Has anybody noticed that Wendi Thomas, the Commercial Appeal’s lightning rod columnist, hasn’t written a column since early May? To borrow from the vernacular of stand-up comedy, “What’s up with that?”
Had Thomas’ columns finally become too hot to handle? Did she become a casualty of regime change following the departure of publisher Joe Pepe and editor Chris Peck? Could it be that her critics finally convinced management that she was entirely out-of step with Memphis’ loudest 30%, and an enemy of history, liberty, and free enterprise? Or, has she just been busy doing other things?
Turns out, it’s the latter.
“Rumors of the death of my column have been greatly exaggerated,” says Thomas, who, in addition to her duties as a columnist, signed on to pull one night shift a week at the metro desk back in January. Thomas has since agreed — temporarily— to take on additional editing responsibilities, that have precluded the kind of research and dedication required to create a regular column. She plans to return to her regular writing schedule later this summer.
“I’ll be back at my column and some online only commentary in mid-July, when a temporary editing assignment ends,” she says.
Public officials may wish to take note. The CA doesn’t have a staff cartoonist either. If there was ever a time for epic jackassery, this would be it.
