Sun Has a New Publisher

...and it is I. This press release went out all over the world today, with this loverly photo.



Alameda Sun Names Publisher
Founding editor returns as publisher, exec editor

ALAMEDA, CA: The Alameda Sun and its parent corporation, Stellar Media Group, Inc., have named Julia Park Tracey as publisher and executive editor of the newspaper. Tracey will also oversee book publishing, business development and marketing, event management and community outreach. Tracey is the founding editor of the Alameda Sun and is also one of the owners of the publishing company.
“We are glad to have Julia back at the helm,” said Eric Turowski, CEO and general manager of the Sun. “She brings a great deal of experience and will be an asset in all the newspaper’s departments.”
“Julia provides leadership for our talented staff and we feel she represents the Sun in the community in the best light,” said Eric J. Kos, CFO and creative director of the company.
Tracey started the Alameda Sun with founding partners Turowski, Kos and James Spratley in September 2001. Spratley was the first publisher, Kos was creative director, Turowski general manager and Tracey (then Julia Park) was editor. Tracey was made a partner in January 2002. Spratley left the newspaper in 2002 and the company has been without a publisher since then.
Tracey left the newspaper for an editor’s position with Alameda and Oakland magazines in 2004, then led her own publicity firm, working with artists, performers and non-profits. Tracey has been acting editor at The Music Scene and co-editor at The East Bay Monthly since 2006. She left The Monthly to return to the Sun as publisher and executive editor.
“I’m very glad to be back on the Island full-time,” said Tracey. “I am passionate about this community and doing what I can to support it. I look forward to bringing new writers onboard, adding new features and continuing our tradition of a strong community spirit.”
Tracey, 44, a Bay Area native, becomes one of the few women publishers in the state of California. She received her BA in journalism from San Francisco State University and her MA in English from the California State University, East Bay. She was a longtime reporter, columnist and theater critic for the San Leandro Times and features editor at the Castro Valley Forum before leaving to found the Alameda Sun. She is the author of the critically acclaimed novel Tongues of Angels, founder of the Red Hills Review literary magazine and director of the annual Alameda Literati book fair. Her work has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle and East Bay Express, as well as in academic and literary journals and anthologies around the world. A collection of her poetry is forthcoming from Ankh Press, and her work appears online on several blogs.
Under Tracey’s guidance as editor, the Alameda Sun was named Best New Business by the Chamber of Commerce in 2002, a Shining Star in the Arts by the Alameda City Arts Council in 2003, and received recognition for public service from the California Newspaper Publishers Association (CNPA) for the Sun’s coverage of “The Most Racist City in America.” Tracey was the recipient of the Isle City Business and Professional Women’s LENA Award (Woman of the Year) in 2003 and was named Outstanding Chamber Member by the Alameda Chamber of Commerce in 2005.
She also received a CNPA Blue Ribbon award in 2005 for best column (“Modern Muse”), and was tapped for Best Editorial in 2005 by the San Francisco-East Bay Press Club; she was recognized by the same organization this year for Best Blog (“Modern Muse”).
Tracey comes from a family tradition of publishing; her father, William Park, was business manager and publisher at CM Publications in San Rafael, CA, which published Bicycling! magazine, SportsWoman (the first women’s sports magazine), Redwood Rancher and Dairy Scope. He was also a publishing consultant for Darkroom Photography and Super 8 in San Francisco as well as Trailer Life and Motor Home in Thousand Oaks before retiring from publishing in 1984.
Tracey is married to Patrick A. Tracey, director of human resources for CBR Systems, Inc., a biotech firm in San Bruno. They have five children and live in Alameda, CA.

land of the living

Back into the real world, despite my second bad cold of the season (which started Sept 1 for me, I think), and a case of itchies in all the raw places (inside elbows, behind knees, inside wrists, back of neck, lower side-back, throat under ears...lovely). I ended up missing Sunday-Wednesday, a half-week right in the deathmarch before Literati, and ack, ack, ack, I am on the verge of panic. But who cares? It will be OK. Right? Right?


Movies watched = zero. I've seen most of them and couldn't get inspired enough to re-watch anything, not even Jane Austen.

Books read = Desire of the Everlasting Hills by Thomas Cahill; Odds Against and Whip Hand by Dick Francis, plus started another - Longshot; finished The Gospel According to Jesus by Stephen Mitchell; looked at about six other books and couldn't get excited about any of them. So horse-racing mysteries and books about Jesus. What gives? Call it delirium. Or a way to ponder life's unanswerable mysteries. Like why I hate mysteries, sort of, but love Dick Francis. Like why I'm not that keen on horses, since being nearly killed by one, but I find the horse-racing adventures (with death and mayhem in hot pursuit) enjoyable. Did I mention that I've read ALL of these books before? So none of this was even new to me.

But there you go. Sick reading for a sick, sick woman.

Episodes of CSI watched = a couple more. I also saw a couple of espisodes of "House" (the mean doctor guy). And part of a special on Costa Rica's crocodiles. Gotta luv Animal Planet.

Advil consumed = far too many, with a cracking headache that lasted for 4 days. But I've lived. Now stop that cheering. You knew I was gonna live anyway.

Teabags used = half as many as cups of tea consumed, because I used them all twice. Favorite flavor this time around = spiced chai. Yum.

Brain cells left to work on ALameda Literati = 27

Days left to work on Alameda Literati = 9-ish

Days until I start working on Literati 2008 = 10

Back to the salt mines...

sick sick sickety sick

...yet again. Ana has had strep and I thought I had it but the doc says no, just another cold. Fabulous...


movies watched = zero

episodes of CSI = about 7, I think

sports watched [it was on, the Man was watching, I was slipping in and out of consciousness] =

• parts of Sunday Night Football, the Whoozits vs the Whatzits (you couldn't pay me to remember, kind of out of it. But the Whoozits won, I think.)
• Game 7 of Cleveland vs Red Sox, and I did see the last home run and final inning. Red Sox. [halfhearted cheer.....zzzzzz]

books read =

• almost finished The Desire of the Everlasting Hills: Thomas Cahill. One more chapter but it takes brain power that I haven't got right now.
• Dick Francis - Odds Against. Horse racing, mystery, dead people, schemes. Turn page. More of same. Perfect for sick reading.

Outings made = one, across the street to the library's used book sale, where we picked up 4 sacks of books for $10 ($3 each or 2 for $5). Got a huge gardening library, spiritual reading and tons of novels. Good stuff. I staggered back home with my Sherpa, Mr Husband, carrying the load. Went to bed. Later crawled downstairs to paw through and find something else to read. My pick = Dick Francis. [hoarse cheer, followed by hacking cough]

Deadlines up the wazoo but sorry, no can do today. Major inconvenience as it is a scant 12 days till Literati. But I am told to rest so I will live to see another day.

So adieu, mes amis. Au lit...

Late Breaking News, such as it is

e-mail received today:

Hi Julia,

I’m pleased to announce East Bay Monthly has been nominated for an Utne Independent Press Award! (thre press release follows...)

UTNE READER ANNOUNCES THE NOMINEES FOR 19th ANNUAL UTNE INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARDS 2007; 111 STANDOUT PUBLICATIONS MAKE IT TO THE FINAL ROUND

Minneapolis, MN (October 18, 2007) –Utne Reader has officially announced its nominees for the magazine’s 2007 Independent Press Awards, which honors the very best in independent media from the pool of more than 1,300 sources Utne uses to cull its content. Among the 111 nominees selected were old favorites as well as a number of newcomers. Utne will announce the winners in January/February 2008.
In the meantime, Utne Reader’s November/December 2007 issue gives a nod to all the candidates.
The complete list of nominees [and may I say, good company, all of them]:

Magazines (General Excellence)
ColorLines
Columbia Journalism Review
Discover
Film Comment
Foreign Policy
Kyoto Journal
The Sun [<-- magazine, not the Alameda Sun, alas]
The Wilson Quarterly

Zines (General Excellence)
Brainscan
Hungover Gourmet
Macaroni
Moonlight Chronicles
Musea
Smile, Hon, You’re in Baltimore!
Uncle Enos
You Don’t Get There From Here

Best New Publication
The American
Blackfly
Craft
The Crier
Democracy: A Journal of Ideas
Make/shift
Meatpaper
Polite

Environmental Coverage
Audubon
E Magazine
Earth Island Journal
Environmental Building News
Orion
Sierra
Sustainable Industries Journal
Terrain

International Coverage
Colors
Cultural Survival Quarterly
Foreign Policy
Middle East Report
NACLA Report on the Americas
New Internationalist
Peace Review
Prospect

Health/Wellness Coverage
Alternative Medicine
CR Magazine
The Human Ecologist
Mothering
POZ
Psychology Today
VegNews
Yoga Journal

Local/Regional Coverage
Alberta Views
East Bay Monthly (Bay Area, CA) -- woo hoo!
The Independent Weekly (Lafayette, LA)
New England Watershed
Oxford American (Southern U.S.)
Sacramento News & Review
Urbanite (Baltimore)
Westword (Denver)

Political Coverage
The American Prospect
The Chronicle of Higher Education
City Journal
Dissent
Governing
The Nation
The New Republic
Reason

Science/Tech Coverage
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Discover
The Futurist
New Scientist
OnEarth
Science & Spirit
Science News
Technology Review

Social/Cultural Coverage
California
ColorLines
Dollars & Sense
Gastronomica
Greater Good
Guilt & Pleasure
Indian Country Today
The Next American City

Spiritual Coverage
Geez
Islamica
Notre Dame
Parabola
Shambhala Sun
Sojourners
Spirituality & Health
Tikkun

In-Depth/Investigative
Coverage
The Chicago Reporter
Columbia Journalism Review
GeneWatch
High Country News
Intelligence Report
Mother Jones
The Texas Observer
The Village Voice

Best Design
Beyond
Bidoun
Esopus
Heeb
Hyphen
Maisonneuve
Ninth Letter
Theme

Best Writing
The Believer [<--out of SF!]
Geist
L.A. Weekly
Maisonneuve
The New Republic
The Sun [again -- I've been published there!]
Virginia Quarterly Review
The Wilson Quarterly

Arts Coverage
Art Papers
BlackFlash
Bookforum
Film Comment
New Statesman
No Depression
Paste
Raw Vision
Late Lamente

More Fog, More Rain, More Moi

I like the rain. I just hate driving in it.

Out here at the Base, I pretend that I live in Scotland, and then the gray gloom doesn't bother me so much. I love the Canada geese flying overhead, honking, as if they're going somewhere important. They're not, but their instincts tell them it's time to fly in formation, so they gather, spread wings, and take off, fly a couple of hundred yards, then settle downon the grass to eat and poop some more. Life as a goose. It's not so hard.

I'm in the midst of last-minute Literati scheduling and PR-ing. Madness, I tell you. The living room is overtaken with baskets of stuff for the raffle. I'm plotting out classroom space and open mic and the like. May I just say ACK. If you haven't heard, check out Alameda Literati right now. All ages welcome. It's free. It's for you. Honestly, I don't just do this for my health.

Got a fortune in my cookie the other night that says "Let your social instincts off the leash and talk to everyone." So watch for the announcements in the Alameda Sun and elsewhere: I'm back at the Sun as of Nov. 1 as publisher and executive editor. Officially. That makes the week of Oct. 29-Nov 3 a bit insane. Ending one job, taking on another, staff transitions and then Literati. Don't worry if you hear nothing from me for a few days. I'll be probably very busy. Nothing personal.

Part of that transition is press releases to the publishing world, and announcements to local groups and key players. That has been going well. The fortune cookie is right, so far. Talk to everyone. I do. Just more than I have been.

Next week is also the Paden School Walk-a-thon. If you're of a mind to sponsor the Boy for a few bucks, let me know. He's hoping his class will win a pizza party. This weekend is homecoming at AHS and an away game for EHS at Berkeley. So all three girls are excited. A man is fixing the raccoon-hole in the roof. I am excited about that. And tonight we're heading into the City to see Jimmy Buffett at the Filmore. So the Man is excited, too. In fact, it's his favorite day of the year.

We'll see how it all goes. I'm off to Emeryville to work at The Monthly today, and interview Rabbi Steven Chester of Temple Sinai, who will be featured in our December issue on people of faith. I also need to make a stop at Laci's Museum for a short Textiles piece. If you see/hear of any quilt shows or other art exhibitions in the East Bay or SF featuring fabric as art, weaving, knitting, textiles, etc., let me know. I have been writng about that for The Monthly and enjoying it. I think I mentioned the riveting exhibition I saw at the Judah L. Magnes Museum about a year ago featuring all hand embroidered and appliqued scenes from the Holocaust, from one woman's memories as a child. Unbelievable, awe inspiring, humbling, devastating works. It's no longer on display but it was magnificent. I'm always interested in seeing more, and the Laci's exhibition features needle lace, "Born of thread and air...".

And, last but certainly not least, I was pressured into joining up with the NaNos this year, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha....That is, the National Novel Writing Month deathmarch, wherein one writes a 50,000 novel in 30 days. That's about 1666 words a day. I set up a blog to write on. That is this: http://www.juliasnano.blogspot.com/ if you want to watch me slog through it. And now that all of you know about it, I can't pretend it never happened. Now thepressure's on. Fortunately I have a novel in mind and plotted out already, so I just have to do it. DO IT! Ha! But there we go. We start Nov. 1 and cough up 1500-2000 words a day till we are done. I've done that here, without even blinking. (Actually, this is just 680 so far.)

But with a big scoop of plot, a sprinkle of attitude, a handful of charcters and tongue firmly planted in cheek, I think we can do it. Check it out and let me know what you think so far, starting Nov. 1. Because that's when the fun begins.

And did I say Nov. 1? Yes, the day I start my new job as publisher and two days before Literati. See why the maniacal laughter? See what I mean? Insane.

OK, then. Happy trails.

Autumn Poem

Lumens*
or, Found Poem, with Edits

The bone-pot simmers,
the lemon blossom fades.
The last leaf falls.
Regardez, beside the line of roses braving the November air,
just beyond the sage-green shutters to where
a would-be novelist blackens white pages in her chill room.

See you all when Winter's come.

*Wikipedia: The lumen can be thought of casually as a measure of the total "amount" of visible light. A very short poem or line of poetry -- idea popularized by poet Olga Broumas.

Coupla Pix from LENA awards

Went to the National Business Women's Week awards in town yesterday and was a presenter for one of the awards. This is the same org that gave me the LENA (Woman of the Year) award a few years ago. Lovely, smart women, all of them.

Photos by Carrie Beavers, and here's the caption: The Isle City Business and Professional Women's annual awards ceremony honoring local women of achievement took place Sunday, in honor of National Business Women's Week. Pictured are presenters and award winners (holding awards): Kathy Shaughnessy, Bank of Alameda; Kathy Moehring, LENA Award; Lena Tam, vice mayor of Alameda; Kate Quick, community service award; Dr. Cecelia Cervantes, education award; Dr. Ardella Dailey, AUSD superintendent; Julie Baron, business award; and Julia Park Tracey, Alameda Sun.

And here we are beforehand, a few of us Alameda gals...

That's Alison Bliss, Kathie Woulfe, Kathy Moehring, self, and Kathy Shaughnessy behind me talking to Julie Baron of Julie's Coffee & Tea Garden. Yes, almost everyone in Alameda is named Kathy.

My Husband Says

...that he loves me and I look gorgeous and he is so happy he found me 46 months ago today, in an e-mail he just sent me with this photo. ;-)

Happy two months of wedded bliss, my dearest.

Car Show: Taming the Beast

Here's a piece that ran before online, at Tattoo Highway, that I resurrected (this was from Y2K) to use in this year's Park Street Car Show program. Why am I fiddling with my blog at this hour? Because I drank coffee to stay awake for my women's group from 6:30 to 10:30, ha fricking har de har. So it's 11:40 pm and sure wish I could sleep. Anyway. Enjoy this, or don't.


Taming the Beast, or How I Learned to Drive

At the time I began to learn how to drive, I must admit, I knew nothing about cars.

All I knew was what I had learned in the portable classroom at Petaluma High School.
The thin newsprint pages of the California Department of Motor Vehicles Handbook offered plenty of theoretical information, what-ifs and wherefores, but nothing in the way of practical how-tos. In that classroom, awash with fluorescent light, crowded with graffiti-emblazoned student desks, I took my turn at the faux driving console to test my reflexes. When the light changed from green to red, “Hit the brakes,” we were told. I did, though how fast my reflexes were, I can’t say; still, I was certainly acquiring a valuable skill.

I was learning how to drive, how to get from A to B in a new kind of vehicle. At home on the backroads of Sonoma, in 12 acres of empty fields and fallen-down chicken barns, I had learned to ride a horse and drive a pony cart. I could rollerskate and ride a bicycle; I could even ice skate. Backwards.

But I knew nothing of cars. In my mind, they were like wayward horses that had to be held to a tight rein, else they’d veer from the trail. As with a pony cart, one would have to be careful not to turn too quickly or the whole thing would tip over. A sense of balance surely helped. On roller skates or a bicycle, one didn’t go far without a little effort, and I knew I would have to push hard on a gas or brake pedal to make the car respond. On the other hand, like ice-skating backwards, the whole thing looked deceptively easy, but with a little practice I could soon show off my graces.

After months of waiting, I got my chance. Mr. Donovan, the Driver’s Ed teacher, finally said it was my turn to drive. Raymond T., another student, was my driving partner. We showed up at the abandoned high school at 9 a.m. on an overcast Saturday, ready to take a spin behind the wheel. My boyfriend, Devin, had found great humor at the thought of me driving. He found it so funny that he’d invited a group of his friends to come and watch. The teenaged boys, members of the cross-country running team, stood around in running shorts and ratty tee shirts, all elbows and long legs and acne, waiting to laugh at the dumb blonde.

When Mr. Donovan came out of the building and unlocked the car, he barked at me, “You first.” I exchanged glances with Raymond, who, cool and self-assured, shrugged and got into the back seat. I got into the front seat and closed the door, the vinyl chilly against the back of my legs. Devin and his friends jostled together and waited for the fun to begin.

Mr. Donovan handed me the key and I pushed it into the ignition. I had never done this thing before. I didn’t even know which way to turn it. Guessing, I got it the first time, and the engine started with a satisfying roar. I waited for Mr. Donovan to tell me what to do next, to teach me how to drive.

“Well?” he growled. “Drive it out of the lot.”

I took the wheel tightly in my hands, knowing that if I didn’t hold on, it would jerk away and we’d all die a grisly death. Gingerly, I eased one hand down to the automatic gearshift on the steering column. Gotta shift it into Drive, I thought. I knew that much. I pushed my foot down onto the gas as hard as I could, determined to control the beast, and shifted.

The stick popped into Reverse and we shot backward a good 10 feet before Donovan’s foot stomped the teacher’s emergency brake. All of us lurched forward as we stopped, my forehead bouncing off the steering wheel. Devin and his friends howled with laughter outside, some of them actually falling and rolling on the lawn. Cool Raymond adjusted his sunglasses and looked out the side window, doubtless imagining himself elsewhere. Mr. Donovan reached over and pushed the stick back into Park, keeping his foot hard on the teacher’s brake.

“I can see,” he said, “that we’re going to have to start at the beginning.”


***
This story was previously published in Tattoo Highway circa 2000, when I was getting my MA. And in all fairness to the lovely real Mr. Donovan, it was actually some other guy but I can't remember his name. I think I blocked it out. He was, as Shakespeare would say, a ass.

Thinkin' Pink (the out-takes)

Check it out, check it out, mah people.

Watch for this in upcoming Sun ads. Photos by Ana Rodrigues

But wait -- there's more...

And just a few more...

It's for an ad for October: Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Alameda Sun is giving 15% of its Pink ad revenues to the Susan G. Komen fund, so if you're in the market, buy an ad, my leetle friends. You like the bosom? Keep it healthy and safe! Take good care of it and both you and your lifemate (and your babies) will be happy. You no like the bosom? Shame on you. Be nice to it anyway.

Happy Pink.

Saturday Evening Post

You know that list of stuff I was supposed to do (below)? I did it all. Except the thank-ee notes, and I've just been told I have a year to say thanks. I don't think that's true (I think people have a year to give us gifts if they wanted to). But maybe everyone believes in the year-myth and that gives me a reprieve. Then people keep telling me not to write them TY notes. But I must. It's The Law. Seriously.

This has been a krazy week, super busy but more to come. Lots going on at the Sun and getting ready for new pages, new ad campaigns, new sections, new columns, etc. We're getting ready for a new craft corner where we go to various classes like beads, knitting, glass-etching, whatever, and write about it. Then we're in the midst of a Think Pink for breast cancer month, so tomorrow Carrie and I are doing a pink photo shoot (Ana doing the pix). We're dressing all in pink. We're trying to work up a thing where we invite the town of Alameda to show up at City Hall wearing all pink and we'll take the photo and put it on the front page. Couple of weeks from now, maybe. Wow! It's true! Maybe...

Just got the Literati youth writing contest underway, and also set up the guidelines for the holiday writing contest we're also having at the Sun. Literati prep continues, with new plans for an exhibition of Jane Austen books, costumes and accessories, as well as a literary philatelic display. Vendors and purveyors and authors are contacting me left and right. The PR needs to go out on the wire this week, and I have been collecting stuff for goody bags for participants, and for raffle baskets. (Please let me know if you have logo stuff I can drop into the bags -- keyrings, pens, matches, gum?) My living room is a disaster. Truly. Filled with Literati stuff. I've had meetings nearly every day for Literati or Sun or whatever, ack.

Wrote a big editorial for the Sun last week, which got me some mail and some guff, also did that Urinetown review for the 2 papers. This weekend I did an interview with Pat Potter of The Music Scene and Pucci's fish market fame. He's performing locally in his House of Floyd band Oct 27, so I'm writing that up for the Sun. I have a visit to Laci's textiles museum in Berkeley scheduled for next week to write about for The Monthly. I finished the piece I was working on for Alameda Mag about local heroes -- really enjoyed doing that, even from sickbed. Lovely people out in this world. Nice to get to know them.

The garden is fading fast. We still have tomatoes but even the potted plants are looking bedraggled. About time to replant everything. (Oops, I should switch this to the Bliss blog -- gotta stick to gardening over there!) I'd like to decorate a bit for Halloween -- I mean, I'd like the kids to do so but all in good time.

I have that pink photo shoot tomorrow and the rest of the day will be spent working on Literati stuff -- flyers, PR, poster designs, etc. (plus groceries, menus, laundry, housework, watering the yard). So much stuff to do. So little time. I have a month -- exactly 4 weeks. Watch me spin.

In the meantime, book ideas, stories, a new novel, and more are swimming in my brain. Stand back. This could get -- fun. Gonna go snuggle with my hubby now so I can get an early start in the a.m.

Ciao, bellas.