Saradise Lost & Found - Chapter One - Michael Carey's Wise Empathy

I probably have more respect for the corpus of work done by Michael Carey over the years than for any other Alaska journalist. We've met a few times, and he knows of my respect. I'm not sure how Mike feels about me, but he's one of those people who have observed me in the community over the decades who gives me what I call the "Why can't you just write beautiful, non-controversial music" look. A lot of establishment types in Anchorage - from the left and the right - give me that look.

His columns for the Anchorage Daily News often show a depth of empathy that one seldom experiences in Alaska newspapers. However, his main journalistic responsibility these days, Public Television/Radio's Anchorage Edition, is so often out-of-touch and behind the curve, that I've talked to Jeremy Lansman and others about putting up a REAL weekly roundup opposite of it, to either eclipse that sleepy niche, or force it to take on life again.

The only PA column about Michael Carey took up his excellent column about a person Mike and I both know, Jim Clark. You can read my column and his here.

This week, Mike has come up with two excellent examples of his empathy and wisdom. He penned a column about soon-to-be-ex-Governor Sarah Palin for the ADN today. It invokes sports metaphors and similes throughout, but ends on a contrasting note that ties a lot of the strains of Palin's ephemeral fame together brilliantly:

Palin will continue as an A-list celebrity in the tabloids and gossip magazines. She and her husband, Todd, provide a rich source of family drama, scandal and compelling photographs. She also will remain a celebrity on the Christian right, which adores her.

She will keep my state in the news. But she is finished as a leader. No leader abandons the battle in mid-fight.

How will she be remembered?

If she is remembered at all years from now, my guess is it will be in the same kind of way that we remember the Los Angeles evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson, who in the '20s and '30s drew massive crowds and vast media coverage until she disappeared for several weeks without ever adequately explaining where she'd been.

After that she lost her magic and fell out of favor, leaving historians to ponder: "What was everyone so excited about?"

Earlier in the week, Mike was on National Public Radio's Fresh Air. Mike is probably the only Alaskan who has gotten as much national air time since last August 29th as Shannyn Moore. Fresh Air's hostess, Terry Gross, is my favorite on-air interviewer, and her knowledge of Alaskan issues strikes me as more than a cut above most out-of-state journalists. Here it is:

Part One:


Part Two:


Part Three: