means the world to me.

With gratitude,

Carll