Farewell from Will Crain

A farewell message from copy editor Will Crain:

As I was preparing to leave The Chronicle, I realized that this place has been a part of my life for more than half the time I’ve been alive. Right out of high school, in the summer of 1987, I started working at The Chronicle as a copy boy. Despite the fact that, in those days, I usually wore death-rock T-shirts and Soviet military jackets to work (to say nothing of my haircut), the paper welcomed me back as an editorial assistant several times over the next few years, during and after my time in college.

I think I worked in every section of the newspaper at one time or another. I was here during the Loma Prieta earthquake and helped break into Herb Caen’s office to retrieve his old Royal when the power went out and our reporters had nothing to write on.

Years later, I took a job as a copy editor on the Examiner’s on-call board, working such shifts as 10 p.m.-5 a.m. and 5 a.m.-1 p.m. My apologies to Courtenay Peddle and Geoff Link, slots who would never have put up with this cliche, but it was a real trial by fire. After the merger, I worked for the Chronicle PM, the Business section and Daily Datebook. Everywhere I worked, I met more talented, smart, helpful and interesting people. It truly has been an honor to work with you all these years.

Here’s another cliche: I will be leaving The Chronicle to pursue other interests. For the time being, I’ll do freelance writing and editing.

I’d like to keep in touch.

E-mail me at willcrain@yahoo.com