It’s funny how things change with age. At 26, being separated, living 14 hours from home and struggling in the workplace felt utterly hopeless. Now, at 49, I often think “Dude, you could have just quit your job and moved in with your dad back in Kansas.” Hindsight, of course, is 20-20. It would have […]
Twelve Days of Christmas 2025, Part XI: Giving McAllen a chance Read More »
Tis the season … to be in Arkansas. At least it was in 2005, when I spent the week leading up to Christmas there. I was 29 years old and fairly low on the totem pole at the Topeka Capital-Journal, where I worked as a sports copy editor/lead sports designer. I was also single. I
Twelve Days of Christmas, Part IV: Christmas in Arkansas (almost) Read More »
The first time I walked into The Emporia Gazette building, I was incredibly nervous. It was the summer of 2000, and I was looking for a way out of my first job in newspapers at a small afternoon daily in Independence, Kansas. I’d only been at the Daily Reporter for a year, but I was
Sale of Emporia Gazette building stirs memories Read More »
The last time I saw Kathy Kessinger, I was breaking down the science of being hit in the groin while shooting photos during a volleyball practice at Santa Fe Trail High School. It was an embarrassing moment I haven’t shared with many in the years since, but it was a story I knew Kathy would
Saying good-bye to another second mom Read More »
Working the copy desk is about as thankless as jobs get. I always equate it to playing offensive line: Nobody knows who you are unless you make a mistake. In that sense, Steve Bell fit like a glove as a copy editor. He was about as centered and unassuming as a person can be. Like
Steve Bell: Gone, but not forgotten Read More »
