SoHo Weekly News

The SoHo Weekly News (also called the SoHo News) was a weekly alternative newspaper published in New York City from 1973 to 1982.[1][2] The paper was founded in 1973 by Michael Goldstein (1938–2018).

History

The first issue was published on October 11, 1973.[3] Initially published in eight pages, it eventually grew to over 100 pages and competed with The Village Voice.[4][5] The paper's offices were at 111 Spring Street, Manhattan,[6] although the earliest issues showed the address of Goldstein's apartment on the masthead.[5] Circulation was reported as 25,000 – 30,000.[4][7]

The paper was sold to Associated Newspaper Group (ANG) in 1979. In the fall of 1981, ANG announced plans to close or sell the paper by February 1982. Although there were negotiations with possible purchasers, which continued beyond the original deadline, continuing losses ($1.7 million in the previous year) forced ANG to shut down the paper in March. The recent unionization of the paper was cited a factor in the decision.[8]

The last issue dated March 10–16, 1982 had 40,000 copies printed.[8]

Influence and style

Three years after it was launched, The New York Times reported that the SoHo Weekly News was the second largest English-language weekly in the city, was being positioned as a direct competitor of The Village Voice, and was sold at 400 newsstands in New York City.[7]

After the paper shut down, the New York Times ran an op-ed which called the SoHo News the "alternative to alternative papers". The paper's contributors were described as an eccentric mix of "neo-conservatives and Marxists, radical feminists and hedonistic libertines, chronic potheads and antidrug crusaders".[9]

The paper was an outspoken critic of the commercialization and gentrification of SoHo, the neighborhood where it was located and concentrated its coverage.[10] Topics covered included a review of East Village drug merchants; the piece described various brands of heroin and cocaine that were available, their street names, and commented on the relative quality.[11]

New music coverage

The SoHo News was known for its coverage of new musical artists in downtown New York.[5] In 1975, the SoHo Weekly News was one of the first papers to interview The Ramones.[12][13] In 1978, they ran an interview with the Talking Heads.[14]

Self-mutilation event

On November 26, 1979, 27-year-old Manhattan resident Henry Benvenuti walked into the SoHo Weekly News office and asked to see art editor Gerry Marzorati. After being told he could not see Mr. Marzorati, Benvenuti took out a hatchet, stated that, "I'm doing this in the name of art,"[15] chopped off two of his fingers, and walked out of the office, leaving the fingers behind.[16][17] Benvenuti and his severed fingers were taken to Bellevue Hospital.[18] Doctors were unable to reattach the fingers.[15]

Alumni

Many SoHo News staff went on to have significant careers after the paper shut down. Noteworthy alumni include:

References
  1. "Soho Weekly News articles, interviews and reviews from Rock's Backpages". www.rocksbackpages.com. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
  2. "OCLC WorldCat". The Soho weekly news. 1973. OCLC 42012158.
  3. "Remembering Michael Goldstein | SoHo Memory Project". sohomemory.org. Retrieved 2018-12-21.
  4. "Goldstein, Michael". Cleveland Jewish News. Retrieved 2018-12-02.
  5. Mallozzi, Vincent M. (May 25, 2018). "Michael Goldstein, Publicist Who Started SoHo Weekly News, Dies at 79". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-12-02.
  6. "SoHo Weekly News | SoHo Memory Project". sohomemory.org. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
  7. Dougherty, Philip H. (January 20, 1976). "Advertising: SoHo News Aiming at The Voice". The New York Times. p. 59. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
  8. Zito, Tom (March 16, 1982). "Soho News Ends Publication". The Washington Post. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  9. Page, Tim (March 20, 1982). "Alas, The Soho News Wasn't Cast-Iron". The New York Times. p. 27. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
  10. Petrus, Stephen (2003). "From Gritty to Chic: The Transformation of New York City's SoHo, 1962–1976". New York History. 84 (1): 50–87. JSTOR 23183476. Ironically, one voice that strongly opposed the gentrification did much to promote it. The SoHo Weekly News, founded in 1973 by former press agent Michael Goldstein, teemed with editorials, columns, and articles that railed against the commercialization.
  11. "Mad's smack". March 16, 1982. Retrieved 2018-12-03 – via Ephemeral New York.
  12. Betrock, Alan (2013-04-17). "Ramones: 'We play short songs for people who don't have a lot of spare time' – interview from the vaults". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
  13. Betrock, Alan (1 May 1975). "Know Your New York Bands: The Ramones". www.rocksbackpages.com. Retrieved 2018-12-10 – via Rock's Backpages.
  14. Gross, Michael (13 April 1979). "Talking Heads". Retrieved 2018-12-10 – via Rock's Backpages.
  15. Byrd, Jerry (January 21, 1980). "Artist has no regrets over 'Protest' that cost him 2 fingers". Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved 2018-12-03 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "Mutilation: The Artist's Angry Message". Washington Post. 1979-11-29. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
  17. Sisman, Adam (1998). The World's Most Incredible Stories: The Best of Fortean Times (Finger This). Barnes & Noble Publishing. p. 25. ISBN 9780760708934.
  18. AP (November 27, 1979). "Artist chops off fingers when interview denied". Fort Myers News-Press. Retrieved 2018-12-03 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. "Sasha Anawalt". World News. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
  20. "Richard Corliss, TIME Movie Critic for 35 Years, Dies at 71". TIME.com. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
  21. Nelson, Emmanuel S. (2009-07-14). Encyclopedia of Contemporary LGBTQ Literature of the United States (Volume 1). Greenwood Press (ABC-CLIO). ISBN 9780313348600.
  22. Miss Rosen (2018-04-23). "Intimate Photos of the Ramones During Punk's Early Days". Vice. Retrieved 2018-12-02.
  23. Roche, Eddie (2015-11-18). "All In The Details With Annie Flanders". Daily Front Row. Retrieved 2018-12-03. Hal Rubenstein... I was Annie's caterer when she was the style editor of The Soho Weekly News.
  24. "WM | whitehot magazine of contemporary art | Peter Frank". whitehotmagazine.com. Retrieved 2018-12-02.
  25. "ETC – Ralph Gardner Jr". www.ralphgardner.com. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
  26. "The Elegant Portraiture of Timothy Greenfield-Sanders". Shutterbug. 2005-03-01. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
  27. Fox, Marisa (December 22, 1999). "Her own drummer: In fashion and in business, Kim Hastreiter imitates no one". Chicago Tribune. Section 8 (WomansNews), Page 3. Retrieved 22 December 2018. She was discovered by legendary New York Times fashion lensman Bill Cunningham, who admired her offbeat sense of style. He recommended that she be a style editor. When the Soho Weekly News position was made available, she "begged for the job" and landed it.
  28. "Cynthia Heimel, columnist who brought humor to hanky-panky, dies at 70". Washington Post. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
  29. Noel, Alyssa (2012-06-08). "Yo La Tengo and the Birth of Indie Rock: 'Big Day Coming' Reviewed". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
  30. Marsh, Steven P. "Pelham's Gerald Marzorati was 'Late To The Ball'". The Journal News. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
  31. Romano, Tricia (2013-05-17). "'The Village Voice' Was Crazy to Fire Him: 5 Reasons Why Michael Musto Matters". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2018-12-02.
  32. Thompson, Anita (2009-07-07). Ancient Gonzo Wisdom: Interviews with Hunter S. Thompson. Da Capo Press. p. 128. ISBN 9780786747986.
  33. "John Perreault, Art Critic (and Artist) Who Championed the New, Dies at 78". Retrieved 2018-12-03.
  34. "About Bill Plympton – Plymptoons". www.plymptoons.com. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
  35. "Biography/History". Charles Ruas Papers (C1372) (PDF). Princeton University Library. Special Collections. 2015. p. 4.
  36. "About Jill — Wimpole Street Writers". Wimpole Street Writers. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
  37. Marcus, Greil; Carr, Daphne (2009-10-13). Best Music Writing 2009. Da Capo Press. p. 359. ISBN 9780306817823.
  38. "Tully, Judd - Klein Artist Works | Klein Artist Works". kleinartistworks.com. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
  39. Duka, John (July 20, 1982). "WEBER'S NATURALISTIC EYE ON MEN'S FASHION". Retrieved 2018-12-03.
  40. "Ron Whyte, 47, Dead; Playwright of Disabled". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
  41. "On "Frame Loop," Peter Zummo Became the Master of Spontaneity". Bandcamp Daily. 2018-03-14. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.