If you’re a keen-eyed Narwhal reader, you might already recognize Paloma Pacheco’s name. Paloma has written some beautiful features for us about agriculture, which makes sense given her love of delicious things (she knows how to make olive oil!). Now, you’ll be seeing her work more often — though like so many good editors, she’ll be a mostly unsung hero.
Paloma is one of two new assistant editors that recently joined The Narwhal. We’ve brought them on board to help make sure our stories are factually accurate, enjoyable to read and beautiful to look at. Paloma has one heck of a keen eye for detail, a deep appreciation for human-centred storytelling and an obvious talent when it comes to the written word, all qualities that will help our work shine.
Based in Vancouver, Paloma brings a love of “immersive, sensory details and voice-driven storytelling” in journalism, and is now a crucial part of our team of editors working behind the scenes to bring exactly these types of stories — and more — to you, our readers. She is already bringing joy and diligence to The Narwhal, and you might soon hear from her yourself as our assistant editors are the ones that dive into our inbox and read every single one of our reader emails.
Read on to hear Paloma’s love of dance, what drew her to journalism and even a film recommendation (she’s worked at so many film festivals, so no pressure but we know it must be good!).
Tell us a bit about yourself! Where do you live?
I live in Vancouver, where I was born and raised, a 15-minute bike ride from the great Pacific Ocean.
I’m a forever lover of language, aspiring hiker, art enthusiast and friend to all cats.
You came to journalism from an arts background. What drew you to journalism?
In Grade 3 we did a drawing exercise where we had to draw what we wanted to be when we grew up. My mother is a visual artist and I was raised surrounded by art, so I drew myself as an artist. As I got older, I reshaped that vision first into “writer,” which seemed to align more naturally with my abilities and interests, and then “journalist,” which seemed more practical.
When I worked in the arts, what I loved most was the storytelling and connective element — bringing people together through shared culture and story. I was often called on for writing tasks and I loved working with words and communicating ideas effectively. Though I enjoyed being immersed in film and art, I felt like I wanted to be the one doing the storytelling.
What drew me to journalism was first and foremost the craft of nonfiction, but I was quickly won over by the public-interest component, the chance to talk to all kinds of people and hear their stories and how it satisfied my relentless curiosity about the world.
Paloma works with words all week long at her day job — but that doesn’t stop her from reading for pleasure in her free time. And recently, she’s also taken up dancing salsa and bachata: “I’m hooked. It’s so joyful.”
You’ve written for all sorts of publications — The Globe and Mail, Canadian Geographic, The Tyee, Maisonneuve and more (including great agriculture-focused work for us!). What’s the article you’re most proud of over the years?
I’m very proud of the first longform piece I ever wrote, for Maisonneuve, called “Saving Finn Slough.” It’s about a small historic Finnish fishing village in Richmond, B.C., and the fierce spirit of resilience that’s helped the community survive for over a century. I fell in love with Finn Slough and its residents while writing the piece, and the process was an enormous and gratifying learning curve for me as a writer and journalist — one that I hope paid off in the finished story.
What kind of journalism draws you in as a reader? Why?
I’m a sucker for longform, narrative journalism — what used to be called “literary journalism.” I love a great long piece that demands sustained attention and draws a reader in with immersive, sensory details and voice-driven storytelling. I also love a good investigative scoop that holds power to account, as well as a sharp profile. I like learning something new when it’s conveyed in a unique and compelling way.
You’ve worked with the DOXA Documentary Film Festival, the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival, the Vancouver International Film Festival and the National Film Board of Canada — you clearly love film! What should I watch this weekend?
Matthew Rankin’s Universal Language. It’s absolutely charming and eccentric and so very Canadian. It made me wish Winnipeg were indeed a second Tehran filled with turkeys and teahouses.
To borrow a question from The Moose Questionnaire: what’s the most awe-inspiring natural sight you’ve witnessed between the Pacific, Atlantic, 49th parallel and Hudson Bay, i.e. Canada?
I haven’t travelled nearly as much as I’d like to within Canada and there’s still so much I’d love to see, but I’d have to say my first time hiking up Tunnel Mountain in Banff, Alta., a couple years ago. It was January, so the mountains were covered in snow. I was on my own and it was just before sunset. The light on the ground and trees was just exquisite. I got to the top and looked out over the Bow Valley and the surrounding mountains and it was all so still, yet so alive and perfect. It was a spiritual experience.
What do you do when you’re not proofreading stories in The Narwhal?
I spend most of my free time reading, watching films, sharing meals with friends, dreaming of future travels and, more recently, dancing salsa and bachata. I’m hooked. It’s so joyful.
With a background in the arts as well as journalism, Paloma has developed a passion for using storytelling as a connective force.
What are three things people might not know about you?
For someone who’s written quite a bit about wine, I am in fact quite alcohol intolerant! Both my father and I will get flushed in our faces and chests when we drink alcohol. I learned it’s the result of a genetic intolerance found predominantly in people of East Asian heritage. Our bodies are missing the enzyme needed to properly break down alcohol.
Which leads to point two: I come from a long line of immigrants on both my paternal and maternal sides. My father’s grandfather immigrated to Mexico from Japan at the turn of the century. I’m fascinated by his story and by that of the rest of my father’s family. I’m hoping to write about them one day.
And, lastly, I became interested in agriculture, which has become one of my main journalistic interests, after volunteering on organic farms in Italy and France in my 20s. I milked goats to make cheese, weeded many rows of lettuce, learned how olive oil is made and developed a deep respect for farmers and their labour. Food is everything.
