AAN News
Former Altie Writes Book for the "Young, Hip, Cynical and Degenerate"new
So says Washington Post critic Patrick Anderson, who describes ex-Omaha Weekly (now Omaha Reader) news editor Jonathan Segura's "Occupational Hazards" as "a savagely funny first novel" that tells a "dungeon-dark tale of low-rent journalism, political corruption and rampant degeneracy in a hellish Omaha." According to Anderson, Segura joins ex-Philadelphia City Paper editor Duane Swierczynski as mystery writers whose work is part of a new trend in the publishing business of releasing offbeat novels direct to paperback.
Washington Post |
07-15-2008 12:32 pm |
Industry News
Tags: Editorial, The Reader
Writers Workshop Program Announcednew
Gustavo Arellano will headline an exciting weekend of education and inspiration when AAN's annual writers workshop descends on the leafy campus of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern Univ. in Evanston, Ill. on Aug. 15-16. Writers who register by Aug. 1 will be able to participate in a personal writing critique, during which their work will be analyzed by a small group led by an experienced AAN editor.
AAN |
07-14-2008 5:36 pm |
Association News
Tags: Editorial, Gustavo Arellano
The Stranger Honors Departing Managing Editornew
Friday was Bradley Steinbacher's last day at The Stranger. The paper's nameplate (pictured) was adjusted this week in his honor, and the staff celebrated with a tenderly worded send-off from public editor A. Birch Steen, along with a series of blog posts too voluminous to link to, including this one, which was iPhoned in by Brad's boss, Dan.
The Stranger |
07-14-2008 4:21 pm |
Industry News
Tags: Editorial, The Stranger
Guest Blogger Quits, Rates Mention in Time Magazinenew
The Stranger's first guest blogger, Chelsea Alvarez-Bell, quit last month because of the "vicious bullies" who tormented her in the Slog's comments section. This week Lev Grossman ledes with the incident in his column in Time Magazine decrying "the horribleness of commenters."
Time Magazine/The Stranger |
07-14-2008 3:54 pm |
Industry News
Tags: Editorial, The Stranger
Former LA Weekly Writer Talks About New HBO Seriesnew
After writing a couple of significant freelance pieces for the Weekly, Evan Wright embedded with the U.S. Marines' in 2003 as they crossed the Kuwaiti border at the beginning of the Iraq War. Wright wrote a book about the experience called "Generation Kill," and the creators of the widely lauded HBO series "The Wire" made the book into a seven-episode miniseries that premiered last night on the pay-cable network.
LA Weekly |
07-14-2008 3:19 pm |
Industry News
Tags: Editorial, L.A. Weekly
Rebecca Schoenkopf on Taking Over at CityBeat and Leaving the OCnew
The "Commie Girl" columnist and former OC Weekly staffer was named editor of Los Angeles CityBeat this Spring amidst a relaunch of the paper. She says she's already receiving hate mail. One person wrote in to ask: "'Who's this inane, vulgar, rambling, trite girl who's a terrible writer and has a potty mouth'," she tells the Guardian. "And I was like, 'You live in Los Angeles, are you really that sheltered?'" Schoenkopf also says that she's now realized she willing blinded herself about notoriously conservative Orange County while she was there. "It's not the conservatism that bothers me: it's the nastiness," she says The nattering classes I'd thought were fringey were in fact the decision makers."
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
07-11-2008 8:04 am |
Industry News
Seattle Weekly Columnist Inks Book Dealnew
Penguin imprint Gotham Books has signed the "Uptight Seattleite" columnist to do a book version of his popular advice column. Publication date is set for Spring 2010.
Seattle Weekly |
07-11-2008 7:21 am |
Industry News
Nearly Two Years After Jackson Free Press Story, Mayor is Indictednew
Mayor Frank Melton and two of his bodyguards have been indicted by a federal grand jury for demolishing an alleged "drug house" in Aug. 2006, a story first reported by the Jackson Free Press in Sept. 2006. "The three men were charged in connection with a conspiracy to tear down a private home in Jackson and thereby violate the civil rights of the owner and resident of that home," a Department of Justice press release reads. They are also charged with using a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. Melton, who is running for a second term, tells the Clarion-Ledger that he's "very disappointed, because I have worked so hard on fighting crime in this city."
Jackson Free Press |
07-10-2008 9:37 am |
Industry News
The Independent Weekly's Editor Leaves for Politicsnew
Scott Jordan is leaving the Lafayette, La., paper at the end of the month to become communications director for the Louisiana Democratic Party. Prior to joining the Independent at its inception, he worked at Gambit Weekly for five years. "This fall's elections, both statewide and national, promise to be historic," Jordan says. "And after 15 years of working as a journalist and editor, I've decided I want to be directly involved in politics in a different role." Kevin Allman, blogging for the Gambit, congratulates Jordan on his new role, and adds: "We hope never to have to write 'Scott Jordan, spokesman for the state Democratic party, did not respond to a request for comment.'"
The Independent Weekly |
07-10-2008 8:44 am |
Industry News
Faced With 'Pretty Flat' Ad Revenue, Isthmus Considers Possible Layoffsnew
The Madison, Wis., alt-weekly is "looking at ways to reduce expenses like everybody has to," publisher Vince O'Hern tells the Capital Times. "Nothing is decided. It may involve some people taking leaves, and some people not being on staff anymore." News editor Bill Lueders says A&E editor Dean Robbins will take an unpaid six-month leave to tend to "personal projects and other work." Other than that, he says talk of any staff changes is premature. Isthmus employs 10 editorial staffers, and the total staff size is about three dozen, according to Lueders.
The Capital Times |
07-09-2008 8:22 am |
Industry News
More on the Free Times/Scene Mergernew
"The idea, of course, is that with no competition to siphon off advertisers or keep ad prices rock-bottom, one alt-weekly might accomplish what the Free Times and Scene couldn't: make enough money to survive," Scene managing editor Joe Tone says of the recently announced merger. "And it's hard to bemoan the consolidation. Had they not become one, the two papers would have eventually become none." However, Tone notes that, for now, Cleveland "will lose some journalists." In addition to former editor Pete Kotz, who has already left for Nashville, Tone says staff writer Lisa Rab and food critic Elaine Cicora have departed. Frank Lewis, who last week was named the new paper's editor, reports on the Free Times blog that the other managers have been named. Sean Misutka and Joe Strailey have been plucked from the Scene to be ad sales manager and classified sales manager, respectively. And three additional Free Times managers have found homes at the new paper: Steve Antol is the circulation manager; Tim Divis is the business manager, and Steve Miluch is the production manager.
Scene | Cleveland Free Times |
07-07-2008 11:39 am |
Industry News
Cleveland Free Times Editor Will Take Helm at the New Scene
AAN News has learned that Frank Lewis has been named the editor of the Scene, which is being merged with the Free Times by new owners Times-Shamrock on July 23. The announcement was made to the two staffs yesterday. Former Scene editor Pete Kotz began his tenure as editor of the Nashville Scene this week. Lewis joined the Free Times in 2005 after serving as the Scene's managing editor. Before that, he spent close to seven years at the Philadelphia City Paper.
AAN News |
07-03-2008 11:57 am |
Industry News
Boston Phoenix Announces the Best Music Acts in Each of the 50 States
The Phoenix and ThePhoenix.com have unveiled the inaugural "50 Bands/50 States": a declaration of the Best All-Time Band, Best All-Time Solo Artist, and the Best New Band from each of the 50 states. The project also includes an interactive component, with three "people's choice" awards, in which readers can cast ballots via mobile phone or the internet to determine the winner in three undecided contests. "I'm feeling bloodied and bruised," says Phoenix editor Lance Gould. "This list led to so many arguments, hurt feelings, and actual skin abrasions that we could use some medical attention. Luckily, California's Dr. Dre made the list."
(FULL STORY)
Boston Phoenix Press Release |
07-02-2008 8:55 am |
Press Releases
Former Village Voice Editor Clay Felker Diesnew
Felker, 82, died in his home this morning. Felker founded New York magazine and exerted a seminal influence in new journalism. He owned and edited The Village Voice from 1974-1977, and also founded California-based alternative magazine New West. But as the Voice points out, Felker "proved to be an unpopular editor" at the paper. "Felker did found New York magazine, and he had some great writers there," Nat Hentoff says. "He had one of the most distinguished staffs in magazine history. He started that vogue for weekly city magazines around the country. But his tenure at the Voice was very unpleasant -- because he tried to turn it into New York magazine."
The New York Times | The Village Voice |
07-01-2008 11:47 am |
Industry News
Veteran Cartoonist on Her Strip's Disappearance from Alt-Weekliesnew
In a lengthy Q&A with the Comics Reporter largely about her new book What It Is, Lynda Barry says she's "gone from being in over 70 papers to being in seven papers." She says consolidation has been the main factor, and that comics are often the first casualties. "My comic is often axed the minute the sale is complete. And I can understand why," Barry says. "The papers aren't as alternative or freaky as they once were, and having a comic strip in the paper that is often weird and sad just leaves editors with question marks over their heads. There was a time when it wasn't that strange, but now it is strange to have that kind of strip in a paper."
The Comics Reporter |
07-01-2008 9:18 am |
Industry News
