|
After having overcome years of procrastination
and some baseless paranoia over being prematurely pronounced
deceased by an overzealous organ-donor-seeking surgeon, I finally
decided recently to register myself as an organ-donor candidate,
though with the medications I’m taking, I’m not sure
if my organs are of any donor use. As I write this, I’m five days from the two-year anniversary of an aortic valve-replacement surgery that saved my life thanks to an organ donor. I wrote in this column about that experience in our July 2000 issue (see <http://newtimes.org/issue/0007/fromthepublisher.html> or send SASE for a reprint); suffice to say here that I have a vested interest in promoting organ donation! You could say that I literally took Frank’s letter to heart. I didn’t think that anyone should have to work as hard as he did to get information about how to become a donor; as busy as most people are nowadays, I’d understand if a well-meaning would-be donor in his situation gave up and moved on to the next project. The easier you make it for them, the more likely it is that people will do something, and that includes philanthropy. What could I do to make it easier for our readers, including Frank, to register as donors? I called my friend and spiritual sister Linda Ross Swanson, whose work appears here occasionally. I knew that the subject is as important to her as it is to me, for the same reasons, and she also happens to be both a health-care professional and a great writer. I asked her to come up with a piece for us that would serve as a resource for those considering giving the gift of life. I hope that you’ll read it, and that you, too, will think about becoming a donor if you haven’t already made arrangements to do so. By the way, Linda’s piece is an exception; it’s really quite rare that an article appears in these pages because of any direct action on my part. (Usually we go many months without such exceptions, but in this issue there’s another: Lori Lively’s interview with John Robbins.) Have you ever wondered how we come to print what we do? Virtually every manuscript submitted is on a freelance basis and, depending on whether or not I feel that it meets the criteria spelled out in our writers’ guidelines, either accepted for publication or not. Once an article is accepted, it’s edited and put "in the hopper." The evening of ad deadline day, Deverick, as the publisher, decides, based on how much advertising support there is, how many pages will be in that month’s issue. The ads are then laid out in the paper, at which point it becomes my job to fill the remaining spaces with the editorial content that will best support the ads around it. This can become a complicated equation, since choosing appropriate articles of the right length to fit into finite spaces is just the beginning. I also need to consider the time sensitivity of the article, if any, and its "seniority"; because of the backlog of accepted material, the average time between an article’s acceptance and its publication is about four months. If you’re curious about what we’re looking for — and what we’re not — you’ll find our submission guidelines at <http://newtimes.org/submissions.html>; you can also obtain a copy by sending us a SASE. The guidelines have recently been revised in response to our recent reader survey, so even if you’ve seen them before, you may wish to have a look at the latest iteration. In the near future, we will also be introducing an editorial calendar; that is, each issue, while continuing to offer the same variety of topics, will have an overriding theme. If there is one you’d like to see featured, I’d love to hear your suggestion; you can e-mail me at <editor@newtimes.org> or call me at (206) 320-7788 ext. 12. We’re constantly fine-tuning every aspect of our operations in order to respond best to the unmet needs of our readers and advertisers. One way we’re doing that is by introducing a new question-and-answer column next month. Deborah Ilg will use her intuitive gifts to offer heart-centered guidance in response to readers’ queries regarding relationships, work, finances, family, health, children, pets, and the other side. You may already be familiar with Deborah from her appearances the first Wednesday of every month from 9:00-10:00 a.m. on The Point Breakfast Club at 96.5 FM, where she answers callers’ questions on the air as she will yours in these pages. It’s a pleasure to welcome Deborah to our "family"; e-mail her at <deborah@intuitiveartist.com> or call or fax her at (206) 985-6601 if you’d like her to answer your question in The New Times. Please do not give your name when asking Deborah your question; anonymity and confidentiality are assured. I hope you’ve enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at our always-evolving processes, and that it will not only help you understand how and why we do what we do, but also illustrate that we are committed to bringing you, through the articles and ads we print, the information you need. Our intent is to be your companion as you pursue a mindful lifestyle. Whenever we change something — or don’t — it is a conscious decision based on our desire to be of the greatest possible service. Thank you for the opportunity, and for continuing to communicate to us suggestions for how we can better achieve that goal. |
On March
11, I received a letter from Frank G. Sterle, Jr. of White Rock,
B.C. that got my attention. We print virtually every letter to
the editor that we receive, and generally they consist of responses
either to articles we’ve published or to other letters readers
have sent in. Frank’s letter didn’t fit either of those
categories, but that’s not why I didn’t publish it
right away. It’s because it stirred me to action, the fruits
of which you will find in this issue. Here’s the letter: