Editor at Large

James Ross Gardner is the former editor in chief of Seattle Met. During his time as top editor the magazine won numerous awards, including the national City and Regional Magazine Association's award for general excellence, twice (in 2015 and 2018). While at Seattle Met, James's writing has garnered 14 first place awards from the regional chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and has been a finalist for seven national CRMA awards. His work has also appeared in Esquire, GQ, and The New York Times, among others. He lives in Seattle’s Central District neighborhood.

Feature

The Trouble with Shaken Baby Syndrome

After three decades and thousands of accusations and fractured lives, medical and legal experts are challenging shaken baby syndrome as a diagnosis. And as one family's saga demonstrates, we can't wait any longer to get it right.

04/02/2014 By James Ross Gardner

Wait, What?

Russell Wilson On a Baseball Card?

It shows the Seahawks’ star QB in a Texas Rangers uniform, but don’t worry. He’s not going anywhere.

04/01/2014 By James Ross Gardner

Reel World

How to Write an Oscar-Nominated Screenplay

Whidbey Island's Bob Nelson wrote the Oscar nominated film Nebraska—and he has only his time on Seattle’s Almost Live! to blame.

02/24/2014 By James Ross Gardner

Mudroom

The Hero We Need

The first teenage Muslim superhero girl will come to life at a kitchen table in Seattle.

02/01/2014 By James Ross Gardner

Rainmakers

The Cartoon Network

After a year of heartache, loss, and financial struggle, Fantagraphics asked its fans for a miracle.

01/02/2014 By James Ross Gardner

Mergers

The Marginally Scandalized Seattleite’s Guide to Recent Tech Mergers

Taser’s purchase of a local photo-sharing startup is weird, but it isn’t the weirdest.

12/01/2013 By James Ross Gardner

Profile

An Inconvenient Cure

When Timothy Brown contracted HIV in the early 1990s, the virus was a death sentence. A cure 12 years later—the cure no scientist in the world believed existed at first—originated in the last place he would ever expect.

12/01/2013 By James Ross Gardner

Explainer

Marijuana, Seed to Sale

Between November 18 and December 18, the Washington State Liquor Control Board will accept license applications for marijuana producers, processors, and retailers. Here’s how pot will get from the grow-op to the pipe bowl.

11/01/2013 By James Ross Gardner

Now in a Can

Airways Brewing Serves Up Another Seasonal Stout

The world didn't end... so coconuts!

10/08/2013 By James Ross Gardner

Department of Nostalgia

Redhook Releases Winterhook for the 29th Time

A beer tradition so old, Reagan could have gotten his Cold War buzz on this way

09/24/2013 By James Ross Gardner

Feature

Ground Control to Mr. Meline

Rob Meline always dreamed of being an astronaut. He became a teacher instead. When he fell victim to a family secret in October 2012, he became the symbol of a flawed judicial system. What his students did next was out of this world.

09/17/2013 By James Ross Gardner