Gratitude, right? That's supposed to be the key to happiness. At least that's what all those internet folks say. I think about this every time I reach for the laptop, open Facebook and consider #gratitude.
I could probably pull off a 30-day challenge, but I stop myself, preferring to torture everyone with food porn and stupid life observations. However, in the world of newspapering, this spot in the paper is mine each week. I don't torture you with food porn (sorry), but I give you plenty of life observations and opinions. This week, three UA School of Journalism interns started with us: Rebecca Noble, Brenna Bailey and Natalia Navarro. Online on The Range, you can see their work in blog posts and slideshows, and in the print edition with regular doses of City Week and the revival of the TQ&A interviews. They all have pitches in the works for Currents news, features and cover stories. This is a good crew and we're excited to have them spend this semester with us. They bring a positive energy that this work continues to be something worth caring about.
Speaking of care, I'm grateful for staff writer María Inés Taracena and her taking an extra look at the city process of getting permits to feed homeless. And, damn, Brian Smith's latest Tucson Salvage column on The Runway Bar lives up to it's name. I'm so proud we get to run him on our pages. Original, locally brewed copy made by people who care: Jim Nintzel of state and local politics, Heather Hoch and her food writing, our amazing crew of local music writers, and our arts writers Margaret Regan and M. Scot Skinner giving us a Spring Arts Preview and Sherilyn Forrester's review of Fences.
Next time you see me, remind me to tell you about the interview I did with Fences author August Wilson back when I lived in Seattle. My favorite playwright. I loved that man. I was grateful for that café sit-down. I'm grateful now. Forward.
— Mari Herreras, mherreras@tucsonweekly.com
