tommy alerts me to this bit on david segal's washington post online music chat today:

David Segal: Thanks much.

The caller refers to my sort-of imminent departure from the pop critic beat. By September, I'll be in NYC to write about Whatever for the Style section. I am, as the kids say, stoked.

But moving off the pop beat is a big bummer and I'm really going to miss it. And miss these chats.

But enough of that, you say. Dave, you say -- can I call you Dave? -- what does this change mean for me, the consumer of pop writing in the Washington Post? Enough about you. You're soooo July 2004. What happens in September and every month after that?

Glad you asked, people. We're looking for a replacement. If you know anyone interested, let 'em know. We've got a welter of superb applicants but the more the merrier.

What are we looking for? This isn't a typical pop job, in the sense that a lengthy list of concert and album reviews will land you the gig. Believe it or not, I'd never written a concert review before I arrived in this spot four years ago. And maybe I'd done one album review. I think. Actually, it might have been killed. What they want is less a track record in the biz than a demonstration that you can write in a variety of voices. A news voice, a distinctive critical voice, and a profile voice -- a profile voice that is never suck-uppy, preferably. And if you've got some deadline experience, even better.

By the way, I can't recommend this job enough. You work for and with incredibly bright people and they'll give you enough leash to run in just about any direction.

Interested parties can send their stuff to my attention, c/o the Washington Post, 1150 15th St., NW, 20071.

Tell 'em Large Marge sent ya.

now, i am not all that distressed to hear that david segal is leaving, because i've never really liked him that much since i read an online chat of his a few years back where he said he didn't know anything about belle and sebastian. what is up with that? but whatever. i would totally apply to this job if i thought i stood a chance in hell of getting it, but as a 24 year-old with not a ton of clips working in the publications department of an education association, i'm going to say odds are slim to none. i hope the job goes to joe heim (if he's under consideration), who's the editor of the wp.com's entertainment guide music section. i interned for him in college, and he was awesome and nice and once told me in regards to a concert preview i wrote about weezer, "it's so nice to get writing that doesn't have to be edited at all." aw. he went on to help me with my music writing, and i even freelanced for him a few times after the internship. of course, since i'm terrible about keeping in touch, i haven't seen him in years and i'm sure he doesn't have a clue as to who i am anymore, which is unfortunate, because that would be a good contact to have if i ever wanted to start being a rock stah music critic (which i don't really, anymore. in college i was way into the idea and wrote lots of stuff for the dec and the angle about concerts and cds, but the truth is that i'm not very good at it).

anyway, applying for some hot music critic job where they probably give you free washington post cocaine is moot, because i am almost sure that i am going to apply to journalism grad school this year. my decision was totally bolstered by the fact that i took a practice GRE test last night (sans the writing part) and did much better than i thought i would on it. yes, a paralyzing fear of the GRE was somewhat preventing me from thinking i could go to (a semi-decent) grad school. but now that i know i can get above a 200, i am inspired. (especially by my math score, which was equal to my verbal score, which is totally weird, because i scored equally on both sections on my SATs as well, and i really suck at math.)

i already know which reach schools i'll apply to -- northwestern and berkeley, who both have magazine publishing programs that look amazing -- the schools that will say, "oh, it is SO CUTE that you are trying to get in here!" it's harder to decide what other schools to apply to -- schools that are respected, but schools where you don't have to have interned at the washington post, CBS news, mother jones AND the wall street journal to get in. you think i exaggerate? check out these kids' resumes.

so i guess if you are some sort of journalism grad school expert, i would be much obliged to hear some advice on some solid schools i could apply to.

of course this decision, as with any decision i make, isn't really final until i am actually in attendance at whatever sorry school decides to take me under their wing. but i feel pretty good about it.