Open letter to Doug Most

Published Jan 27 2008, 01:55 PM by Adam Reilly

Dear Doug:

We've met. You're a good guy. But your editor's note in today's Boston Globe Magazine--introducing the Best of the New 2008 feature--filled me with rage.

Here's an excerpt:

A few months ago, I visited this new store in Jamaica Plain, and it felt as if I had stepped into a boutique in SoHo. The men's hats were far too cool for me, but I found a great black hat-scarf combo and a pair of silver earrings for my wife. Everything about Salmagundi, right down to the dapper husband-and-wife owners, was a welcome addition to my neighborhood.

This week's issue celebrates all of the Salmagundis out there in Greater Boston.... [emph. added]

Here's the problem: you're the editor of the Boston Globe Magazine. So shouldn't you have a bit more loyalty to your city?

Remember: for many of your readers--natives and transplants alike--one of the best things about Boston is that it ISN'T NEW YORK. It has its own, distinct, vastly superior character.

If you feel this way, finding a little spore of SoHo festering in JP isn't cause for celebration. It's reason to weep. Please keep this in mind.

Thanks,

Adam

Is Boston too snooty for the Herald?

Herald lauds, humiliates N.E.--updated!

8 Comments

pom said:

I'm pretty sure that the marketplace will bear out your take on this--store in question is a huge space filled with hats. This isn't SoHo. Never will be, and, as you point out, shouldn't be. I don't see a fancy hat trend hitting JP, unless you look down by the churches in Hyde Square. I feel a bit sorry for the store owners, but I'd feel sorrier to see a pricey-hat contingent swoop down upon the neighborhood. And, of course, one would like to think that Mr. Most had a better understanding of, and a better appreciation for, the neighborhood as it is. His comment would annoy, but not surprise, me if I read it in Boston magazine. Coming from the Globe it just seems ill-informed.

January 27, 2008 4:46 PM
Aging Cynic said:

I long ago stopped being enraged by the Globe. We are not customers for their product, we are poor under-educated proles, privileged to read the brilliant analyses by these wunderkinder. The editorial staff is so self-absorbed that they consider the Upper West Side of Manhattan as Mecca. The Globe deserves the same treatment as their parent, the NY Times (and most of the smug, egotistical a-holes that read it): "a good leavin'-alone".

January 27, 2008 5:29 PM
bigyaz said:

"So shouldn't you have a bit more loyalty to your city?" I didn't realize that was an editor's role. Is that what they tell writers and editors at the Phoenix? Be loyal to your city, don't criticize anything about it (certainly not its unfailingly honest politicians, fantastic drivers and open-minded minions)?

That would explain why the Phoenix is becoming increasingly irrelevant.

January 28, 2008 10:49 PM
Adam said:

No, Bigyaz, I don't think Boston editors should automatically applaud the local status quo. But I also don't think they should automatically applaud when Boston gets a bit more like Manhattan.

January 29, 2008 12:00 AM
SALMAGUNDI said:

Greetings Adam Reilly,

In your eyes I am sure you can say that Doug “walked right into this one”, but before you go twisting his words and dragging Salmagundi into a NY/Boston beef, please keep in mind that you probably should have stopped by first and checked us out. We live in Boston, and as one might expect, our store is a reflection of us.

Often our customers have said that our shop reminds them of ‘back home’, referencing different cities across the states. Therefore, the ‘back home’ reference did not start with Doug and is not specific to NY; so don’t get your hopes up that you caught him in an evil plot wishing all new businesses mentioned in the Globe Magazine’s ‘Best of New’ was secretly Globe Magazine’s ‘Best like New York’. We have had customers from Atlanta say our store reminds them of Atlanta, customers from San Francisco tell us it reminds them of San Francisco, customers from Chicago say it reminds them of Chicago, etc. In fact, just a moment ago a customer from Echo Park in Los Angeles said our store reminded her of “back home, but it’s different”. It’s different because it’s here in Boston, and Boston has a wonderful way of making everything in it very Boston. Being from here we like the feel; we also like that people feel at home in our shop. Doug, being from NY associated us with SoHo. When I think SoHo, I think boutiques, art galleries, music, and fashion. Without having an inferiority complex about New York, we at Salmagundi took Doug’s words as an endearing compliment.

If you visit our store, which is what you should have done before you called us a ‘spore’ and said we gave ‘reason to weep’, you will find it is very much JP. Salmagundi fits right in and diversifies our diverse corner of Boston even more. Please don’t consider this an attack, but an attempt to clarify. You probably didn’t mean to come off as you were attacking us when you were busy attacking Doug Most.

Cheers,

Jessen & Andria

Owners of Salmagundi

February 2, 2008 12:43 AM