Page Two

It was incongruous. The Association of Alternative Newsweeklies (AAN) held its annual convention this year at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. Members of the alternative press stood around at a luxury hotel and spa. At the playground of the rich and powerful, the contradictions of the modern alternative press were brought home to me. The always-provocative New York Press has declared the alternative press dead. Not commercially, by God, but in the way its role has evolved. Alternative to what? When you are positioned as an outsider, what happens when you make it big?

The scene got weirder. My son kept claiming that there were bodyguards all over the lobby. I kept telling him he had seen too many movies. Then we came upon several bodyguard types handling dogs, and I shut up. Governor Bush, it turned out, was holding a fundraiser that night at the Biltmore. Republicans and journalists -- a delightful mix.

Make of it what you will. There are meanings to be gleaned here -- the alternative press at the Biltmore -- but don't go after the fool's gold. The first time the Chronicle staff attended an AAN convention, we slept four to the cheapest room we could find. This time, I brought the family. Back then, we talked all night. This time I hung out in the pool with my friends' six-month-old son. The first time we went, in the mid-Eighties, we were in awe. There were other people doing the same work as we were doing, and we could talk to them about it. This time, the Chronicle is a well-regarded paper, and Nick Barbaro and I (and the Chronicle staff) are old-timers. The first time we applied for membership, we were turned down. This year everyone asked how we got so much retail advertising and why our classifieds were so big. The first time was a long time ago.

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The "Best of Austin" ballot runs again in this issue. Remember during the year when you've bitched and moaned about some opinion that appeared in the Chronicle. Now is the chance to offer your own thoughts, champion your own tastes. Be heard. How many times have you gone to some place for the perfect plumbing part, pencil, light bulb, book, or wine and thought, "Gee, I hope they honor these folks in the 'Best of Austin' issue"? Well, the decision as to who we honor is yours. Fill out the ballot, also available online at auschron.com/feedback/bestof/, and send it in. Vote in as few or as many categories as you want. Spend time with the write-in spaces. Think about the character and characters of this city. Remember successful shopping expeditions and delightful food experiences. But vote!