Scary Oakland? Nope. Hundreds Attend Grand Lake Farmer's Market

Ishmael Reed Tue, 17 Aug at 12:03pm
Photo by alxndr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/alxndr/3517157563/sizes/m/

Photo by alxndr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/alxndr/3517157563/sizes/m/

If you'd examine the Times' coverage of Oakland, typically, it's about crime,which
is one aspect of a city's life. Crime exists in New York where the Times is located,
but if you pick up today's newspaper, there is also news about the city's cultural
life. Theater, literature, art- but when the Times does Oakland, it usually
consists of Jesse Mckinley's ambulance chasing, trying to track down any hint
of a riot. He exaggerated the extent of the riots following the O.Grant murder.
 You guys even get the crime wrong. I've attended Crime Council meetings since
1989 and can assure you that more than one ethnic group contributes to urban crime.

Farmer's Markets may not be important to you, but someone who buys an
organic chicken at Grand Ave. every Sat. they are. The only food stores available
to me and my neighbors are liquor stores disguised as grocery stores.There
is an important urban farming movement happening in Oakland.
I contacted your staff on July 2 about contributing stories to Bay Citizen only to
get the run around. Annette Fuentes said that she would pass my interest
on to Jeanne Carstensen. I never received an answer. I wrote again on July 11. No response.

 I wrote the book on Oakland, "Blues City:A Walk In Oakland," for Random House
and would be glad to take you on the Ishmael Reed tour.

Oakland is the home base for The Before Columbus Foundation, located in historic Preservation Park. We do The American Book Awards, whose winners wereannounced throughout the world last week, thanks to the Associated Press. The Wash. Post says that The American Book Awards are to the National Book Awards what the American League is to The National League. One of the many success stories of Oakland, which was the residence of Jack London, Bret Harte, George Sterling, Anne Rice, and Robert Louis Stevenson.

Cross posted from SF Gate.

About Ishmael Reed
Ishmael Reed is a poet, novelist, playwright, essayist, and musician. He has received recognition in every category. His latest projects are a book of essays, Mixing It Up, Taking On The Media Bullies, and an anthology that includes some Bay Area authors, Pow Wow, Charting the Fault Lines in the American Experience-Short Fiction from Then to Now, and he publishes Konch magazine. He makes his debut as a Jazz pianist on Four All We Know with The Ishmael Reed Quintet, available from CDBaby.com. Former United States Poet Laureate Robert Hass calls the CD " ... minimalist -- gorgeous."
Pamela Drake's picture
Pamela Drake commented Array ago

Trying to find some sun, I spent a night in wine country last weekend. I was purchasing an item in a shop and mentioned something about teaching in Oakland (before being laid off). The woman said, "You're brave." I replied,"why do you say that, I live there." And this is just an hour or so away. That's okay, more Oakland for us who know it and love it.!

Eric Arnold's picture
Eric Arnold commented Array ago

what's really scary is that tourists are no longer safe in SF after last week. cant blame that on Oakland, can we?

Pamela Drake's picture
Pamela Drake commented Array ago

I was trying to imagine how that would've played in the news if it'd happened in Oakland...

Jonathan Weber's picture
Jonathan Weber commented Array ago

Mr. Reed, I take offense at your casual insult to myself and my staff, if you don't like the journalism that's ok but I'm sure if I dismissed you with comparably contemptuous words you would take offense as well.

As to the merits of the question, we report news. A nice farmers market is not news. With all due respect your criticism comes off as the standard type of complaining of that journalists always hear when they don't report on things the way a particular interested party would like them to. The perception that there is a lot of crime in Oakland is a function of the fact that there is a lot of crime in Oakland. Sorry, but we did not create that fact. And we certainly report lots of news out of Oakland that has nothing to do with crime. If you want to critique The Bay Citizen that's great but please save your stereotypes.

Ishmael Reed's picture
Ishmael Reed commented Array ago

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If you'd examine the Times' coverage of Oakland, typically, it's about crime,which

is one aspect of a city's life. Crime exists in New York where the Times is located,

but if you pick up today's newspaper, there is also news about the city's cultural

life. Theater, literature, art- but when the Times does Oakland, it usually

consists of Jesse Mckinley's ambulance chasing, trying to track down any hint

of a riot. He exaggerated the extent of the riots following the O.Grant murder.

  You guys even get the crime wrong. I've attended Crime Council meetings and Market Street Corridor meetings since

 1989 and can assure you that more than one ethnic group contributes to urban

crime.

 

Farmer's Markets may not be important to you, but someone who buys an

 

organic chicken at Grand Ave. every Sat. they are. The only food stores available

 

to me and my neighbors are liquor stores disguised as grocery stores.There

 

is an important urban farming movement happening in Oakland.

 

   I contacted your staff on July 2 about contributing stories to Bay Citizen only to

 

get the run around. Annette Fuentes said that she would pass my interest

 

on to Jeanne Carstensen. I never received an answer. I wrote again on July 11.No response.

 

  I wrote the book on Oakland, "Blues City:A Walk In Oakland," for Random House

 

and would be glad to take you on the Ishmael Reed tour.

 

  Oakland is the home base for The Before Columbus Foundation, located in

 

historic Preservation Park. We do The American Book Awards, whose winners were

 

announced throughout the world last week, thanks to the Associated Press. The Wash. Post says that The American Book Awards are to the National Book Awards what the American League is to The National League. One of the many success stories

 

of Oakland, which was the residence of Jack London, Bret Harte, George Sterling,

 

Anne Rice, and Robert Louis Stevenson-Gertrude Stein.