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  • I'm a writer, journalist, and the editor of The Gambit, the alt-weekly newspaper in New Orleans.

    Journalism: My work has appeared in The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The Globe & Mail (Canada), The Times- Picayune (New Orleans), The Oregonian, and Willamette Week, as well as in magazines including Details, Vogue, Publishers Weekly, and Portland Monthly.

    Publishing: Tight Shot, my first novel, was nominated for an Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America. Its sequel, Hot Shot, was roundly ignored by everyone, but was a far better book. I'm also a member of the National Book Critics Circle.

    Stage: I was a member of the Groundlings and Circle Repertory West in Los Angeles, and am a playwright (see "Stage" in the right-hand rail).

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« New Orleans locals: O-negative blood needed | Main | The world's best headline, ever »

April 01, 2008

April Fooling the news

'Tis the day for newspaper and radio prankery...

Media around the world regaled their audiences with stories of stretched French presidents and bisexual James Bonds on Tuesday, proving the tradition of April Fool's jokes was alive and kicking.

Britain's Daily Telegraph printed pictures of penguins apparently flying to the Amazon, while many papers ran a spoof story saying luxury carmaker BMW had invented a model that electrocuted dogs which tried to relieve themselves against its wheels.

Australian radio station 2UE marked April 1 by reporting that the pope would conduct a special mass for homosexuals during his visit Down Under in July....

Other British newspapers got in on the act -- the tabloid Daily Star said rugged James Bond star Daniel Craig wanted 007 to "swing both ways", while the Daily Express said one of London's best-known monuments, Big Ben, was using a digital clock while its traditional timepiece was repaired.

I think this could be a Get Out of Jail Free card for The New York Times and the L.A. Times. Those stories about Sean "Puffy" Combs being a murderer, and that profile of a gang-member memoirist who turned out to be a Valley Girl? Just early April Fool's.

11:05 AM in Foreign press, Funny, Headlines, Journalism, Margaret Jones' Diaries, The Corrections |

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Comments

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