The Reader! I respected it, when I was in Chicago in the early '90s. And I mourn daily, as our daily "alt" paper just doesn't have the same critical level (it aspires to it but no one expects them to hit it).
Bouncing off onto another tangent—is it me, or does "Serial Killer Expert" Dr. Helen Morrison (debunked in Cliff Doerksen's review of her book MY LIFE AMONG SERIAL KILLERS - https://chicagoreader.com/news/true-crime/ )sound like the kind of person who'd end up working with Robert Kennedy, Jr. ...?
I did while I was growing up—it appeared in STARS & STRIPES Sunday Edition, and as the movie-mad son of an Army Mess Sergeant living in then-West Germany, it was a rare taste of a world I'd far rather be in than one that was Saving the World for Democracy, one stewpot of powdered scrambled eggs at a time.
PARADE Magazine was a lot like the Medveds' "Worst Movies of All Time" books—a revelation if you didn't know anything else, but once you had any other sources you saw just how provincial and limited it truly was. Which I guess means it was an early version of what AI does now.... 🤷♂️
You are not the only person to make this comment and you are absolutely right. I mean, I read it too when I was kid — because I read everything down to the fine print on cereal boxes. I was being glib in an effort to provide an example of syndicated content most people might recognize. Thanks for reading!
I just found it enjoyable that, like me, you knew about PARADE Magazine, which is one of those things you know millions of people read at some point in their lives, but most don't even remember that they'd done so.
That I do is thanks to a memory that's great for useless trivia, but not for anything, you know, actually useful.
Thanks for this column. I remember eagerly reading Miner when I worked at the Sun-Times in the early 2000s. It was the only way to know what was going on at that fracking paper!
…meaningful and so much fun…that’s what is now so frequently missing. Your post, though depressing in places, reminds us to chase that feeling. It’s where the solutions are.
Thanks and I’m sorry you lost your friend and colleague.
Thank you! And yes, Chase those feelings. I’m lucky now that I’m not trying to make a living in journalism, so I can afford to make writing meaningful and fun in the margins of my day job.
The Reader! I respected it, when I was in Chicago in the early '90s. And I mourn daily, as our daily "alt" paper just doesn't have the same critical level (it aspires to it but no one expects them to hit it).
Oh the dopamine bill - I get it! In all seriousness, well written. A great piece.
Bouncing off onto another tangent—is it me, or does "Serial Killer Expert" Dr. Helen Morrison (debunked in Cliff Doerksen's review of her book MY LIFE AMONG SERIAL KILLERS - https://chicagoreader.com/news/true-crime/ )sound like the kind of person who'd end up working with Robert Kennedy, Jr. ...?
::Did anyone actually read Parade magazine?::
I did while I was growing up—it appeared in STARS & STRIPES Sunday Edition, and as the movie-mad son of an Army Mess Sergeant living in then-West Germany, it was a rare taste of a world I'd far rather be in than one that was Saving the World for Democracy, one stewpot of powdered scrambled eggs at a time.
PARADE Magazine was a lot like the Medveds' "Worst Movies of All Time" books—a revelation if you didn't know anything else, but once you had any other sources you saw just how provincial and limited it truly was. Which I guess means it was an early version of what AI does now.... 🤷♂️
You are not the only person to make this comment and you are absolutely right. I mean, I read it too when I was kid — because I read everything down to the fine print on cereal boxes. I was being glib in an effort to provide an example of syndicated content most people might recognize. Thanks for reading!
My pleasure!
I just found it enjoyable that, like me, you knew about PARADE Magazine, which is one of those things you know millions of people read at some point in their lives, but most don't even remember that they'd done so.
That I do is thanks to a memory that's great for useless trivia, but not for anything, you know, actually useful.
Spot on Martha. Thank you for this.
Thanks Tony!
Thanks for this column. I remember eagerly reading Miner when I worked at the Sun-Times in the early 2000s. It was the only way to know what was going on at that fracking paper!
Great work.
…meaningful and so much fun…that’s what is now so frequently missing. Your post, though depressing in places, reminds us to chase that feeling. It’s where the solutions are.
Thanks and I’m sorry you lost your friend and colleague.
Thank you! And yes, Chase those feelings. I’m lucky now that I’m not trying to make a living in journalism, so I can afford to make writing meaningful and fun in the margins of my day job.
I loved the Reader so much when I lived in Chicago. I didn't realize how spoiled I was by that weekly until I moved elsewhere.
Thanks! Good to see you here