{"id":2357,"date":"2010-05-27T17:16:18","date_gmt":"2010-05-27T21:16:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/themagicalbuffet.com\/blog1\/?p=2357"},"modified":"2010-05-27T17:16:18","modified_gmt":"2010-05-27T21:16:18","slug":"10-questions-with-jason-pitzl-waters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themagicalbuffet.com\/blog1\/?p=2357","title":{"rendered":"10 Questions with Jason Pitzl-Waters"},"content":{"rendered":"

1. For my readers who are unfamiliar with you and your website The Wild Hunt, what is The Wild Hunt and how did it\u2019s creation come about?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Wild Hunt<\/a> is a daily-updated blog focusing on news and opinion of interest to the modern Pagan community and its allies. I started it out of the frustration that there wasn’t a site like The Wild Hunt for me to read, so I ending up being the change I wanted to see in the world. Six-plus years later, here I am, still looking for and reporting on Pagan news.<\/p>\n

2. As a less thorough and less prolific web writer I\u2019m curious, how many hours a week do you put into The Wild Hunt?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Per week? On a “light” week I spend maybe twenty hours, sometimes more. It depends. Most days I usually spend at least three hours in the morning reading through my news feeds, deciding what goes on the site that day, and then writing it. When I’m doing first-person reporting or interviews it can take a lot longer. I nearly pulled an all-nighter not too long ago, but I value my sleep and try to avoid that.<\/p>\n

3. How do you decide what news stories to discuss on your site?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A very good question! I try to pick what I feel are the most “newsworthy” story (or stories) of the day, the ones that I feel will have deep ramifications for modern Pagans in some form or another. So, for example, an update on an important legal case would take precedence over a routine “meet the Pagans” article. It’s a daily judgment call. I avoid trying to be exhaustive; Wren’s Nest at Witchvox does a far better job of that than I do.<\/p>\n

4. You\u2019ve covered many topics on The Wild Hunt, what do you feel are some of the more important articles you\u2019ve done?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think the current case involving Patrick McCollum and the “five faiths” policy in California is hugely important, and I’m proud of the work I’ve done covering it. Dan Halloran’s candidacy and win, and the growth of out Pagans in the political sphere is an ongoing concern. I also think the legal struggles of Santeria in the United States, which I’ve covered extensively, will have ongoing reverberations for all minority faiths, including ours, in the future.<\/p>\n

5. Have you ever experienced backlash from any of the Pagan communities due to topics you\u2019ve addressed?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some, but not a lot, and nothing that got too personal. I don’t please everyone all the time, but I think I have a general track record of being fair in my assessments, and willing to entertain perspectives that I may not personally agree with.<\/p>\n

6. What challenges do you see facing the Pagan\/Heathen community? How can the community resolve those issues?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our biggest challenge will be how we continue to handle our growth and (inevitable) entrance into the mainstream of modern culture. Many of the legal cases, conflicts, and big stories I cover stem, in one way or another, from the friction of a “Christian” society dealing with religions that don’t fit into an easily understandable monotheistic framework like Judaism or Islam. This is largely unavoidable, and the best thing we can do is continually engage the world around us, the people we live among, and be “out” about who were are and what we believe in.<\/p>\n

7. Tell everyone a little bit about The Pagan Newswire Collective <\/a>and Pagan + Politics<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n