Jamie Parsell
Looking down at my hand, the scar — once an angry looking shade of red — is almost the color of my fading summer tan. My last memory of summer, an obnoxious jellyfish, decided to shake hands at the beach. Not wanting to be seen, he hid in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean. It was a stinging introduction. One that required a doctor’s visit, a needle and a week’s worth of medicine. The jellyfish fiasco is just one qualifying column worthy anecdote of the summer and early fall. There was also the exhausting but fun bike ride, a crustless pumpkin pie, a September birthday, the arrival of candy corn, dentist appointments and plenty of other topics for a Lifestyle column. There was also back-to-back deadlines for Prerogative, the Daily Telegraph’s women’s magazine, which took top priority on the to-do list at work.
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As the creative director, the magazine — a salute to health, food, beauty and more — is a sidebar to my duties at the newspaper. With five editions a year, the magazine takes about a month to complete. Since its debut, 15 magazines have been produced — all under the direction of my boss, Managing Editor Samantha Perry. I missed out on the first year of the magazine. But I found my way to the newspaper via the magazine. Startled out of a daydream at a previous job in summer 2007, I agreed to take photos for the magazine’s fashion layouts. With my journalism background, I began freelance writing and in November, I applied for a job as the Lifestyles editor. It is my beginning and I owe the magazine a great deal, like a paycheck and career.
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I always wanted to write for a magazine. It was a secret goal; I admired magazines at check-out lines, never dreaming one would begin in southern West Virginia. Or that I would write for one in my hometown. Not knowing what to expect at my new job, I looked to my boss for an introduction in magazines. I learned about design, style and different writing skills. I discovered the art of food photography and how to find good stories — even ones as far away as Los Angeles, Calif. I worked both jobs — Lifestyles and Prerogative — at a comfortable pace. Forging a student and teacher relationship, Samantha and I developed a steady stream of work. Fast forward to January 2008 and responsibilities changed over the course of a weekend.
When Executive Editor Tom Colley passed away in January, Samantha and I were in the middle of production for the spring issue of the magazine. Samantha stepped in to help the newsroom and handed the magazine into my shaking hands. I can’t remember her actual words. They rushed together in my ears. But I clearly understood the intent: Your turn. Finish the job. Take control. Walking back to my desk, I sat down and looked at 60 empty pages — a wow factor. Needless to say, life at work got busy.
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I am still the student, taking notes and learning about style and design, even though the relationship has changed over the year. The transition — quiet and efficient — is an example of a good teacher, who paved the way for the hand-off, even before that weekend in January. Today, my desk is clear of notes, magazines, interviews and evidence of the last couple of weeks. I can breathe a little easier and concentrate on other projects and tasks. Fifteen editions of a magazine, five editions learning to fly the plane of responsibility. A scary word but responsibility isn’t the kiss of workplace stress. Yes, it does add to the workload, but the feeling of accomplishment and the trust of a new project is more than enough to cover the stress wound. No one really asks for more responsibility. It just shows up, like unexpected guests and lost kittens. To-do lists get longer, things change, but the feeling of wow — a sense of accomplishment and teamwork — shines from the cover of new magazines, fresh off the printer. For now, I am back at a comfortable pace — until the deadline for the spring issue creates the next big wow.
Jamie Parsell is the Lifestyle editor of the Daily Telegraph. Contact her at jparsell@bdtonline.com.
