Editor's Note

Things I'm Done With

In the spirit of our final Get Out of Town! issue, I thought I'd present a rant about several things that, as an editor, I wish would just go away:

• People who are trekking across the country to raise awareness about (insert name of cause here). While I appreciate that you've put your life on hold to Do Something Good, and while I am sure the cause you're supporting or the message you're promoting is very worthwhile, you are the 98,232nd person to use this particular trope. Therefore, it's not news. And we're a newspaper. Ahem.

• People who get indignant when we decline to review their self-published book. There are some damn fine self-published books out there; that's why we have "Writer's Block," our occasional online series that includes features on self-published books. However, we have only 52 book-review slots, give or take, in the dead-tree version of the Tucson Weekly each year, so we restrict that to non-self-published books. Hey, give us a break: That's several dozen more reviews of books than any other local media do per year.

• People who drop by the office without an appointment. I answer all of my emails, and I answer my phone when it rings, and I return all of my phone messages. In other words, I am accessible. Dropping by unannounced—especially on a Monday or a Tuesday, when we're in the midst of 12-hour production days, give or take—is unnecessary, and I will be distracted and therefore unable to give you my full attention.

• People who accuse of us of being anti-local business when we criticize a local business. It's our job to be a mirror, of sorts, to Tucson—and it's our job to call 'em as we see 'em. Consider it tough love.