【1979 Archives】

979 ArchivesToast is being sent off on a high note.

Hillary Clinton penned a short essay entitled "A note on the Toast" for the website's last day, extolling the site's effort in heightening the work of female writers.

The entire piece is well worth reading and can be found here.

Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, called on the site's readers to carry on its spirit.

As we look back at what this site has meant to so many of you, I hope you’ll also look forward and consider how you might make your voice heard in whatever arenas matter most to you. Speak your opinion more fervently in your classes if you’re a student, or at meetings in your workplace. Proudly take credit for your ideas. Have confidence in the value of your contributions. And if the space you’re in doesn’t have room for your voice, don’t be afraid to carve out a space of your own.

The Toast was founded by Nicole Cliffe and Mallory Ortberg, who met while working on another website, The Hairpin. Launched in 2013, the site grew a reputation for intelligent and irreverent original writing and for its active community and comments section.

The Toast notified its readers in May that it would close up shop on July 1. 

Clinton name checked Cliffe, Ortberg and managing editor Nicole Chung for their work.

"Have confidence in the value of your contributions. And if the space you’re in doesn’t have room for your voice, don’t be afraid to carve out a space of your own. You never know — you might just be the next Nicole Cliffe, Mallory Ortberg or Nikki Chung," Clinton wrote.

Chung explained that she had been in talks with Clinton's staff about possibly running something from the candidate.

In an editor's note, Chung explained:

This is not a joke. Hillary’s team had talked to me a few weeks back about doing something, but I didn’t want to do, like, a “If Hillary Were Your President” type thing, and then they got in touch on Wednesday and said she wanted to write something HERSELF (it seems her people show her Two Monks or what-have-you on long campaign days) and I said only if it was funny and they said 'she was thinking more heartfelt?' and here we are. – Nicole

For those that weren't familiar with The Toast, Slate put together a collection of some of the site's best pieces that is also well worth your time. 

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