From the Publisher

By Elizabeth Valk Long

A MUST-SEE ON ANY TOUR OF OUR HEADQUARTERS IN New York City is the office of senior editor Howard Chua-Eoan, who edited this week's cover story on the Rocky Mountain boom in addition to our coverage of Michael Jackson's woes and the frantic behind-the-scenes fine-tuning of Bill Clinton's health-care proposal. Instead of a more traditional ficus plant, a 6-ft.-tall inflatable Godzilla peers from one corner of Howard's work space, while Gumby covers the exit. A prehistoric pteranodon (with a 6-ft. wingspan) swoops over story conferences from its perch on the ceiling. Souvenirs sent from all over the world by friends and colleagues line the bookshelves. "Some people would say I have an office in lieu of a personality," says Howard. "It's my secret garden of kitsch."

Don't let the modest talk fool you. Chua-Eoan is no shrinking violet. A native of the Philippines, he started working at TIME 10 years ago, answering phones and taking lunch orders as the Saturday secretary for the Nation section. Last week, for the first time, he was acting editor of the Nation section and someone else took his calls. In between, he has written stories on everything from pets to Raisa Gorbachev, from the history of World War II to the Tiananmen Square massacre. Two years ago, our sister publication People magazine spirited him and his menagerie away. But life at TIME seemed so unfulfilling without our eclectic materialist that we enticed Howard back to the fold as Society editor last spring. Since then, he has overseen covers that have examined the ethics of Dr. Jack Kevorkian's euthanasia campaign, the culture of violence in America and the anguished battle over Baby Jessica. "Politics and science and business often deal with complex issues," says Chua-Eoan. "I prefer stories that focus on human lives and emotions. They are simpler and yet more enigmatic."

By now you may be harboring the impression that the Time & Life Building serves as this self-confessed workaholic's home away from home. We would like to quash that persistent rumor once and for all. We really would. It's just that we have never seen Chua-Eoan's apartment, and some of us are beginning to suspect that he may never have laid eyes on it either. Howard has been sighted on every floor of the building except the lobby. That leaves one inescapable conclusion. "When Howard talks about commuting," says International senior editor John Saar, "he means getting on the elevator and going from one floor to the other."