New York Times Arts & Leisure editor Jodi Kantor, formerly of Slate, has decided to step down from her post straight back into the trenches of honest-to-goodness reporting. Starting next month, she will join the NYT's "Way We Live" team, reporting to Suzanne Daley.

Newly-minted NYT Culture editor Sam Sifton praises Kantor in his memo to the newsroom, lauding her not only for her handling of the Arts & Leisure section, including bringing in lots of new talent, and working with the team responsible for restructuring the Culture department (with Sifton, Frank Rich, Steve Erlanger, Jon Landman, Jim Schachter and "some guy named Adam").

The "Hello, I Must Be Going and then Coming Back in a Different Capacity" Party is next Wednesday at 5:45pm, crashers. Sifton's memo with more details is after the jump. Congratulations Jodi and good luck at the, er, Times.

p.s. We're proud of ouselves for refraining from making a stupid pun like "I Kantor beleve she stepped down!" That's just not our thing.

Memo from Sam Sifton [via Romenesko]

Topic: Memos Sent to Romenesko
Date/Time: 7/22/2005 12:31:18 PM
Title: NYT A&L editor Kantor's new assignment
Posted By: Jim Romenesko

To: [NYT newsroom]
Sent: Friday, July 22, 2005 12:01 PM
Subject: Fwd: News from Culture

TO THE STAFF:

Jodi Kantor came to The Times in early 2003 with a mandate to remake the Arts & Leisure section. Now, having accomplished this task with great skill, spirit and aplomb, and having helped in the process to remake the entire Culture Department, bringing new reporters, critics, editors and many, many new columns of news and opinion into its report, she has asked to take on a new challenge. Starting next month, Jodi will be a reporter on the "Way We Live" team, reporting to Suzanne Daley. "After a couple of years in the building," she said, "I'm dying to actually get out and report some stories myself."

Before she goes, though, it's worth taking some time to recognize Jodi's achievements here in the Culture Department. They have been myriad and important. First and foremost, of course, is the way in which Jodi has transformed the Arts & Leisure franchise, giving it not just a handsome new look but completely revamping its tone and substance. In the two-plus years since she brought in the low black chair and long gray couch that will now mark the position of A&L editor as surely as the inability to make dinner reservations on Tuesday nights, Jodi has not only given the section a news-driven focus (a real feat, given A&L's terrifying five-day lead time), but she has done so without sacrificing its devotion to richly narrative, long-form journalism -- or its punishing schedule of special issues. It's been a hell of a run.

Beyond Arts & Leisure, Jodi has also been at the center of the department's restructuring process. With Frank Rich, Steve Erlanger and some guy named Adam, and later with Jon Landman, Jim Schachter and me, Jodi helped draft the plans for the department as it now exists -- divided among subject areas, with vastly expanded roles for reporters, editors and critics -- and played a crucial role in landing some pretty big fish: Manohla Dargis and Nicolai Ouroussoff among them. Hers will be large shoes to fill.

More on that subject later. In the meantime, please join the Culture Crew under the yellow umbrella on the northwest corner of the fourth floor, on Wednesday, July 27 at 5:45 p.m., to raise a glass to a woman who can't drink these days, but to whom so many of us owe thanks and to whom we'll offer a standing ovation for a job well done.

Sam [Sifton, culture editor]