Jill Abramson has been called a number of things over the past week, chief among those being labeled as “pushy” in the wake of her abrupt firing as executive editor of The New York Times.
And on Monday she was once again called “pushy”, but this time the comment was less detrimental to her career.
Delivering the commencement speaker for the 2014 Graduation at Wake Forest University in the first public comments since her departure from The Times — an address she committed to before she was fired — Abramson was introduced by Bloomberg View columnist Al Hunt, who described her as “pushy and passionate”, attributes that made her a strong leader.
“It is said she can be a tough, no nonsense, even pushy in her passionate commitment to truth and accountability,” Hunt said. He described Abramson as “absolutely fearless. That is what makes a great editor”.
Abramson said her speech was about “resilience” and encouraged the graduating students to practise being resilient even in the face of setbacks. Her speech, she said, was inspired by a call from her sister the day after she was fired who told her that as proud as their father would have been to see his daughter appointed the first female executive editor in the Times history, he’d be more impressed by her resilience.
“It meant more to our father to see us deal with a setback and see us try to bounce back than how we handled our successes,” Abramson said. “Show what you are made of, he’d say.”
Abramson, whose firing has been embroiled in controversy regarding pay equity and unleashed much conversation about gender equality in newsrooms, didn’t directly address those issues, though she did say: “Sure, losing a job you love hurts”.
“I’m talking to anyone who’s been dumped, not gotten the job you really wanted, or received those horrible rejection letters from grad school,” she continued. “You know the sting of losing or not getting something you really want. When that happens, show what you are made of.”
Abramson also referenced Robert Frost’s 1956 Colby College commencement address, during which he described life like pieces of knitting to go on with — something “akin to Tumblr: something you can pick up from time to time and chance.”
“Life is always unfinished business, like the bits of knitting women used to carry around with them, to be picked up in different intervals. My mother was a great knitter and she made some really magnificent things. But she also made a few itchy and frankly hideous sweaters for me. She left some things unfinished. Get on with your knitting”.
“What’s next for me?” she added. “I don’t know, so I’m in exactly the same boat as many of you.”
But one thing is for certain. There’s “not a chance” Abramson will get the Times ‘T’ tattoo removed from her back.