Taking The Next Step (Backwards)

• I was first hired by the Mercury in 1912 as a delivery boy. Us Newsies always got a thrill from delivering the paper each and every week, especially 'ol One Leggy Petey here. That kid loved it when Dan Savage would write about "pegging."

I'm taking the next step in my career after four 11 fantastic years with the Mercury. I'm sorry to say that I'm moving on.

This is the best newspaper in Oregon, and I've loved working here. Steve Humphrey has stood up for me when nobody else would, and he's given me room to develop my strengths and interests as a journalist. There really aren't enough editors out there like him, and I'll always be indebted. To publisher Rob Crocker, too, I give my thanks. He believed in my talent and I appreciate it.

So why would anybody quit a job in the newspaper industry in 2010 2011?

My life, so far, has been characterized by taking fairly large calculated risks which have paid enormous dividends, and I don't see why I should stop doing that now. I'm moving to New Orleans...

Okay, fine, you got me. I didn't write any of this.

Truth is, I just plagiarized Matt Davis' farewell blog post from May, 2010. (The real reason I am moving to New Orleans is to join Matt on a series of Cajun adventures in research for my first Hollywood screenplay, Boat Cop Meets the British Bobby: Bayou Fever.)

Actually, I'm not really going anywhere.

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