The Computer Ate My Post!

I hate when that happens! I wrote this long post about Sarah Ferguson's Pot Parade piece in the Voice and how reading it reminded me how much I loathed working for High Times. Having accidentally deleted it makes me realize that there were also a lot of things I liked about working for the stupid stoner mag.

Mostly because it was my first job in publishing. My friend Carly and I were out at the Tunnel one night, doing blow, drinking loads, and listening to Jim Marshall spin, when we met John Holmstrom. Both of us were terribly excited because we had been big fans of Punk Magazine, which John had founded.

I was working at a book store out in the Dirty Jerz at the time. The highlight of my life was when Glenn Danzig would come in and stock up on comic books. I looooved Glen and he put me on the guest list for all his shows back then. Sadly (I'm guessing because I hadn't been able to maintain my birth weight), nothing romantic ever happened between us. Looking back, that's probably for the best.

Anyway, I drunkenly told Holmstrom that my store had tons of old magazines and also added that he should hire me. I gave him the store's address and then ditzed off into the night. A month or two later, this guy came in the store, looking for old issues of HT. "Leave your bag up front," I snarled by way of reply. (It's my contention that indie book store clerks are far nastier and more elitist than record store clerks.)

"Judy?" the stranger asked. Oh shit. It was Holmstrom. The guy I'd been bugging for a job. Oops. Lucky for me, he didn't appear to notice what a raging bitch I'd been and told me that they were hiring an assistant editor up at the magazine. I was so excited! I took a typing test, which I passed, and was hired. It didn't seem to matter that I wasn't a big pot smoker. I eventually worked my way up to Managing Editor and then left under less-than-ideal circumstances. For reasons completely unrelated to that, John no longer speaks to me. But that's another story. I'm trying to accentuate the positive here.

In other news, my new Seattle column is up.

Comments

[Fire Hot Burn Ivan]

I wish you hadn't nuked your essay inspired by the Pothead Parade, I wanted to read it! Those are the types of reefer enthusiasts I hate...I mean, I really hate 'em...Grrrrr!