Meet the new girl

The bosses said I'd be great as the SE Live editor. I think they picked me cuz I'm young.

Matt's been here for a while, and he had to be put out to pasture (and by pasture I mean the vast open spaces of the Internet with his new role as online products manager for semissourian.com).

I've enjoyed reading SE Live since it started printing back in September, and I've enjoyed seeing Missouri acts live since I got here last summer. I bring a different, new view to the magazine because, well, I'm new to the area and different from Matt.

I moved around a lot as the kid of a Navy dad. I've been below the Mason-Dixon Line for the bulk of my life -- Florida and Tennessee -- and went to college in the musical town of Memphis, Tenn. My CD collection spans from Megadeth to Gallactic to Billie Holliday to Giant Bear, and they all get a good workout because I constantly change them out.

I get chills at the theater and resolve to take a dance class every time I see a choreographed event. I could stare at art all day long and not get bored.

I'm the features editor here at the paper, which means my job covers a group of topics: Health, Home & Garden, neXt, Religion and the Lifestyles section of the paper. I'm excited about being able to add "art, music and whatever" to my folder of clippings.

Bear with me while I get things going and figure out how to do this job. It's a big one: keeping up with all you artists, listening to the pool of CDs that magically appeared on my desk and the ones that I'm sure will trickle in as the time wears on.

I'm not complaining. Send me your stuff. Tell me your stories. Show me your art and personality. Just don't get mad if you have to tell me your name again.

If you have a concert coming up or an opening reception planned out or if you think we're not covering something we should, shoot me an e-mail at charris@semissourian.com.

If you see me downtown or around town, interrupt and say hey. I won't mind, and I'll be glad to get to know you, I'm sure.

I've met some of you, I've seen a lot of you and I look forward to learning more about all of you.