Saying goodbye...and hello

January 24, 2019
RETIREMENT PARTY: The Marlow Review will be hosting a party for outgoing publisher Judy Keller and a community meet-and-greet with new publisher Katherine Farrow from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. The public is invited. RETIREMENT PARTY: The Marlow Review will be hosting a party for outgoing publisher Judy Keller and a community meet-and-greet with new publisher Katherine Farrow from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. The public is invited.

A conversation between two publishers

Judy Keller, retiring publisher of The Marlow Review and Katherine Farrow, who officially takes over for Keller on Monday, sat down together Wednesday morning to discuss Keller’s upcoming retirement party. The party, which is a breakfast come-and-go scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. this Friday, Jan 25 at The Marlow Review; is jokingly being referred to by both women as the “Goodbye, Hello” party. Farrow insists the focus of the event should be a celebration of Keller, while Keller says that everyone should attend in order to meet and welcome Farrow.

What follows is part of their conversation, which has been edited for space and clarity. The entire exchange will be available online Thursday at MarlowReview.com


Farrow: “Okay! So, Judy, why don’t you tell me a little bit about how you’re feeling about retiring?”

Keller: “I’ve got more emotions going through my body than I thought I had – It’s exciting, because I’m going on a new adventure in my life. That is something I’ve looked forward to – and we’re going- Joe and I are going to go play. This is a whole new door we’re opening. I’m leaving this paper in very capable hands. I’ve got three different people here that I trust completely, so I don’t really have that worry. I’m going to miss this town more than I ever thought I would miss anything, but I’m only a few miles away, so here I’ll be. But walking out the door is killing me – emotionally. I never thought this day would come. But it did, and it’s a good day for all of us. It’ll be a good day.”

Farrow: “—Are you looking forward to it?”

Keller: “I am! I hope everybody comes. Not just to say ‘goodbye’ to me, but to meet you. Because you need to become a part of this community and they will meet you and they will accept you – but they need to come and do it like this. I think this is the best way to step out. You don’t have to say all that—”

Farrow: “Judy! It’s a retirement party, not a—”

Keller: “I know, I’m bossy!” [both laugh] “But that’s just how I feel. But I am very, very emotional. I am. I’m not going to cry, I’m going to try very hard not to cry and that’s been the hardest thing. Because I feel like I’m leaving a huge part of my life when I walk out this door, and I’m not. I’m leaving my heart here, but it will always be here. Marlow is a wonderful, wonderful place to be, so I’m not taking that part with me, I’m leaving it.”

Farrow: “And you’re renting the back part of the building for art space so you’ll be here no matter—”

Keller: “Yes I am!” [both laugh] “I’m not going away!”

Farrow: “What do you want to say to the people of Marlow, Central, Bray, all of the communities you’ve been serving?”

Keller: “I want to say ‘Thank you. Thank you for taking me in as not just as a friend, but a family member in this community.’ This is such a wonderful community, we call it our ‘Hallmark’ community, because it is! I’m telling you, when my bosses came into town that’s what they called it. This was their Hallmark community and they fell in love with it. They’re from Chicago [Illinois] and fell in love with Marlow, Oklahoma. That’s something that gets in your soul. And it will never go away. I just want to say ‘thank you,’ for all of the support, all of the love; because it’s love [just] as much as it is support in this community that people have given me. We’ve been through some bad times together. We’ve been through some amazingly wonderful times together, and the community has always been there, and we’ve always been there for them.”

Farrow: “That’s beautiful. Hey, you said you weren’t going to cry but I think I see some tears in there—” [Both laugh]

Keller: “I know I said I wasn’t going to!” [both laugh] “That’s enough of this! We need to just make sure to tell everyone they should come to the party Friday to meet you—”

Farrow: “You mean congratulate you and give you gifts and hugs and—”

Keller: “No!” [both laugh] “Make sure you to come to the party!”

Farrow: “Come to the party!”