The Best of the Rest presents the work of 77 of America's most talented local newspaper columnists from 41 states. They represent the rest because editor Sam G. Riley has excluded nationally syndicated columnists in order to expose to a wider audience many equally talented columnists whose fame generally is localized. The columnists chosen for inclusion were nominated by a nationwide panel of 100 journalism professors--two from each state. Those writers who agreed to participate either self-selected their two favorite columns or sent a larger sampling for the editor's choice. For this first such book on local columnists, Riley has concentrated on news columnists, personal or general interest columnists, and humor columnists, exempting those who write more or less exclusively on topical areas, such as sports, business and finance, fashion, or travel.
In his lively and insightful introduction, Riley identifies three main characteristics of newspaper column writing much in evidence in these selections: humanity or people-centeredness, wit, and freedom of approach. He also sketches a brief history of newspaper column writing and provides a sense of what local columnists do, offering his opinion that being a columnist is the most fun a person can legally have at a newspaper. The selection of columns makes for delightful reading and will be instructive and inspiring to journalism major students and other students of writing. A selective bibliography is included.
Show moreThe Best of the Rest presents the work of 77 of America's most talented local newspaper columnists from 41 states. They represent the rest because editor Sam G. Riley has excluded nationally syndicated columnists in order to expose to a wider audience many equally talented columnists whose fame generally is localized. The columnists chosen for inclusion were nominated by a nationwide panel of 100 journalism professors--two from each state. Those writers who agreed to participate either self-selected their two favorite columns or sent a larger sampling for the editor's choice. For this first such book on local columnists, Riley has concentrated on news columnists, personal or general interest columnists, and humor columnists, exempting those who write more or less exclusively on topical areas, such as sports, business and finance, fashion, or travel.
In his lively and insightful introduction, Riley identifies three main characteristics of newspaper column writing much in evidence in these selections: humanity or people-centeredness, wit, and freedom of approach. He also sketches a brief history of newspaper column writing and provides a sense of what local columnists do, offering his opinion that being a columnist is the most fun a person can legally have at a newspaper. The selection of columns makes for delightful reading and will be instructive and inspiring to journalism major students and other students of writing. A selective bibliography is included.
Show more154 newspaper columns by 77 writers in 41 states, representing America's most talented local columnists.
Introduction
Smiley Anders
Lynn Bartels
Ben Beagle
Nancy Beeghly
Lillian Bell
Jim Belshaw
Don Bishoff
Don Boxmeyer
William A. Brower
Ken Buchanan
Dennis Byrne
Terry Carr
Steve Clark
Tom Condon
Ed Cullen
John DeMott
Mike Deupree
Mike Doogan
Melissa Dribben
Jim Fitzgerald
Guy Friddell
Tony Gabriele
T.J. Gilles
C.W. Gusewelle
Robert Haggart
Sam Hemingway
Mike Henderson
Carl Hiaasen
Rheta Grimsley Johnson
Eugene Kane
Jim Kershner
Jim Klobuchar
George Knapp
Bob Krauss
John Laird
Darrell Laurant
Mike Leonard
Charles Levendosky
Merle E. Lofgren
Dennis McCann
Dennis McCarthy
Joel McNally
Jon Margolis
Don Marsh
Cathy Mauk
Bill Maxwell
Russ Metz
E.J. Montini
Robert C. Newberry
Brian Ojampa
Rosemary Parrillo
Mark Patinkin
Mike Peters
Bob Pinkerton
Paul Prather
Doug Robarchek
Richard Roeper
Barbara T. Roessner
Ed Shamy
Celestine Sibley
Jack Smith
John L. Smith
A.C. Snow
Judy McConnell Steele
Roddy Stinson
Bill Tammeus
Tom Teepen
Susan Trausch
Elaine Viets
Kent Ward
Susan Watson
Tom Weber
Bob Wiemer
Kevin Woster
Bill Wundram
Susan G. Yerkes
Jerry Zezima
Appendix A: Newspapers and Columnist
Appendix B: The Columns Classified
Selected Bibliography
SAM G. RILEY is Professor of Communication Studies at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He has published dozens of scholarly articles in journals, reference books, and edited collections and has written and edited several reference books on magazine journalism, including six volumes on Southern periodicals, regional interest magazines, corporate magazines, and British consumer magazines in Greenwood Press's series Historical Guides to the World's Periodicals and Newspapers. In a lighter vein, he is the author of GR8 PL8S: The Best of America's Vanity Plates and numerous newspaper columns and feature articles.
?All in all, the book is inspirational and instructive. . . .
Mostly, he just shows off some fine work, and that is treat
enough.?-American Journalism Review
"All in all, the book is inspirational and instructive. . . .
Mostly, he just shows off some fine work, and that is treat
enough."-American Journalism Review
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