Farewell To The Village Voice (1955-2018)

Sad news. I learned yesterday via NPR's "All Things Considered" that the Village Voice, where I worked as a proofreader in the early 1980s, has ceased publication permanently, as of Friday, August 31. It is a publication that I will miss. More on this later.

The Village Voice Is 60

The Village Voice celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. The weekly New York-based alternative newspaper, which was once the editorial home of such notables as political columnists Nat Hentoff and Alexander Cockburn, cartoonist Jules Feiffer, film critic Andrew Sarris, and others, was co-founded in 1955 by Norman Mailer.

Disclosure: I worked there as a freelance proofreader in 1980 and again from 1982 to 1983.

When I worked at the Village Voice, a reader could buy it at a newsstand. Today, it's available for free every Wednesday in large red plastic curbside boxes all around the city. (In Harlem, I have often seen these boxes turned on their sides and used as seats by neighborhood men.)

Happy 60th anniversary, Village Voice! May you continue publishing for another sixty years.

Remembering Broadcaster Pepsi Charles

The recent passing of historian and Egyptologist Josef ben-Jochannan caused me to wonder what became of Pepsi Charles, a former host and producer at WBAI, the Pacifica listener-supported station in New York. It was on her show that I first heard Dr. ben-Jochannan. I later interviewed him for a class assignment in 1975 when I took an evening course in magazine writing at Hunter College.

In December of that year, I did a one-hour program called "Langston Hughes: The Man and the Writer" for Pepsi Charles' weekly radio show. The guests I invited to speak on Hughes were Raoul Abdul, a former Hughes editorial assistant and at the time a music columnist for the New York Amsterdam News and Milton Meltzer, a friend of Hughes and a biographer. I was supposed to get a copy of the tape but, alas, she never provided one to me.

Doing a Google search, I learned that Pepsi Charles, a resident and community activist in Plainfield, New Jersey, died in 2002.

The Plaintalker II, a hyperlocal blog about Plainfield, in a March 12, 2009 post, had this to say about her: "Pepsi's interests and concerns ranged from cultural advancement of the community, recognition of African history and symbolism, the needs of urban youth, appreciation of all the arts and a deep spirituality that was an example to her friends and acquaintances."

A Radio Talker Who Reads Five Books A Week

One talk show I regularly listen to is The John Batchelor Show, heard nightly on WABC-AM 770 here in New York. Although Batchelor is a conservative commentator and I am a liberal, I like his show and find it very compelling because of the range of topics and guests (which includes liberals like Katrina Vanden Heuvel, the editor of the Nation magazine.)

In a 2006 New York Times article titled "He Takes the Shout Out of Talk Radio" that is linked to his Wikipedia page, it was pointed out by the author, Anahad O'Connor, that Batchelor "reads up to five books a week." I would love to learn his secret to reading that many books in such a short time while maintaining a busy schedule. I'm reading several books at once but it takes me forever to complete them. Maybe he's taken a special speed reading program that has helped him read twenty books a month. If he has, I'd like to know what it is and subscribe to it.

Dolly Schiff's New York Post

I recently began reading The Lady Upstairs: Dorothy Schiff and the New York Post by Marilyn Nissenson (St. Martin's Press, 2007). So far it is a hard-to-put-down biography of the former owner of the once liberal afternoon tabloid.

At one time, it was my favorite New York paper until 1976 when Schiff (1903-1989) sold it to the media mogul Rupert Murdoch. He then turned the Post into a right-wing rag.

Ian McKellen As Rupert Murdoch?

If there is ever a theatrical biopic or TV miniseries planned on the life, times, and media empire of Rupert Murdoch, an excellent candidate to play the role would be Ian McKellen, who bears some resemblance to the media mogul.

The Beauty Of Black Women

I'm the one responsible for getting Washington, D.C. filmmaker/writer Michelle Parkerson's article appreciating the beauty of black women in the New American (formerly the Black American), a weekly newspaper, where I worked as a proofreader and copy editor. I edited out of the manuscript* she sent me all references to her girlfriend and the word "lesbian"  because of the paper's past homophobia. I gave the piece to Mayo, the art director, who had it typed and pasted up for the printer.

 Mrs. Offord, the office manager and wife of the owner, was upset that we hadn't cleared it with her. I immediately pointed out that  Parkerson was a good writer, she reluctantly agreed. So even though I tried to camouflage the homoerotic aspects of the article, the lesbian  slant was still there, between the lines.

My goal was to see how successful I'd be in slipping in subliminally gay content. Parkerson became a Trojan horse.

The following is the brief article by Michelle Parkerson that ran in the New American (April 25-May 1, 1991):

An Open Letter To African Women Everywhere

I confess.

Last night, I was mesmerized by the September issue of Essence. The pages overflowed with vibrant images of sisters with everything on the ball and all of their clothes on. Each one varied in skin shade or circumstance, but everyone of them was gorgeous and giving it to the camera. I flipped through the photos, feasting on our particular beauty: dark and fair, dread and silky, abundant, angular, Black.

Undoubtedly, women of color are God's most fascinating creation. And undoubtedly, we are the most impoverished. I thrive on the fierceness, the borrowed magic that sustains us through generations of adversity. I know the future belongs to us.

We are the lineage of African women who lavished in their own brilliance, women who struggle now  on every frontline. When Black women come together and touch, it is a measure of bravery, a testament to the distance traveled.


*Note: I believe Parkerson originally submitted this manuscript to me for inclusion in the black gay and lesbian supplement I guest edited for the New York Native in 1984.

Giving The Black Press Praise When It Is Due

GLAAD
80 Varick Street, Suite 3E
New York, NY 10013
April 7, 1992

Attn: Cookie

Dear Cookie:

I am one of the Amsterdam News's contributing writers. Last year I wrote 17 articles for the Am/News, the majority (approximately 10 to 12) of which concerned someone or some issue that was gay.

My reason for writing this letter is to state that I feel that GLAAD has devoted a lot of ink to either praising or condemning gay coverage in the major media while ignoring what is going on in the ethnic press, especially the black press. There was a time the Amsterdam News would not have considered printing anything about gays. The fact that they carried such a large number of such articles from the pen of one writer is worthy of praise. That is not to say that there is no homophobia at the paper, but these articles show that they have matured in their thinking about this subject which is a very volatile one in the black community.

I have enclosed one of my recent articles in the paper. It is about Audre Lorde's appointment as New York State Poet. Other gay-related articles include: a profile of singer Blackberri (8/15/91); an interview with poet Vega (3/16/92); and an interview with Reggie Williams of National Task Force on AIDS Prevention (3/28/92).

Praise by GLAAD would let them [those at the paper] know that the [gay] community appreciates their willingness to print gay articles and it would encourage them to continue along that path.

Sincerely yours,

Charles Michael Smith

Voices In The Wilderness?

Bob Law, the host of the National Black Network's "Night Talk" (heard in the New York area on WWRL-AM) announced near the end of a broadcast in mid-April that Rev. Calvin Butts, the pastor of Harlem's famous Abyssinian Baptist Church, had spoken out against the persecution of gays and lesbians. The statement was made, said Law, at a rally held at Canaan Baptist Church, also in Harlem.

Law, who was present at the meeting, told his radio audience that Butts "thought  that everybody had a right to determine their own destiny and that God be the final judge, which is consistent with his Bible that says, 'Judge not that ye not be judged.'" The talk show host,  who has a black nationalist philosophy, went on to say that Butts's position is not a popular one in the African-American community and that it "is definitely not popular in the Baptist church." (I've been told that a considerable number of gays attend Canaan.)

Knowing that "he was standing by himself," continued Law, he made the statement anyhow, because he was "follow[ing] a course of action based on what he believes is in principle correct," and that this belief had nothing "to do with how many people stand with him, how much money is in it for him, what kind of guarantees there are further down the line. That's the kind of leadership we [blacks] need and that's the kind of leadership we should support."

Before you start gloating that Butts and Law advocate homosexuality, check out Law's reply to a statement of concern expressed by a homophobic female listener, who sees homosexuality as "very bad" for the black community.

According to Law, Butts "didn't say he thought they should be encouraged or that he supported it or that he was not frowning on it. If there was going to be a discussion between him and a homosexual, he might try to convince the homosexual not to be homosexual."

How does one do that? I think we should send Bob Law a correspondence course in Homosexuality 101. I agree with much of Law's philosophy on achieving political and economic strength in the black community, but when it comes to gay and lesbian issues, he could use some consciousness-raising.

This article ws originally published in the New York Native (August 11-25, 1985). It was an item in a "Media Watch" column I wrote for the paper.

Another Black Gay Supplement Proposal

Patrick Merla, Editor
New York Native
28 West 25th Street
New York, NY 10010
December 17, 1987

Dear Patrick:

I have received the following articles for the Black Gay Supplement to be published in February 1988:

1. An article by Reginald T. Jackson about gay men and their importance to the black church.

2. An article by David Frechette about racism within the gay community.

I have enclosed with this letter two three samples of Baltimore photographer David Weems's work. A portfolio of his work--maybe three or four photos--might be used for a full-page pictorial essay.

I think that issue of the Native should have as its cover photo a photo of a black gay man. (The last two supplements were mentioned on the cover in a little box in the upper left right hand corner.)  Since a number of black men I've spoken with say they would buy the paper if they saw such a photo on the cover, it makes good financial sense to draw attention to the supplement in that way.

A small notice should be published in the time we have remaining announcing the upcoming supplement and the need for submissions.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely yours,
Charles Michael Smith

Note: This proposed supplement never came to fruition. I don't recall the reason.

Exploring Racial Diversity In The Gay Community

Patrick Merla, Editor
New York Native
249 West Broadway
New York, NY 10013
June 15, 1984

Dear Patrick:

In August 1983 the Native published a supplement called "Harlem Rising." I contributed two pieces to it. It would be a good idea to bring the supplement back, possibly in August. However, this time I would like to be the guest editor. And instead of calling it "Harlem Rising," it should be called "Hue: Black Gay and Lesbian Supplement." The new name would underscore the fact that blacks range in color from very fair to very dark.

The supplement would contain five or six articles, covering a wide range of areas: politics, the arts, religion, etc. One article that I would try to include in the supplement is an address delivered by James Baldwin two years ago at the BWMT [Black and White Men Together] meeting that dealt with being black and gay (BWMT has the tape). There would also be photos and artwork.

I would like to discuss this with you either on the phone or in person because I think it is important for the Native to continue to deal with issues and events of concern to the black gay and lesbian community. I appreciate the Native's willingness to publish black-oriented articles. It shows that the paper realizes that not everyone in the gay and lesbian community is white and middle class. I am looking forward to a long association with the Native.

I hope the answer will be affirmative. I think this supplement will be better than the last one.

Sincerely yours,
Charles Michael Smith

Note: The Native published the supplement under my guest editorship. It was called "Celebrating Ourselves," a title novelist and poet Melvin Dixon (and supplement contributor) suggested to me. The supplement was published in October 1984. It did not include the James Baldwin address that I suggested. This was the first and only time that the Native published a poetry centerfold that was part of the supplement.

Giving Freelance Journalists Respect

Wilbert A. Tatum, CEO/Editor-in Chief
New York Amsterdam News
2340 8th Avenue
New York, NY 10027
July 25, 1989

Dear Mr. Tatum:

As a longtime contributor to the Arts and Entertainment page, I think it is a disgrace that [editor] William Egyir, while I was speaking to him about a manuscript of mine that has been sitting in type a long time, disconnected the call. And when I called back, I was told that he was "tied up." Over the years I have dealt with many editors, and they have always taken the time to discuss a piece with me. Mel Tapley [the Arts and Entertainment editor] has always been such an editor (I'll be glad when he comes back from vacation so I won't have to deal with Egyir, who behaves like someone uncivilized.)

I thought you should be made aware of the behavior of one of your subordinates because it is a reflection on the paper. It is such bad behavior that has convinced me to join the National Writers Union so that journalists who work freelance such as myself will get the respect we deserve. After all, it is the writers who are the backbone of any paper.

Sincerely yours,

Charles Michael Smith

The 'Dam News Is 103 Years Old

The New York Amsterdam News marked its 103rd anniversary in 2012. Old timers used to refer to the paper as the 'Dam News because of its sensationalistic front-page stories.

But many prominent names in the African-American community wrote for it, among them were W. E. B. DuBois, historian J. A. Rogers, and Ted Poston, who later wrote for the then-liberal New York Post. Short story writer/novelist William Melvin Kelley's father, William Melvin Kelley, Sr., was an editor there.

As a former freelance contributor to the New York Amsterdam News, I want to wish the paper a happy anniversary. May it have 103 more years!

A Few Words From Pete Hamill

"You can go into a bookstore for Sarah Palin's book and say, 'Here's a book by Melville' that you haven't read yet. And you'll buy both of them.

"Amazon.com isn't the same as going down an aisle. The same as record stores. You'll go for Billie Holiday and you buy Gustav Mahler as you're going out the door." --Pete Hamill, from "Pete Hamill Talks About Newspapers, Fiction, and Life with Keyboard and Pen" by Mark Bialczak, The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY), December 6, 2009.

I recently went to Borders to buy Isabel Wilkerson's The Warmth of Other Suns which is about the Great Migration of Southern blacks to the North and West. I didn't buy another book but I did browse the shelves. What a joyful experience that was!

New York Nightlife Is Not Heterocentric

The front page story in the April 20, 2010 issue of amNewYork and Metro New York was the same--New York is a guy's town. Both papers had clever headlines: "Men-hattan" (amNewYork) and "Dude, NYC Is the Place to Be"(Metro). (If there was a contest, amNew York's headline would be the winner.)
According to askmen.com's editor-in-chief, James Bassil, as reported in amNew York, "There's a huge range of opportunities there. Although it may not be the best place to meet a wife, it 's the best place to meet a lot of women."
Unfortunately, the findings published in both morning tabloids were heterocentric. Too bad they didn't include single gay men. The last time I looked, they were a part of the New York nightlife scene.

Elinor Tatum: Future Radio Star?

Elinor Tatum, the publisher/editor-in-chief of the New York Amsterdam News, appears every Thursday on Reverend Al Sharpton"s syndicated radio show in a segment on media coverage of news stories in the black community.
It's a safe bet that before too long Tatum will be doing a radio show of her own, maybe even graduate to television. Sharpton's show is just a stepping stone.