Rarely are we subjected to so much nonsense and unintended irony as was crammed into last week’s Eugene Weekly article “Bless the Hands that Teach You” (6-25). Raza-Cooper’s over-the-top veneration of Gracie Schatz and her Heart of the Willamette cooking school would be hilarious if it weren’t so damn sad.
How inspiring that Schatz’ “passion for animal butchering” has led her to create a flesh-carving class with a “feminist orientation.” I’m sure the lamb was happy to lay down its life once it learned it was supporting “a more democratic experiential environment.”
How twisted to describe the dissection of a once sentient life as being done with “awe, curiosity and reverence” and with the invitation to “connect with the beauty of the animal.” What bullshit. That animal was beautiful. So pathetically ironic when Schatz instructs her class to “adapt to what the animal is telling you” as the class slices into the carcass of what was once a lamb.
Dan Dizney
Eugene
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
Comments are closed.