The Dispatch Monthly Mailbag with Charlotte Lawson

Charlotte responds to questions from members about the University of Virginia, classic rock, and life in Turkey.

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Dear Dispatch members,

Thank you all so much for your thoughtful questions (and musical recommendations). It was great to learn that I’m in the good company of other classic rock listeners and University of Virginia fans. Hope you enjoy reading my answers as much as I enjoyed writing them!

Ben Connelly and Tristangodbold asked about my time at the University of Virginia.

Thank you for the chance to walk down memory lane! I graduated from UVA in 2020, so the last few months of my fourth year were cut short by COVID-19. But I was lucky to have a great 3.75 years at Mr. Jefferson’s university.

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Comments (47)
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  1. Avatar photo
    JDW

    Thank you for the response. I am always rooting for the new writers at The Dispatch. I know I'd be thrilled to be working with the likes of David French and Jonah Goldberg not to mention Sarah Isgur and Steve Hayes. And so many more! I am excited to see where all of your careers go. The sign of a truly vibrant place is that they not only do the job well but they inspire the next generation.

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    Rufusejr

    Left out three years

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    Rufusejr

    I and my family spent three in at Incirlik AB, Adana, Turkey. I can not advise it to anyone. Woolen suits (no dry cleaners to be found), atrocious smell of Turkish cigarettes, small children rooting around garbage cans looking for food and Turkish men grabbing white women at their pleasure with no recriminations. This list goes on for many pages. Best part was visiting ancient tows and cities.

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    Danny M

    Thanks for sharing, Charlotte! I always enjoy your foreign policy reporting for the site, and it's great to learn more about you.

    Also, the details about Turkey & your experiences there are very much appreciated. Turkey (and Istanbul, in particular) are places I never got a good chance to explore while I was in Europe a few years ago. I'll have to bear the recommendations in mind should I get a chance to give it a shot.

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  5. Dotsboy

    Great writing! Thank you.

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    1. Jack O. Zentrist

      October 21, 1988, Grateful Dead in Dallas. Unforgettable. Fleetwood Mac’s “Everywhere “…heard this song for first time on that Chevy commercial! Congratulations to you, Charlotte!

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    Ben Connelly

    First, thanks for responding to my question, Charlotte! You graduated just a couple years after me. UVA was a great place to go to school.

    “ (It was quite the comeback story after UVA’s men’s team made history in 2018 as the only No. 1 seed to lose to its No. 16 challenger in the first round of the NCAA tournament.)”

    We don’t talk about that…


    “(Even then I was an avid reader of Jonah and David, who were two of my favorite voices in conservatism at a time when I felt increasingly isolated from the movement itself.)“

    Haha, yep! Sounds about right. I would say, “me too,” but about half of the people who read this publication would say that. And the other half would say that there was this Steve Hayes guy who used to work for/with Bill Kristol over the The Weekly Standard.

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  7. Connie.Sanchez59

    Thanks Charlotte! Wonderful to learn more about you. The Dispatch is lucky to have you.

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    John N.

    You seem all right, for a Cavalier. (My oldest son is a senior Hokie at Virginia Tech and as a member of The Marching Virginians and was poised to play an homage to UVA in the last game of the season; unfortunately the game was cancelled after players from the UVA team were killed in a campus shooting.)

    Keep up the good work, and sincere congratulations on landing what appears to be your dream gig after college, Charlotte.

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    Wilhelm

    Charlotte, we (and The Dispatch) are lucky to have you. God speed!

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  10. Mary Stine

    I am beyond happy that you are writing here at the Dispatch! It is so encouraging to hear/read articulate, intelligent young reporters with a solid background in world history and politics.
    While I may be a bit more liberal, I firmly believe that conservatism must continue to flourish in it's best way.
    You are helping that. Please keep up the good work

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