Best Columnist Ever...

Here's a vote for the late Mike McAlary, who died much too young. He was as good a city-side columnist as anyone ... and was just hitting his stride when he passed. He was a terrific writer, wonderful story teller and possessed a compelling voice. He did the legwork, was a respected reporter before becoming a columnist and had a knack for getting people to talk to him. He always managed to tell you something you didn't know, or give you a perspective you hadn't considered.

If you've never read his stuff, you should. You'll be a better journalist for it.

 

Re: Best. Columnist. Ever.

Friend --
Last month, in Dublin, at a party celebrating "At Swim-Two-Birds," I got to meet The Brother, Miceal O'Nuallain, who's 82 and sharp as a whip, even to the point of saying to me, "You know, I really do like eggs." ("Do you know what I'm telling you? The Brother can't stand the sight of an egg." M naG.) He told me that someone sent him a copy of An Beal Bocht translated from the original Irish into Russian. I have no idea how someone would do that.
There are more of us out there than you realize, and remember,
A PINT OF PLAIN IS YOUR ONLY MAN!

 

Mr Bastard,

F O'B is James Joyce's superior in every way. Dalkey Archive, Swim, Poor Mouth whatever. The Brother? That's truly amazing--if I could offer in trade my brush with Ernest Hemingway's sparring partner, I might.

YHS, etc

 

The Brother autographed my newest copy of ASTB, too.

 

Mr Bastard,

I submit. You met The Brother -- I once had a hamburger prepared for me by Pernell Roberts's brother.

YHS, etc

 

Is it time now to tell you that he bought me a pint?

 

I grew up reading Frank Luksa and Blackie Sherrod. Oldies but goodies! Those were the days...

 

Mr O'Bastard,

Have you no sense of decency, sir?

YHS, etc

 

For me, it would be Dan Barreiro.

The guy was a must-read for years.

He was funny. He was insightful. He told it like it is. He was simply entertaining.

Whenever the Vikings lose, I would immediately log on to the StarTribune.com the next day just to read his rant.

Thank God he has a blog on KFAN now, but I miss reading him in the Star-Tribune.

 

Newside over sports. What a bunch of snobs. Next you will pretend getting through a George Will political column isn't an ordeal. The best thing published on Nov. 23, 1963 was written by Jim Murray. He remains the greatest newspaper columnist ever.

 

Yes, Butchie, because somebody started a thread about best non-sports columnists, that means we all think sports columnists suck.

Nice leap -- and on a months-old thread, to boot.

 

Oops. Another newbie mistake.