What a way to end a year … and start a new one!!
When the announcement came earlier this month that the Creative Loafing newspaper publication was closing up shop and the Sarasota Herald Tribune was taking over its branding rights, I smelled opportunity … opportunity to return to my roots and get back to writing in a style more akin to my old “Reality Chick” days at the Pelican Press.
I’ve enjoyed the last month or so of writing the After Hours column for the TICKET section of the H-T — heck, I finally forced myself to get out and have some fun –but my interest, and I think my strength, lies in writing observational essays — columns — about what’s going on around my town. People, places, events, the zeitgeist of our little corner of the world. Luckily for me, when I pitched the idea to the editors — they agreed!
That new column starts today — it’s called Sense and the City and it will be my weekly “reality” take on whatever’s topical or at the top of my admittedly sometimes “Sideways in Sarasota” perspective.
In this week’s column I touch on Sarasota Mayor Kelly Kirschner, the Second Line street gang, and Sarasota’s semi-obsession with dirty dancers. I hope you’ll check it out at Sense and the City.
This is all actually a huge deal for me personally. I haven’t had a regular, weekly opinion column in a newspaper since May 2008 and I’m thrilled to be back writing the beat I know best.
If you like what you see in Sense and the City, don’t hesitate to let the editors know — it’s always helpful for them to know whether writers have a healthy readership or not — you can send an electronic LTE by clicking here.
Thanks for sticking with me as readers — whether I was in print or online — and I hope you enjoy this new column!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR, INDEED!
John W. Perkins
December 31, 2010 at 5:59 amCongratulations..
MC
December 31, 2010 at 7:31 amThanks JW — you’ve been such a regular on this blog — it’s meant — and means — a lot to me! I’m continuing with the blog of course; but glad to have a regular print gig again. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Steve
December 31, 2010 at 8:23 amCongrats MC.I get the HT everyday and look forward to your columns.Have a prosperous New Year filled with health and happiness.I am very proud of you.Carpe Diem!
MC
December 31, 2010 at 8:45 amThanks Steve! Along with JW you’ve been a big supporter and frequent commenter on this site — I appreciate you checking out the print column as well — but always come back here for the “back story”
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Steve
December 31, 2010 at 8:58 amI’ll be back………………….as always!I read your blog everyday!ENJOY!!!!
Gary Halperin
January 1, 2011 at 11:47 amCongratulations!!! I am happy for you and happy for all the new Sarasota readers who will get to read your column. You are living proof of one of my favorite sayings: “Patience is genius.”
MC
January 1, 2011 at 1:24 pmOh, thanks, Gary — for reading, being a regular reader, and for your comment. I am a big quotation buff and I’ve never heard that saying — Patience is genius. But it is — and whoever said it is absolutely right. Patience is most genius when it’s employed in our relationships with people — and the most difficult then too!
Joan L Osgood
January 13, 2011 at 11:46 amFirst thing I look at every Thursday! I`m lovin` it!
MC
January 13, 2011 at 12:01 pmAhh…. thanks Joan!!