My husband had a great Page 1 story in Saturday’s Wall Street Journal about his career in journalism and his forecast for the news industry. Check it out!
From Paul’s surprise going-away-from-the-WSJ partyPeople sent him some lovely notes about the story, though there were a few asshats, like the woman who said the newspaper industry is dead because now you can get “unbiased reporting” from blogs. What the fuck? I’m not sure when I’ve ever seen “unbiased reporting” in a blog. No offense intended to y’all. But it seems to me that most blogs exist to be 99% opinion and 1% fact. Except for Save Your Generation, of course. That blog is 100% believable, 24/7. Other than that, believe nothing you read online, especially me.
The publisher of the New York Times attended Paul’s partyOne thing that I really like about print publications is that they can’t accumulate 800 hateful, anonymous comments while you’re reading them. I had to quit reading the comments on all the big blogs, and even on the serious news sites, because they made me hate humanity so much. Luckily I have found all you lovely fashion/humor/art/photography/dog/other bloggers, who have lifted my spirits so that I can once again get out of bed in the morning. Okay! The early afternoon. Don’t judge; I need a lot of beauty sleep at my age.
Speaking of my husband, we just saw The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (I highly recommend it). I sent the book to Paul as a gift, oh, probably in January 1998. I believe it was intended to soften the blow of an accompanying Dear John letter that included the ominous sentence: “I respect you as a journalist.” Or the book and letter might have been sent separately. Who knows? But, I assure you, the hand-written letter definitely existed. Later, after Paul had managed to overcome my resistance by getting to me through my dog, I marveled that he hadn’t been discouraged by my rejection letter. He said, “It wasn’t a rejection letter, it was a note of encouragement! I still have it.” So he re-read it and was like, “Oh yeah. This was definitely a rejection letter.” People! Look at what happens if you don’t read carefully! You wind up married.
I wanted to show the original book cover, but I could only find it for the audiobookThat little anecdote is a good illustration of the difference between us. Paul will get an actual rejection letter and see hope in it. Whereas, if someone, for instance, fails to reply just one of my 3,000 chatty daily emails, I am sure that s/he hates me. Then I have to spend a lot of time analyzing the 2,999 replies I did receive to gather further evidence of the hate. Bitches need to proceed with caution because I am way oversensitive.
36 hours in Tokyo? I’ve always wanted to go! Here’s the Tokyo one, actually…
http://s7d2.scene7.com/is/image/UrbanOutfitters/14102453_01_b?$prodmain$
Thanks for the heads-up on your husband’s article. As a former writer, proofreader, copy editor and now-and-then photographer for an alternative news weekly in Jackson, Mississippi–the Jackson Free Press–I found it entirely mesmerizing.
About dancing, I do know how to have fun on the floor and can do the Electric Slide into the night. Thanks for the vote of confidence.
By the way, I love this happy and romantic photo of the two of you.
Great post. And cute story 🙂
congratulations to him 🙂 and merry x mas
That was a great story- it’s really interesting to hear about things from the other side of the newspaper industry. But I don’t believe blogs or other online media can actually go so far as to replace the papers. At some point (even leaving aside the issues with comments), people’s eyes will get strained, won’t they?
I read Jean-Dominique Bauby’s story in Reader’s Digest years and years ago- and it makes an amazing book. I’d love to see the movie sometime.
PS: that picture of you (in your WSJ top, isn’t it) and Paul is adorable!
i’m so glad you made an exception! congrats to paul!! (should i clip art him in the photo with topless coco as a memento of this occasion?)
what would we do without these men that are 100% different that we are. they keep us balanced – which is a hell of a job. I agree totally that p@d’s blog is unbiased true journalism, hopefully he will be wall street journal material next year!
i dedicated my latest blog to you and suze and goofy gal, check it out: http://daveclancyfamily.blogspot.com/2007/12/misery-loves-company.html
Wow, “made you hate humanity ” ehh…harsh. Re: the last half of your post – I’m the same way…
I think it’s great he has achieved that! I am about to become a journalist (just finishing my degree) and I’d love have something like that! Congratulations to him! you must be so proud!!
Heheh, read carefully or you wind up married, love that! Congrats to Paul on both counts 🙂
Wendy
I read your Mr. Chubbs/Paul story and totally know what you mean. I have a nortorious-ex who alwasy was a bit of a d**k about my poodle. But I remember my husband (of 10 years), the first time he visited me had my pup on his lap who fell asleep there. I remember looking over and thinking “I can’t let this one get away.”
And I didn’t!
Dogs know (some times better than we do) who are “good people” and who are not.
Luv
Poochie
P.S. I believe “ass-hat” will be my new favorite descriptor of my ex.
P.P.S. The ass-hat is still alone. Ha ha.
Hi wendy,
People are crazy and those that leave horrible comments are just that.Horrible,lonely people without a life.
It happened to me on one of my old blogs,an anonymous woman attacked me for being Indian and on my opinions.It hurt but I got over it as I realised that she probably did not have a life !!!
The picture of you and Paul together in October 2004…I love the gown you have on,very reminiscent of a saree!
I wasnt sure about my husband in the beginning too but he wore me down by being so sweet.It wont hurt him to show some of that to me now !!!
LOL @ your husband, VB. I can’t understand what the person who insulted you wanted. That you should stop being Indian? People are crazy!
delightful article by your mister. and being in a newspaper family myself, i completely agree with all he has to say and have felt and seen many of those things happen as well.
and i agree with reading the comments on those blogs…it makes me sad for humanity. oh well, at least there are other things in the world…like shopping and pets and girlfriends!
hope your days are getting brighter. xoxo
They basically acted like because I was Indian,I should not have an opinion on anything!!!
That was a nut case !!!
PS:I am updating Frasiers blog so thats why I am posting a comment in his name but if you forgot,its me VB!
WB, thanks for the link. What an incredibly edifying article that was, and one worth revisiting in the future.
I’m interested in your husband’s thoughts on the legitimacy of journalistic blogging. Here in CA this has been a object of contention; I think that slowly certain voices are being accepted and heard, whereas in the past the doors were bolted shut.
Happy New Year to you both!
Congratulations on your husband’s achievement – very impressive. It must be so interesting to get the inside story on the world of news media in such major publications. I also work in the news industry (in South Africa) and I think people would be horrified if they knew the half of what goes on behind the scenes.
In the words of every boy in my high school class: “Your husband is a piiiimmmp!” But really, that’s amazing and be sure to tell him Daddy Likey says congratulations (because that’s not weird at all).
Also, I’ll have you know that my blog is 100% fact. Isn’t it obvious?
I am truly honored to be the last bastion of completely true news reporting.
I saw that article in the WSJ on Saturday, and thought of you crazy kids. Very impressive story and career – really, ’twas the coming of age of American print media, and he was at the forefront of two of the nation’s best papers.
I was fascinated, and mildly disappointed by my own life and jobs, but I’m a little upset now that there were no quotes from you shooting down the “asshats.”
Also, I’ve learned that you never accept rejection if the girl is foxy enough…at least until the courts get involved. And then, you just have to get creative.
You two are really quite adorable!
I’m absolutely the same way! I jump to conclusions. I have a long list of people who I think hate me too.
Oh, and I always love your stories. Your life is so glamorous! 🙂