Paul Constant, the long time book editor and content machine for The Stranger, has announced he is leaving “Seattle’s Only Newspaper.” Following on the heels of other top writers and contributors who have recently exited, his departure marks the end of the glory days for the paper.
This is a huge blow for the Seattle book scene. Nobody covered the local book beat better. Nobody provided more extensive coverage, nobody showed up at more events, nobody. Constant clearly has some renaissance leanings, he has also capably covered film, food, breaking news and the 2012 presidential election, but he is first and foremost a book guy. A former bookseller who is not afraid of comics, Constant has given us book people continuous sustenance for many years.
It’s ironic that this news hits as we are coming up on the six year anniversary of the end of the print edition of Seattle Post Intelligencer, which was also the day their quality book coverage ended.
For it was Paul and his tireless work that filled much of that gaping hole in book coverage left by the PI’s demise.
Now who will step up? For a city with such a literate underpinning it is vital that its denizens are provided with robust book coverage.
As for Paul, I trust we will hear something shortly about his next gig, I just hope it keeps him in Seattle talking about books.
The Stranger loses one more of its “defining voices.” | Joel Connelly
His Stranger output
Constant’s Facebook page
image above Paul at the University Book Store in Seattle, 2008
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