GOODBYE, HELLO. To say a bit more than the shadowy "Editors" did, we learned today that Mike is stepping down. The Big Bossman, Supreme Leader, Creator of Light and Bringer of Fire wants to get back to writing. So, for all of us at The Prospect, there is little joy in Mudville today. On a personal note, Mike is the first real boss I've ever had. And, if from this I�ve gained the impression that bosses tend to have their feet on their desk and a tail of floss hanging from their teeth, he�s to blame. He's been an extraordinary editor, mentor, and friend. He's looked past the fact that I'm (give or take a few years) eleven years old, and not only believed in my writing and my ideas, but extended me the freedom to pursue, develop, and publish them. This has been, and remains, a dream job for me, and Mike not only gave me the golden key, but ensured that it worked in all the locks. During my year or so here, the magazine has become more visible, more influential, and simply better. I'm enormously proud to be part of the institution, and he's a big reason why. I assume his departure is my fault, and look forward to massive therapy bills in the future. His replacement, Harold Meyerson, deserves a similar heaping of superlatives. When I first started at The Prospect, he introduced himself as the place's institutional memory. At the time, I thought he meant the magazine's. It turned out he was talking about, among other things, the left in general, the state of California, and cinema. We're in good hands, and if he can continue the magazine's rapid upward climb Mike set in motion, so are all of you.
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Ezra Klein
