I asked Billy Joel fans questions that a fundamentalist Christian would ask after a Marilyn Manson concert in 1997, swapping the names “Billy Joel” for “Marilyn Manson.”
AN ORAL HISTORY OF THE DIG: VOL. II, EPISODE 8
The intern wrote something like, “The ’80s! It’s fun! Dance party!” I looked at that and said, “No, this is too earnest. I will destroy it.”
AN ORAL HISTORY OF THE DIG: VOL. II, EPISODE 7
We’re like, “Sure! That should go in a newspaper! Put that in there!”
AN ORAL HISTORY OF THE DIG: VOL. II, EPISODE 6
The Dig at that point was more of a Dadaist prank or a piece of performance art—almost a metacommentary joke about having a newspaper—as much as it was a newspaper.
AN ORAL HISTORY OF THE DIG: VOL. II, EPISODE 5
“The effect that Jeff’s nipples had on me is similar to if you look at an eclipse for 30 seconds, and then you just see it in your eyes for the rest of your life.”
AN ORAL HISTORY OF THE DIG: VOL. II, EPISODE 4
He made up a fictitious ideal reader named Spike. The memo read, “Spike works in advertising, but he goes to punk clubs at night,” and this and that. Fuck you and die.
AN ORAL HISTORY OF THE DIG: VOL. II, EPISODE 3
The pillar of independent journalism you’re fortunate enough to be reading at the moment used to be owned by the same corporation that publishes the upscale glossies Philadelphia Magazine and Boston Magazine.
DIG WINS NATIONAL AWARDS FOR POLITICAL COLUMN AND FIRST AMENDMENT JOURNALISM
As shameless as it sometimes feels to celebrate awards, it’s also true that journalists are underpaid, underappreciated, and in some cases even relentlessly harassed because of their work.
AN ORAL HISTORY OF THE DIG: VOL. II, EPISODES 1 + 2
“Keohane and I went on this pub crawl through Cambridge, and I’m teetering down the street in my ridiculous high heels. We got into the People’s Republik, and there was a bunch of regulars, crusty old dudes, and I slammed my award on the bar. Keohane started telling people I have a glass eye. I rolled with it. It was beautiful.”
THE DREAMER: I REMEMBER GOOGLING, ‘WHAT HAPPENS TO A US CITIZEN CHILD IF AN UNDOCUMENTED PARENT IS DEPORTED?’
“It feels increasingly cruel to offer what amounts to be a fairy tale, when in reality she may need great strength to overcome great threats.”
