Cut My Very Long Hair For Briarpatch

Hello! I'm John Cameron, publisher at Briarpatch, and I have very long hair.

I was due for a haircut when the pandemic hit, and, well, didn't feel super comfortable going to a salon for a few months. At a certain point, though, I got used to my long, luscious locks of thick brown hair, and decided to grow it out just to see how long I could get it.

Turns out: pretty long.

Now, after a couple of years of being able to actually see people in public, enough people have seen me with long hair or ponytail or big bun on the back of my head or whatever that I think it's time for a change. And that's where you come in.

I'm going to be getting a haircut on July 8, I'm going to leave the decision for how far the cut goes up to you, and I'm donating all the proceeds to Briarpatch Magazine.

Briarpatch is an independent nonprofit* publication based in Regina, Saskatchewan that produces rigorous, incisive movement journalism. Its pugnacious pages are filled with stories that look at issues and causes from the ground level up, demystifying complex political forces and empowering readers to make the change they want to see in the world. This year, it's celebrating its fiftieth anniversary - a huge milestone for a deeply principled leftist mag. And it's only been able to reach that milestone because of the support of its community of readers: the majority of its revenue comes from subscriptions, monthly donations, and one-time donations from readers. Being beholden to its community of readers, rather than to the largesse of a few wealthy patrons, advertisers, and other mercurial funders, gives it an extraordinary amount of breathing room to cover stories that you don't necessarily see in the mainstream and, when you do, aren't explored the way Briarpatch explores them. But it also means the magazine relies on the generosity of its readership and community to continue producing the stories they want to read.

So, by donating to this fund, you can help Briarpatch continue to thrive.

And you can also determine just how short my haircut gets.

I'm setting the initial target at $1,000 because that's the tipping point. After that, for every $100 donated, I'm going another inch above the shoulder.

If we raise $2,200, I'll take a haircut with buzzed sides and a pretty short cut up top.

At $2,500, I'll get a full buzz cut.

If we raise $5,000, I will straight-up Bic that bad boy (my head). We're talking cue ball. Chrome dome. Imagine Zach Galifinakis if the top of his head was shiny. Imagine if Lex Luthor owned a lot of vinyl copies of records Wikipedia describes as having "mixed critical reception." It's going to look really, really gross and weird for a couple weeks while it grows back in. If for some reason you have some unresolved grudge against me and want to punish me for it, this is a great way to do it.

Since Briarpatch runs on a tight budget, and because it's a small, scrappy non-profit, every dollar raised over and above that budget goes towards extending the magazine's reach and impact. It's money that'll be used to pay writers, artists, and illustrators. It'll help the magazine address consistently rising print costs. And it'll help the organization plan for a sustainable, long-term future in a rapidly changing media landscape that continues to eat independent publications and local outlets alive.

So whether you're a friend or a particularly vindictive and wealthy enemy, now is a great time to open that wallet and really mess my whole deal up for a good cause. Know either way that I and the magazine I fiercely believe in are both extremely grateful for your support.

Your pal,

Johnny C

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*GoFundMe is kind of classically annoying about this so I feel the need to clarify that Briarpatch is a nonprofit but not a charity. In other words, while it's classified and run as a nonprofit (including being managed by a volunteer board made up of community members), it doesn't have charitable status and cannot issue tax receipts.