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As per my usual practice, I'll list staff departures from the Los Angeles Times who put out the word that they're leaving or whose exit I'm able to confirm. They include buyouts, resignations and layoffs — in many cases I don't know the exact circumstances. Today's exodus, said to include 75 newsroom staffers, includes examples of each. The cuts seem to be falling hardest on the features sections. This list is a work in progress.
* Carina Chocano, film critic.
* Maria Russo (via Fishbowl LA), hired away from the New York Observer in 2004 to edit the critics in Calendar and generally upgrade the paper's cultural editing chops.
* Scott Timberg, who has been writing smart stories about the L.A. literary and culture scene, and is the co-editor of "The Misread City: New Literary Los Angeles." That looks to be another side of covering Los Angeles the LAT has chosen to slip back into being weak on. From his email to colleagues:
I'm a relative newcomer at 6 years, but I'm struck, as I try to look back in my current frame of surprise and maybe denial, how pleasureful the job was day to day - finding out about interesting people and ideas, talking to people about them, and writing about them in the company of a cool, talented staff. Lots more to say - as a literary guy I'm aware the Times is now leading the nation in the mini-genre of the rushed, mass-mailed farewell note - but my hours here are numbered!
* Stephen Braun, National reporter based in Washington and co-author of "Merchant of Death."
* Annie Wells, photographer who won a Pulitzer before joining the Times eleven years ago.
* Veronique de Turenne, L.A. Now blogger.
* Mary Rourke, the former fashion editor and religion writer who was recently writing obits, a 29-year staffer.
* Lauren Beale, editor of Real Estate and 29-year employee.
* John Mitchell, Metro reporter assigned to cover South Los Angeles. From his farewell email to colleagues:
Nearly thirty years ago, I began working at The Times in a small suburban office next to a fish market on the Westside....I’ve enjoyed one hell of a ride at one of the best newspapers in the nation with colleagues who are second to none....But as this phase of my life comes to a close, my good fortune is tempered by a troubling reality: I am the only African American male on a metro staff responsible for covering the most diverse city in the nation. There are no blacks in Foreign...
* Diane Wedner, Real Estate reporter.
* Lynell George, Calendar arts writer, former senior writer for West magazine and the author of "No Crystal Stair: African-Americans in the City of Angels."
* Agustin Gurza, Calendar writer who in 2004 was flacked as the paper's innovative new Latino arts and culture reporter.
* Valli Herman, an original member of the Image section team who has also been a senior fashion writer and food writer at the Times.
* Swati Pandey, Business writer who just moved upstairs from Opinion in July.
* Susan LaTempa, acting editor of Food.
* Mindy Farabee, Calendar staff writer.
* Lonnie White, Sports staff writer since 1987 (and former player for USC and the New Orleans Saints) who teaches a course in Sports Commentary at USC-Annenberg and is author of “UCLA vs. USC: 75 Years of the Greatest Rivalry in Sports."
* Lynn Smith, veteran TV writer in Calendar.
* Francisco Vara-Orta, Metro reporter and graduate of the paper's Metpro intern program.
* Erin Weinger, the only Image section staff writer under 30. She says, "What a sad day to be a young, hopeful journalist. And call me crazy, but I still have every intention of saving the industry."
* Thomas Bonk, Sports staff writer, most recently specializing in golf.
* Emili Vesilind, Image staff wriiter and the former deputy editor of Distinction and West Coast retail editor of Women’s Wear Daily.
* Karen Tapia-Anderson, staff photographer who took the gripping picture last year of Orange County firefighters in their fire shelters.
* Barbara Morrow, multimedia director for the website.
* David Ng, content producer for The Guide and contributor to Calendar and Culture Monster.
* Susan Brink, reporter in the Health section.
* Denise Gellene, reporter on the science desk.
* H.G. (Gil) Reza, longtime reporter in Orange County who specialized in law enforcement coverage.
* Lea Lion, content producer for The Guide.
* Con Keyes, photo editor for Foreign and National.
* Steve Springer, longtime sportswriter with many beats on his resume.
Editor's newsroom memo
Publisher's memo
From the summer layoffs/buyouts:
More Times departures
Another reporter's poetic farewell
L.A. Times loses yet another star
Reporter 'simply lost hope' in LAT
More L.A. Times exits
L.A. Times layoff scenes
LAT's Lobdell discusses his exit
Booth and O'Connor bound for Mexico
Chuck Philips leaving Times
Hiller out as L.A. Times publisher
L.A. Times layoffs begin