There was a time when we used some of the space on this page to publish letters from readers. But since the Dig is a community outlet in the truest sense, meaning that the words and input of our readers is not limited to punchy front-of-book quips but instead lives in our columns and articles, we did away with featuring your notes on page three. Not to mention that it’s easier for us to have pithy exchanges on social media. Nonetheless, I felt this correspondence from one Michael J. Murphy of Dorchester deserved to be printed:
Hello Mr. Faraone,
Your name reminds me of cycling thousands of miles through Italy and Europe, of a Sicilian or Egyptian lighthouse. All kidding aside, I’m writing you about a what appears to be some kind of backlash against the Dig.
Recently, since about at least two months ago, your publication distributed in the Downtown Crossing area has been seriously compromised.
The green boxes, in what I would approximate is an eight-to-ten block area [Milk Street to Boylston Street, South Station to Park Street] has been the victim of trash vandals intent on depriving the more progressive, open-minded, and I daresay intellectual among us from absorbing the more delicate details of corruption, discrimination, and to be fair hedonism, embedded in the weekly.
Just yesterday, the green “monster” [sorry Mr. Henry] box at the entrance to the T at Chauncy and Summer Streets was tossed down a flight of stairs. During this time, Neanderthals and reprobates have also strewn Washington Street and side streets with with copies. I could understand if the homeless need the lumber element to stay warm, however this seems a bit more malicious.
Unfortunately I have no remedy as such, except vigilante or surveillance tactics.
We greatly appreciate the note, as well as Mr. Murphy noting that “Presently the Boston Globe is an eminent shit.” He has promised to keep an eye out for the offenders, but we’ll need your help as well. If you have any idea who is violating our boxes, issues, and hard work please contact me at fara1@digpublishing.com. Any tips leading to the arrest or even just the public shaming of said vandal will be rewarded with $500 in gift cards to awesome local dining establishments including Lord Hobo, where I will personally buy you a beer.
A Queens, NY native who came to New England in 2004 to earn his MA in journalism at Boston University, Chris Faraone is the editor and co-publisher of DigBoston and a co-founder of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism. He has published several books including 99 Nights with the 99 Percent, and has written liner notes for hip-hop gods including Cypress Hill, Pete Rock, Nas, and various members of the Wu-Tang Clan.
