I’ve not heard of any controversy about “Happy New Year,” though I know
there are some folks out there who aren’t crazy about this newfangled
Gregorian thing. I’ll risk it, anyway: Happy New Year.
This week’s Religion section reflects a major anniversary. The DMN has
been supporting our big-time commitment of resources devoted to coverage
of faith and values for a full decade. December 4 was actually the
ten-year mark for the section. This week’s section, mostly, is filled
with updates from some of our more memorable tales from the ten years.
Of which more anon.
I become a Religion reporter in 1996, which makes me the current Rel
squad member with the longest tenure. I say it all the time around here:
Religion coverage is a team sport. And while I’m usually laughing when I
say it, it’s not really a joke.
Whoever has been sitting in these chairs has contributed to what has
been a pretty amazing entry into religion coverage in the secular media,
if I do say so myself.
So here’s a list of all the folks who have served fulltime on the Rel
squad. Some were editors, some reporters and some held less definable
positions.
Sharon Grigsby
Diane Connolly
Jeff Miller
Bruce Tomaso
Joe Feist
Paul Buckley
Tyra Damm
Sheri Baxter
Marcus Stewart
Kate Seago (now Fox)
Kristin Holland (now Holland Sears)
Ed Housewright
Judy Howard
Karen Lincoln Michel
Christine Wicker
Debbie Caldwell
Berta Delgado
Susan Hogan/Albach
Ira Hadnot
and me, yr hmbl srvnt.
A much, much longer list would include all the photographers, designers,
artists, freelancers, reviewers and contributors who have helped create
and fill our pages during these years.
As they usedta say on Hee Haw: Sa-lute!
Listero count for the week: We have 1,806 subscribers to this e-letter.
Up six from last week. Sa-lute again!
And now for the highlights of this week’s Religion section — also to be
found in a day or so at dallasnews.com.
TEN YEARS AND A BAZILLION STORIES — Well, not really a bazillion. But a
bunch. We’ve scurried around this month tracking down folks we haven’t
talked to in a while. At least one from every year the section has run.
For instance:
The Ukranian iconographer who has been paining the Orthodox cathedral in
Dallas since 2000.
The husband and wife who were studying together at Dallas Theological
Seminary in 1994.
The top DJ at KLTY-FM in 1997.
The Wounded Heroes program for pastors with problems, started in 1998.
The International Buddhist Progress Society we wrote about in 1995.
The “top teen” we’d singled out in 2001 who is now in her second year of
med school. (Can we pick ‘em or what?)
Kosher restaurants in Dallas from 2002. (A couple of them died, a couple
of new ones have opened.)
Joel Gregory, the former pastor of First Baptist Dallas we profiled
earlier this year, is no longer the publisher of Chili Pepper magazine.
He and his partners sold the publication to a New York publishing house.
And more than a few more.
THANKS, BOSS — Bob Mong is now the editor of the whole dang paper. A
decade ago, he was farther down the food chain. But he was — and
continues to be — a major supporter of sophisticated coverage of
faith-related stuff. He explains why in a column.
NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN — Christine Wicker is one of the best writers I’ve
ever read in a newspaper. She was one of the early members of the Rel
squad. She’s been off writing books for several years (Lily Dale: The
True Story of the town that talks to the Dead and God Knows My Heart:
Finding a faith that fits. Buy ‘em and read ‘em!) Anyway, she offers a
column about her early days on the religion beat and some of her
personal explorations of faith.
REVIEWS — Even in an all-theme issue, we find room for some new stuff.
BOOKS — David Tarrant says that Karen Armstrong’s memoir is
“unflinchingly honest.” Kevin Blackistone (a DMN sports columnist, for
those of you keeping score at home) says that a new book by Muhammad Ali
and one of his daughters about his faith offers unusual insight into a
remarkable man. Bob Trimble says a book about the political and
temporal battles between the Vatican and various Italian rulers during
the late 19th and early 20th centuries is pretty good but ends the tale
a bit too soon. Dave Palmer says a rabbi did a pretty good job answering
the “400 most commonly asked questions about the Old Testament.” (Hard
to imagine a rabbi using “Old Testament,” though…)
MUSIC —- Michael Young says Michael W/ Smith’s latest CD lacks an edge.
Susan Hogan/Albach says the repetitious lyrics of Kathy Haggery work for
her. And Mickey Cunningham says Michael Tait’s newest album is a rock
album — “but not a great rock album.”
etc.
Sincerely,
yr hmbl srvnt,
Jeffrey Weiss
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
