Boomer magazine,  Richmond, VA

A Final Coffee with … Just Me

March 15, 2019 /

BY RAY McALLISTER

It’s the Ides of March, which may be a fitting day to announce here that I’m leaving Boomer magazine after 11 years — eight as editor, three as columnist only. Nothing wrong with Boomer, obviously. (We won’t enumerate all that’s wrong with me.) But the book business that was supposed to be a sidelight has exploded.

For instance, I: 1) just signed a contract yesterday with a writer to publish her book this fall, 2) will sign a contract with a novelist next month to publish his, 3) am redesigning another writer’s children’s book this week for reprint, and 4) have to update one of my own books for a second edition. I love it all but something’s had to give.

Before I forget, I’ll be on BOOMTOWN RICHMOND at 9 a.m. Tuesday (March 19) to talk about all this. You can catch it online or on something called the radio at:
  92.9 FM West End
101.7 FM Downtown & South of the James
1450 AM East End & Airport area
1320 AM Metro Richmond

Meanwhile here’s the start of of my final Boomer column, including a few photos that couldn’t fit in the magazine. It finishes in Boomer, so please jump on over.

Stuff I’ve been doing the last year or so, including writing, editing, and publishing. Some of these completed projects are at Beach Glass Books, some are at Ray McAllister, and Doctor’s Creek Journal you can subscribe to for a ridiculously low price through a Friends of Portsmouth Island membership. Other stuff is rattling around in my head.

A Final Coffee with … Just Me

I love working with Boomer, but it’s time to move on. (No, it’s not actually a final coffee. I’m still drinking coffee.)

BY RAY McALLISTER

As we enter 2019, this coffee-drinking “Second Act” interview is with … just myself.

[Oh, wow. Fascinating topic, Ray.]

I’m completing my work here at Boomer, and moving full time – really full time – into writing and publishing books.

This time I mean it.

No, really.

HOW I GOT HERE

Eleven years ago, after decades with the Richmond Times-Dispatch, mostly as a columnist, I left to write books full time.

Sort of. . . .

So how did Boomer and I get hooked up?

My first issue as editor, in 2008, paying homage to old newsrooms. So many Times-Dispatch writers (Randy Fitzgerald, Bill Millsaps, Betty Booker, Steve Clark, myself, with many more to follow — and radio man Bill Bevins at the bottom of the page) drew a lot of attention, including ONE BLOG that suggested this was “where old columnists go to die now.” I’m happy to confirm everyone on the cover is still alive … right, guys?

And what happened after that?

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Ray McAllister, former columnist of The Richmond Times-Dispatch and former editor of Boomer Magazine, is the award-winning author of six books, including four on North Carolina’s islands. Through Beach Glass Books, he is also the publisher of 10 books by other authors.