Walsh Files: it lasted 4 years....

Photo by David DeYoung

On Wednesday, I noticed a blog was missing from City Pages website...Jim Walsh's blog.

Then, on Thursday I read this in the Star Tribune: "Columnist Jim Walsh was fired from City Pages Wednesday during an early morning meeting, sources at the alternative weekly confirmed. Walsh's departure coincided with the Twin Cities arrival of Kevin Hoffman, named as the replacement to editor Steve Perry, who announced his resignation last week. Walsh, once the music critic for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, had been with City Pages since 2003."

I liked Walsh's blog. I'm confident it will continue without City Pages behind it. It wasn't the best writing I've ever read, but it was heartfelt, and I actually felt as though he was trying to connect to his reader, rather than make a mark for his wit with words.

Here's some other means for keeping Jim on your radar: www.walshfiles.com should continue to exist. At the moment, he's penning a couple of books; his "oral history" of the The Replacements should be an interesting read. Check out his singing and recording on cd and at The Mad Ripple.

Jim will be playing his birthday Mad Ripple gig at Java Jack's on February 2.