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Sixth months ago we were leaked — and we published — New York Sun deputy managing editor Robert Messenger's plans for a comprehensive overhaul of what he saw as a foundering newspaper. We were also leaked then — but we didn't publish — Messenger's musings on his dissatisfaction with his Sun job and his hopes of someday moving to The Atlantic instead.

It's fun when dreams that you dare to dream really do come true: Messenger will leave the Sun before the end of the month to join The Atlantic in its new Washington, D.C., headquarters.

The very gracious staff memo from Sun editor and founder Seth Lipsky is after the jump.

From: Raluca Serban
Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2005 9:00:17 AM
To: NY Sun Office Staff
Subject: From Seth Lipsky

All Sun Staff:

Robert Messenger, our senior editor and one of the original founding group of editors of the Sun, will be leaving at the end of November to join the Atlantic Monthly at its new home in Washington. I depart from the usual practice by sending this note because Robert has done such a wonderful job here. He is one of the most brilliant editors of his generation, and I, like many others here, have felt enormously privileged to be able to work with him in the launching of this newspaper and to watch him build its arts and letters pages into the most respected cultural coverage in the city.

And not just the cultural coverage. The first complaint I received, on the morning our first issue was on the streets, was that we needed a sports section. In the event it was Robert Messenger who built this section into another that is admired for its intelligence, its analysis, and its writing. And esprit. This goes for the food section, the tone of the Calendar, and much else in the paper. He has revived the concept of criticism in general interest journalism in town. He has brought a sense of design to his pages and the paper as a whole. And he has built up a stable of cultural writers that is widely admired.

One of the marks of a strong editor is that he has strong editors on his team, and one of the great contributions Robert has made to the Sun is to bring in David Propson as cultural editor. I'm happy to be able to report that David will be assuming most of Robert's duties. And Robert himself will become a contributing editor of the Sun, enabling us to benefit from his continuing advice and, I hope, writing. Robert is not a man given to staff picnics and the like. But when he chooses his exact date of departure, we will establish a moment to stand him to a round of drinks in the conference room or a nearby bar of his choosing.

Meantime, congratulations are in order.

Yours faithfully,

Seth

Earlier: 'Sun' to Cut a Half-Million in Staff? (And Who Knew They Had It?)