Photograph by Matthew O'Shea
Oh, the lengths we go to inform our readers...
Scratch that—the pronoun’s wrong. There wasn’t a “we” asking the frank and point-blank question for this issue’s cover story: “So...how much do you make?” It was a “he”—Jarrett Medlin, executive editor, a kind guy put in the unkind position of managing this feature (“Who Makes What,” p. 43). And since Jarrett’s office is across from mine, I was an earshot witness to his hourly anguish—the out-of-the-blue queries, the uncomfortable pauses, the requests for confirmation— taken on for the enrichment of our subscribers and newsstand buyers. He spent weeks phoning monks and models and accountants, researching public records to learn the paychecks of non- profit directors and politicians. (Who knew so many mayors have second jobs?) The occasional “No thank you, I’m hanging up now” was balanced out by some pleasant surprises (the priest who asked whether there’s room to mention the “heavenly benefits” his job pays out).
As a whole, this SLM list of numbers presents a compelling snapshot of St. Louis compensa- tion at a time when jobs are perhaps our central social subject. That’s why we’ve surrounded the numbers with words: locals sharing their jobs’ perks and challenges; economic forecasters talking about the hottest industries (parents of college freshmen, take note); a formerly unemployed St. Louisan’s online diary; and resources for job-searching beyond monster.com.
Just as there’s more to a job than its salary, there’s more to this issue than the cover feature. Ray Hartmann’s “Think Again” column (p. 40) is particularly pointed this month, addressing St. Louis’ business leaders directly with a call to action (sort of); staff writer Jeannette Cooper- man profiles the fascinating Col. Ron Smith (p. 114), a pilot-poet most at home amid the deep freeze of Antarctica; a new SLM department, “Back Story” (p. 54), debuts with typically strik- ing photography by Michael Eastman; and our annual “Unveiled” bridal guide (p. 57) provides helpful tips, resources, and fashion trends—with a side of entertainment.
That last bit comes courtesy of “Unforgettable...In Every Way” (p. 85), a collection of reader- submitted anecdotes of wedding-day snafus, from highly public Freudian slips to ring mix-ups and forgotten dresses. Going back through this piece recently, I was struck not just by the realization that we’re all far more comfortable talking about something embarrassing than something sensitive like money, but also by how nicely the magazine reads when it’s enriched by reader voices. Oh, the lengths you’ll go to inform SLM...
