Habitat 1982-

My first gig out of college had been at Firehouse magazine (1978-1981), where I learned all I ever wanted to know about the fire service industry. After two-and-a-half years on that job, first as assistant editor and then as associate editor, I had had enough. I left for a gig at Americana magazine – which started as a promising partnership and ended up a disaster. I left after six months – writing about firefighters was more my thing apparently than making rocking chairs seem interesting – and I took off for a year to write my first book, produce cable TV's Videosyncracies, and discover improvisation. And then I got my job at Habitat. Carol Ott, the

Carol Ott and Tom Soter

red-headed publisher of a new magazine about cooperative housing corporations, asked me point blank: "Do you know much about co-ops?" "No," I replied. "But I didn't know much about firefighters when I started at Firehouse, and I knew a lot by the time I left." Apparently, it was a good answer. The next day, Carol hired me. We shook hands on the deal and I've been there every since. And I actually do know more about co-ops now.   

With Carol Ott

With Jennifer Wu, ops director

with Michael Gentile, art director

writers Alan Saly,  Frank

Lovece, Bill Morris, former intern Haley Ott;    

With Haley Ott, former intern