With the shift of blogs to column format on the Downtown Devil, our columnists have packed their bags and moved their work in with the other pieces published on the site. Columns such as Curtain Critic, Focus. Flash. Phoenix and Devilishly Healthy, which have operated for multiple seasons, will see their well-deserved place on the home page.
These niche columns go in depth into what they cover, but there are still many areas of downtown Phoenix left to be discussed. These areas could create enough content to span multiple columns. However, Downtown Devil has thought of a solution to bring all those downtown-centric posts into one place. That place is Devil’s Advocate.
Devil’s Advocate is a new column, where Downtown Devil reporters and editors will share their love for this city. Though news articles may keep us tied to a certain structure of writing, Devil’s Advocate gives more spotlight to what interests our writers.
So what truly interests our writers? Thankfully, a lot of different subjects. It might be downtown poetry, high-rise construction, outdoor concerts or the process of working for Downtown Devil itself. The column will act as a place for our staff to develop their ideas about matters that affect and revolve around downtown Phoenix. As in our other columns (Light Rail Confidential comes to mind for me), bonus points will be given for creativity and strong voice in the writing.
We might share feelings on the increasing number of pizza joints pitching their tents here. Or write an outline detailing upcoming projects for our site. We may start expanding our research into the trash on our streets, research that could later lead to an in-depth article. Our goal is to make sure Devil’s Advocate includes something for everyone in our audience, leading people to build and develop their opinions on this place we care about.
We’re hoping the posts on this column will spur the conversation that our other articles have contributed to for more than five years. We want to show that downtown doesn’t have to be tied to one certain identity — there are multiple identities that develop and communicate with each other over time. There is so much to be said for downtown Phoenix, and we hope Devil’s Advocate will be a go-to stop for that conversation.
Look forward to future posts on Devil’s Advocate, as each week will bring something unexpected and insightful.
Thank you for reading, and thank you for trusting and choosing Downtown Devil.
Contact the author at motarola@asu.edu
