Small Talk: Letters and Chatter about Columbus Monthly

Bring the Fun Back

To the editor,

With the new format change, the difference has been sadly disappointing with regard to reflecting the energy and vitality of a great city. The first issue was boring, and the second even more so, which my wife and I didn't think was possible. The fun is gone. The appeal to the regular person gone. Now it's trying to be what seems to be an elitist publication for those of us who simply don't enjoy that genre. We always looked forward to the next issue but now will cancel our subscription when the renewal comes around. Very sorry to say that because the vibe used to be so great, but "high-end real estate" just doesn't do it for us.

Jeff and Kathy Pinkham

Sweet Tooth

We took over the beautiful space at The Kitchen for a day last month for our epic cover photo shoot. At one point a few days before the shoot, photographer Tessa Berg's desk was surrounded with bags and boxes of staffers' linens, dishware, silverware, kitchen accessories and other knick-knacks, many of which were incorporated into the photos. The day after the photo shoot was declared calorie-count-free as we spread out the spoils of the shoot for an unorthodox breakfast buffet. We feasted on candies, cookies, cakes, pies and even the occasional doughnut. We can say from experience everything in the cover story ("Sweet Endings," page 66) is delicious. We hope we make you hungry for some homegrown treats.

Oh, Pioneers

Emily Thompson's story about the local urban homesteading movement, the epicenter of which is City Folk's Farm Shop in Clintonville, garnered some chatter on ColumbusMonthly.com. Annie Warmke, a founder of Blue Rock Station in Philo, Ohio, wrote: "I'm quoted in this article and would like to add to the quote that those of us who 'work' at sustainability have real business plans, marketing strategies, and at Blue Rock Station we've managed to create a livable income out of a house made of trash. Sustainable living is serious business worth billions of dollars to the economy, and it's a gift of a life." The folks at Glass Rooster Cannery, a canning and preserving teaching kitchen in Sunbury, chimed in, too: "Thank you for this article and drawing attention to the sustainable living movement. Growing and preserving your own food is empowering, and addictive!"

Credit Where It's Due

We missed an opportunity to credit architectural firm NBBJ with the work they're doing on the Driving Park Branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library, and for that we apologize. We wrote about the new library ("The Library of the Future Arrives") in our April issue but mistakenly credited the rendering to the Columbus Metropolitan Library, which provided the image but didn't draw it. NBBJ media relations manager Daniel Skiffington wrote to say the firm is "very, very excited about the design and how it's going to impact the people of Columbus."