Last Updated: May 20, 1999
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An American Editor
Birthday: March 31, 1942
Hometown: Louisville, Ky.
Marital status: Married Dec. 7, 1968. Wife Annette.
Self-portrait: Graying hair and beard, but not as old, distinguished
or wise as that might indicate; Darth Vaderish, aptly named by previous
staff; patient, unruffled, reserved; sober, but not always.
Newsroom motto: Get good s— in the paper.
Greatest feat: Surviving and building through almost three years
of a strike and its aftermath.
Pet peeve: People who don’t listen.
Luxury defined: Beach (or veranda), book, beer, Cohiba cigar.
Most dangerous story: Covering anti-busing battles in Boston,
Louisville and other cities in the 1970s; urban riots and rebellions in
the 1960s.
Best story: A magazine story about a man who called himself "The
Devil" and claimed he made the best ribs in Cleveland. Great fun that led
to creation of the Cleveland Rib Burn-off, a contest to see who really
made the best ribs.
Best interview and why: Fashion designer Oleg Cassini. It was
my first celebrity interview and I knew little about him or what to ask
him. We talked about women. He knew much more than I did.
My newspaper’s strength: Covering every aspect of a big breaking
story. Coverage of sports and arts. Diversity.
Most admired editor: Gene Roberts.
Most admired writer: Langston Hughes.
Favorite comic: "Doonesbury."
Favorite columnist: Leonard Pitts Jr.
Best part of job: Generating changes and improvements.
Worst part of job: Looking at the corrections column each morning.
Vacation spot: Jamaica.
Books at bedside: "Rising Tide" by John Barry and "Easy Riders,
Raging Bulls: How the Sex-Drugs-and-Rock ’n’ Roll Generation Saved Hollywood"
by Peter Biskind.
Last words: I wonder what’s going to happen next.
