An insightful, at times amusing walk through America's collective
psyche and history by one of this century's most popular newspaper
columnists. For nearly 35 years, Royko (Like I Was Sayin' . . .,
1984, etc.) entertained newspaper readers and alternately cajoled
and aggravated bureaucrats. By the time the Chicago-based Pulitzer
Prize - winning writer died in 1997, his columns were syndicated in
more than 600 papers nationwide, and his "characters" (convenient
pals, such as Slats Grobnik, who acted as literary foils) were
fixtures in many Americans' lives. Here his widow and some longtime
colleagues have culled 100 of Royko's best from nearly 8,000
columns. They are remarkable on many levels, not least for his
ability to chum out five columns weekly (his only real break came
after the death of his first wife). Royko also impresses with the
breadth of his work. Sometimes he is the outraged muckraker: "A
Faceless Man's Plea" decries the Veterans Administration for
refusing to pay for plastic surgery that would enable a Vietnam
veteran to chew food once more. (The VA changed its mind almost
within hours of the column appearing in print.) At other times he
is the voice of just-plain-folks, questioning exactly why our
government is acting in a particular way. Sometimes he's just
funny, as in the columns bemoaning his allegedly ugly feet. A
gruff, no-holds-barred writer, Royko spoke for the many who are
voiceless. Despite his success and the rise of celebrity
journalists, he remained refreshingly unimpressed with himself. "I
just hope my next column is readable, doesn't bore people," he said
in a 1993 interview. "I don't have any grand scheme." Yet the
continued relevance of these columns reminds us that good
journalists can make a difference. A terrific compendium for those
who always meant to clip and save Royko's words but didn't. (Kirkus
Reviews)
Mike Royko wrote a daily column for nearly 35 years - at first for
the "Chicago Daily News", then the "Sun-Times", and finally the
"Tribune" - and his Pulitzer Prize-winning commentary was
syndicated in more than 600 newspapers nationwide. Pretension and
hypocrisy were his targets, and his well-aimed salvos, delivered
with blunt honesty and penetrating wit, w on him fans and foes
alike. This text collects the best of Royko's columns from his
career. Culled from 7500 columns and spanning four decades, from
his early days to his last dispatch, the writings in this
collection reflect a radically changing America as seen by a man
whose sense of justice and humour never faltered. Included in this
volume are columns such as: the stories of his childhood as
recollected by himself and his pal, "Slats" Grobnik; his modern-day
Christmas parable of Mary and Joseph looking for a room in Chicago;
"A Faceless Man's Plea," the tale of woe that in one day had
Richard Nixon publicly reversing the Veterans Administration; his
account of Frank Sinatra's threat to punch him in the eye; the
column he wrote about how his feet had always disappointed him; his
pieces on racism; and his amusing attacks on political correctness.
Putting each decade into perspective are introductions by Lois
Wille, Royko's friend and colleague at all three Chicago dailies.
General
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