When our heroes meet, and even exceed, our naively high expectations, it’s a wonderful thing. In November 1985, as a high school senior in suburban Boston, I had been reading Frank Deford‘s fabulous work at Sports Illustrated for seven years already. No doubt, it played a role in steering me into a journalism career, which […]
“Less is more.” We’ve heard it on countless occasions. We may even have said it more than a few times. And it’s so often the perfect counsel, in any variety of situations. But how often do we blow the opportunity to actually practice it? This comes to mind on the heels of the first candidates’ […]
It was a day of distraction and anticipation, followed by a beaming burst of hope, which gave way to stomach-churning optimism, only to have it descend into deja vu despair. And then, of course, the grounds crew pushed the tarp onto the playing field at rainy Progressive Field in Cleveland. I nestled into a (relatively) […]
Only days away from retiring after a 67-year broadcasting career with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers, Vin Scully has possessed many qualities that have made him one of the most respected and admired announcers in Major League Baseball history. Among those traits has been his ability to let history unfold without foisting commentary on […]
About 1:30 a.m. this past Sunday, two patches of 40-somethings clustered in the parking lot outside The Marshfield Tavern in my hometown on Boston’s South Shore: four women and four men. “Can you take a picture of us?” a woman asked. Three of the men swung into action, each taking photos while the other (that […]
Today heartbreak seized our community upon learning of the gunshot murder of an Oak Park and River Forest High School senior, Elijah Sims. He was fatally wounded last night in the Austin neighborhood. Initial news accounts noted that Elijah was visiting friends from his old neighborhood—among the most violent and murderous in a violence-and-murder-ravaged Chicago. Shortly […]
More than 30 years ago, as a young journalist enrolled in a summer journalism program, the one-liner from a veteran journalism pro prompted chuckles and laughter from me and my 90-plus high school cohorts: “If your mother tells you she loves you…check it out!” The point being: don’t take anything at face value. Question. Dig. […]
Dear donald, On behalf of the National Junior High Contest on How to Respond to the Orlando Tragedy, I want to confirm receipt of your essay, headlined “MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN!” and which you included in an email from your campaign for U.S. President this afternoon. I have re-printed your essay here: “Dear matt, The […]
Let’s face it. We’re wildly inconsistent human beings. Many of us like to think that we are reliable and logical in how we address any number of issues and opportunities that arise, but it simply ain’t so. Take, for example, our response to those times when others say they want to “pick our brain,” a […]