In Memory Of . . .

A couple of years ago an opportunity to write for The Times of Southwest Louisiana fell into my lap. The Times of Southwest Louisiana began publication in February 1996, covered local events and entertainment in a five parish area.  I've never grabbed anything so fast or held on so tightly as I did that opportunity. What an honor. What a priviledge. What a blast! What constant 24/7 work. The Times had lost their entire staff and the owner/publisher was desperate. I might add, he was cooly and calmly desperate. That's how my daughter and I walked into the positions of writers, photographers and assistant editors--as if we knew what we were doing. Sure, we had a basic knowledge of writing and shooting pics but that was the extent of it. We had more want to than experience. I think that's what Patrick Marcantel saw--our want to. Thankfully, our naivete didn't keep him from giving us a chance. We had his trust and his friendship from the day we walked into The Times with tearsheets in hand. So, along with another fairly inexperienced writer-editor, Nancy Correro, we did it all. I learned alot from working with Patrick at The Times, but here are two very important things I still use today: how to talk/approach total strangers and how to write fast. My first day on the job, I interviewed my subject and thirty minutes later, whipped out his story. I'm a wait for inspiration to hit sort of person so that was a high I'd never experienced.

And today, I'm sad to report that my friend Patrick Marcantel, owner of The Times of Southwest Louisiana passed away last night after suffering a heart attack and being in a coma. He's had our prayers, our tears and our constant thoughts. We're stunned and brokenhearted at the loss of him.  His energy, his enthusiasm, his ideas will be missed in our city. He won't be forgotten.