thicket blog

noreply@blogger.com (Todd Keith) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:51:00 +0000

Thomas Arthur, who is on death row, figured out a way to call me and other journalists by connecting through his daughter's cell phone. At some point prison officials figured this out and limited his phone access. What follows is part of a message he left me a few months ago. As a disclaimer, Thicket magazine doesn't agree or disagree with this audio recording.

Posted by Lee Hurley

Bay City's Booming

noreply@blogger.com (Todd Keith) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 13:33:00 +0000

In our June/July issue—on the newstands or in your home now—Mobile native Chip Drago takes a good long look at all the changes occurring (and about to occur) in that city by the bay in his excellent feature, “Bay City Boom: Mobile’s economy takes off while the rest of the country slows to a crawl.”

We hated to leave out any of his story, so we posted his extended sidebar that we just couldn’t fit in the feature. In “At What Price Progress?” Drago examines Mobile’s explosive growth and the danger it may pose to the area’s fragile ecosystem.

In the Thick of it All

noreply@blogger.com (Todd Keith) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 13:25:00 +0000

Just last week, Black & White, Birmingham's City Paper, ran a nice story by Christina Crowe about the launch of Thicket entitled, "In the Thick of It All: Thicket, a new, homegrown publication, celebrates what it means to live in Alabama." The full text is on their website, but the gist of it looks at what Thicket's about, what we're trying to do as the only statewide lifestyle magazine published in Alabama. We certainly appreciate the coverage from B&W, an urban bi-weekly that's been a great stalwart of local Birmingham coverage for more than a decade now.

Posted by Todd Keith

“All publicity is good publicity”

noreply@blogger.com (Todd Keith) — Thu, 15 May 2008 21:35:00 +0000

It was Dublin writer Brendan F. Behan who said that, and while he may not have had Paris Hilton, Roger Clemens, or Richard Scrushy in mind, there is a ring of truth to it. Which leads me to the question I asked our lovely editor, Julie, just a few minutes ago.

“Who is going to write a quick blog about the new Birmingham News article?” Thicket was featured as the lead story on the Money page on Tuesday entitled, “Birmingham becoming a place where new magazines are born,” Written by William Thornton, the piece looks at Thicket and a few other new startup mags based in Birmingham.

Busy getting the June/July issue finalized and off to the printer (we do it all online nowadays, no more cutting and pasting, literally, like we used to with scissors back at The Plainsman when I was at Auburn… ah, those were the days), Julie had no time. Lee, fresh back from South Africa for a conference, had plenty on his lap catching up on emails and taking his anti-malarials. And [insert shameless plug] I’m on a book deadline for a new coffee table book I’m doing called Birmingham Then & Now. Which is why, in lieu of writing more, I’m just going to post the above image from the News story.

So to answer Julie’s not entirely serious semi-rhetorical question after she skillfully evade blog duty today, “Is Thicket getting over-exposed?” after the News piece came out and another one is in the works. I don't think so. I take it as great news that folks in Alabama are curious about, well, Alabama and Thicket magazine.

Thicket in Folio Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (Todd Keith) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:58:00 +0000

Folio reporter Jason Fell interviewed me last week for a story he was writing about the relative strength of regional magazines, "Regional Markets Remain Strong for Magazines." Though I don’t really know if regional magazines are in better shape than other types of magazines, I have noticed that sounding the death knell for magazines in general has become popular. Has anyone been in Barnes and Noble lately and looked at the magazine rack? Does it look empty to you?

It reminds me of a haughty fellow I met at a dinner in Colorado. He had written a marketing book about word of mouth advertising. Throughout the evening he talked loudly and brashly about how word of mouth is the ONLY effective form of marketing. Two days after I got home he sent me an e-mail to see if our magazine would review his book. I told him I would just tell someone.

Posted by Lee Hurley

How Green is Alabama, Anyway?, continued

noreply@blogger.com (Todd Keith) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:21:00 +0000

As if the feature that appeared in our April/May issue (How Green is Alabama, Anyway?) wasn’t enough, this post covers the many, many items that we couldn’t fit in the story—and hopefully continues the conversation. In this, and the magazine, the idea was to take a look at the condition of Alabama’s environment—and how our citizens, organizations, politicians, and policy makers are (or aren’t) responding.

The essential question I danced around in the feature—and, I think, failed to sufficiently answer—was who leads this charge to change in Alabama? Does it start with our elected leaders or at a grassroots level? At the personal, household level, we all can strive to reduce our consumption and recycle more (even if it means finding a centralized location to recycle glass since few municipalities in the state—with the exception of Athens, Auburn, Daphne, and Fairhope do so) yet the larger issues such as public policy, transportation, regulations and other require larger solutions.

In its 2006 National Environmental Scorecard, the nonprofit League of Conservation Voters analyzed the 2nd session of the 109th Congress and frankly, Alabama (and many other Southern states) were found wanting in terms of their protection of the environment on a national level [Editor’s note: as we were going to press, the 2007 scorecard became available]. Looking at key votes on items such as offshore and artic refuge drilling, low-income energy assistance, environmental funding, and other subjects, along with Idaho, North Carolina, Texas, Kentucky, Wyoming and Georgia, Alabama’s Senate average voting record against the environment was poor. Senators Jeff Sessions and Richard Shelby improved from 4% to 5% in 2005 but returned to 0% in 2006. In deference to Sessions, at the local level, he recently helped secure $1 million in funding for the new Red Mountain Park in Birmingham and was instrumental in Dugger Mountain wilderness protection and establishing Mountain Longleaf National Wildlife Refuge near Anniston. And for years, Shelby has said that if local Birmingham authorities could raise $20 million for public transportation (they couldn’t), he would provide a 4-to-1 match of $80 million in support of this effort.

Overall, the House did better, with Congressman Artur Davis’ 50% voting record on the high end and Congressman Robert B. Aderholt’s 0% on the low end which represents his consistent anti-environmental action in Congress (a lifetime voting record of 3%). Give our politicians voting record, this raises a valid question: Does this represent what Alabama voters want from their legislators with regards to environmental protection? If it is, then there’s an argument to advance in support of our senators and congressmen. If not… In 2006, 1,431,980 pounds of material were recycled at the Alabama Environmental Council’s Birmingham recycling center alone—yet Alabama has no bottle bill that encourages glass recycling, an effort has consistently been defeated in the 1980s and 90s in the state legislature. Again, the will of the people—or something else?

In my article, I highlighted the fact that in Birmingham, two new major parks and one expanded one are poised to transform Birmingham into one of the greenest cities in the United States. What I didn’t add was that Birmingham would be wise to continue supporting these efforts: Atlanta, ever the competitive cousin to Birmingham, is talking about a revolutionary 22-mile ribbon of connected parks, light rail, and trail corridor called the Atlanta BeltLine Initiative, that would encircle downtown with a transformative green circle. It would be rich, rich irony indeed if a sprawl addicted city like Atlanta managed to nudge past Birmingham in this regard.

Some Alabama municipalities have seized the initiative. Cool Cities, a volunteer organization of cities that have made the commitment to stop global warming by signing the U.S. Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement, includes a handful of Alabama cities such as Auburn, Bessemer, Huntsville, Mantua Township, and Tuscaloosa (by comparison, North Carolina has 25 cities signed on, Georgia 9, South Carolina 8, Tennessee 7, Mississippi 2, and Florida has too many to count).

Yet short of a new state constitution that frees the hands of counties and cities—or the painstaking process of amending the current constitution article by article—change will come slow at the municipal level in Birmingham and other cities in Alabama. Further complicating the process for cities is that while a municipality may have more home rule control than the county, development outside of a city’s limit is going to affect the city—even though the city often has no means to control those developments. For every rural town such as Greensboro and Newbern that benefit from a program like the Auburn University’s Rural Studio, other are often chasing jobs. “Plenty of counties would take German-steel maker ThyssenKrupp for the jobs it provides,” Quinn continues, “and yet what about the environmental impact that such a plant will bring?”

Alabama Power offers a renewable energy program that uses Alabama-grown switchgrass as its main fuel source (call 1-800-245-2244 to sign up) PowerSouth Energy Cooperative which supplies electricity to 385,000 customers in Alabama and Florida, offers the Green Power Choice program as well. Agriculture & Industries Commissioner Ron Sparks and Montgomery's Mayor Bobby Bright recently announced a partnership to turn used cooking grease into biodiesel fuel for the city’s fleet vehicles, and opened a new Center for Alternative Fuels Biodiesel Production facility in the city.

And Alabama schools are contributing, too. The new Homewood Middle School in Birmingham earned a Silver LEED certification, and others such as Hilltop Montessori School, the new Trussville High School, and planned Vestavia Hills Public Library are in the process of gaining LEED certification. Birmingham Southern College just started an Urban Environmental Studies program, the first of its kind in the state. Auburn University’s Rural Studio architecture program has been consistently experimenting with recycled materials and green building methods in their inventive projects such as rooftop water collection culverts at a Greensboro baseball field that reuses the water in toilets. And Auburn University’s 40 Tiger Transit buses recently switched from diesel fuel to biodiesel, a cleaner burning alternative produced from domestic renewable sources, making it the first university in Alabama to do so. Alabama 4-H has even seized the momentum as is set to open the first planned gold-certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) environmental education building in the eastern United States on Lay Lake near Columbiana.

Yet aside from all these agencies, organizations, towns, and politicians, what is ultimately reduces down to are the 4,599,030 individuals that make up Alabama. We set the agenda by demanding and using local recycling programs, by our generous donations to nonprofits, by volunteering, by getting involved, by agitating for positive change. When was the last time you wrote your state senator or congressman? When was the last time you called a local city counselor? When was the last time you or your family volunteered locally for an event that benefited your town, your village, your local environment and the people who live there?

The good news, finally, is that trying to assembly even a modicum of a list of all the individuals, nonprofits, businesses, municipalities, and state bodies that take an active role in making (or trying to make) Alabama more green and a more healthy place to live is a daunting task. That’s a good thing. This was not the case even 15 ago. “Back in 1990, there were maybe 10 people statewide at nonprofits doing educational work on the environment,” observes environmentalist Pat Byington, publisher of Bama Environmental News and former director of the Alabama Environmental Council. “Today, it’s more like 100, and there are plenty more running various outreach organizations.”

Ultimately, someone in Alabama doesn’t have to give a hoot about Al Gore or the World Wildlife Fund. You don’t have to feel altruistic. Be selfish. Our Garden of Eden, Alabama, is undergoing a dramatic decline. And we’re the ones that can help.

[As an aside, Alabama Public Television is taking a look at just this question in a segment called Alabama Goes Green with Lakia Richardson which airs Friday, May 16 at 7:00pm.]

Posted by Todd Keith

Editor Julie Keith on Fox6 & WBHM's Tapestry Today

noreply@blogger.com (Todd Keith) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:14:00 +0000

Edwin Marty and I were on Fox6 today talking about Thicket's story on local farming and the importance of food being produced locally. And the segment went well, but the neatest thing was connecting with folks at the station whom I have not seen in several months, hearing their comments about the magazine, and seeing other guests on the show who I already know or would like to know.

For example, I got there a little late and literally ran into the building ahead of two older couples carrying boxes—turns out that was the brilliant potter Jerry Brown from Hamilton, Alabama, there to promote his pottery festival this weekend. And garden expert Linda Askey, who writes a story on container gardening that will appear in our second issue, happened to be there as well with some lovely garden pots. Edwin knew Linda through the garden/farming world and knew of Jerry Brown too, so there was lots of talking on and off the set..."old home week," as my grandparents used to say. It was a great trip to the station, not just for the chance to promote the magazine and Edwin's remarkable efforts at Jones Valley Urban Farm, but for the opportunity to again find folks in the Thicket. Folks can view the TV segment here >>.

And then tonight, to complete a great day of Thicket news, a segment on the magazine ran on WBHM's Tapestry program. You can download the audio file of the interview on their site >>.

Posted by Julie Keith

Thicket in the News

noreply@blogger.com (Todd Keith) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 19:29:00 +0000

A February Birmingham Business Journal story called “The Juggling Act: Balancing careers and family responsibilities brings challenges” by Carey Estes cites Thicket editor, Julie Keith, as well as several other working moms striving to strike the right balance between challenging careers and family. "I love spending time with my kids, but I've always needed to be in a work environment with peers and developing and creating projects and products," Julie said. "So as tired and exhausted as I am sometimes, I'm as motivated by my work at times as I am by being with my family. I don't think I could do it any other way." A previous Birmingham Business Journal story touched on the magazine as well.

In a February business roundup story in The Birmingham News, Thicket magazine was also referenced. “The premier issue of Thicket, a lifestyle magazine, has been released and is available at newsstands and bookstores around the state. The Birmingham-based magazine is the brainchild of Editor-in-Chief Julie Keith, formerly of Portico magazine; Lee Hurley, a founder of Portico; Todd Keith, a travel editor and editor of Sweet Tea Journal; and Garrick Stone, an ad salesman formerly with Portico and Black & White. Thicket magazine will focus on business, politics, education, faith, environmental issues, sports, music, gardening, travel and shopping as well as other state lifestyle issues. The first issue includes a feature on Alabama Gov. Bob Riley and a look at the Alabama Quail Trail.”

An amusing take on our cover story on Governor Bob Riley is explained in a February blog called Legal Schnauzer, operated by Roger Shuler, which poses the rhetorical question is Thicket “another right-wing rag for Alabama?” The answer may have less to do with Thicket than it does with the Legal Schnauzer’s clear animus towards Alabama’s governor. More references follow.

Starting Tuesday, February 26th, Thicket will be part of the WYSF/Red Diamond "Get Your Morning Started" promotion where they will be giving away free issues of Thicket and cups of Red Diamond coffee. Thicket will be promoted for the next four weeks. You can listen to WYSF, Birmingham's Hit Music Station, at 94.5FM, which is also home to Thicket music review Scott Register’s weekly show, Reg’s Coffee House. Listen for our tag-line, "Pick up your premier issue of Thicket magazine... Alabama's new statewide magazine...redefining Alabama."

Posted by Todd Keith

Comments From Our Readers on the Premier Issue

noreply@blogger.com (Todd Keith) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:09:00 +0000

I just recently learned of your publication and was very impressed with the depth of the articles especially the features on local and state culture and interest stories.
Jo Ellen Schneider, Eufaula

Loved the magazine - especially Daniel Wallace's piece and the one on the governor. Your letter from the editor promised me a magazine passionate about sharing new ideas and explaining old ones. I felt like my brain will be energized, but that my spirit will be served in some way too. The photography, especially in the story about farmers, was so beautiful I could see framing it... or eating it! Congratulations on this new baby!
Mary Ann Smith-Janas, Homewood

Just wanted to mention how much I’m enjoying Thicket. I find myself sharing with others the stuff I’m reading and learning from the pages. “I – Must – tell - others….” My mind keeps saying over and over, over and over. I even had my daughter reading your gray line of Alabama facts this morning on the way to school.
Kimberly Moore, Vestavia

Thank you for the wonderful new magazine, Thicket. The Storytellers article on that “New Face” (literally and figuratively) Trip Pittman was excellent. Please convey my thanks to Lauren Simpson.
Senator Trip Pittman, Daphne

I received my copy today, and am trying to flip through it but folks keep stealing it from me! I haven't even gotten to read this one, and I'm already looking forward to the next!
Tina C., Montgomery

Impressive first issue. Congratulations. I’m glad to see Mark Kelly writing again. He wrote for me when I was editor of the Birmingham Business Journal. Look forward to more issues.
Jim Degraw, Birmingham

I brought one Thicket to show my teachers and they said they liked them. My homeroom teacher (Ms. Jones) said that it was really cool. I love the “Are You Smarter Than A Fourth Grader” quiz in the back.
Kaley Bush, (5th grader), Decatur

A friend gave me a copy of your new magazine. It is great. Very well done and interesting and innovative. The picture of the Governor on the cover grabs attention. Please keep up the good work. I love your magazine and can't wait for the next issue.
Scott E. Carrier, Florence

Just finishing reading the premier issue. It is outstanding! Everything from the content to the actual writing to the book/CD selections -- everything -- just a cut above. And now I have that "thingy" that falls out of magazines, so I can sign up for my subscription. Bask in it for a moment. Only a moment, though, because you have set your own standard, and it is quite high.
Erin Roney, Homewood

I finally got some time yesterday to look at the magazine, and it's fabulous! I know you're proud. I think it's smart and classy, and I can't wait to see more. The only downside is that I realized I am not as smart as a fourth grader. Alas.
Kathy English, Mountain Brook

Thanks for sending your first issue of Thicket to me. I enjoyed reading the magazine and have shared it with co-workers. It’s wonderful--and refreshing--to have a smart magazine full of information about the state we live in, including politics, art, and even entertainment. I’m originally from New Orleans so I learned about Alabama from the facts listed at the bottom of the pages too.
Georgina, Huntsville

A friend of mine read a copy at his office, and here is what he said: “It was far more substantive than a lot of the other magazines that have come out recently. Also, this had more of a statewide feel as opposed to just over the mountain Birmingham. I liked it.”
John Norris, Birmingham

Smart magazine, smartly written and edited too. Good stories with clear writing. Unbiased writing and very good, even quite powerful portraits! Good pictures - a very well "illustrated" magazine. All the photographers have worked very hard and picture editing is quite flawless. Magazine on good paper - very well printed too. Book / music reviews and related write-ups fun and very well written. The Mobile article is very nice too... it adds a touch of "let's travel and visit Alabama"... nice! The new natives: BRAVO ! Excellent, to be continued I hope! summa summarum: keep it up
Guido Maus, Birmingham

I am very impressed with the premiere edition of Thicket. Congratulations on a job well done.
Nannette, Birmingham

What an interesting publication. No other publication focuses on the fun and interesting side of our state. I enjoyed reading about Governor Riley and his approach for getting things accomplished. I’ll be looking for the next issue of Thicket.
Sherry Hartley, Bessemer

Let me say how great the premier issue looks! Fantastic job. You should be proud and very optimistic about the future.
Barry A. Ragsdale, Homewood

Well done on the first issue! A fresh read and a fresh perspective. Thicket's promise for something new appears to have hit the mark. We loved the pure variety of stories.
David MacLeod, Birmingham

Just finished perusing your new magazine and I send you a hearty "Well done!"
Mac Logue, Homewood

Premier Issue is Out!

noreply@blogger.com (Todd Keith) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 14:15:00 +0000

Despite a remarkably challenging (and at times just-plain-difficult) late-December/early-January here in the Thicket, we’ve managed to get the first issue shipped to the printer, loaded onto big giant trucks, and distributed into homes and bookstores and grocery stores all across Alabama. I still can’t believe it’s actually happening. Like right now. AT THIS VERY MOMENT, someone in some town somewhere could be opening her mailbox or pausing in the checkout line, looking at the premier issue, and thinking, “Now, what is this?” Ooh…it gives me chills.

Just so you know, we mailed between 20,000 and 25,000 copies into homes from the Tennessee Valley to Mobile Bay, working off of a list of ZIP codes of communities we wanted to reach. So if you got a magazine in your mailbox, that’s how we found you.

The remaining issues were sent to bookstores and newsstands and doctors’ waiting rooms—all kinds of places where folks might stop and say, “Now, what is this?”

With luck (and good magazine-making), everyone’s initial curiosity will evolve into a dedicated group of readers that likes what we’re up to and wants to see more of it.

If you got a copy of Thicket, tell us what you think. Good, bad, indifferent—we just want to hear your thoughts. You can email any of us by clicking on the “contact” link.

If you didn’t get a copy and can’t find one in your hometown (see where we're distributed), click on the “subscribe” link, and we’ll get you one in a jiffy.

Happy reading!

Posted by Julie Keith

Regions Bank chief economist Bob Allsbrook says the outlook is good for Alabama’s economy.

noreply@blogger.com (Todd Keith) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 02:16:00 +0000

In which Thicket writer Beth Wilder expands on her Business column in the premier issue, “The Future’s So Bright” regarding the state’s economic future.

Slowing, but not Stopping
Three strikes and you’re out—at least that’s how it goes in baseball. But when it comes to our economy, three strikes might not necessarily mean the batter heads back to the dugout. Bob Allsbrook, chief economist for Regions Bank, has been following economic trends in Alabama and around the country for over 20 years, and according to him, the game isn’t over. “We are definitely entering into an economic slow-down,” he says, “but probably not a full-blown recession.”

“As a nation, we have three strikes against us right now,” he explains. “First of all, our financial obligations ratio (a consumer’s required monthly payments relative to his take-home pay) is at an all-time high and has been for the last eight quarters, mainly because of the housing market. Add a second strike—rising gas prices—on top of our inability to purchase what we want, and that leads to strike three, a general malaise among consumers. We are anxious about spending and borrowing money. When all of these factors come together, the economy has to slow down.”

Is Alabama Immune?
Yet Allsbrook says, the future is not all that gloomy. “Economists will debate by the hour whether or not we are in a recession. I say no. If you want a technical label of recession put on the slow-down, the answer has to be ‘no’ because employment will hold up. You can’t have a full-blown ‘recession’ if unemployment numbers stay low, and I think they will.” Allsbrook explains that American companies want to hold on to their highly skilled workers because that is how they compete globally against foreign manufacturers. This, he does not foresee huge layoffs for those workers in the near future.

Low unemployment numbers are one reason Allsbrook feels that Alabama will weather any economic storm that blows our way. With the growing auto industry, as well as the announcement of a new ThyssenKrupp steel plant to be built near Mobile, the job market for skilled workers in this state seems better than ever. “I’ve been saying for 10 years that Alabama has the best economic story in the nation. I know that’s quite a statement, but there’s no hedging to it. We have the most impressive economic change of any state in this country.”

Allsbrook actually predicts that Alabama’s economy will grow at a faster rate than the U.S. economy during the next two years, something that has never happened. “There is nothing inherently better about Alabama than other Southern states,” he says. “Our political process finally recognized that and decided we didn’t have anything to offer other than incentives and a trained workforce. So we committed ourselves to providing that, and as a result, the outside investment has arrived. We have exceeded critical mass as far as getting enough jobs here.”

One Big Obstacle
In Allsbrook’s opinion, there is only one hurdle for future economic growth in Alabama: our educational system. “These companies want literate employees, and many of our schools are failing. There is a perception out there that is in many cases a reality. While we certainly have some great school systems around the state, we also have high school graduates who can’t read. When we try to lure outside investors, that negative image we have is always an obstacle. The image is understandable, and we have to work harder to overcome it.” According to Allsbrook, strengthening our public school system will only add to the overall good health of the Alabama economy.

Posted by Beth Wilder

Screen Door, Okra, or Thicket?

noreply@blogger.com (Todd Keith) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 14:54:00 +0000

What do you call a magazine about Alabama? It’s tricky: you’ve got to find something that doesn’t alienate a particular group, something that says “Alabama” in an evocative, clever, and poetic way, and that looks good on everything from a magazine cover to a subscription card to a T-shirt. Easier said than done. For example, here are a few of our early working titles, with parenthetical analysis: Yellowhammer (too affiliated with Alabama football, already used by other companies around the state). Red Clay (it stains). Screen Door (it slams). Okra (sounds like a food magazine). Camellia (too feminine). Cotton (too past). 22 (clever…we’re the 22nd state…but too obscure). The list goes on.

In fact, the list made by Paul Crawford and Paul Halupka, who have helped us from the earliest stages figure out what this magazine should look and feel like, was so long the day we met at V. Richard’s Market in Birmingham that I freaked out a little. SO MANY CHOICES! But as Paul Halupka (affectionately known as “The Other Paul”) started reading them off, we quickly honed in on a few. Blackberry. Picket Fence. We kept going. And then we hit Thicket. And we stopped and looked at each other as if to say, “Yeah.”

Thicket was really the flip side of a title I had played around with for weeks: The Clearing. Because as you probably already know, Alabama means “I clear the thicket” in Choctaw. I was exploring the “clearing” idea: a magazine where we could clear space and sit down and talk about things. But The Original Paul and The Other Paul went with the Thicket side: the network of connections, the entanglements, the Native-American, French, Spanish, black, white, Hispanic, jumbled-up, wonderful culture of our state. It sounded cool. It had energy. And it looked even better when we created a logo and slapped it on a mock-up cover.

So that’s the story of the title. From emails and chats over afternoon beers and opinions from friends and neighbors to finally a list of hundreds of names in a big black notebook opened on a table at a coffeeshop in the summertime—it’s what we landed on. Landed in. Landed in the Thicket.

Posted by Julie Keith

How Bob Riley is not like Jesus Christ.

noreply@blogger.com (Todd Keith) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 14:59:00 +0000

Jesus was a terrible politician. So says Dr. Glenda Curry, an Episcopal priest in Birmingham who sometimes leads Governor Bob Riley’s weekly bible studies. “The things Jesus said made some people so angry they wanted to kill him,” Rev. Curry points out. So how is it that Bob Riley, whose initiatives are so driven by his Christian faith, can be such an effective politician?

In “Riley’s Last Stand,” a story featured in the premiere issue of Thicket Magazine, we explore the line Riley walks between the personal ethics that inspire his greatest political battles and the expediency and political horse-trading Riley’s willing to engage in to win.

His ability to walk that line was evident in his push to reform the state’s tax code, aligning himself with the teacher’s union against his own Republican base. Five years later, he takes the teachers head-on in a battle against their closest allies in the Democratically-controlled legislature.

“In order to make progress – progress, not perfection – he’s probably compromised with the AEA and Paul Hubbert because he knew ultimately, he’s making progress in disrupting a corrupt system," Rev. Curry says. In short, she adds, “Honest guy, but he is a politician.”

Though they may share similar views on tax reform, Bob Riley and Jesus Christ have a very different political success rate.

Posted by Atticus Rominger

Lee's World of Magazine Launching

noreply@blogger.com (Todd Keith) — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 20:32:00 +0000

Hold your socks boys and girls because I just ordered the UPC code for Thicket!!! No I’m not lying! I GOT TO ORDER THE CODE!!! Okay, it may not sound sexy to you but the UPC code is what allows the scanners at the bookstore to know how much to charge. It’s the 9 digit bar code looking thing. Has to be there. No choice and such. It also tells the retail outlet that it’s okay to wait 9 months to pay you. Ha ha ha. That’s UPC CODE humor.

For those of you reading this who might think perhaps my job at Thicket is less important, I should remind you that me and my codes are friends to scanners all over the world. Scanners LOVE US!

Though I am the 2nd shortest member of Thicket (Jason Wallis, the photographer, is shorter), I stand tall in the launching of this magazine. I HAVE THE CODE. Next up: THE BUSINESS LICENSE….YOU GO BOY.

Posted by Lee Hurley

Holley Camp, on Alabama Agriculture

noreply@blogger.com (Todd Keith) — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:15:00 +0000

This week my family and I went to the farmers’ market on Finley Avenue in Birmingham. We bought two pounds of walnuts for $2. Three pounds of carrots for $1. Forty ounces of honey for $8. Leaving, my nine-year-old asked, “Mama, how can the farmers make a living?” It’s a troubling axiom of modern society that we pay very little to those who labor to feed us.

“Farming has changed completely in our lifetime,” Alabama’s Commissioner of Agriculture, Ron Sparks, says. “Our state farmed 19 million acres fifty years ago. Today we farm 9 million. The average farm is about 210 acres. The average age of a farmer is 55 years old. And the income they make is ridiculous. We’ve got to find a way to show our farmers that they can make a profit.”

From my four years of interviewing chefs and farmers around the country, I’ve come to believe that the local-sustainable food movement will save us. It will save our farmers when we agree to pay a bit more for food without pesticides, chemical fertilizers, hormones, or antibiotics. And it will save consumers when our health thrives without those elements in our bodies. Food grown as nature intended: it sounds too simple to be called salvation.

“If we can change the way the food system currently works, we can radically increase the demand for locally, sustainably grown produce,” says Edwin Marty, director of Jones Valley Urban Farm in Birmingham. “Consumers, for the most part, don’t realize that it’s their choice.”

It’s a powerful choice—and one on which most of us can agree. The terms red and blue, bandied about in politics, don’t really define us; individuals are much more complicated than that. But buying food grown in Alabama, keeping dollars in Alabama, appeals economically to us all, across the political spectrum. As the Senate debates the Farm Bill this week, now is the perfect time to let our senators know we want to support sustainable farmers. “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are,” wrote Brillat-Savarin. Tell me from whom you buy it, and we will learn something just as dear.

Posted by Holley Camp

Why start a magazine?

noreply@blogger.com (Todd Keith) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 18:00:00 +0000

Why does one start a magazine? The easy answer, I guess: it’s what you do. It’s what you’ve always done, and hopefully, what you always will do. Writing, editing, reporting… why does anyone gravitate to a profession? Hopefully because they love it and have a passion for it. It surely ain’t for the money (just ask any writer after they’ve said “yes” to a 1,000 word piece for .25 cents/word come the end of the month).

Helping some friends start a high school newspaper was the early beginning of that passion for me, and really, since Thicket’s inception, that’s been part of the allure: working with colleagues and friends that you both admire and respect. It’s rare that you get to work with people you genuinely like—and when they’re talented and available, well, that’s when you strike.

What’s the subject matter, then, of this new magazine venture? That was the easy part. Write what you know, and being from Alabama and loving our state, all of the partners agreed our next project needed to be a statewide magazine that covered all aspects of Alabama, from the Shoals to the Mobile –Tensaw Delta, from Tuscaloosa to Auburn and everything in between.

Timing is a crucial element and while you often can’t control that external element, the time seems ripe for Alabama to take a next step. Whether it is technology in Huntsville, a renaissance in Mobile, growth and politics in Montgomery, the medical explosion in Birmingham or the dramatic statewide growth of the auto industry, these are just a few significant developments driving Alabama forward. Take the global greening trend and look at the state’s remarkable natural wonders and resources and you have even more to shout about.

Finding quality writers from all over the state to cover the Alabama beat has been one of the most satisfying challenges so far. Which reminds me, the first high school piece I wrote was an album review of Robert Cray’s Strong Persuader.

Lessons learned since then? #1, seriously, what they heck does a 17-year old white, middle class urban boy know about the blues? #2, find writers that know what they’re talking about (as a follow up to this, see Thicket’s first issue stories by Daniel Wallace, Atticus Rominger, Phillip Morris, Kathy Farnell, Mark Kelley, Scott Register, Barry Smith, Stacey Torch, Natalie Davis, and more). For a preview of Daniel Wallace's quite creative piece for us, see his October 17th blog on the subject.

And while we started Thicket with because there is so much more to this state than gets coverage in newspapers, magazines, or television, our intention is not to evangelize when we say “Alabama Redefined.” As anyone who has traveled across the state line or beyond knows, lots of people have strong preconceived notions of what Alabama is or is not. And frankly, often they are wrong. Thicket is not explicitly setting out to reverse that—Thicket is explicitly setting out to find the most relevant stories, trends, and topics happening in 21st century Alabama—yet by virtue of the content Thicket will offer, I know that’s just going to happen.

Posted by Todd Keith