Luisa Loi
She hasn’t seen “The Princess Bride,” but don’t hold that against her.
I may have devoted way too many hours to mastering the dark arts of the VCR — thus marking me as a relic of the past in a world where streaming steamrolled VHS tapes and DVDs alike.
But there is hope in the world of reporters working on Whidbey Island, and specifically, in Coupeville.
Luisa Loi, who has been artfully pounding out stories for the Whidbey News-Times for the past eight months or so, is from a different generation.
A generation of wordsmiths who valiantly believe they can still change the world and are working to do so.
Luisa may be just on the cusp of 25, but she seems like an old soul in terms of the newspaper biz.
A young woman who, first and foremost, still believes in the power and necessity of just that … the newspaper biz.
Her words still grace newsprint and that newspaper, when you hold it in your hands, still seems more real, more solid, than all the many web sites, blogs, and social media time-wasters dotting the internet.
Hey, I’m not saying stop reading Coupeville Sports any time soon!
I’m just saying what Luisa does seems more permanent somehow. But then I am a relic often wistfully gazing backwards at golden nostalgia.
But anyways, what she does matters.
Luisa is a bit of a throwback to the newshounds I hung out with at the News-Times during my own years as a true believer.
She just spends a whole lot less time than they did smoking, with one foot in the newsroom and one (barely) outside on the deck, while slamming back steaming hot coffee and screaming into a corded phone at the exact same time.
I’m saying Luisa is WNT legend Mary Kay Doody reincarnated.
With an emphasis on all the good points and less on the second-hand smoke and yelling “I’m on deadline, sister!!!” while slamming said phone on an interview subject SHE had called.
Side question, did Mary Kay ever watch The Princess Bride?? And if not, why not?
Was I the only one in the newsroom more concerned with Andre the Giant’s immortal delivery of the line “Anybody want a peanut?” than whatever the local garden club was doing for the 110th time?
In the words of Wallace Shawn, who looks a heck of a lot like our editor back then, one Fred Obee…
And, as I so often do, we’re just now returning from a side detour and getting back to the main focus of what the article is supposed to be about.
Something Luisa would likely never do, cause she’s a professional.
She asks the real questions, instead of flying off on tangents.
She remains fair and balanced, using those words not as a meaningless slogan but as a guiding light, while I often … squirrel!!!!!!!!!
Different movie, not “The Princess Bride.”
But, as my nephews are fond of reminding me, “Gee, Uncle David, you sure do watch a lot of crap, don’t you???”
Well, only if you consider a triple feature of ’70s schlock like “The Initiation of Sarah,” “The Severed Arm,” and “Puppet on a Chain” to be crap, and I mean, who in their right mind would think that?
Everyone? Oh, I see, and once again, I have wandered off on a tangent.
Focus your movie-addled brain, man!! For five freakin’ minutes!!!!
Luisa. We were talking about Luisa.
Who kind of reminds me of Audrey Hepburn during her younger years, you know, and … dammit, David. Focus.
The point of this is supposed to be that Luisa is a talented writer, a committed true believer in the power of journalism, and someone Coupeville should welcome.
As she covers the inner workings of our school system, if she reaches out to you, consider giving her your time and expertise.
Answer her questions, provide her a framework to better understand a town she is just learning about after wandering the greater outer world, be it Italy or Bellingham.
I vouch for Luisa. For her skill and her desire to tell a complete story that doesn’t shy away from reality, but also embraces the good going on here in Cow Town.
She’s not as much of a shameless homer as I am, which can be a very good thing.
Work with her, if given the opportunity, and I think you will come away pleased with your interactions.
Luisa might not get my Princess Bride references or know who Siskel and Ebert were (oh lord, I am a movie-addled fossil…), but not frittering away her life seeking out ’70s movie “classics” on low-rent streaming sites like Tubi is probably a good thing.
Now, I need to go mainline “Devil Times Five” (evil killer kids trapped in a snowy cabin!), “Scorpio” (dueling assassins wearing corduroy!), and “The Manchu Eagle Murder Caper Mystery.”
You know, that’s the one with a dead goat wearing a wedding dress and, well, yes…
I am what I am, and the more chances we give Luisa to write about non-sports stuff in Coupeville, the more time I have to fully merge with my recliner.
So do me a solid, Cow Town, cause the triple feature of revenge served hot ‘n nasty that is “Dog Day,” “Rolling Thunder,” and “Poor Pretty Eddie” aren’t going to watch themselves.
And whether anyone should be watching them in the first place was not the question, skippy…
Coupeville Sports 