One dinner. Four journalists. And you. Whom do you choose?

I had just such a dinner set up. I was headed to a final four basketball game in St. Louis. I was to meet Mitch Albom and two other esteemed columnists. The two cancelled and Mitch and I met Mateen Cleaves and Jason Richardson instead. Oh wait...

 

Dave Kindred
Hunter S. Thompson
Van McKenzie
John Feinstein

Although my head would hurt after dinner because of too much information. And screw taking notes, I'm turning on my tape recording and letting them go at it. I'd learn more the second time I listened.

 

Chuck Culpepper
Charles P. Pierce
Joe Posnanski
Van McKenzie

 

I enjoy the style of writing that has equal parts description and quality turns of phrase, with a good measure of that confidence/arrogance of having such a reputation that you can do whatever you want as far as expressing an opinion and taking chances with the language.

Ebert fits that bill, as do Murray and Dr. Z. Koppel had that in TV for a long time; his Jim Bakker interview, for instance, remains a classic.

None of these guys are timid, none of them get nervous when wondering if something will work. That's an ideal way to be.

 

Culpepper's great. He spoke to about a half-dozen students at the student paper my junior year in college and was one of the nicest guys around. He'd agreed early in the summer and it ended up being the week before he left the Oregonian for Newsday when he came to town. Great guy.

 

Jeff Passan, Peter Gammons, Dick Schaap and Woody Paige. Think of the conversations.

 

Hunter S. Thompson, Truman Capote, Molly Ivins and Maureen Dowd.

 

Technically, Dr. Seuss was a journalist. He was an editorial cartoonist before he started writing and illustrating children books. Pretty controversial one too, did most of his work during WWII. Very intersting choice.

 

ducky, whenever I realize I don't have a voice in my work, I want to emulate Chuck more than ever. He's been my "mentor/inspiration" my whole career. He's why I'm in this field.

The fact he's been a kick-ass friend makes it all the better.

 

That's the best list I've seen so far...

 

I love Hunter Thompson's writing, but I don't know what kind of a dinner guest he would make.
Alan Malamud (sic?) tops my list. I haven't seen his name is so long, I can't remember how to spell it.
PJ O'Rourke
Mark Twain
Lindsay Soto, even though I'm not sure what she could contribute to the conversation, but she would nice to look at over martinis afterward.

 

Since almost half of my career was spent painting word pictures on radio, I confess to cheating a little ...

Sid Collins, Voice of the Indianapolis 500
Ernie Harwell
Red Barber
Jim McKay