If you think running even a small cell within the Grand Media Conspiracy is easy, think again. Complex, sinister plots such as ours demand the services of many. Just consider a few stories from this magazine, and the hardened operatives who made them happen.

"The Oregon Woman" marks our third annual in-depth celebration of our city and state’s unofficial sisterhood of inspiring (and/or, in the case of La Grande–based fashion brand Dainty Jewell’s, surprising) leaders and change makers. Executive senior editor Kelly Clarke spent months pulling together the stories that pop so vibrantly within Amy Martin’s design, mostly corralling the energy of her fellow staffers. (Enthusiasm for this project has been high for the past few months.) Photographer Nicolle Clemetson created three stunning portraits, and Beth Slovic, a veteran reporter for Willamette Week and the Oregonian, contributed a striking survey of female political power.

This issue’s look at Portland’s ever-boisterous real estate market surfs on a statistical tsunami channeled (somehow) by associate editor Ramona DeNies, in collaboration with the Center for Spatial Analysis and Research at Portland State University. Kate Bryant and Carl Alviani—a longtime PoMo contributor and a debutant in our pages, respectively—chipped in on different dimensions of the market and city. Special commendation to managing editor Margaret Seiler, who interviewed commuters on a Mississippi River ferry during a pre-Mardi Gras vacation in New Orleans. Her quotes checked out!

“World of Color,” our spring fashion spectacular, reflects the awesome powers of style editor Eden Dawn and art director Mike Novak. Photographer Holly Andres, who otherwise shoots for obscure outlets such as the New York Times Magazine and Wired, worked her inimitable magic on location at Cargo, always a trove of international mystery.

That’s one thing about journalists and our allied artists, a notoriously wily lot: you never know where you’ll find us. Brian Libby, a veteran local architecture writer (in fact, proprietor of the blog Portland Architecture), explored a North Portland building site where a new (yet ancient) technology is taking root. Rayyan Al-Shawaf conducted an interview with a Portland novelist from Lebanon. Illustrator Matthew Billington shipped his brilliantly demented work for that real estate feature from the mysterious land of Canada. Portland writer Mike Allen got lost in the small but infinitely deep corner of East Burnside that is Hippo Hardware; former PoMo intern Ko Ricker took in the whole cityscape in her interview with a rising architect.

That’s not everyone, but you get the idea: to paraphrase someone or other, it takes a village. Every conspiracy needs coconspirators. We love ours. 

Zach Dundas
Editor in Chief