Los Angeles CityBeat Names New Editor & Arts Editor

Steve Appleford is no longer the editor of Los Angeles CityBeat.

The new editor of the paper is Steve Lowery, he officially starts Monday; here is his bio:

Steve Lowery was born Édith Giovanna Gassion in Belleville, Paris … wait, that’s Edith Piaf … Oh, here we are.

Steve Lowery was born and raised in Southern California attending Catholic school for 12 years in Downey and then attending Cal State University, Long Beach. From there he was hired by the Los Angeles Times as a sportswriter, eventually covering the California Angels (remember?), Los Angeles Rams (remember?) and Raiders (don’t let the door hit you in the ass.) He moved on to become a columnist with The National Sports Daily where he was very happy until that publication crashed, burned and contracted lupus. Stints at the L.A. Daily News, Long Beach Press-Telegram and New Times L.A., where he wrote news features and columns, followed. At New Times, he met young up-and-comer, and eventual CityBeat executive publisher, Charles Gerencser, whom he helped mold into a man. To wit:

“Mr. Lowery?”

“Yes, Charlie?”

“What’s the difference between soup and gravy?”

“There’s a good boy, Charlie.”

From New Times he went on to OC Weekly where he was senior editor and later interim editor of the paper, before leaving to join The District Weekly in Long Beach where he served as senior editor. Ruggedly handsome, all things to all men, he lives on his houseboat solving mysteries and crocheting decorative cod pieces. Also, he’s a ninja.

Additionally we have filled the vacant arts editor position, Rebecca Schoenkopf also starts Monday; here is her bio:

The Orange County Register called Rebecca Schoenkopf, who is best known for her column “Commie Girl,” “the queen bee/black widow of alternative journalism.” LA CityBeat‘s new arts editor is an AltWeekly Award winner for Best Political Column as well as a longtime art critic and editor. She has worked at the Santa Barbara Independent, Village Voice Media’s OC Weekly, and MAD Magazine, and is the author of the forthcoming Commie Girl in the OC from Verso Books. She has a bachelor’s in journalism from New York University and teaches political science at UC Irvine. She lives with her 13-year-old son, Jimmy.

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