With print journalism in crisis and free internships often benefiting only the wealthy who can afford to work without pay, a remarkable coalition of newspapers, magazines, trade and academic journals have offered exchange programs. For example, an intern at an academic journal in the Midwest may spend a week in New York at a major Sunday newspaper magazine, and vice versa. Some fits are better than others. This is all to give interns a more diverse experience and better preparation for the ever-changing job field. What follows is the result of one such exchange.
Q:
Settle a bet between a friend and me about Stan Wankey. Is he married?
I say yes and my friend says no. A chocolate cake hangs in the balance!
-- Debbie Dupont, Pasco, Wash.
A: Prepare to split that cake. Wankey has been divorced three times and was shy when asked if there was currently someone special in his life. (When we told him there was cake involved, he asked if you and your friend were cute and said he'd be there! Oh, Stan -- never change!)
Q: What does Bean Newton look like? I bet he looks like Jimmy Durante. I always thought he was funny. What's he up to these days? -- Horace Smithers, Valentine, Tex.
A: We talked to E.W. Wilder, who is managing Bean Newton's estate. (Bean Newton died years ago.) "Bean hated to be photographed, so I can supply no images," E.W. said. "He did not look like Jimmy Durante, who has also passed on. The two look more similar now, I assume."
Q: I attended the 15th Mainly Annual EastWesterly Review/Postmodern
Village Conference and Mittens DuBois-Dugan is a great hostess! Can
I get her gelatin salad recipe? -- Martha Woodward, Glasgow, Mont.
A: DuBois-Dugan writes, "Oh, that's so flattering! I just take a box of gelatin, usually orange, and dissolve in a pint of boiling water. Add miniature marshmallows and chill until set. Mix some crushed and drained pineapple, drained cottage cheese, Miracle Whip, and Cool Whip together. Spread on the set gelatin. Take another batch of just-about-set gelatin and pour it on top. As Mom would say, 'Voila!'"
Q: What's Hillary Hardcore up to these days? Can you give her
my number and demo CD? -- E2daX, Detroit, Mich.
A: Hardcore is very busy in the studio now that she's tackling a new love -- producing. At our request, she did listen to a track off your CD and recommended you get a MySpace page.