by Jeri Dansky

I’ve been editing CoastViews for 4½ years now. Many things have changed over that time, but one thing has stayed constant: Janet Periat’s columns.

Of course, Janet predates me at CoastViews; she’s been writing for the magazine for 12 years. There have been some changes in what Janet writes; she used to sometimes write a “What Would Janet Do” advice column, which she hasn’t done recently. But as the editor, I knew I could count on Janet to submit her 1,000 words, on time, every month. She’s always been extremely easy to edit, too; I never needed to do much, and she’s always expressed appreciation of my small tweaks.

I’ve only met Janet in person a few times, but always enjoyed it immensely when I did. The first time was at a CoastViews holiday lunch; I didn’t recognize her when I saw her. We got a new headshot photo from her shortly after that.

But when I think of Janet, I mostly think of her writing. Her take on AshleyMadison.com. Her disdain for politicians. Her struggles — and joys — in dealing with her family.

Janet has many fans; when people tell me what they like about CoastViews, Janet’s columns are always right there at the top of the list. So I’m sorry to announce that Janet’s column this month will be her last. She’s told us she wants to focus her efforts on her books, which is where her passion lies at this time. “Life is short,” she wrote. “I have more novels in my head than time to write them.”

We’ll miss her greatly, and wish her all the best with those novels. You can keep up with Janet on her website, janetperiat.com.

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