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Nashville, Tennessee

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Nashville Scene - Pith in the Wind

The Nashville Scene News Blog

The Keyboard Assassin

Posted May 15, 2008 at 11:26:34 AM by Liz Garrigan

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That handsome (kinda) man is our own Jeff Woods on a rare day when he didn't look like a street urchin. Anyway, his journalistic efforts during last year's mayoral race have made him a finalist for our industry's Public Service Award category. Some call his coverage of the candidates, particularly of former Congressman Bob Clement, journalistic malpractice. We call it kicking tail. There continues to be widespread misunderstanding, apparently, about the role of altweeklies, which is to offer reporting with point of view, not to serve as a platform for stenographic mealy-mouthery the likes of which readers can get at The City Paper and The Tennessean.

In fact, I named the package of pieces "Mayor Bubba Smackdown," and we argued to the judges that the Nashville Scene provided a public service to Nashvillians by reporting and editorializing over several months' time that Bob Clement was far from the best choice to run this $1.8 billion major American city. An independent panel of judges apparently agrees, though the best we can hope for is probably third place as these types of journalism awards typically go to papers discovering that corporations are poisoning poor people, not to grumpy, unshaven wretches singularly obsessed with picking on political hacks desperately in search of power.

We never thought that Jeff Woods—whose triangle of existence includes our office Monday through Thursday, a seedy downtown bar and the Smoky Mountains—would be recognized for providing a public service. He's probably cringing at the notion that someone thinks he's done something good in the world.

Category: Garrigan, Media, Politics
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My Boss Is in the News Again

Posted May 13, 2008 at 10:12:01 AM by Liz Garrigan

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But this time it's a David Carr piece in the Times recounting how Village Voice Media's Mike Lacey and partner Jim Larkin are taking on the crooked Phoenix sheriff who had them arrested for, as Carr puts it, "committing journalism."

Reporters around the world work under state-imposed limits on information, and there are even places where police show up in the dead of night and spirit them away to jail for having the temerity to commit journalism. It is a grim tableau repeated too often all over the world: it happens in Iran, it happens in China, it happens in Zimbabwe. And last fall, it happened in Phoenix.

The staggering drama—go read the whole piece—makes me wish just a little that Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall was a mercenary backwater jackass, which he is not. Course, there's always Terry Ashe.

Category: Garrigan, Media
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Why Does the GOP Hate Mothers?

Posted May 09, 2008 at 03:56:46 PM by Liz Garrigan

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Only in Washington. For those who weren't aware, three of Tennessee's U.S. House members voted against motherhood this week—including one member with ovaries, Rep. Marsha Blackburn. (John Duncan and Zach Wamp cast the other two votes.) From the Washington Post's Dana Milbank today on this staggering floor vote:


On Wednesday afternoon, the House had just voted, 412 to 0, to pass H. Res. 1113, "Celebrating the role of mothers in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of Mother's Day," when Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.), rose in protest.

"Mr. Speaker, I move to reconsider the vote," he announced.

Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), who has two young daughters, moved to table Tiahrt's request, setting up a revote. This time, 178 Republicans cast their votes against mothers.

Just in time for Mother's Day. Asses.

Category: Congress, Garrigan, Politics
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Reasons to Avoid the Steeplechase

Posted May 09, 2008 at 02:56:33 PM by Liz Garrigan

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The 67th running of the Iroquois Steeplechase is Saturday and, at the risk of offending my Nfocus cohorts upstairs who generously ply me with Hot Tamales, I'm here to say there are myriad reasons to avoid this event. (To support Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, just write a check.)

Back to those reasons: If you don't have an aversion to animal cruelty, then consider the portable potties, which are often positioned beyond a well-traveled swath of mud; the inbred monied elite who, what with their plastic surgery and creepy smiles, look like Appalachians in linen; and the overabundance of dirty feet, which happen when the younger attendees abandon their open-toed contraptions for a more carefree existence.

Other reasons include possible sitings sightings of John Jay Hooker and Vic Lineweaver.

Category: Garrigan, Politics
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Jon Stewart Talks With the Scene

Posted May 07, 2008 at 03:27:52 PM by Liz Garrigan

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Jack Silverman, the Scene's senior (and self-described) "Red Sea pedestrian," has a hysterical must-read Q&A this week with our favorite comedy anchorman, Jon Stewart, who performs at the Ryman Friday night.

Asked how he feels the Jewish takeover of the media is going, here's what Stewart has to say:

Not as well as it could have been. I thought we gave the pope a little too much coverage. I was a little surprised by that, especially that close to Passover. I thought there'd be a lot more, “Here's a great matzoh brei recipe.” But we do what we can.

Go read the whole thing. You won't be sorry.

Category: Garrigan, Media, Politics
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Editor’s Note

Posted May 06, 2008 at 04:27:08 PM by Liz Garrigan

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That sketch of me to the right and down the page a bit is pretty unflattering. Unfortunately, it looks just like me. Still, the problem has to be solved one way or another, and while this may seem drastic, here’s the fix: I’m retiring from the Scene.

I may be a lame duck (though not actually because of the caricature), but I’m leaving to try something completely new, to take an endlessly exciting, and unexpected, opportunity. In short, I’m attempting something pretty rare in journalism these days: a chance to make an exit while I’m still having an enormous amount of fun. I’m proud of the staff I work with—the most talented in the city—and the newspaper we produce every week. It might be a bit anticlimactic, but this is not a protest resignation, a corporate cost-cutting measure or a veiled firing.

My next gig is as editorial director of Magellan Media, an umbrella company of book imprints and (non-newspaper) publishing enterprises headed by Nashville businessman Bill King, someone I respect a great deal. I’ll be working on new projects, developing business, assessing ideas and other slightly vague and terrifying pursuits that will probably tempt me (let’s hope unfuckingsuccessfully) to use the word “synergy” and will doubtless cause me to awaken at 3 a.m. in a cold sweat. But that’s just it: My best work comes in the face of blind terror. Plus, after 12 years at one place—as political writer, news editor, associate editor, then editor—it’s time for this root-bound journalist to repot herself.

When I became editor in 2004, I informally imposed a five-year expiration date on the job, figuring that’s how long it would take to do the things I wanted to accomplish and still do them tirelessly, without becoming complacent. I’m crossing the finish line a year and change early. (And a good thing, too, or there might be even more metaphors in this column.)

I can’t offer much at this point about our succession plan here at the Scene, except to say that I’m leaving the thrift store couch I bought for $60 circa 2000. The stories it could tell were it not an inanimate object….

Assuming the editorial power structure here wants my copy, I will continue to contribute to the Scene from time to time. And because I’ll be sticking around until the end of June, my staff will have to suffer seven more weeks of unsolicited grammar lectures, Luther Vandross iTunes and really dated pop culture references. Na, na, na, na…na, na, na, na…hey hey hey…goodbye.

Oh, and I'll probably post a nostalgic note here on June 30, if for no other reason than we'll need content to feed the beast.

Category: Garrigan, Media
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I Just Received a Deeply Personal Note From Harold Jr.

Posted May 06, 2008 at 11:23:16 AM by Liz Garrigan

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And here it is. It's really touching:

Dear Friend,

I have officially moved to NBC after a year and productive stint with FOX News. Starting today, you will begin receiving notices about my appearances on NBC and MSNBC news and political shows. With election and economic news increasing, the appearances will be frequent.

This evening starting at 6:00 pm EST, 5:00 pm CST I will join the MSNBC news "Decision 08" team to provide analysis of the election results from Indiana and North Carolina. The coverage will last through the evening.

-- Harold

*Check your local listings for MSNBC Channel

Category: Garrigan, Media, Politics
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Rethink Those Quote Marks

Posted May 05, 2008 at 11:53:25 AM by Liz Garrigan

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There are friends and colleagues I respect a great deal working on the new/old enterprise at The City Paper. Many of them—hell, most of them—are much smarter than I, but a word of advice about an unfortunate pair of quote marks on today's cover: When describing NashvilleCityPaper.com as a destination for "Daily" Local News, the quote marks connote that a) either someone else says so or b) that's what you're calling it, but it's not really true. It's as if to say, "Pssst, we're saying it's daily, but it's not really."

Anyway, the grammar nerd could not help herself.

Hugs and commas,

Liz

Category: Garrigan
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In Fairness to Corker

Posted April 21, 2008 at 10:40:00 AM by Liz Garrigan

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Below, Bruce Barry makes a good point, but in fairness to Sen. Bob Corker, who was at the Scene Friday explaining the extraordinarily complex cap-and-trade bill, it's clear that he's interested in arguing the merits of the legislation and in understanding the nature of global warming—but doesn't feel obliged to mire himself in the stuff of competing scientific theories.

For over an hour, Corker—who has traveled to Greenland, met with academics and scientists and is on an informal statewide media tour explaining this monumental bill (whose goals he seems to favor but whose particular execution he opposes)—demonstrated an impressive mastery of this potential public policy and of the nature of carbon emissions. And for what it's worth, he made it clear to us that he believes humans do contribute to climate change. Here's what he told us:

I’m not here to actually debate the science. There’s still people who debate like heck the whole issue of whether the world is warming naturally, which there’s no question that through centuries the earth warms and cools. By the way, no better example than Greenland. I mean, why was Greenland called Greenland? The Vikings went there about 1,000 years ago, and people were growing potatoes there. And they said, 'Hey, come on over here; it’s warm, you can grow stuff here.' Now, it’s an ice cap, obviously. But the point is, the earth does naturally warm and cool. Nobody debates that. What people do debate is whether man is contributing to the warming. I’m not going to debate that. I believe it is occurring, though I can’t tell how acute it is....

BB, you would be pleased to know that Corker traveled to Greenland with, among others, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, whom Corker made a special point of noting is one of his best Senate buds. "I love Bernie Sanders. Bernie is a socialist, and that’s not a description; that’s a noun. I love him. He is the only socialist in the Senate."

Category: Congress, Garrigan, Politics
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The Other Blogger

Posted April 18, 2008 at 04:02:21 PM by Liz Garrigan

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We know you're looking. We just want you to know we know that you're looking. Course, the other blogger has all day to work on his image—all day, OK? He doesn't have to get his hands dirty with ink or worry himself with putting out a newspaper. He can flirt with all the other bloggers, tickling and twittering them with links, winking and nodding like he's all interested in what they have to say when we all know he has just one thing on his mind.

Plus, he's younger. If you're going to hold it against us that we have a little more salt on our heads than he does, then you're just shallow and don't deserve us. Just because Jeff Woods looks like a mean Asian trannie and doesn't listen like ACK and look deeply into your wordpress or whatever doesn't mean we can't have a meaningful relationship.

And, let's face it, Matt makes you laugh. Admit it. What would our bond be without humor, right? I mean, ACK is sweet and all, but he's too busy making emoticons with all of his other blog boys and babes to pen 800 words of funny.

We know BB is really intimidating with his brains and all, but that doesn't mean he won't put out. We promise. He's the biggest linker of us all. Whore.

And then there's me. I'm not so bad. My grammar is impeccable, after all, which is a diminishing asset on the interweb. I dare ACK to engage in an intellectual debate about the semicolon with my ass; he'd go down. Beeyatch.

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Category: Garrigan, Media, Politics
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