The end of an era

Today is the last day my Dategirl column will run in the Seattle Weekly. I can't even believe it lasted for thirteen years, but there you go. I think it was often funny, sometimes embarrassing to read later on, but always something I was proud to do, even though at this late age, it would probably be more appropriate to call it Datehag. At least I won't have that super-skinny caricature reminding me how fat I am every week!

People keep asking me what I'm going to do next, but I'm just going to keep doing what every freelancer does—keep hustling more work. Looking for gigs is a fulltime job and while working for an alternative newsweekly had its perks, it wasn't keeping me in Louboutins. Not that I'd be able to walk in Louboutins anyway, but you get my drift.

As I attempted to tell my boyfriend this morning, it's not just losing a job, it's losing a FUN job that hurts. I do plenty of un-fun stuff to make money, but this was one of those all-too-rare jobs that was actually like getting paid to have a good time. I guess I was lucky to have it for as long as I did. Onward!

Comments

[Anonymous]

This totally sucks. You can be mildly a b**** sometimes, but you also seem to be humble about it (I don't know about in person!), and you're funny, sharp, and creative. What'd you do, ask for too much money? Do you have some gene that just makes people fire you? Were you cheating on your column, getting friends to send in softballs? Or does the Seattle Weekly just have a death wish (i.e. wish to drive themselves into bankruptcy)? Now what the fuck am I going to do every Wednesday morning? Good luck.

[Blady]

The Seattle Weekly has a reading disorder: It keeps getting thinner and thinner. They can thank the pot advertisers for keeping them (just barely) alive. I predict its imminent demise. Your column was the best part of the publication. These days, the Weekly's writing is boring, the attempts to be provocative laughable, the editing non-existent. Wait - there's been one major improvement: the Weekly is now printed on better paper; it's less smelly than The Stranger and thus more suitable to lining my bird's cage. Seriously!

[Mark]

I loved your Dategirl weekly, it's the only reason I pick up that Seattle rag. No reason now. I miss you.

[Jim]

Although married to my one & only wife since 1979, I still miss your insightful, often funny (sometimes hysterically so!) column. On my Friday ferry commutes it was one of the main reasons I'd read SW which, oddly, aren't aboard as much as they used to be... probably increased digital and less print advertising? But thanks for your blogs. :)