The Georgia Straight: What the Hell Happened?

Matt Hartman is a freelance editor and cataloguer, running Hartman Cataloguing, Editing and Indexing Services.

The Georgia Straight, North America’s sole surviving independently
owned underground newspaper from the 1960s, just keeps getting better.
What is remarkable about the newspaper’s longevity is the fact that
while its focus remains largely the entertainment industry in Vancouver
and environs, it has successfully moved into so-called hard news—think
pieces on everything from provincial and local politics to environmental
issues. Even its sports writers—Kerry Banks, for example—are at the
top of their craft. There is no doubt that part of the reason for
Georgia Straight’s strong position in Vancouver is the abysmal
competition it faces.

The Georgia Straight: What the Hell Happened? is a well-edited
collection of pieces from the first 30 years of the paper’s life, from
its inaugural issue of May 5, 1967, to 1996. Chronologically arranged
and focused primarily on events occurring in Vancouver, the stories,
cartoons, letters, and editorials are irreverent, often satirical, and
always artfully written. The book is a valuable contribution to the
social, political, and cultural history of Vancouver, and a
representative sampling of a wonderful alternative publication. Highly
recommended for all libraries.