By the Way…

Astute REASON readers will notice someone missing from this month's masthead: Bill Kauffman, assistant editor par excellence. When REASON moved from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles in June 1986, Bill went east—to Washington, where he opened a one-room, one-man office not half a mile from the Capitol. From there Bill kept an eye on The State, drank beer with journalists, checked out the D.C. think tanks, and avoided insufferably boring cocktail parties.

REASON benefited greatly from our bicoastal presence, but so did MCI, UPS, Federal Express, and other collectors of money. So for financial reasons we've closed the office, and Bill has moved on. (He took a lasting memento with him—REASON's former office manager, Lucine Andonian, now Mrs. Kauffman.) In his inimitable style, Bill will continue writing for various (nonpornographic) publications. We will surely miss this funny, kind, and all-around good guy.

Congratulations to REASON columnist John Dentinger, who recently received the Free Press Association's Mencken Award for the best op-ed of 1986. This issue carries REASON's last Spotlight column, which has been John's province, but you can expect to see more of his writing in our pages.

College students interested in a summer internship at REASON, please send your résumé and samples of your writing to Virginia Postrel at 2716 Ocean Park Blvd., Suite 1062, Santa Monica, CA 90405 by March 31. Paltry pay, great experience.