Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Introducing: The Maine Millennial

Julia Spencer-Fleming: One of the great pleasures of parenthood is seeing your kids grow and blossom as they enter into adulthood. When you look at their tiny faces in childhood, you try hard to see the future. Dancer? Financier? Psychologist? Newspaper columnist?

I'm rather ridiculously pleased to say that last refers to my oldest daughter, Victoria Hugo-Vidal (known to all on JRW as The Smithie.) Victoria is the newest and youngest columnist at the state's largest and most widely-circulated newspaper, the Portland Press-Herald. In exchange for a delicious meal of German Potato Salad Casserole, she has agreed to be interviewed about the first four months of what I hope will be an illustrious writing career. 
 



JSF: How did you get started as a columnist? Were you writing professionally before the Portland Press Herald?



VHV: I got started at the Press Herald through stubbornness and a deathbed promise. I wouldn’t stop sending in letters to the editor and one got a lot of views and started a lot of conversations online. (It was about millennials, and EVERYONE has an opinion about millennials. Everyone and their mother.) It was declared ‘letter of the month,’ I was invited to the newspaper’s podcast, and apparently the editorial board decided the oldest state in the nation needed a youthful voice in circulation….and I do have a loud voice.



As for the deathbed promise factor: I have been unable to confirm it either way, but the senior editor of the paper is a friend of my family’s, and he visited my father in hospice. He hasn’t spoken of their meeting, but knowing my father, he guilt-tripped the editor into giving my talent a chance. (It’s hard to say no to a terminal cancer patient.) That’s my dad for you. Always looking out for his lovely and talented wife and daughter.



How do you decide your topics? Do you have a particular brief as a columnist?



I was hired on to bring a millennial perspective, so I try to lean towards topics that are important to us youths or columns explaining things to old people (my first column was explaining Tinder). Mostly, my goal is to make my readers smile, and to bring a new perspective into their lives - to think outside their box, if you will. I’ve taken on some serious topics, like racism and gun violence, but I’ve also written about my grandparents’ romance and about all the shenanigans my cat has gotten into.



I have a running note on my computer that says “column ideas.” I add to it when I get one. Right now, among others, there is “why millennials like socialism,” “that time I accidentally won a medal at the state championship track meet,” and “Ice Storm of 98.” Stay tuned every other Saturday!



What’s your writing and editing process like?



I usually bang out a draft on my lunch break at work (I do have a real job) and then edit when I get home. Because I’m just writing my thoughts, and don’t have to worry about things like “plot” or “characters,” and because I have an awful lot of thoughts, it tends to get done pretty quickly. Then I send it into my editor to make sure it passes muster and won’t make too many readers clutch their pearls.



What are the best things/worst things about being a columnist for a large regional paper?



The best thing is getting to connect with people from all around Maine. I get a lot of emails from people who say I remind them of their child or grandchild; or that they have hope for my generation. I love being able to distract people from the usual partisan doom and gloom of the editorial pages and give the 700 words of me and my mother attempting to buy a car instead. And due to my mother, I had a built-in fanbase the day I started. I have an army of murder-mystery-loving grandmas behind me.



The worst part is that my dad isn’t here to brag to all his co-workers about me. I know he would buy stacks of every paper my column was in. I am also scared of being recognized in a Dunkin Donuts before I’ve brushed my hair and made myself presentable for the day.



Can you share some of the more interesting reader mail you’ve gotten?



Without a doubt, the absolute best comment left on one of my articles was this: 

“Way to go, Portland Press Herald. Hugo-Vidal uses her column to solicit dates with both men and women, and the Press Herald enables it. When I call them on it, what do they do? They delete my comment, of course.”



I sent it to my editor and he replied, dry as the desert, “Before you became a columnist, you had absolutely no way to get dates. It’s true.”



(And the comment was, in fact, later deleted. I don’t know by whom.)



Most of the emails I get are from amazing people who have wonderful, thoughtful things to say. It’s a big boost to my ego. Because my title is “The Maine Millennial,” 80% of emails to me begin with a person telling me their age (which is usually over 60, because that’s newspaper’s demographics) and then saying I remind them of their grandchildren, which is the ultimate compliment. I also had a reader email me last week and he told me he was a liberal republican. 

Truly, Maine is the way life should be.



What do you think, dear readers? Do you have a favorite 
columnist? Do you remember your first exciting job? 
You can follow The Maine Millennial on Twitter 
as @Mainemillennial or give her a piece of your mind 
at TheMaineMillennial at gmail dot com.

53 comments:

  1. Sorry for the lack of prompt update this morning! In my infinite wisdom, I scheduled this blog to post at 3:30 PM instead of 3:30am. D'oh. -Julia

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  2. I've read a few of your columns, Victoria [through your mom's Facebook page] and have thought them to be quite insightful as well as enjoyable. You are definitely an asset to the Portland Press Herald. Keep up the good work . . . and have fun!

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    1. While I don't have a favorite columnist, I do remember my first wonderful, exciting, terrifying teaching job . . . .

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    2. You can now tell people that I am your favorite columnist. Problem solved.

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  3. This is the greatest thing EVER! Congratulations! Rushing to the airport, but I LOVE this!

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  4. Congrats on the writing job! I have a feeling my girl would love to read your column (as would I - even though neither of us are millennials).

    Mary/Liz

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    1. Thank you so much! And you don't have to be a millennial to read and like my column - in fact I aim to spread to different demographics!

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  5. However your foot got in the door, Victoria, your talent is obvious! My favorite columnists are those who make me think, make me laugh out loud, make me think again. Two favorites--Erma Bombeck and Dave Barry.

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    1. I discovered Erma Bombeck my sophomore year of college and have not looked back. Thank you so much.

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  6. Victoria, your perspective is always so very interesting, intelligent, insightful, and usually brings a belly laugh, so thank you for all of the above.

    My favorite columnists over the years have usually included most of the same attributes: Molly Ivins, Eleanor Clift, and Dave Barry.

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    1. And my first exciting job (not my first job, by a long shot) was as a dress buyer for a chain of stores that sold petite women's clothing. I was in my mid-20's, and had never been on an airplane, let alone to New York City, and spent the next couple of years as a low-paid, overworked retail slave, but it instilled my love of travel, and indulged my love of fashion.

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    2. That sounds like a job I would love. I am short enough to comfortably fit in airplane seats and I love dresses. I'm the only woman in a sales department of 7 men, so I'm carrying the fashion load every day.

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    3. The fun wore off, after awhile. I was expected to "shop the competition", which meant to keep track of what other junior stores were up to, so I spent an inordinate amount of time in retail stores. To this day I am reluctant to shop.

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  7. I love the expression in the photo. Somehow it suggests a sense of fun along with "you don't want to mess with me." A wonderful combination.

    I've had several favorite columnists over the years. I used to look forward to reading Hal Crowther's snarky comments in our local arts newspaper (Hal is also the husband of the wonderful Lee Smith). Recently I have found that Eugene Robinson tends to be a voice of (relative) reason.

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    1. "A sense of fun along with 'you don't want to mess with me'" is EXACTLY the look I go for every day. That's why I like to wear combat boots along with kneesocks (that have cats on them).

      I also like Eugene Robinson! My favorite humor columnist, though, is Alexandri Petri of the Washington Post. 10/10 do recommend

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    2. Thanks, I will check out Ms. Petri, as well as your own columns. And I forgot to mention another old favorite, Molly Ivins. If you haven't read her, I recommend finding her old collection, Molly Ivins Can't say That, Can She?

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  8. Hello, Smithie-Victoria! So nice to meet you even if it's in the blogosphere. I think it's fantastic that the paper realized it needed to offer a millennial perspective. Having an army of mystery reading grandmas at your back will never do you wrong, plus there might be pie involved, which is always a good thing. Congratulations on the writing gig - I'm going to have to read your Tinder article so i can pretend I know what's going on in dating these days. I don't suppose you have one that explains Snapchat because I am seriously lost there. Now that you have a column, is it something you think you'd enjoy doing full time?

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    1. Tragically, I have no idea how to use Snapchat. I would have to get The Youngest to explain it to me. She's even better with a smartphone than I am. You can read the Tinder column (and all my other ones) here: https://www.pressherald.com/tag/maine-millennial/.

      And while I would love to be a full-time writer, I also like having affordable health insurance, so.

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    2. Seeing the Glamorous Life of the Author first hand, she's naturally reluctant to give up the day job...

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  9. Congratulations to mother and daughter for words well written! I have enjoyed Art Buchwald, Lynn Ashby (Houston Post), and Ken Hoffman (Houston Post and Chronicle). Now, before I peruse the recipes I probably won't make, I open my Southern Living to Rick Bragg's Alabama memories, humor, and wisdom.

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    1. Thank you so much!

      And if you make delicious southern cooking, you had better bring enough for the whole class (us)

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    2. How could I have forgotten Rick Bragg?? Another of my favorites!

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    3. Me too! Rick Bragg. Ken quit writing for the Chronicle but loved it while it lasted.

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  10. I love this! Congratulations, Victoria. I'm going to alert my own millennial children to your column.

    My father wrote all kinds of things but died before I started my own writing career, and I know how proud he would have been of me.

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    1. Thank you so much!
      And, you can find all my columns here:
      https://www.pressherald.com/tag/maine-millennial/

      (The more people who read them, the happier my editor is)

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    2. Awesome. Just sent my son in Silver Spring the link!

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  11. Congrats to all! (Proud momma included.) But I have to ask, why is Maine the oldest state? Wouldn't it be after all the original 13 colonies/states?

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    1. When I say the oldest state, I mean age demographic wise - sorry, I should have made that clear. Our "median age" is 43.5.

      Basically we are a forest full of old, white people

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    2. We also have the oldest housing stock in the nation! The Maine Millennial, Youngest, and I live in a 200-year-old home, and we're not that unusual.

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    3. Gotcha. That makes sense. Thanks for explaining what you meant.

      Although, since I will be turning 43 next week, I'm little upset about your median age. :)

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  12. Congrats on the job, Victoria! It's no small feat to land a gig like that just out of school. You're a great writer and a very persuasive one; I'm seriously considering moving to Maine after reading your thank you column to your fellow Mainers!

    So is there a topic you're itching to address?

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    1. Clearly the next column I should write is "WHY INGRID THOFT SHOULD MOVE TO MAINE (IT IS THE BEST STATE EVER)"

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    2. I'd have to take issue with that. Ingrid is from Massachusetts, all other states pale in comparison. If she moves anywhere, I'd vote for back to the One True State...HA!

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  13. Hi Smithie/Victoria! So nice to see you hear. And of course I had to go and read some of the columns. And then I had to send the link to my daughter, who, at the grand old age of thirty-four, is just squeaking by as a millennial. You have obviously inherited your mom's talent with words, and I hope you're enjoying your day job, too (the insurance thing...)

    My favorite all-time columnist was Laurie Colwin, who wrote for Gourmet Magazine. She died, unfortunately, very young, but there are two books that are compilations of some of her columns, Home Cooking, and More Home Cooking. There are as much about life as they are about food and you might enjoy them. She was a lovely writer.

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    1. Thank you so much! I hope your daughter likes them too!

      My day job also comes with regular hours, regular paychecks, and an 401k. Ah, boring office bliss

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  14. Hi Victoria,

    You are going on my list of "must read" columnists!

    Some that I have enjoyed reading and re reading are Erma Bombeck, Dave Barry, Calvin Trillin, Gayle Carline, Gordon Kirkland, Laurie Notaro. I discovered some of these years ago in the newspapers and others more recently on line. Humor columnists are my second favorite type of authors. First place is held by mystery writers of all kinds.

    DebRo

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    1. Deb, thanks very much for your response re Fr. Martin yesterday!

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    2. Glad to know that my mom and I are your favorite types of authors!

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  15. Victoria, welcome to JRW. Were you named after Victor Hugo, the author?

    I enjoy reading local columnists in my local paper. One wrote a funny column about regretting not encouraging his kids to become Olympian curlers. Another columnist wrote about her 4 year old who loves reading about the MUNI and following their routes/ timetables.

    Though I've never visited Maine except for the time my plane stopped in Portland, Maine on the way somewhere (I forgot where), I look forward to reading your columns. I get what you meant about a build in fan base.

    Diana

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    1. I am actually named after my grandfather, Victor Hugo-Vidal...who himself was descended from Victor Hugo (by way of Spain). So, in a roundabout way, yes?

      And please come to Maine! We love having visitors! (Seriously. Our economy depends on it, please come visit and eat lobster)

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  16. MM (M squared?), I enjoy your columns on FB. My favorite columnists are Carolyn Hax (thanks to her I never run out of character traits or plots), Dear Prudie, and Ask Amy. And the daily Washington Post opinion articles. When I'm hanging around the kitchen stove cooking something complicated, I page through Laurie Colwin's food essays. It's like cooking with an old friend. Best wishes and keep them coming!

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  17. Victoria, it's such a pleasure to have you here at Jungle Reds today. Your mom's stories of you as the Smithie have been some of my favorite, your independence and wit shining through early on. And now you are a grown-up newspaper columnist, and your writing is just what we all need at this time. Your witty touch allows us to read about serious topics and everyday activities of you as a millennial with equal enjoyment. I know your mother is proud, and truth be told, we here at the blog are proud of you, too.

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  18. Years ago I loved reading Erma Bombeck. Who didn't? We had our equivalent at the Houston Chronicle: June Benefield. She was equally witty. I remember she rebutted Count Marco (remember him?) when he wrote a column about an anniversary of Girl Scouts running around in the woods, as he put it.

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  19. I'm not sure I have a favorite newspaper columnist anymore. I used to read a lot of sports columnists but the ones I liked have mostly retired or gone to do TV instead of newsprint. I used to read Bob Ryan, Gerry Callahan, Dan Shaughnessy, Mike Lupica and loads more.

    I read a couple of online columns from Sports Illustrated though. Peter King's NFL column "Monday Morning Quarterback" and Richard Deitsch's Tech and Media column. They both run on Mondays. There's also a book columnist named Lauren Daley who writes for the New Bedford Standard Times that I like.

    For general news columnists, I usually go by whatever the topic is as to whether or not I'm going to read it. I like when George Will writes about baseball or being forced to wear a pair of jeans (long story).

    But commentary these days usually falls from the extreme right or extreme left with the irony of both sides being horrifically bad lost on themselves. So I ignore them.

    Not counting babysitting for my siblings, my first real paying job was working at a seasonal fast food place called Kool Kone, in Wareham MA. I worked there for four seasons. How can you go wrong with a job that not only pays you, but feeds you lunch (I gained 25 lbs the first summer I worked there thanks to burgers and fries for lunch) and you got to eat your mistakes if you worked the ice cream window.

    I wish the "Maine Millenial" good luck in her columnist career.

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  20. So glad you are here, Victoria! I have enjoyed all of your columns i have been able to read so thank you for the link to the archives. I want to read every single one! I am over 60 but I can't say you remind me of my granddaughter as she is only 14. Give her time.

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  21. I have loved reading the columns Julia shared on Facebook. Victoria is a terrific writer with a great point-of-view.

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  22. Victoria, As another 60+ reader/fan of your mother, I became aware of your column and truly enjoy being exposed to the thoughts of a millenial. Your columns are well written and insightful. My favorite "columnists" are Bill Nemitz in the Portland papers and Tim Cotton writing for the Bangor Police Department on Facebook.

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  23. I am a corporal in the murder mystery loving grandma's army...I can go ninja with my 2 sisters...feel free to call on us...your columns make me snort my coffee, one of the last remaining pleasures. Keep writing for me!

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  24. So sorry I couldn't comment on this column yesterday, when it was published. I am a fan of the Maine Millennial's writing, wit and commentary. Congrats on being a columnist! Long may your view of the world cause readers to respond.

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