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Cathy Seipp, at the Roast in Her Honor, September 2006
I was only in the periphery of Cathy's world, but I am grateful to her for the significant contribution she helped make to my life. I first met her in May 2004, at a panel she hosted at AFI titled, "The Inside Story: Hollywood and the Media Deconstructed." I'd started blogging about a year earlier, and I owed my invitation to this event to Amy Alkon, who I'd made contact with, as a fellow LA blogger. This event was ground zero for my introduction to so many others who are well-known in the LA blogging world, including Moxie, Andrew Breitbart, Matt Welch, Luke Ford, and Cathy herself. In fact, it was that night that I assisted in introducing Moxie to Andrew Breitbart - a noteworthy event to those in the scene here. (I'm not trying to hint at anything - they're just two well-known folks, and it's interesting that this was the night they met.) I'd kept my eye out for Moxie, as a well-known blogger I'd first become aware of via an Instapundit link, and made sure to say hello when she appeared. She was on the second of two panels Cathy hosted that evening. Moxie expressed an interest in meeting Andrew, who, if I recall correctly, had been on the first panel, and I somehow introduced them, even though I'd never met either of them before. I believe I said to Moxie, come over this way, and just walked over to Andrew, and introduced them. Of course it was easy since they were both panelists. Afterwards, Matt Welch, who'd also been on one of the panels, and his wife Emmanuel, invited a number of us over to their place. I felt very fortunate to have the opportunity to hang out with this crowd, for whom I had a lot of admiration. As I posted the following day:
A Great Night in the Blogosphere
Well, last night’s event was great fun. Amy Alkon’s live-blogging of the panels is here.
Afterwards Matt and Emmanuelle Welch invited people over for drinks. Andrew Breitbart, Cathy Seipp, Luke Ford, Martin Devon, Moxie, and I, among others, joined the Welch’s. As you can imagine a party among bloggers, the conversation was just non-stop irresistible. It went on until after 4 a.m. Nobody wanted to leave.
Moxie took great pics, and I took a good one of her as well, which may appear on her site.
Update: the pic I snapped of her is up on Moxie’s site.
Cathy, Amy, and Emmanuelle regularly organized meetings of the LA Press Club, and, again thanks to Amy and Cathy, I began being invited to these as well (and blogged about many of them on this site). At these events I was able to stay in touch with these very cool people, and meet many more as well. As a new blogger, this meant quite a lot to me, and it still continues to do so.
My principal contacts with Cathy were at these Press Club events, but she was always warm and friendly to me, as I believe she was to all. In May of 2005, she called on her site for anyone who might be able to supply a freeze-frame from her recent appearance on Dennis Miller, and I was able to provide one which she subsequently used in a widely-read post.
When I last saw Cathy, it was at the roast in her honor, last September (where I took the above photo). She remembered the Dennis Miller picture and expressed her appreciation to me. I'm glad to have contributed something even so small. I saw with my own eyes how much she contributed to the community.
Rest in peace, Cathy.
#1
#2Cheryl, thanks very much for this post.
I know how sad you must be..as am I. My brother and I recalled a conversation we had a year or so ago with Cathy about a line from the Golden Age of Radio on FIBBER MCGEE AND MOLLY (Before our time I assure you) Cathy had recalled that her mom used to use the phrase "Was you dere Charlie?" (In a german/yiddish dialect it was pronounced "Vash sha dere Charlie?" We were familiar with the phrase as that radio show originiated from our hometown of Chicago (before our time of course!)
I will always remember that Cathy was so funny, and so gracious. I'm sure Rob Long would agree that she was one of the best panel moderators ever. One night, like a hostess in her own home, Cathy kept him and other male writers in line at a wonderful forum at The American Film Institute exactly 2 years ago in March.
So glad I was able to keep in touch with her from time to time over the past 10 months I have lived in DC.
May she rest in peace...she will be so missed!
Cheryl Felicia Rhoads