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The Subject Is Objects

For all its transience and fluidity, Las Vegas seems like a giant airport sometimes. Countless people — tourists, residents, nomads falling somewhere in between — perch for a while and then flutter off. (We’ve all had those single-serving, long-pour Vegas friendships that last anywhere from a season to several years before they dissolve in a new job and a cross-country move.) I like to think this constant, fugitive molecular fizz is what makes Vegas such a treasure trove of found objects — notes, mementos, castoffs, and other ephemera left behind that tell compelling stories about where we live. On p. 49, we showcase our many finds, and offer gestural sketches on what they mean. These objects’ origins are diverse — from the Las Vegas Wash to the Las Vegas Strip, from thrift stores to the desert outskirts — but their stories strike familiar, human chords.

And now for a facile transition! Desert Companion has a few new objects in its trophy cabinet — a slew of awards from the Nevada Press Association. At the honorees’ banquet Sept. 21 in Ely, Desert Companion garnered five awards, including first place in Entertainment Writing (Mike Weatherford), first in Explanatory Journalism (“ You Are the Cure,” Erin Ryan, August 2018), and first in Page One Design (Art Director Christopher Smith). Heidi Kyser took third in Feature Writing for October 2018’s October 1 retrospective, and Sally Denton won third in nonstaff story for her March historic profile of Jessie Fremont. Congratulations to them, and all the winners — for continuing to find and tell compelling stories about our fascinating home.

As a longtime journalist in Southern Nevada, native Las Vegan Andrew Kiraly has served as a reporter covering topics as diverse as health, sports, politics, the gaming industry and conservation. He joined Desert Companion in 2010, where he has helped steward the magazine to become a vibrant monthly publication that has won numerous honors for its journalism, photography and design, including several Maggie Awards.