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Jacob Stockinger -- associate editor, arts

The Capital Times  —  4/25/2008 12:14 pm

"Jacob Stockinger has been an arts writer and reviewer, news reporter, features editor and arts editor at The Capital Times since 1981. He also teaches feature writing at the UW-Madison." That's how Jake describes himself on his blog, "Art Talk."

But that doesn't begin to tell the story of his career at the Cap Times. He's a man of voracious interests and appetites: for steak frites, gingerbread, classical music, the Rolling Stones, French lit, Henny Youngman jokes, abstract art, politics, poetry and the holiday lights on University Avenue. And he's referred to them all in his writing.

He started at the Cap Times as reporter covering elementary and secondary education, then moved on to covering higher education before devoting himself to arts and culture.

Jake's love affair with food is as legendary as his reviews of local eateries. The late, still-lamented Wilson Street Grill posted his 1996 "Culture Clash" column about the pleasures of food and eating ("Watch Me Eat") immediately inside the front door of the restaurant and also named their popular smelt fry in "Dr. Jake's" honor.

The doctor in his name is no false claim, with a Ph.D in 20th century French literature from UW-Madison. It's the French, he says, who taught him to have one brow high and one brow low.

That may be why Jake started The Capital Times Classic Book and Movie Club, where folks read the highbrow book and then watch the film version (all Jane Austen this year). It's also why his 2008 New Year's resolutions included "watching more TV."

Jake loves teaching and says the interaction with his students keeps him young. Now that there's more free time in his future, he plans to become a kid again himself: piano lessons are in the works, as is his photography and a UW class that will immerse him in the classics of ancient Greece and Rome.

From Linda Brazill, features editor

The Capital Times  —  4/25/2008 12:14 pm