becoming art

I love newspapers. Always have. In many ways I mourn their demise although I realized news isn't dead just the platform it's delivered on. I still receive all the information I love. The weekly food section. The movie reviews. The exposes. The crossword, especially the crossword. But most of all I love the op-ed section. 

As a kid growing up in Maryland right outside of Washington, DC. I read the Washington Post. In the aftermath of Watergate, The Post became one of the leading papers in the country trailing only the NY Times in influence. For decades, their top columnist was Art Buchwald. 

Buchwald was a renowned humorist. He wrote books, plays and won the Pulitzer price. He even sued Paramount for stealing his idea to make "Coming to America" starring Eddie Murphy. And, he won. 

Being a memorable figure from my childhood, when he died a few years back I read his obituaries and came across a few personal remembrances. One stood out. The eulogizer talked how Buchwald was an extreme extrovert. He loved going to functions talking, listening, asking question. It soon became apparent that he used this forum for material. His friends started to catch on as many of their discussions and personal anecdotes began to appear in his columns. He use his world as a breeding ground for his writings. His friends often found it annoying but accepted that was just Art. 

I was in NY this week talking to people at the 'Boards Summit, going to meetings in the office, grabbing drinks after work. Unlike Buchwald, I'm hardly an extrovert but in my older years I've become slightly more sociable. After a wonderful dinner hosted by Diane McArter, I went back to my hotel room and wrote down a few notes from the evening. There were a couple conversations that may make a good blog topic. I paused, oh my God, I'm becoming as annoying as Art Buchwald.  

I'm putting everyone on public notice that when talking to me, you are potential blog fodder. I know it's annoying. But, please don't worry. Like Buchwald, I'll honor privacy, be fair in my assessments, attempt to do so humorously, and never be unjustly negative. Unless of course its completely deserving.