The Latest

Posted on July 28, 2009

If you’ve been following the Jones for awhile, you know we’re in the midst of an exciting immersion project, one revolving around the world of medical marijuana. For the past 24 months, Dann has dug in layer-by-layer: beginning as a patient, then becoming a delivery driver, and now as director of a Hollywood-based delivery service. It’s been a lot of work—to the point where Dann must now write less and make more deliveries in order to survive. So in lieu of his colorful literary stylings, here’s a fast-paced Q&A with the latest news about Artists Collective, how it works, how it came into being, what’s available, and where it fits into the master plan that is Walkabout Jones.

WJ: You’re a drug dealer now.

Dann: That would be the impolitic way of putting it. Here’s the thing: The best way to learn about a world is to work it with your own hands. I spent many years as a traditional journalist and you’re painfully restricted in that format. Your bosses tell you what to write and often how to write it. You don’t have time to do deep research, so you’re at a disadvantage in interviews. People lie to you all of the time. They even have a word for it now: Spin. After much thought, I decided I could never do this story justice unless I was willing to live it. I was tired of depending on others. I wanted to learn it for myself.

WJ: So you make the deliveries for Artists Collective and then write about being a delivery driver for Walkabout Jones.

Dann: That’s the plan. I change the names, muddy up the locations, and work toward the greater factual and emotional truths of the story. I’ve seen some crazy shit. As a delivery driver, it can sometimes be very frightening, to the point you’re wondering if you’re going to make it back. I’ve been on Skid Row late at night—with an ounce of marijuana tucked in a bag. In moments like this, you’re at war with your instincts—because every part of your body is telling you to go. I’ve seen things I’d rather not see again, but at the same time, as a writer, it’s an incredible story. The traditional stigma toward marijuana casts such an interesting prism on the world. As a storyteller, marijuana instantly changes the context of places and events. It’s the difference between a retirement home and a retirement home where the old folks smoke reefer. The whole picture changes. So as a writer, it’s golden. And thank god I can feel positive about the creative process, because the marijuana world is an incredibly stressful, hard life. It isn’t anything like you’d expect. I’m looking forward to when I’ll have the time to write about it more consistently.

WJ: You must get a lot of calls from people asking how deliveries work. Want to explain?

Dann: The first thing we do is make sure the patient is under doctor’s care. Many of the doctors in Los Angeles now have 24 hour phone verification or online verification. Compared with the old days when you sometimes waited a day for a doctor to respond, patients can often be verified within fifteen minutes. Once they’re confirmed, we can answer all of their questions about how the delivery system works and the marijuana strains currently available. Patients can either make an appointment for a specific time or for a delivery route. The latter is more affordable, but appointments are better for busy patients who’d rather order more, schedule it into their daily planner, and see us less frequently. Once we get to their home, there’s paperwork and then we’re able to help them.

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Short Story Contest: Deadline Extended

Posted on January 26, 2009

Your response has been fantastic. With thanks to mega-sites like Stumbleupon, our contest has attracted more than one hundred entries and tens of thousands of visitors. Thank you! Artists Collective and Walkabout Jones look forward to awarding $1,000 to the writer who pens the best short story. And now, we’re giving you a little more time.The new deadline is February 28, 2009. Here are the rules:1. Entry is free and anyone may enter. One entry per writer.2. Short stories must be no longer than 2,000 words. Any submissions more than 2,000 words will not be considered.3. Finalists will be chosen by Walkabout Jones. The winner will be selected by a published author, or authors, with no affiliation with Artists Collective or Walkabout Jones.4. A short story is: A work of fiction. Non-fiction, essays, memoirs, etc. are not eligible.5. Submissions should be emailed to “Short Story Contest” at artistsforaccess@gmail.comArtists Collective is a licensed California non-profit delivering medical marijuana to verified patients in Los Angeles. Proceeds go toward creating opportunity grants for artists, writers, performers and musicians. Delivery is free throughout Los Angeles county. For contact information, go to www.artistsforaccess.orgWalkabout Jones is a web magazine, presently giving readers a front row seat to California’s medical marijuana world. Walkabout Jones features art, photography, music, politics, humor and experience-oriented essays. Read more

Short

Posted on December 15, 2008

Artists need encouragement. That’s the driving force behind Artists Collective. Now, in partnership with Walkabout Jones, Artists Collective will award $1,000 to the writer who pens the best short story. It’s as simple as that.

Deadline is February 28th*. The winning entry will appear in Walkabout Jones in Spring, 2009. Here are the rules:

1. Entry is free and anyone may enter. One entry per writer.

2. Short stories must be no longer than 2,000 words. Any submissions more than 2,000 words will not be considered.

3. Finalists will be chosen by Walkabout Jones. The winner will be selected by a published author, or authors, with no affiliation with Artists Collective or Walkabout Jones.

4. A short story is: A work of fiction. Non-fiction, essays, memoirs, etc. are not eligible.

5. Submissions should be emailed to “Short Story Contest” at artistsforaccess@gmail.com

Artists Collective is a licensed California non-profit delivering medical marijuana to verified patients in Los Angeles. Proceeds go toward creating opportunity grants for artists, writers, performers and musicians. Delivery is free throughout Los Angeles county. For contact information, go to www.artistsforaccess.org

Walkabout Jones is a web magazine, presently giving readers a front row seat to California’s medical marijuana world. Walkabout Jones features art, photography, music, politics, humor and experience-oriented essays.

* We’ve extended the deadline from January 31st to February 28th.

Artists

Posted on November 16, 2008

It began as a seed. Just an idea. Medical marijuana businesses are required under California law to operate as non-profits. So why not launch a service that lives up to the law’s true spirit? We could provide safe access to the sick, and instead of marijuana money going to profiteers, we could take those funds and create opportunity grants for writers, artists, performers, musicians, and others whose work shows bonafide merit.

Californians spend between $870 million and $2 billion on medical marijuana every year. At Walkabout Jones, we think the best way to tell the story is to roll up our sleeves and get our hands dirty. Earlier this year, Dann worked undercover as a medical marijuana delivery driver in San Diego county, one of the most dangerous places to do this sort of work in the state.

Excerpts from his book “I Am the Monster” will appear on Walkabout Jones from time to time. Dann is a deliberate writer, so it won’t be fast. But you’ll appreciate the final result. 

Now in Hollywood, Artists Collective will continue Walkabout Jones’ exploration into the world of medical marijuana, all while ensuring a significant portion of the proceeds go to creating opportunity grants for deserving artists.

It’s a big undertaking and it’s going to take time, but we know it’s a journey worth completing. And it’s a story that Dann will lead us through with his new weekly department/blog, “Hollywood Reefer.” A little rougher around the edges, it will chronicle the daily travails of a medical marijuana delivery driver in Los Angeles.

If you’re an MMJ patient in the LA area, and you like the idea of marijuana proceeds going to deserving artists, you can reach Artists Collective at 323-979-7822.

Please note: Artists Collective verifies all doctor’s letters and delivers to medical marijuana patients only.

On the philanthropic end, AC’s first giveaway is a short story contest. Artists Collective and Walkabout Jones request your best submissions, no more than two-thousand words. A $1,000 first prize and publication in Walkabout Jones will go to the winner. The entry deadline is January 31st. For additional guidelines, mail Artists Collective at artistsforaccess@gmail.com

We

Posted on November 9, 2008

Walkabout Jones likes to talk in the third person, since this allows us to feel big and powerful and occasionally omnipotent. But the truth is we’re very small, with one full-time guy and family, friends and gracious people volunteering their time and talents to move this project forward. We’re a long way from where we aspire to be, but hopefully you’re beginning to get a taste of the kinds of stories we would like to publish on a regular basis.

But this week….well. I’m relocating from San Diego back to Los Angeles, and there just isn’t time to update the site. In addition to moving, we’re getting ready to launch Artists Collective, a medical marijuana delivery service that will raise money for the arts. More on that later, but sufficed to say, there are many chainsaws being juggled, and since the goal of Walkabout Jones is quality over quantity, I want every story to get the attention it deserves. So bear with me, and us. Let me get unpacked and settled in, and we’ll be back with more original content in the next few days.

Nanu nanu,
Dann

Voting

Posted on October 21, 2008

With less than two weeks until the election, many of you are yearning for a place to engage in candid conversation. You can visit the usual angry message boards, or you can try something thrillingly out of left field. You can pop the cork on a bottle of wine, smoke a j, and come hang out with us.

Our community is a digital coffeehouse—a place to discuss politics and entertainment, share art, books, travel recommendations, and much more. From now until November 4th, join the election conversation in our political section, Washington Jones.

Vote for your candidate of choice and debate the issues of the day. And the best part about our smaller community? Others will actually listen and thoughtfully respond to what you say. It’s been awhile, hasn’t it?

Registration is absolutely free. Just click register and follow the very easy instructions. This is the biggest election of our lives—everybody has an opinion. Come share your thoughts. And while you’re at it, click on MyTunes, and whistle while you work. We now have more than 100 songs instantly available.

Walkabout Jones is the future of the Internet. What we need now is you!

To take a tour of our Digital Coffeehouse, click here.

New

Posted on September 1, 2008

Walkabout Jones doesn’t operate on the clock of a newspaper or magazine. Instead, we’re more like an old friend visiting, popping in every now and then. But that’s about to change.

Our editorial staff has recently doubled, with talented writer and traveler, Katrina Elder, thumbing a ride. In Katrina’s upcoming story, she’ll be taking us to Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Look for “Oops, My Bad” coming soon.

You might also notice a few new bells and whistles. We’ve added a “ShareThis” feature at the bottom of each story. This allows you to email our stories and pictures to family and friends, or post them to two dozen social networking sites. Most exciting is that we’re launching a Walkabout Jones community. We hope you’ll visit our digital coffeehouse, share art, travel stories, politics and culture. We want this to be a smart and passionate place for debate and discussion.

So you see, there’s a lot to do, which explains our disappearance from time to time. But with improved technology and a growing staff of contributors, we’re heading toward our goal of publishing five times a week. In our final form, Walkabout Jones won’t be another blog or magazine, but a gathering place—a portal—for everyone who dreams of a life worth living. Not only will you have a front row seat to our adventures, but you’ll be able to share your own journeys – epic or personal, book recommendations, photography, art, film and more.

Keep an eye out, we’ll keep it interesting.

Can

Posted on August 4, 2008

This fall Walkabout Jones will take participatory journalism to a new level. With the launch of Artists Collective, a Los Angeles medical marijuana service, we’ll not only take you into the world of medical marijuana, but open a true non-profit corporation with proceeds to support individual artists—thus demonstrating the multi-billion dollar potential cannabis has to bankroll social good. Whether creating opportunity grants for artists, helping the sick, or any number of worthy causes, legalized maryjane has dollars and cents ability to help solve serious social problems where government and big business have failed. There’s a lot of work to do, and for that we need your help. But more than anything, we need your enthusiasm. If you can donate time or money, awesome. If not, we’ll still think you’re fantastic if you just spread the word. Let’s keep marijuana out of the hands of tobacco corporations, and redirect millions to a host of benevolent causes.

To read more about Artists Collective, click here.

Dig our playlist?: How many sites offer a mix of Cab Calloway and Temple of the Dog? Jim Croce and State Radio? Kenny Rogers, Etta James, Sam Cooke and Johnny Cash? Now it’s your turn to play music savant. Send us your top eleven licks, and we’ll start adding your choices to the site. Whether it’s old, new, country, folk, jazz, rock, or straight-up funk, what matters is that it’s musical nirvana from the very first note. So dust off your records, maximize your music files, and send us your picks of legendary licks.

It begins: Ever wonder what it’s like to run drugs near the Mexican border? Walkabout Jones is getting ready to show you. For the past few months, Dann’s been working as a medical marijuana delivery driver in San Diego county. (Did we mention that San Diego has the largest DEA field office in America?) It’s been hard work, exciting and dangerous, sometimes spine-shivering, other times highly satisfying.

The first of these stories, “Will Work For Bud” arrives next week. Keep an eye out for it and others, and let us know what you think.

Making our name, making our fame: Walkabout Jones dreams of becoming a thoughtful media oasis, well-removed from choppy seas besieged by pundits and paparazzi. Art, adventure, politics, and truth stranger than fiction are what get our creative juices flowing, but we’ve learned that spreading the word isn’t easy. Not with millions of websites vying for your precious eyes. To those ends, we’ve launched Myspace, Facebook, Stumbleupon, and Digg pages, with fingers crossed these digital tools will bring more readers into our realm. But we’re always looking for fresh ideas. So if you’re a budding marketeer, and wish to spread word of our mischief, please get in touch. We want you.

Walkabout Jones also welcomes collaboration with artists, writers and adventurous thinkers who want to help create a different kind of website. If interested, contact Dann at walkaboutjones@gmail.com

"Holla

Posted on June 24, 2008

Walkabout Jones returns 6.28.08

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On

Posted on May 10, 2008

Walkabout Jones is taking a few weeks off to write speeches for Barack Obama. Long speeches, composed on rolls of toilet paper, mailed to his campaign headquarters unsolicited. So far, no luck. But this week we’re switching to paper (blank pages from myriad credit card offers) and hope is running high. If all else fails, we’ll put our message to music with the help of a bluegrass band and yodelers.

However it goes, the work of crafting a vision for America takes time. So the site is taking a siesta for a few weeks. Maybe forever, assuming Obama is so impressed by our masterwork he appoints us Director of Homeland Security or official White House nacho taster. Either job would be a step up.

So chill for a few weeks, Jonesians. Who could have imagined just a few days ago, we’d be in this unique place in history, where we could stalk Barack Obama with rednecks, Ricola, Tostitos, and hope?

In the unlikely event we’re not his running mate, Walkabout Jones will reluctantly return in June.

Check you later,
WJ

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