Alt-weeklies: The four Racket founders/editors used to work at one, City Pages, before Star Tribune Media Co. flushed it and its 40-plus-year legacy down the tubes five years ago. And that fate more or less mirrors what's happening nationally with those spirited, smart, and sharp-elbowed publications that once covered news, arts, and culture all across this increasingly stupid land.
So last year when Tricia Romero, former editor-in-chief of The Stranger, released The Freaks Came Out to Write: The Definitive History of the Village Voice, the Radical Paper That Changed American Culture, we were intrigued. And this week when Emma Silvers, an ex editor at SF Weekly, released this deep dive into alt-weeklies for her exciting new worker-owned publication, Coyote, we were doubly intrigued. Here's hoping all that intrigues you, because we—Racket's Jay, Jessica, and Keith—got Romero and Silvers on the line to talk for over an hour about the history, death, and possible new life of the scrappy little style of journalism we all love.
But first! Here are the stories we gabbed about during What I Learned In Racket...
This episode of RacketCast is brought to you by Minneapolis Cultural Districts:
You don’t have to step inside a gallery to find great art in Minneapolis, it’s right out on the streets. The Cultural Districts are seven neighborhoods where murals, mosaics, and sculptures are part of everyday life. On West Broadway, Juxtaposition Arts brings big color with its mural and community skate park. Franklin Avenue highlights Native stories through art created by and for the community. East Lake Street and Cedar Avenue burst with walls of color, while Central Avenue in Northeast is full of creativity around every corner. And on 38th Street, public art and memorials honor history and community resilience. Think of it as a free, citywide art crawl. Plan your route here.
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