Boss team. Liz with Mitch and David. Liz Seymour, who hired me at The Washington Post in 2014, announced this morning that she is leaving.
Anyone who has worked with Liz, anyone who has wanted to do the best work possible, is crushed today. But we also know what she has battled through professionally the last few years – and last few months in particular – and it has weighed heavily on her shoulders. I hope that someday everyone will realize how many gifted writers and editors Liz worked to place in safe and superior work spots when this massive layoff came last month. She did not think of herself. If she had, she would have left last year and preserved her sleep schedule.
All of this is to say that this larger fight masked Liz’s greatest influence over my life. There is simply nobody better at the big idea. It was terrifying and inspiring when that time came each fall that she’d say… “ok, what are your big swings next year.” And she didn’t mean a sacrifice bunt. Big swings.
The Inside Story of Run-DMC’s Walk This Way
Chevy Chase, Norm Macdonald, Eddie Murphy.
The Death of the Electric Guitar
The Search for Perfect Sound
Why R. Kelly’s Accusers Were Rarely Heard
When every other publication was focused on a nostalgic piece about the anniversary of Woodstock, Liz pushed me to write about Altamont, and the chaos and death that defined that event and marked the true end of the hippie dream. And not just write Altamont. She sent video master Erin with drones across the country to the site, recruited graphics, helped me get genius Bishop into the booth to create a two-part podcast series. Big swings.
I don’t know what Liz is going to do next but I know that she will be running something that’s big and creative and involves coverage. And when she does get back at that, I’m going to be very jealous of whomever gets called in and asked, probably around early November, “what are your big swings for next year?”
Sometimes we forget that 480 million people in the world are native Spanish speakers. It was wild watching the halftime show in Panama. Here’s just 13 seconds.
I tried to get Paul. Even mailed him a letter. But I did get Chris Mars and Tommy Stinson to talk about the best Replacements album, Let It Be. And Paul… you can keep the Butch Wynegar card. Gift link in comments.
I made these Peter Wolf buttons and I’ve got about 102. They’re free until I run out on Saturday when I’ll ask questions of the lovely and talented Woofa Goofa man at the @bostonbookfest . It’s 3:30 (free admission) at the Old South Church at 645 Boylston St. @peter_wolf_music_official will be signing copies of his stunning memoir, with his stories about Van Morrison, Muddy Waters, Faye and that little J. Geils Band.
This piece has been in the works for years. I’ve never encountered anyone in the classical music world like Katherine Needleman and here is our story. (Free gift link in the comments.)
It would nice to think that, on her birthday, @carlenehempel_nu might call in to the boss and head out for some mai tais. But as you all know, self celebration is not really her thing. So she was out the door to work before the sun was up. These photos represent serving others - husbands who want fake my-wife-drinking-a-beer photos, chickens, students, Kaitlin Clark (the phone on the WNBA app during dinner), students (the Zoom while huddled in a doorway with her pup), people who need somebody to steer a ship, marking trees purple to keep hunters from shooting baby deer AND the wildlife that would perish if it encountered the deflated balloons washed up on Cuttyhunk Island* - and there are a lot more where they came from. If you see Carlene and she’s helped rewrite your resume, replant bulbs, offer free life counseling or organized a thing for you because it’s your day… find a way to give her a good wish on her big day.
* I can guarantee that listing good deeds is serious cringe for C but I’m stubborn and I’m doing it.
