Jason Rickett writes a novel, and talks Blackboard politics - By N.L. Belardes

Jason Rickett has been spending some of his time writing a novel. The reality is he’s one tough retired newspaper publisher to get a hold of. But I’ve been lucky. He’s written me two of the biggest letters I’ve ever received in my life, and I’ve never had to dial his number. Both letters talk about life and politics in the ongoing debate about Bakersfield’s recently defunct Blackboard Free Press (Read when they announced shutting down and Rickett's first letter).

Hopefully in the letter you are about to read you will appreciate Rickett’s humor and wit in handling the negative anonymous comments that I have a hard time allowing on the blogs... I wrote to Rickett in an email:

Every time I allow an anonymous comment I feel like I'm letting someone get away with robbing the bank. But I allow hoping the discourse will eventually even out…

I agree with some of what Jason Rickett has to say about Bakersfield being “apathetic” in regards to supporting the arts. I wrote in another email:

I am in agreement with you about the apathetic city we live in. The arts community is torn. I've seen it, experienced it, and because of my news reports, have contributed to the reality of a torn city of in-fighting arts. Though I know it happens in other cities. I've been getting a lot of first-hand reports out of LA. Bakersfield surely isn't alone.

So the Blackboard newspaper is dead again after writer Richard Bramer tried to resurrect the Blackboard and its Internet archives (You can still read all the archives online). Bramer apparently spoke too soon, and hadn’t contacted Rickett about the Blackboard before announcing here on Paperback Writer, and organizing a meeting for writers that the Blackboard would be starting up again (Read Bramer’s announcing the canceling of plans to start the Blackboard and Bramer's response to anonymous posts).

Talk afterwards has been dim. I made light of the situation in my post. But that didn’t keep Rickett from being criticized. One anonymous commenter writes:

…It was common gossip he owed all kinds of money on the Blackboard (as well as sent out emails about problems with his personal life - I can imagine how many people knew about his personal life because I got forwarded them by a friend. How embarassing and unprofessional.) If The Californian takes over, The Blackboard will turn into another Mas or Southwest/Northwest Voice. Just what Bakersfield needs. Far from a free press. Probably it will just die now though and we'll keep seeing papers that go nowhere, like all of the other ones that have blew through town.

I don't care in the end. I liked the Blackboard better before it turned into into a pot platform and vanity project. Good riddance to the paper that went down the tubes. But sad that the Blackboard is gone. It was part of history here. But so much for history and tradition. This is just another example of how much Bakersfield sucks. People don't support each other, and especially artists. Karma will take care of everything in the end. Bakersfield is not ready for an underground press paper that will actually last due to small hearted and greedy people. Just sign me "pissed off"

I think in reassessing why the Blackboard failed, my past criticism of Rickett was too harsh. I think the Bakersfield community is at fault. I suppose that involves everyone who just assumed the paper was going to stay afloat. People tend to take services such as The Blackboard Free Press for granted. That probably includes the Paperback Writer blog too. It’s not like I get paid to write. If I closed shop, would the art, music, film and literary scene even feel like it lost a voice? I don’t know. But that’s the key. If people feel like they lost a voice, then another alternative newspaper with a shared community vision needs to start up. My opinion is that a really good alternative newspaper needs academics writing for them... but that’s just my own self-interest in newspapers with stronger voices, not just people with high school writing experience trying to connect to an intellectual audience.

Enough said. Here’s Rickett’s letter:

Wow! I feel all warm and squishy inside. In all the discussions about the Blackboard's reopening and subsequent closing, the discussion that resulted has been enlightening. If anything, it tells me how beloved the Blackboard was.

I also want to confirm and clarify some of the things that my "confidant" has posted as one of the comments. GRRR... "confidant," that information was given to you in confidence (therefore: confidant), though I understand that you were defending me from some of the troglodytes that like to post anonymous criticisms. Anything these people say show their ignorance in their comments, and is best they are left alone. The people that know the truth are all that matter.

True. The Californian will never have the Blackboard. The nature of a free press is to remain truly free, even in death.

True. I am handling the debt. I had the opportunity to stick Richard Bramer with the debt simply by remaining quiet. He would have said he was the owner of the Blackboard, he would have printed the newspaper, and the lawyers handling the debt would have gone after him (since the name on the debt is The Blackboard, not Jason Rickett). I prevented that from happening since it truly is my responsibility. I am not trying to foist the debt onto someone else. I am not asking for help with that debt.

Somewhat true. The marijuana situation was both my ex-wife's and my decision, though I was not as warm to the subject as she was, and did try to reverse that decision later. Yes, with [gasp] porn web sites or 1-900 numbers like the L.A. Weekly does, but I never pursued that direction, since I did think that would have really condemned the newspaper to a whole lower standard. I talked about the idea, but never followed up with it.

Um... er... I don't know what to say about "vanity projects." Sounds like someone who might have submitted stuff to the newspaper, and was rejected because they weren't included for whatever reasons at the time. I had a long list of stuff that was rejected because of racism, ignorance, or just because it didn't fit with the newspaper. Also, many times, I simply forgot to include it: it's very hard to keep track of hundreds of submissions and making sure every one was included in the space allotted.

Somewhat true. I don't think Richard was heinously trying to steal the newspaper. I'm sure that I have been very hard to get a hold of for the past few months, because I've been working on a number of projects like a novel and quitting smoking. I'm sure he tried all the avenues of contacting me that he could. I think he didn't do his homework before he opened his mouth, and unfortunately, the more he spoke, the more ignorant he sounded. Since he backed away from the situation, I'm assuming he checked with a lawyer and saw that what I was warning him about was true, and all-in-all, I'm still the owner of the Blackboard and I'm still responsible for the newspaper and it's debt.

I too think this community doesn't deserve to have a free press. They had to chance to support one the better efforts that came along in years, many times. Financially, with new advertising, a random donation, but not constantly asking for freebies. Physically, by putting some muscle to the plow, by getting newspapers out into the community, working on the website or any other help. Emotionally, by sending an email to the newspaper every once in a while saying something positive rather than consistently bitching or remaining quiet. I received much support after it was closed, and that was heartwarming, and also too little too late. I would love to get back into the biz, but I don't think the people here have what it takes. Very few supports the theaters, the film makers, the artists, the galleries, the music groups, and all of us struggle every single month to make ends meet. Then all the in-fighting amongst the art community (as is obvious with the comments and posts on this blog) makes it even worse. It's sad and pathetic.

It is true that Fresno has an independent newspaper and has had for over 10 years. Fresno's got us beat by far on the arts scene, which I'm sure is why they get better concerts, better art festivals, because the same per capita population supports their arts community. Bakersfield is just too apathetic. It is changing, a huge difference that how it was in the '80's, but not at the speed that is needed to break an independent press out of the blogs and into newsprint.

Anybody that always has negative things to say, go run a newspaper for two months, do it entirely by yourself as I did, and see how much work is involved. Once you've done that and you still have complaints, more power to you. Otherwise, may the bluebird of happiness promptly shit on your head.

Anyone can contact me through my website www.jasonrickett.com or through my email address jasonrickett@sbcglobal.net Both will be up and running as long as I am up and running! No phone numbers because I'm sure enjoying the peace and the ability to concentrate on my writing and getting my personal life back together.

peace
Jason Rickett

This entry was posted by N.L. Belardes, on Monday, December 18, 2006. You can leave your response.