editor Jenny Crogran said she was inspired when she saw a "Pop Up Magazine" performance in San Francisco last year, which featured "living" magazine interviews between subjects and writers. She was determined to bring the idea to Martinez.
And if you know Jenny Crogan even a little, you know that once she's determined to do something, it gets done.
The first Pop Up Press came to last year, and was a little rough around the edges, but overall was an impressive mix of interviews and music. Reporter Greta Mart and former Gazette photographer (and 2012 Woman of the Year) Lorena Castillo helped stage the event, which drew a near capacity crowd.
This year's event was even better attended. And this year, it starred Tom Greerty, a sometime-Gazette columnist and lifelong Martinez denizen, who had a show-stopping presentation on the city's colorful history.
It also featured a segment of tales and tunes from San Francisco Chronicle reporter Kevin Fagan (a personal friend of this reporter since our days at the Oakland Tribune several centuries ago) who also sings and writes songs, and this paricular night he shared several. The one featured here is about a homeless woman by the moniker of Little Bit, who Kevin covered for a series about the homeless. It's also the only one he sang that could be published on a family website.
There were other features as well - Mart talked about her entry into journalism, and Harlan Bailey told some tales about fishing in Alaska. There were live bands at the end of the night, but Martinez Patch doesn't stay out late these days.
The next time a Pop Up Press comes to Armando's, make a point to attend. It's a great way to spend an evening.
