Since I occasionally print the stray abusive e-mail I still sometimes get (I think I’ve largely purged the readership of the juvenile and ressentiment-filled right-wingers who send such missives), I suppose I am entitled to print an especially nice one, this from a graduate student in Florida:

I applaud your efforts to defy all things simple-minded, dogmatic, pernicious, and ignorant.  Unfortunately, given today’s cultural and political climate, you have far too much to rant about.  Just know that both my fiancé and I–as well as several of the other lawyers at the firm she works at–read your blog daily.  It is one of the few things that help us maintain a sense of sanity and balance in this time of impending darkness. 

That is, indeed, a gratifying note to receive, and a good motivation to keep on slogging through the dark times ahead.