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OUR LAST HURRAH
CELEBRATING LIFE AFTER 50
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Northwest
Prime Time www.NorthwestPrimeTime.com
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Spring 2022
At Large with Knute “Mossback” Berger
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nute Berger has been a fixture in the Northwest publishing world for decades.
The Seattle-born writer, editor and historian has launched magazines and newspapers, penned two books and written countless columns exploring the intriguing places where regional history and heritage meet current politics. Along the way, he became a local television star. Since 2007, Knute Berger (pronounced Keh-Newt Ber-jer) has been editor-at-large for the online nonprofit news site, Crosscut.com. The move to Crosscut from his longtime gig as editor-in-chief of the Seattle Weekly not only allowed him to focus more on writing but gave him the freedom to follow his curiosity. “What intensely interests me is history, place and identity, and how they influence our politics and culture,” wrote Knute in Crosscut. “There’s a rub here between past and present, between tradition and reinvention that makes it exciting…” After Crosscut and KCTS 9 merged as part of Cascade Public Media, he added writing and hosting the Mossback’s Northwest TV show on KCTS to his long list of accomplishments. Why Mossback? More on that later. Despite a lifetime of meeting new challenges head-on, Knute never imagined himself as the star of his own television series. “One of the editors came to me and said, ‘People think you might be really good doing a show.’” Knute Berger is a Seattle-born writer, editor and historian. Along the way, he became a local television star. Knute’s immediate reaction: You’re nuts! Photo by Greg Cohen, Cascade Public Media. Nevertheless, they forged ahead, starting with two angles they may not have heard before. He thinks of the video producers using a small digital camera. “We found has asked me for an autograph was a six-year-old—a topics as something akin to a curio cabinet, although a conference room to set up ‘Mossback’s Den,’” recalls mad Mossback fan,” he adds. The show’s broad appeal more substantial. After a lifetime studying Northwest Knute. “I brought in books and artifacts, and we just across generations makes him happy. started doing stuff.” The fifth season of history, deciding on a story can be like plucking a fascinating relic out of his memory banks. Mossback’s Northwest offers Mossback’s Northwest A few Mossback’s Northwest titles include: The Odd informative yet entertaining wrapped up in Thing About D.B. Cooper; The Palouse Cowboy Who glimpses into our region’s February, but you historical and cultural curiosities might still catch reruns Invented John Wayne; Kingdome Come, and Gone; The Northwest’s Most Notable Hoaxes; Northwest and wonders. The three-toon KCTS 9 and, of Dog Heroes; Sea Serpents of the Salish Sea; and seven-minute shows fill the slots course, the episodes Petticoat Brigade, which explores the mad scheme to between PBS programming, live forever online. bring marriageable women to Puget Sound’s frontier. and can also be viewed online He feels lucky to A Tinseltown version of this story of the “Mercer at kcts9.org, Crosscut.com and have a “dream team,” Girls,” who were brought to Seattle for the bachelor YouTube. including producer/ The show became a hit and director Stephen Hegg, lumberjacks, was the basis for the 1960s TV show, Here Come the Brides. now there is a three-story high photographer Resti A Mossback podcast was added this year as a picture of Knute “Mossback” Bagcal and editor Dave companion to Mossback’s Northwest. The podcasts, Berger on the KCTS building at Quantic. hosted by Sara Bernard, feature interviews with Knute 4th and Mercer. “It’s not quite that include details, factoids and analysis that didn’t The show’s popularity the ‘out-of-the-hip’ boosted Knute into the realm project that we were make it into the TV show. In addition to his work with Crosscut and KCTS, of local celebrity. People began doing at first.” The Knute has been a commentator on KUOW-FM and at stopping him in the street or team has always shouting out across the grocery Knute goofing around at the Space Needle after renovations focused on interesting public forums. Besides his work at the Seattle Weekly, he was founding editor and publisher of Eastsideweek, aisle, “Hey Mossback. Love the in 2018. New glass panels allow visitors to “float” over the sets, images and helped launch and guide the statewide Washington show!” Even after the pandemic city. Knute wrote the official history for the iconic structure’s artifacts to illustrate 50th anniversary - “Space Needle: The Spirit of Seattle” Magazine and served as editor-at-large for Seattle struck: “The mask doesn’t fool the stories, but this Magazine. His first job in the area after college was anyone,” remarks Knute. In season they ventured with a national startup magazine, Adventure Travel. part, his telltale beard peeking out gives him away. out more to shoot on location. The diversity of his experience doesn’t stop with his Knute describes the show as “one of those things And what about those quirky costumes and hats? with a lively appeal to anybody, young or old, with an “Those are my clothes,” declares Knute. “It’s stuff I bring work as editor, writing, launching publications or the TV show. Back in the mid-1970s, a writing assignment interest in Northwest history. I receive lots of mail from from home.” on time capsules led to a fascination with the subject. teachers who use it in class.” Knute, who believes there The show sounds like a wish come true for a selfis not enough history taught in schools, is thrilled by proclaimed history nerd like Knute. He uncovers stories continued on page 18 that turn of events. “The first and only time somebody that people may not know about or looks at unique