By Andy Shain | ashain@postandcourier.com I remember meeting David Clarey about two years ago for coffee and nosh at Drip in Five Points when he was interviewing to become the food writer for Free Times. I walked away after an hour thinking I just chatted with a Midwesterner who was self-assured, smart, thoughtful and, best of all, curious. These are qualities I knew we needed for the job and made him a good fit in our newsroom. (It didn't hurt that he was a Philadelphia football fan interviewing with a Philly native. Fly Eagles Fly.) He started work just before the pandemic shut down restaurants. It was a tough start. Over time, he built up the beat amid the restrictions and was ready to provide insightful coverage when everyone began eating out again. Soon after Free Times managing editor Jordan Lawrence announced he was leaving, David called me about the job. I was intrigued. He got to produce a couple of editions and made an impression with how quickly he picked up the responsibilities. David got the gig with a twist (more on that below). He started his first day Tuesday by sitting with me in the same spot at Drip where we met nearly two years ago, so we could strategize about the path ahead. On Wednesday, we chatted for this Q&A. We kept the Eagles talk to a minimum. But, it had to come up eventually. Fly David Fly. New Free Times Editor David Clarey (John A. Carlos II/Special to The Post and Courier) Give me your life story in an elevator pitch. "I grew up in the Midwest — South Dakota, specifically. I went to school in Minneapolis. From there, I went to school for journalism, and I started working in the suburbs of the Twin Cities. I wanted to cover food and be a bit more creative with my writing. So, I pursued some openings and I came down (to Columbia) for an interview. I loved the place." This was you first job in the South. Now that you have been here almost two years, what are your impressions? "I go back to the people. I know it's cheesy, but literally everyone is really, really kind. Southern hospitality is a really real thing, and just getting acclimated to that has been really good. I cover food right now. Getting to explore a whole new food world has been super cool too because there's so many new things. For instance, coleslaw on a hot dog is not a thing where I'm from. It's everywhere here, and I love it." What other local food has made an impression besides coleslaw on hot dogs? "Mustard barbecue is not a thing where I'm from, either. In my interview (for the Free Times food job), Jordan and (Free Times publisher) Chase (Heatherly) took me to The War Mouth. I got a traditional Midlands barbecue plate, and it came with pulled pork and mustard sauce. I was a little shocked. I played it cool in the interview. I didn't quite know what was going on. Where I'm from, it's only ketchup-based. Now, I don't think I could ever go back." Most of your time as Free Times' food writer during the pandemic. How was it to cover the industry during that time? "It's been tough, but I think it's been pretty important obviously. Everyone knows just how difficult it's been for the industry, especially early on with restrictions. Now they're dealing with supplies shortages and labor shortages and things like that. So it's been like one barrier after another. So covering that, it's difficult in the sense there's not a lot of good news happening." "I also hope that it's helped people realize the significance that food at a restaurant has on your everyday life and the way we go about our day-to-day. It was easy to take for granted getting to go out and having a drink and a meal with your friends. It's something that we're getting back, but it's still not quite the same. It's been tough from that standpoint and dealing with the emotions of folks around it, but again I think it's been really important work, and I've been glad I've gotten to chronicle it." Why did you want to be editor? "What I think is really cool about Free Times is that it writes from the perspective of someone who's living in Colombia, an insider's perspective. I think that's really cool and really unique in journalism, particularly at a time when publications like this are scaling back dramatically. And, getting a chance to keep that legacy moving forward, then having the chance to help strengthen it with my own perspectives." I mentioned earlier that you got the job with a twist. Talk about the twist. "Once we hire a new reporter, I'll be transitioning to arts, entertainment, music and culture coverage, essentially filling the role that my last editor Jordan Lawrence had. We will be keeping a full-time food writer (job listing here), which I'm super psyched about because food coverage is near and dear to my heart. As for me covering arts and entertainment, I'm super excited about that. It's a big interest of mine. The local music scene is something that I've started to check out more and more the longer I've lived here. It's a personal interest of mine too, and it's another new challenge. I think it's going be really stimulating for me. I hope it's stimulating for that section of the paper in having another new perspective." What is your vision for Free Times? “I want to make sure we strike that balance of nodding towards what we’re known for, but I also want to find new and exciting ways to cover these industries — the arts, entertainment, food and culture. I think there’s a lot of ways to do that. We can look at writing stories that are more accessible to folks, or introduce folks to some of these topics we’re talking about. I want to be first on things often, which we’ve always done a good job with. But, I want to make sure we keep that up as well.” How can people reach you/follow you? Email: davidc@free-times.com; Twitter: @david_clarey Want more?If you like the way we're doing newsletters, please forward this to a friend. If someone forwarded this to you, sign up to receive it weekly here. And be sure to check out other free Columbia newsletters about the local food & dining scene, arts and entertainment, and the latest business news. Recommended for You Sign up to get all the latest business and real estate stories that are shaping Columbia each week straight to your inbox. |