Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

The Pinellas Public Library Cooperative serves Pinellas County residents in member cities and the unincorporated county. The Cooperative office provides coordination of activities and funding as well as marketing services for the following 15 member libraries.

They are getting ready to kick off the “Read Around Pinellas” promotion, where each person in the community is supposed to read the same book.  This year’s book is Jack London’s “Call of the Wild.”

Which is appropriate, since Pinellas has all sorts of coyote troubles.

“We don’t have a mandate to share editorial. We’re so local in our orientation, it’s never made any sense to do it that way. I think we’ve got six or seven film critics around the company now. If you put your efficiency hat on, could one film reviewer do the same job for everybody? Perhaps, but that connection to film and the local community is something I’m proud of. I’m (more interested in trying) something that really takes this talent and creates a national Web site out of it.” — Ben Eason, Creative Loafing CEO, in an interview with St. Petersburg Times’ TV/media critic Eric Deggans discussing Creative Loafing’s purchase of The Chicago Reader and the Washington City Paper; published August 19, 2007.

After those assurances made almost exactly one year ago, Creative Loafing has let film critic Lance Goldenberg go.

Local writer Philip Booth broke the story Thursday with an eloquently angry post on his blog Scribe Life. That same day, St. Pete Times’ TV/media critic Eric Deggans blogged about his disappointment at hearing the news in a post on his blog The Feed. Deggans’ post included quotes from both Goldenberg and CL editor David Warner, as well as the full statement issued by Warner.

Acknowledging both of those blog posts and the overwhelming support Goldenberg received in comments on both blogs, CL writer Wayne Garcia posted briefly – almost begrudgingly – about Goldenberg’s departure on the CL blog Political Whore. Garcia’s blog post included a statement from CL editor David Warner, who said that the concern about this news is understandable because “Lance has been a reliably expert voice on film in Tampa Bay for many years.”

In his published statements (on Political Whore and The Feed) and his blog comments (on The Feed and Scribe Life), Warner explained that CL’s decision to release Goldenberg – who has been a freelance writer for CL, not a full-time CL employee, all these years – was based on “the fiscal realities that are facing everyone in the newspaper business.” Warner assured readers and advertisers (smart move on Warner’s part to be concerned with advertisers, because they ultimately control the fiscal realities in the newspaper industry) of CL’s commitment “to reviewing and reporting on the local film scene and the many film festivals Creative Loafing has always covered in depth.”

I have so many questions and comments that I don’t know where to begin.

I suppose I should start by acknowledging my discomfort in writing about this topic. I’m a blogger, remember, so technically I’m part of the newspaper industry’s problem in the first place. (I’ll save that discussion for another blog post.) However, I hate reading about the exodus of film/book/art/music critics over the past year or so. (33 film critics since January 2006, according to The Movie Cricket.)

I spent several hours today writing a long article about this, going through all my questions and reactions point by point. After re-reading my final draft, I realized that it didn’t work and deleted it. All of the thoughts that have been swirling in my head since I first read about Goldenberg’s departure relate to one central concern:

Will Creative Loafing continue to write about, support, critique and draw attention to local films, filmmakers, film festivals and theaters?

I certainly hope so, but Creative Loafing’s track record has me a little worried. The same week that Tampa’s CL let Lance Goldenberg go, Atlanta’s Creative Loafing laid off senior editor Scott Freeman and senior arts writer (and occasional film reviewer) David Lee Simmons. Jonathan Rosenbaum, head film critic for the Chicago Reader, retired in February after 21 years. Art/film critic Felicia Feaster left Creative Loafing in Atlanta in April. The Chicago Reader lost several talented, dedicated staff writers in December.

Hopefully, the national advertising agency Creative Loafing signed on with recently can bring in those crucial advertising dollars.

When long-time writers like Goldenberg depart, readers notice the difference. Readers also notice when a paper loses some of its local focus or replaces thoughtful critical analysis with brief infotainment sound bytes.

Local film fans will be watching.  I certainly will be, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

(cross-posted at www.tampafilmfan.com)

Mark your calendars! Deep Carnivale:A Celebration of Words is now scheduled for Saturday, September 27, 10 a.m. — 5 p.m.

Here’s a partial event description from the Deep Carnivale website:

This literary festival aspires to bring Florida authors, writers and poets and related vendors together to share in a celebration of literature and writing with the Tampa Bay community. Approximately 70 poets, fiction writers, and songwriters as well as visual artists presented work at the first event in 2007. There are events for all ages.

There will be four sound stages for readings and live music. Literacy and arts activities will be available for ages from 2 through middle school and workshops available to adults of all ages. The schedule is currently under construction and will be announced around September 1.

One goal is to excite all children and young adults about the pleasures of reading and using the written and spoken word creatively in its many wonderful and diverse forms. Another goal is to illuminate the numerous talented writers living in our community, and a third goal is to provide a new opportunity to emerging authors to develop their audience.

Visit www.deepcarnivale.com for more as the schedule develops or to read about the 2007 festival.

Anyone interested in participating (authors, performers, food/book vendors, etc.) or volunteering is encouraged to contact Deep Carnivale director David Audet at daudet(at)hccfl.edu.

Hi - My middle name may as well be “addicted to writing”. But I was a late bloomer. It all started with an editorial submission to the St. Pete Times in 1997 that ended up winning a national writing award! With several more SPT editorials after that, I thank the editors for their encouragement to pursue writing as more than a hobby!

So this is my 11th year of freelance writing. I also enjoy ghostwriting (sorry- no school papers!). If you’re in a pinch for a writer, see my freelance website at http://www.writefromtheheart.net/.

I’ve lived in Tampa for over 20 years, but was born and raised in Chicago. Couldn’t stand the winters anymore, so I escaped! But still have family there and go back often when it’s warm. I miss the pizza.

I’m grateful and honored to join Sticks of Fire! Thanks for a great website, Tommy! Here, I will probably be writing mostly about things to do, eat and see in Tampa and area; you’d be surprised how many things us “locals” miss that tourists see! Maybe I’ll do some local politics and events, and will spotlight interesting people of Tampa Bay.

I was on the Tampa Tribune’s first “Board of Community Columnists”, (2005-2006), surprised to be selected as one of only 22 writers out of 800 applicants to write opinion editorials on topics of our choice as “fresh voices” for Tampa. Unlike fellow Sticks writers Bob and Judy, I never actually worked for the Tribune, but now write occasional freelance articles for them. Keep an eye out for links!

You may have previously seen my articles around town in 3 area-targeted Style Publications Magazines (Westchase, New Tampa, or North Pinellas Style) or the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

Nationally, Light & Life Magazine has me doing a bi-monthly interview column. That’s fun - I interview “everyday” people all over the country who are faith-based “movers and shakers” in their communities.

My other writing interests include Politics & U.S. Government, Life & Family Issues, Jewish/Christian relations, Alternative Health vs. Traditional Medicine and more!

However, I am also a confessed addict of TV shows like “American Idol” and “Dancing with the Stars”, and love movies and music as well.

You can see my thoughts on many of these assorted issues at my page on AssociatedContent.com.

I have a great husband (24 years as of 2008), one fabulous stepdaughter, and a deep belief in God and Jesus with a sincere love and respect for all people.

The local website of the week is run by Greg Vondruska, who attempted to create a place for Tampa Bay’s cartoonists to connect and show their wares. Last updated in 2006, it looks as if it did not take.

Check out Pen and Brush: Promoting emerging and established cartoonists in the Tampa Bay area. And if you visit, remember that these people are cartoonists, not web designers.

Here are some of the cartoonists personal sites:

• Lou Copeland
• Mike Maihack
• Greg Vondruska
• Dan Boyd
• Sara Rosenbaum
• Robert Rhine
• Jason Franks
• Jim Fern
• Josh Sullivan
• Fran Matera
• Victor Claudio

There is also a link to an Orlando cartoonists website, Blue Rose Studios.

Book Review: Historic Photos of Tampa
text and captions by Ralph Brower (Turner Publishing).

Remember those carefully-packed time capsules your fourth-grade class buried in the school’s playground all those years ago? The book Historic Photos of Tampa is a time capsule of sorts, a peek into Tampa’s history, carefully packed with a variety of photos from all walks of life.

In the book’s preface, publisher Todd Bottorff states that “this book seeks to provide easy access to a valuable, objective look into Tampa history.” Using photographs from the Burgert Brothers — some not often seen in other photo collection books — Historic Photos of Tampa presents local history in four parts:

(1) Beginning of Cigar City to the Turn of the Century
(2) Tampa at the Beginning of the 20th Century
(3) The Roaring 20s, Great Depression and Economic Recovery
(4) World War II and the Baby Boom

Each chapter gives a brief, one-page summary of the local history of that era and each photograph has a caption that gives additional historical information while explaining the photo’s origins, date and subject matter. The book’s photos are marvelous. There are pictures of famous buildings, waterways, horse-drawn carriages, store marquees, parties, industries, Ybor cigar factories, traffic, parades, carnivals, buildings under construction, and a variety of people: famous, not so famous, at work, at play and walking down the street.

I wish that the captions had received as much time and attention as the photograph selection process obviously did. The captions were oddly inconsistent: some gave a great deal of information while others were short and choppy; some were carefully written and edited, while other captions — too many of them, sadly — had grammatical and typographical errors.

Overall, however, the captions are a small part of the book. Beautiful, wonderful photos are the center of Historic Photos of Tampa. The photographs are black and white, but the Tampa Bay area history is colorful.

Book Buzzometer: B+

(cross-posted at www.tampabookbuzz.com)

I’m not sure you would be able to live here in the Tampa Bay area with a fear of bridges…

… my friend Carol believes in one thing,
her fear of bridges. Carol has decided she could never
belong to any of the Dark Age’s religions in which the soul
had to cross a thin, thread-like bridge to find paradise. Fall off
and you’re lost forever. Take Carol across the bay from Tampa
to St. Pete, or across the Cooper River into Charleston,
and you might as well ask her to cut off her arms.
It isn’t the idea of falling or even dying–it’s the bridge itself,
as if it represents the worst kind of modern haunting,
the technological prowess of steel and concrete a living
marvel of torture, atoms exploding beneath those Firestone tires…

Excerpted from Theoretically Speaking, a poem by Rick Mulkey. Rick Mulkey is not from around here, so your are unlikely to find tons of references to Tampa Bay, but you can pick up a collection of his poetry, Toward Any Darkness through Inkwood Books website.

If you have never read a Tim Dorsey novel, you are truly missing out.

You’ll have the chance to meet him at the Upper Tampa Bay Regional Library this month. That branch will host the Friends of the Library Board Meeting featuring author Tim Dorsey on Tuesday, September 11 at 7 pm at the Upper Tampa Bay Regional Library, 11211 Countryway Blvd.

Dorsey graduated from Auburn University in 1983 with a B.S. in Transportation. While at Auburn, he was editor of the student Newspaper, The Plainsman. He joined The Tampa Tribune in 1987 as a general assignment reporter. He also worked as a political reporter in the Tribune’s Tallahassee bureau and a copy desk editor. From 1994-1999, he was the Tribune’s night metro editor and night news coordinator. He left the paper in August of 1999 and has since written nine novels published in several languages: Florida Roadkill, Hammerhead Ranch Motel, Orange Crush, Triggerfish Twist, The Stingray Shuffle, Cadillac Beach, Torpedo Juice, The Big Bamboo, and Hurricane Punch.

His tenth book, Atomic Lobster, will be released in early 2008.